An Exact and Perfect Relation RELATION Of the TERRIBLE, and bloody FIGHT: BETWEEN The English and Dutch Fleets in the Downs, on Wednesday the 19 of May, 1652.  
RELATING, How Martin Van Trump the Dutch Admiral, upon General Blague's friendly salutation, set forth his bloody Flag of Defiance; With the whole particulars of the Fight, and the manner of the Engagement.  
Also, A List of our admiral's ships that engaged in the aforesaid Fight; and the Names of those those that lost men in this service, with the namber of them that were slain and wounded on both sides; Together with the sinking of one of the Hollanders, the taking of 3, and the total spoiling of their whole Fleet; with their flight to Deep in France, and what happened to the English in the pursuit.  
Being the true Copy of a Letter sent to Mr. Richard Bostock of London, Merchant.  
Published according to Order, and Printed for the satisfaction of all that desire to be truly informed,  
London: Printed for Robert Wood, 1652.   

A more particular and exact Relation of the bloody fight that happened in the Downs, between the English and the Hollanders.  
Worthy Sir,  
MY Service to you, wishing all happiness; On the 18 of May instant, the Hollanders Fleet consisting of 42 sail of stout ships, all men of war) came by the Eastward, and lay by the Lee of the South-fore-land, and from thence sent two of their Fleet into the Downs to Major Bourn, who was then Admiral (Gen. Blague being absent) the Captains of those ships coming aboard our admiral's ship, desired leave of him to anchor their ships in the Downs; the Admiral asked them why they came into our seas with their Flags up, so near our Navy; they answered they had orders not to strike their flags to any they should meet with; whereupon, the Major answered them, that within two days' time they should know whether there was room enough for them to anchor in or not; yet notwithstanding this, the Hollanders anchored in Dover Road, and rode there till the 19th. About two of the clock in the afternoon, Major Bourn came out of the Downs into Dover Road with 10 sail, and Col. Blague from the rest with 13 sail more; the Dutch Fleet seeing this weigh anchor, and stood up to the coast of France with their flags up, near upon two hours, and then bore up to Gen. Blague, each ship having a man at the top mast head, as if they intended to have struck their Flags, when they came within shot of our admiral, he made one shot at them for to strike but they refused still coming towards him, whereupon he made two shot more at them, and then the Hollanders gave him one shot, still making nearer to h●m, and coming up to him, saluted our admiral with a whole volley of small shot and a broad side of gunshot, and Col. Blague returned him the like, and bearing up after him they two charged three or four broadsides at each other, 1, of the Hollanders gave our admiral each of them a broad side, before any of our ships came up to second him; then the general of Foulston came up between the Hollanders and our admiral, and gave them a breathing time; and in an hours time the ship called the Triumph came up to them, and fell up into the whole Fleet. About six of the clock at night the Dutch admiral bore away, and Gen. Blague after him; but Van Trump went better than our admiral, insomuch that he could not come up with them but followed them within shot till nine of the clock, in which time, the Hollanders had so shattered our general's sails and rigging, that they had neither sheets, tacks, nor brace, and his foresail was all torn in pieces; by means whereof Van Trump sailed away, and all his Fleet after him; only one of our frigates boarded one of them, who had 150 in her; whereof 50 were slain, and the rest wounded and taken: we also shot another Dutch ship main Mast over board, and took her, she having 37 guns in her, but finding six foot of water in her hold, we only took out the Captain, and two more and left her not able to swim, but sunk shortly afterwards.  
In this fight we had but 18 sail engaged, because some could not get up time enough; also one of our fleet had but two guns, the greyhound was of no great foree, and two more were but Catches would do no good. Our admiral received 200 shot, some of which did execution, and many of their own shot; we lost 8 men in the Admiral, five slain out right, three dead since; and had twenty wounded; In the Reuben there was three men slain; in the Centurian two; in the Victory two, and in the Fairfax one, the Garland Entrance, and the Worcester frigate lost not one man, but the Dutch lost four times our number in the two ships that were taken; besides what they lost in that which was sunk. The general saith some men did not engage at all, and therefore deserve to be looked upon as undeserving men.  
Our ships are all now (God be praised) safe in the Downs, and have brought in two Hollanders, one of them thought to be an Adviser. I was aboard our fleet in the Downs and there came six Hollanders that were merchant men, within a league of our fleet, whereupon a frigate of ours came up to the Admiral, and asked leave to fetch them in; but the admiral answered that they were men about honest occasions, and he had no order from the council of State to meddle with them, and so let them pass about their occasions.  
While I was aboard the Admiral, there came a Dutchman of War, supposing it to be Van Trump, but the Speaker frigate quickly fetched him up, and brought him in to our Fleet.  
There are 36 of the Hollanders ships that engaged with our Fleet in the aforesaid fight, that ride about Deep, every one of them being about▪ 1000 or 1500. Tun, most of them pitifully torn and battered, and many of them without either Mast, Sails, or Flags; having lost the company of their Admiral.  
Dover, May, 22. 1652. Sir, Your assured Friend, Thomas White.   

The Copy of another Letter from Dover of the same Date.  
SIR,  
I Cannot but intimate unto you some Particulars of a bloody beginning of an unhappy Breach between the English and the Dutch Fleet, though perhaps you may have it more fully than we, yet I shall impart what I have seen. Tuesday, Martin Vantrump came before this Town, and rode in the Road at anchor with his Fleet, being 41 sail of good ships of War, not a small ship amongst them till Wednesday at noon, with his Flag on the main top, at which time some shot was sent from the Castle and Fort, to cause him to strike (as is the custom) but he would not. At which time General Blake with his Fleet appeared, being in all 25 good ships, of which, 7 of the old Navy ships, and the rest were frigates, and other ships of good defence. On sight of them, the Dutch tacked about, and stood in with the English Fleet, and Trump himself very boldly stood up with Gen. Blake with his Flag aloft, and coming near, the Admiral shot at a distance from him (as is the custom) to make him strike, and so at second and third time shot at him and hit him. To whom Trump answered with one Gun without shot; then our Admiral shot▪ 3. or 4. upon which, Trump came up and gave him a whole broad side, and in stead of pulling down his Flag, put up a red Flag under the former, and having received the like salute from the English General, the Fleets on both sides did desperately engage, so that there was the hottest dispute for the time, that hath been this many years, between two such Fleets, and was conceived by knowing men that it would not end so long as a ship on both sides could swim on the water. But it pleased God better to dispose thereof; for it began at 4 of the clock in the afternoon, and ended at past 9 at night, it being dark that they could not know one another. The Fleming stood off towards the French Coast, and our ships anchored about the place, and in the morning the Dutch were gone. Our ships came up this morning with their whole Fleet, having not lost one, and have taken one from the Dutch, and have sunk another; It was thought their Admiral could not but sink: Just now is come a collier from France that met them last night; He saith, That they have never an Admiral amongst thew, nor any Flag or Ensign out amongst them all.  

A List of those ships of the Parliaments side that chiefly engaged, and the number of men that were slain out of each ship.  
In the Admiral, 20 wounded, and 8 slain.  
In the Reuben, three slain.  
In the Centurion, two,  
In the Victory, two.  
In the Fairfax one.  
The Garland, Entrance, and Worcester frigates lost not a man out of them.   
What loss the Enemy received is not certainly known; but we sunk one of them, took three, and totally shattered and spoiled their whole Fleet.  
FINIS.