[1] [ 1653 18th of August ]
[ Honorable, Worshipful, Pious, Dear and Faithful. ]
[ Sieur Allard Anthony appeared here today commissioned and sent by you in the Elbingh which arrived with several other ] ships [ from divers quarters in the sound. We received from him your ] letter and accompanying papers, dated the 5th of June of this year from which we have learned to our regret, among other things, of the danger apparently threatening our province there by the English neighbors on frivolous pretexts, used by this nation as an excuse for a serious pretense. As our ship the Coninck Salomon (by which we have communicated with your honor at length) is presently at Texel ready to take to sea at any moment, we have little time to expand on this, which we would like to see dispatched with the aforesaid ship. For now, we shall, therefore, only say in reply to your honor's aforesaid letter just received that your honor can rest assured that we are applying all possible means and solicitations here, especially by submitting pertinent material to the lords mayors and leaders of this city, so that these places, which we hold in such high esteem, may be supported and provided with the most necessary items required there. In the meantime, we trust that your honor, having been sufficiently warned, is on guard and has put everything in good defensive posture, in order to be able to resist that nation properly if they should undertake hostile actions against our country there (for which your honor, above all, must give no pretext). We hope that such will abate (although now full of haughtiness) when they have learned there of the losses sustained by English here in the [last terrible seafight with our fleet, in which they lost about 20 of their strongest and best ships, so that at last they were compelled to fly.[2] It was a great victory for our country which would have been celebrated with the greatest rejoicings, if the] valiant admiral Tromp, [ of laudable memory, ] had escaped with his life. [ May the good God ] create another like him and protect this country and our country there against [ further evil. ]
Amsterdam, this 18th of August 1653.
Herewith,Esteemed, Honorable, Pious, Beloved, Faithful,We commend your honor to God's divine protection and remain,
[ POSTSCRIPT: ] Letters from Italy report that the consul at Aleppo had written that our forces in the East Indies had captured two English return ships fully loaded, valued at twenty tons of gold.
David van Baerle
Abr. Wilmerdoncx
