The King of France, with twice ten thousand men,
Marched up the hill, and then marched down again.
Discretion is confessedly the better part of valour, and possibly the Captain, in this instance, without prejudice to his character for bravery, shewed that he was not destitute of prudence, a quality indispensable in a good commander.
LOWESTOFT, THE DUTCH, ETC.
Admiral Sir Thomas Allen, a native of this town, first commenced hostilities against the Dutch, in 1665, by attacking their Smyrna fleet.
In the great sea fight of June 3rd, in that year, off Lowestoft, Admiral Allen, Admiral Utber, and Captain Utber, Lowestoft men, were all engaged. The Duke of York commanded the English, Admiral Opdam the Dutch fleet. In this action the Dutch had 18 ships taken and 14 sunk, exclusive of those which were burnt or blown up; they lost 6000 men, including 2300 taken prisoners. The English lost only the Charity of 46 guns, had 250 men killed, and 340 wounded. Our Lowestoft heroes were also present in several other engagements, and aided in obtaining other splendid victories in the further prosecution of this war.
Sir John Ashby, another native, was engaged in war with France, in the reign of William III.
Other eminent Commanders belonged to this town, viz.—Sir Andrew Leake, Vice-Admiral James Mighells, and Captain Thomas Arnold; their exploits are mostly recorded on the monuments erected to their memory in the church, to which we refer the reader.
The next section will refer to miscellaneous matters connected with
THE INTERNAL HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
And first we will notice some of the calamities with which it has been visited; these have been principally of four kinds: Plague, Fires, Civil dissentions, and Storms.