VII. 13, 14 _Let all his glorious Name Unite to celebrate; Above the Heaven's his Fame; His Fame that's only great: His Peoples Stay And Praise is He, And e're will be: Hallelujah._ The two following Letters, coming from Persons in as great Danger as any could be, are plac'd here, as proper to be call'd Deliverances of the greatest and strangest kind. _From on board a Ship blown out of the_ Downs _to_ Norway. _SIR_, I cannot but write to you of the Particulars of our sad and terrible Voyage to this Place. You know we were, by my last, riding safe in the _Downs_, waiting a fair Wind, to make the best of our way to _Portsmouth_, and there to expect the _Lisbon_ Convoy. We had had two terrible Storms, one on the _Friday_ before, and one on _Thursday_; the one the 18th, the other the 25th of _November_: In the last I expected we shou'd have founder'd at an Anchor; for our Ground Tackle being new and very good held us fast, but the Sea broke upon us so heavy and quick, that we were in danger two or three times of Foundring as we rode but, as it pleas'd God we rid it out, we began to think all was over, and the Bitterness of Death was past. There was a great Fleet with us in the _Downs_, and several of them were driven from their Anchors, and made the best of their way out to Sea for fear of going on shore upon the _Goodwin_. the Grand Fleet was just come in from the _Streights_, under Sir _Cloudsly Shovel_; and the Great Ships being design'd for the River, lay to Leeward: Most of the Ships that went out in the Night appear'd in the Morning; and I think there was none known to be lost, but one _Dutch_ Vessel upon the _Goodwin_. But the next Day, being _Friday_, in the Evening, it began to gather to Windward; and as it had blown very hard all Day, at Night the Wind freshen'd, and we all expected a stormy Night. We saw the Men of War struck their Top-masts, and rode with two Cables an-end: so we made all as _snug_ as we could, and prepar'd for the worst. In this condition we rid it out till about 12 a-clock; when, the Fury of the Wind encreasing, we began to see Destruction before us: the Objects were very dreadful on every side; and tho' it was very dark, we had Light enough to see our own Danger, and the Danger of those near us. About One-a-clock the Ships began to drive, and we saw several come by us without a Mast standing, and in the utmost Distress. By Two a-clock we could hear Guns firing in several Parts of this Road, as Signals of Distress; and tho' the Noise was very great with the Sea and Wind, yet we could distinguish plainly, in some short Intervals, the Cries of poor Souls in Extremities.