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 him; and coming up to him, saluted our Admiral with a whole volley of small shot and a broadside of gunshot, and Col. Blake returned him the like, and bearing up after him, they two charged three or four broadsides at each other. Thirteen of the Hollanders gave our Admiral each of them a broadside, before any of our ships came up to second him; then the _General of Folkestone_ came up between the Hollanders and our Admiral, and gave them a breathing time, and in an hour's 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. Blake after him; but Van Tromp 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 Tromp 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's mainmast overboard 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 sank shortly afterwards.... 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 merchantmen 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 Dutch man-of-war, supposing it to be Van Tromp, but the _Speaker_ Frigate quickly fetched him up, and brought him into our fleet. There were 36 of the Hollanders ships that engaged with our fleet in the aforesaid fight, that ride about deep, every one of them being about 1,000 or 1,500 tons, most of them pitifully torn and battered, and many of them without either mast, sails, or flags, having lost the company of their Admiral. Sir, your assured friend, THOMAS WHITE. DOVER, _May 22, 1652_. CROMWELL AND THE RUMP (1653). =Source.=--Carlyle, _Cromwell's Letters and Speeches_, September 12, 1654.