In 1665, the Dutch were piling on light guns to have a greater number of guns on ships: for example, the Rotterdam ship Vrede

I had already noticed this phenomenon: in 1665, the Dutch added many light guns to ships to have a greater number, rather than a greater broadside weight. The Rotterdam frigate Vrede was an illustration of this point. I had thought, when I saw that the ship carried 40 guns in the Battle of Lowestoft, that the ship must be 130ft long. In fact, the Vrede was a small frigate: 111ft x 27ft-3in x 12ft x 6ft-6in. On 16 March 1665, the Vrede carried 40 guns: 18-12pdr, 14-6pdr, 4-4pdr and 4-2pdr guns. On 13 June 1656, the Vrede had carried a much more modest armament: 4-12pdr, 6-8pdr, 14-6pdr, and 2-3pdr guns. Sources:

1. Ron van Maanen, unpublished manuscript "'Oorlogsschepen' van de admiraliteit van de Maze in de zeventiende en achttiende eeuw", undated (the "MazeNieuII" file)