Mare Clausum OR A RANSACK FOR THE DUTCH May 23. 1666. By E. S. Gent. LICENCED May 30. 1666. LONDON Printed by Peter Lillicrap for john Million at the Man in the Moon in the Little Old Baley 1666. Mare Clausum OR A RANSCAK FOR THE DUTCH OUR Ancestors being born within the Pale Of that we call the Golden Age of all It was the best than happened no contest No Points of Honour was our interest All moved for Peace Justice herself did Reign No trespass than was done no projects feigned But when Astrea fled than men began To share the Earth to parcel out their Land And by their sweaty brows they got their Bread Now Master's Rule and Slaves by them are fed An Age of Brass soon follows this being worse Strife now takes place the Earth becomes a Curse Proceeding careless they themselves did wrong For raging malice in their breast did throng The Sea not limited was in discourse And by our power and excelling force We soon became Lords of the Narrow Seas And who then dare resist who dares displease Our awful wills success hath made it ours Assist our Cause ye High and Mighty Powers What shall such bold resistance as the Dutch Pretend to what is ours No 't is to much we 'll check their Impudence we will maintain Our Father's glory over this our Main Shall clay describe its Fashion or direct The Potter what to form what 't will effect Shall Pedants rule Shall they now bear the sway Commanding what 's not theirs soon to obey We were their founders gave them being by Our Mighty aid we caused Posterity To change from poor distressed by our Fates  've crowned themselves the High and Mighty States Ill weeds they grow a pace and let alone Soon take deep root and overcome the Corn. The Dutch no sooner thrived no sooner grew But slighted us as if no duty due As when their Grotius forward by their Pride Did undertake their Title should reside On these our Seas as if their Fleet was come To challenge Right being Mare Liberum And though by arguing Selden overcame His strongest Reasons they were still the same Their courage not abated till we used Expelling force to Right us being abused This checked them for a time yet Insolence Still growing great was like a mighty fence To their ill Natures brands them yet more base Amboyna shewsed a horrid bloody case And bloody 't was indeed when none of all Our Valiant Troop but did by Murder fall Blood called to Heaven blood for Revenge did cry Amboyna's fact Amboyna's remedy Then expiate your guilt you guilty Souls Exterpate blood within you and control Your loose desires lest just revenge come down From Heaven it s●lf your minds being most unsound Me thinks your impious deeds most dreadful strange Inhuman Facts should cause a perfect change Upon your bloody minds like one who escapes From a huge Precipice whose horror shakes His trembling limbs as yet filled full with fears Greaten's his past danger so should your cares Lest that revenge should follow close your guilt And shed your blood for that which you have spilt But 't is beyond your powers to argue thus You thirst for blood and nought else can discuss The Heavens above have seen your rude contempt Murder will howl 't will have its punishment As when your mighty Fleet weighed Anchor for A mightier prize to be sole Conqueror Shall Heavens design and not perform its work Shall it decree and shall not Noble York Bravely achieve what providence declared Once he your Conduct now his country 's Guards Where Right and Honour sits his Highness stands Where Justice is thence issue his commands These were his Guide these steered his awing Course These made him Victor none withstand his force 'T was Honour led the Van Right broke their Ranks Justice like Nilus overflowed their Banks Valour destroyed and Courage drove them home Clausum approved not Mare Liberum Your Honour 's great you died by Prince's hands Your Vessels sunk you fled by their commands Your Opdam 's lost your Fleet was quickly gone Your Besom's  your Trump almost undone Not yet content will you again presume What must we make an utter final doom Of seven whole Provinces O pity lest Your corrupt earth be made the fishes feast Were Tomyris alive she 'd quench your thirst she 'd give you blood to satisfy your lust That men with envy might no more be toiled That Neighbour Nations be no more embroiled In such contests Alas their thoughts are far From that of Peace they 'll make another War Clausum's a word not easy to digest In such crude stomaches but must be suppressed By that which helps decoction Nought but quarle Will serve their turns Then may brave Albemarle Run through their Squadrons like an Arrow sent From a stiff Bow to give them punishment May all our trust reposed be like to his May all our Foes this year be Sacrifice May Glory waite's may Heaven direct the Sea May we put on the Trophy of the day And like Achilles at our Chariot Wheel Drag Belgian Beast such may their Champions feel Through fear who knows but that they are grown wise Their Fleet 's at home what will you once surprise Our Narrow Seas Or will you dare to meet Our floating Castles or our vaster Fleet Strive for a Peace and pay your duty home No more lay claim to Mare Liberum We will be good we will be free enough Accept a Peace but you must make a Vow And solemnly protest You 'll mend your lives But hold our Faith is weak your fatal Knives Bereft our Subjects of their utter breath And none escaped but all were seized by Death Nay did your Powers reach this little Flock What one amongst us should escape your shock What person left untouched what Throat unscrapt What Female Sex but should be made a Rape What cruelty doth now your Burgher's act To our distressed men their bodies racked Considering not that we have Prisoners too And by our rigour can them soon subdue But we are kind and know not how to use Your Subjects harsh too good so to abuse 'T is freedom you pretend i' th' narrow Seas You claim a Right to make you fishing days You hungry Souls will you consume our Trade What would you not if that you power had Why were your Nets not spread why was your care Slackened to fish the last foregoing year Sure Neptune's rage was stirred you did not pay His duty due so he gave Haddock's way To seize your Corpse your brawny sides to eat To let the remnant know you proved a cheat For freedom you have fought and since declared You 'll fight it out then come we are prepared What means you Cowards will you turn your back What ails your Spirits do you courage lack Then soon renounce and right us as before Or from the Texel we 'll increase our store Six shall not one resist one six shall beat Our Diamond 's true it is no eounterfeit If Tar or Cordage lies within your close We 'll fetch it Prize or make you feel our force Our souls are generous and won't become The scorn of Pedants twice but hate your Drum Rejoice you may since that prosperity Attend not virtue always but do fly To those who apprehend Nought else but ends Th' unrighteous Mammon is their best of friends Fortune being blind and chance propitious too None but Dependants none but such as you any else carved out those favours then We had deprived at least desputed them You Hogan Mogans think don't violate Nature herself nor injure humane state You wrong acknowledge be to us sincere Lest you prove Slaves Vassals as once you were Though height'ned now confess 't is by our hands Lay open all say take your just demands Then our affection challenge be assured Doubt not our words be well by being cured FINIS