The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. H. Common- years ; . all their ene~ies were in a manner fubdued, and the two king– we6a!th. doms mcorporated m to one commonwealth: But fiill there were two I sz. I. l h fi r. • ~ t 1mgs t 1at gave t cm unea me1s ; one was the growmg power of the army, who were now at leifure, and expeCted rewards fuitable to their fucceffes; the other, the neceility they were under to difiolve themfelves in a little time, and put the power into other bands. War with the With regard to the army, it was refolved to reduce the land forces, and dutch. augment the fleet with them, in order to fecure the nation againfi the dutch; for the parliament having a defire to firengtben their bands, by uniting with the commonwealth of Holland, fent over Oliver St. John, and Sir Wafter Strickland, with propofals for this purpofe; but the dutcb .treated them with negleCt, as their younger fifier, which the parliament refenting, demanded fatisfaClion for the damages the englijh had fufiained at Ambo)•na, and other parts of the Eaft-Indies; and to cramp them in their trade, paffed the famous aCl of navigation, prohibiting the im– porting gocds if foreign growth in any but engliih bottoms ; or Juch as were if the country fi·om whence they came. Upon this the dutch fent over am– b.affadors, defiring a claufe of exception for themfelves, who were the carriers of Europe; but the parliament in their turn treated them coldly, and put them in mind of the murder of their envoy Dr. Dorijlaus. Both commonwealths being diffatisfied with each other, prepared for war; and Van Trump the dutch admiral, with a convoy of merchant-men, meet– ing admiral B!ake in the channel, and refufing him the flag, an engage– ment enfued May 17. which continued four hours, till the night parted them. The dutch excu(ed the accident, as done without their knowledge; but the parliament was fo enraged, that they refolved to humble them. Jn thefe circumfiances it was thought reafonable to augment the fleet out of the land forces, who had nothing to do, and would in a little time be a burden to the nation. !f!uarrel bt– tween the parliament and army. CRoMwELL. who was at the head of the army, quickly diicov·ered that the continuance of the war mufi be his ruin, by difarming him of his power, and reducing him from a great general to the condition of a private gentleman. Befides, Mr. Rapin obferves, that he bad fecret information of a confpiracy againfl- his life; and without all quefiion, if the army had not agreed to fl:and by their general his ruin bad been un– avoidable ; the officers therefore determined to combine together, and not fuffer their men to be difbanded or fent to fea, till the arr.ears of the whole army were paid; for this purpofe they prefented a petition to the houfe,, which they refented, and inltead of giving them foft language, and en– couragement to hope for fome fi1itab!e rewards for their pa!l: fervices, or– dered them to be reprimanded, for prefuming to meddle in affairs of fiate that did not belong to them, But the officers proving as r.efolute as their
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