MAn, though he be absolute in himself, and stands upon his own Bottom, yet may be wrought upon by examples and com­parisons with others; for by that means he may see what he is, or what he may be; For events are not so confined to any one special sub­ject or Country, but that they may be as inci­dent to another; and none can plead a freedom to be exempted, whiles our infirmities lay us all open to the Rod of Divine Justice; there­fore, since mitigations of punishments are new [Page 2] mercies, let our afflictions heighten your thankfulness. Sir, on the 5 of March (new stile) there happened a mervailous in-undation of waters in this City and in several other parts of Holland and Friesland, occasioned by the over-flowing of the South-Sea, that (to the remembrance of the oldest man living) the like hath not been known of in these Provinces; I am perswaded you will have it severally rela­ted in London, and perhaps some will make our miseries appear greater then they are to the eye of the world; therefore for your sa­tisfaction, and the rest of my good friends, I have endeavoured to send you a brief, but true account of the state of that business.

The winde blowing hard Northwest, caused an extraordinary Floud, which at first we re­garded not, but the Winde keeping in that corner, drove the water so excessively into the City, that it overflowed the Bourgwals, and broke into Cellars and Warehouses to the ut­ter ruine of divers people (especially on the South-side of the City) who were forced to take to their chambers for refuge; but by the mercy of God, the water breaking through St. Anthony's Dike, preserved the City, drown­ing the Diemer-meer, Bildmer-meer, and s [...] ­veral [Page 3] other places, destroying men, women, and children, beasts and Cattle; and had the Wind continued Northwest 3 hours longer, this Ci­ty had not suffered alone, for Haerlem would have been destroyed and washed away, and Leyden, Delf, and the Hague, had been also endangered; but the winde turning Southwest they are preserved, and we hope by Gods blessings and our own endeavours, to be sud­denly freed. In Brabant the Sea hath likewise exceeded his bounds, and destroyed two Poul­ders or In-lands, the one called Ousterweel, and the other Calou: Also Flanders is not free from suffering in this kinde, for Albertus Poulder lyes quite under water; And in Fries­land there are several places destroyed, whose names we are not yet acquainted with. There are many reported to have lost their lives in (and about Amsterdam, in) this in-undation, but the certainty of this being not yet known, I have forborn to insert it; resolving in my next to give you ample satisfaction: Intreat­ing you to accept of this, from the hand of him, who assuredly is;

MY respects remembred, &c. These few lines are to let you understand the great judgment of the Lord against this Nation; About a Month since, the River of Rhine breaking down its banks, the water over-flowed with such violence, that it sunk 60 Parish Chur­ches. And his anger being not altoge­ther appeased, on the 23 of this month, there happened such an extraordinary spring-tide in Amsterdam, that house-keepers were driven to betake themselvs to their chambers, by reason of the deepness of the waters; but it pleased God, that the water forcing its pas­sage through a bank, conveyd the water thorough the City into parts adjacent, by which means we were preserved, [Page 5] otherwise we had undoubtedly perish­ed; but the country by that means is so over-flowed, that they rowe with their boats over the tops of houses; Also the water ran into Friesland, in­somuch, that it is supposed there can­not be less then one hundred thousand people drowned; Thus desiring to make an end of these my sad lines, which are neither delightful to write, nor pleasant to reade; I rest,

SInce my last of the 3d instant, here hath happened a great and sudden change, to the great amaze­ment of the inhabitants in these parts, and the im­poverishing of many; the Almighty having been pleased once more to chastise us (as we may justly attribute it) for our stubborness and disobe­dience in walking contrary to his Laws and Ordi­nances, and refusing to be humbled for our sins, and to return praise and thanks to him for his former mercies, and deliverances, vouchsafed to us the last year, when the Sea made inundations in divers pla­ces, and yet did not much harm: But (about the 5 instant) the Sea broke into the Marshes at Soal (a place not far from this Town) with such violence, that it hath drowned a great part of the Country, and many Cattle; But the Ships that lay at Anchor in the River of Soal, were by this means greatly en­dangered, some breaking their Cables, others (ha­ving not time to weigh Anchor) cut them, putting out to Sea, yet notwithstanding there were some driven ashore, but we are using all means possible to free those Ships, and drein the Marshes.

Yarmouth, March the 6. 1651.