Bloody NEWS FROM SEA: A perfect Narrative of a great and bloody Fight between the English Fleet commanded by General Blake, and the Dutch Navy upon the Northern SEAS.  
With the particulars thereof, the occasion and manner of their Engagement, and the number of ships sunk and taken.  
Also, A great Victory obtained against the Hollanders by Sir George Ascue upon the Coast of France, the manner of the Fight, and the number of ships burnt, sunk, and taken by the English there.  
LIKEWISE, Vantrump's Challenge, sent to General Blake, to fight him on the coast of Flanders, or the Narrow-Seas: With the great preparations that are making in Holland of men, money, and other provisions to resist the English.  
LONDON: Printed by B. A. 1652.   

Several great FIGHTS AT SEA Between The English and the Hollander, with the particulars thereof, and the number sunk and taken.  

SIR,  
THe Ambassadors of the United Provinces having been long in Treaty with the Parliament, and yet notwithstanding have given no reasonable satisfaction to the just demands of this Commonwealth, and being since remanded by their masters the States; his Excellency General Blake thought it not good any longer to protract time, but vigorously (for the honour of this Commonwealth) to prosecute the work in hand, and to fight the Hollanders wheresoever he can meet them; with this resolution he set sail with a gallant Fleet of ships towards the Northern seas, there to disturb and give a check to the insolency of the Dutch, whom he understood in great numbers to be fishing upon our English seas; leaving Sir George Ascue to command the rest of the Fleet in the Downs.  
He had not sailed far, but that he made a discovery of certain Hollanders, whom he pursued so close that he forced them to engage, and after some small dispute, he boarded four, two whereof were men of war, the other were Merchant's ships, laden with many rich commodities, all the rest were dispersed up and down, being not able in that haste to keep company with each other.  
His Excellency then set forward in his course Northward, and according to his intelligence, he found the Dutch fishing, with many men of war that attended them for their present guard, and to convoy them home; his Excellency coming near them, saluted them first with one single gun, thereby willing them (it being the custom at sea) to lore their Topsails, and submit to the Commonwealth of England, but (their spirits being heightened with the presumption of their own strength) they refused, answering him with a broad side, and after that with another, whereupon both parties engaged, maintaining a gallant dispute with great resolution, for a good space; for having before elevated their spirits with Brandy wine, viz. Strong-water, they stoutly maintained their decks; but it pleased the Lord of Hosts at last to crown our Fleet with victory, so that they sunk two, took four, all men of war, with about an hundred sail of Fishermen, which they brought all safe into our Harbours in Scotland.  
From aboard the james, july the 1. 1652.   

A Letter from Rotterdam.  
SIR,  
WE hear no talk now but of making great preparations to defend ourselves and ships against your ships, who we hear take all they can meet withal at sea; this hath caused a general alarm throughout the Country, and men and money are raising apace to make our party good against you; for by your last answer given to our Ambassadors with you, we do conceive that you intent war to this State; who in most places of this Country are no ways sorry for it; for till we have beaten you at sea, we think we shall never be able with treating to bring you to accept of such terms of our own, as we have given to other nations by being Masters at sea. We think out selves capable and sufficient to do it, or else we would never have begun with you: and whereas you expect satisfaction, we may chance to demand the like of you with double interest for the charges you have now put us to, by your lofty carriage at sea, this hath so much incensed our common sort of people, that unless some sudden course be taken by the Magistrates to right them against the English, they will raise insurrections, and revenge themselves on the Magistrates, who dare hardly walk the streets for fear of being misused by the people in general.   

A Letter from Dublin in Ireland.  
SIR,  
I Promised you an account of the laying down of arms by the enemy upon this last agreement; but my puddering business doth so turmoil me, that I know not whether I have performed that task or no, my fickle memory in the hurty of affairs, doth not inform me concerning my performance of that promise; but to be sure, I shall now give you a full account, as briefly as may be: Dungon, Scurlock, Westmeath, and the Lord of Clonmaleer, did bring in part of the forces, in all about the number of 800 at the most; the rest, being near so many thousands, still doth refuse to submit, being they are not pardoned for their murders, and we are as well contented that the war is now clearly stated upon that account. The Lord of Clanrickard is about Letrim with a considerable Army, my Lord Precedent, and Commissary General Reynolds, are both at Slego to take that in, Colonel Venables is fortifying Belturbet, the Lieut. General, and Major General, and the Lord of Broghil are all gone into Kerry to subdue Muskerry: The Lord Taaff is hereabouts with the Byron's, Coals, Conways and Grace, who all keep in several great fastnesses, and by means of the great Woods and Mountains, easily escape me; but I am fortifying several places near them, and now an finishing Tullon, from whence I newly came hither for some accommodations to fortify Dedrum. As I lay at Tullon last week, there was an ambush laid by Captain Conway, and Captain Line, for Colonel Pretty, who was coming from Carlow to me, with a guard of ren horse: I did hear of it, and dispatched away two parties from my Camp; the enemy had engaged Colonel Pretty, killed two, and took Captain Miller and four Troopers prisoners, but Colonel Pretty escaped; the parties dispatched out pursued them close, and killed four, released Captain Miller, took Captain Line and one more, and sixteen good horses, their riders escaped in the Bogs. That night I sent out a party of horse and foot to the Briscales, who killed above forty, and took thirty good horse, and returned; here Mr. Phelim sent his Trumpeter to me for to grant Captain Line a Parol, I returned him no answer, owning him as a murderer and woodkerns, and upon that score intent to prosecute him, sent him word that I would not give nor take quarter with him, nor any of his party, and by a Proclamation which I sent him by his Trumpet, offered 200 li. for any to execute him upon his own lentence of not coming in upon the Agreement, but standing out as a murderer, therefore if any should bring me his body or head, I would give them 200. li.  
Sir, I am Your humble Servant J. H. Dublin, june 20. 1652.  
Postiscript.  
Since I writ this Letter, I have certain intelligence, that Slego is surrendered, and that Sir Theophilus Jones with a party of Horse of Dragoons, killed two Colonels, ten Captains, and three hundred of a party of three thousand he met with in the County of Cavan, and took all their horse; and that the Lieu. Gen. Ludlow fell upon a party of the enemy near the Lough, killed many, took a great quantity of powder and ammunition, and 60 horse.  
From the Downs we received intelligence, that Sir George Ascue, whom General Blake left to command the rest of the English Fleet in the Downs, is very active and vigilant to discharge the trust reposed in him, and receiving intelligence of about 45 fail of Hollanders, that were on the coast of France, he resolved to fight them; so setting sail towards them, it was not long before he descried them, and coming near them, he presented them with a broadside, they answered him with the like, whereupon happened a very desperate engagement, but after a very hot and bloody dispute, which continued for about 2 hours with great gallantry and resolution, Sir G. Ascue became victor, took 7 of them, sunk and burned four, and forced about twenty four more of them to run on ground on the French shore, all which we conceive cannot possible escape shipwreck. The rest of the Hollanders Sir George is in very hot pursuit of. It is reported by some that the Rubey is sunk, which (if true) would prove a very great loss, she carrying 42 guns, and about 480 men. It is also reported that Vantrump hath sent a letter to Gen Blake, wherein he challengeth him to fight him upon equal terms, upon the coast of Flanders or the narrow seas; but it is believed his heart will hardly serve him to make good his challenge.    
FINIS.