sent his arms to Flanders, many of
the adverse party were vanquished by your fame, ere they tried your
valour.[3] The report of it drew over to your ensigns whole troops and
companies of converted rebels, and made them forsake successful
wickedness, to follow an oppressed and exiled virtue. Your reputation
waged war with the enemies of your royal family, even within their
trenches; and the more obstinate, or more guilty of them, were forced
to be spies over those whom they commanded, lest the name of York
should disband that army, in whose fate it was to defeat the
Spaniards, and force Dunkirk to surrender. Yet, those victorious
forces of the rebels were not able to sustain your arms. Where you
charged in person you were a conqueror. It is true, they afterwards
recovered courage; and wrested that victory from others which they had
lost to you; and it was a greater action for them to rally, than it
was to overcome. Thus, by the presence of your royal highness, the
English on both sides remained victorious and that army, which was
broken by your valour, became a terror to those for whom they
conquered. Then it was, that at the cost of other nations you informed
and cultivated that valour, which was to defend your native country,
and to vindicate its honour from the insolence of our encroaching
neighbours. When the Hollanders, not contented to withdraw themselves
from the obedience which they owed their lawful sovereign, affronted
those by whose charity they were first protected; and, being swelled
up to a pre-eminence of trade, by a supine negligence on our side, and
a sordid parsimony on their own, dared to dispute the sovereignty of
the seas, the eyes of three nations were then cast upon you; and by
the joint suffrage of king and people, you were chosen to revenge
their common injuries; to which, though you had an undoubted title by
your birth, you had a greater by your courage. Neither did the success
deceive our hopes and expectations: The most glorious victory which
was gained by our navy in that war, was in the first engagement;
wherein, even by the confession of our enemies, who ever palliate
their own losses, and diminish our advantages, your absolute triumph
was acknowledged: You conquered at the Hague, as entirely as at
London; and the return of a shattered fleet, without an admiral, left
not the most impudent among them the least pretence for a false
bonfire, or a dissembled day of public thanksgiving. All our