was run aground and set in flames, and two other the Blacknose, for misconduct in the squadron of fire-ships were destroyed. After a sharp engagement, the English squadron withdrew to Gravesend, under the cannon of Tilbury, leaving the Dutch anchored at the Hope. On the following day, Sir Edward Spragge, after being reinforced by some additional fire-ships, attacked the Dutch again, and, after a short engagement, De Ruyter sailed down the river to the west coast of England, and then returned home, content that he had "thus insulted the great mistress of the sea." To him, to De Witt, and Van Ghent, on the 24th of August, the States-General presented golden cups, on which was engraven, "The Action of Chat Sir Edward Spragge, was sentenced by a courtmartial held on board the Victory, at Deptford, to have a halter tied round his neck, a wooden sword broken over his head; to be towed through the water at a boat's stern, from the ship to Deptford Dock, and rendered incapable of further command. Captain Anderson, of the John and Elizabeth, fireship, was degraded in the same manner, and was further tied up by the two arms. Captain Mayhew, of the Blessing, received the same punishment; and Captain William Home, of the Virgin, fire-ship, was shot to death. So better would it have been if they had died at their posts, as Douglas did on the deck of the Royal Oak. gerous to Europe, already convulsed by the ambition of Louis XIV., who began to cast eyes on the Netherlands, to which he professed the shadow of a claim through his queen; and to preserve this balance, we shall find was the cause of many battles of which we have yet to write. This Triple Alliance greatly pleased the people of England, who little dreamed that, through the witcheries and negotiations of Louise Renée de Perrencourt, popularly known as "Madame Carwell," and whom he created Duchess of Portsmouth, Charles was in the receipt of £200,000 a year, paid by Louis, whose ambition he was binding himself to curb. The secret treaty of Dover was signed in May, 1670. By it Charles bound him Strafford in his father's days-the chief advisers of the king. They were Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale. Most pernicious was their advice; and so strong was the hatred entertained of them by the people, that the word "cabal" has ever since been used to denote a clique of political schemers. In 1672, Charles and Louis, as allies, made war on Holland, and a body of English and Scottish troops, under the Duke of Monmouth, joined the French army. With seventy-five sail and many fire-ships, De Ruyter put to sea, and stationed himself between Dover and Calais, to prevent the intended junction of the French and English fleets. The Duke of York could only muster forty sail at the Nore, yet with these he contrived of Zealand; De Ruyter led the centre, and Van to join the French fleet under Jean the Count d'Estrées, Vice-Admiral of France, and Maréchal in 1681. When the Duke of York resolved to take upon himself the command of the fleet, he chiefly depended on Sir Edward Spragge for assembling and preparing it; and it was on board Sir Edward's ship that he, the Earl of Sandwich, and other officers of rank dined before putting to sea. Several detachments of English troops were on board the fleet to serve as marines; and, from the list of arms broken or lost at sea by the Coldstream Guards, we find that nine companies of that corps went with the duke. Each company at this time was armed with 30 pikes, 60 muskets, 13 firelocks, 103 swords, 2 halberds, and 1 partisan, and had 60 collars of bandoleers and 2 drums. Ghent the rear. Ignorant that a junction had been effected between the Duke of York and the Comte d'Estrées, they were full of high hope to take a signal vengeance on the English for an attempt they had recently made on the Dutch Smyrna fleet. The precise strength of the allied fleets is doubtful, some actually stating it at 140 sail of all sorts. In a foot note Captain Schomberg gives the united strength at 101 sail, carrying 6,018 guns and 32,000 men. The duke led the Red squadron; D'Estrées led the French, and acted as Admiral of the White squadron; Lord Sandwich was on the left, or larboard, as Admiral of the Blue. aggressor. On the 19th of May they first discovered the Dutch armament under canvas, about twenty-four miles E.S.E. of the Gunfleet, and cleared away for action; but a sudden thickness of the weather We see, from Johnson's "Lives of the Poets," caused them to lose sight of each other. On this that among the many noble volunteers who accom- occurring the English and French fleets, to get panied the Duke of York was John Sheffield, Earl fresh water, put into Solebay, or Southwold Bay, of Mulgrave, K.G.; he served on board the ship in the county of Suffolk, overlooked by a market of the celebrated Earl of Ossory. As the result of town of the same name, situated on an eminence his experience, "I have observed two things," he near where the river Blyth discharges itself into writes, "which I dare affirm, though not generally the German Sea. There the two fleets lay quietly believed. One is, that the wind of a cannon- at anchor for nine days, till De Ruyter, on hearing bullet, though flying never so near, is incapable of from the captain of a collier the situation and emdoing the least harm; and, indeed, were it otherwise,loyment of the allies, resolved to become the no man above deck would escape. The other is, that a great shot may be avoided, even as it flies, by changing one's ground a little; for when the wind sometimes blew away the smoke, it was so clear a sunshiny day" (he means at Southwold Bay) "that we could easily perceive the bullets that were half spent fall into the water, and from thence bound up again among us, which gives sufficient time for making a step or two on any side, though it has so swift a motion 'tis hard to judge well in what line the bullet comes, which, if mistaken, may cost a man his life, instead of saving it." The Earl of Mulgrave afterwards became a soldier, and on the 12th of December, 1673, was appointed colonel of the "Old Holland Regiment," now known as the 3rd Buffs. It is said that on the evening of the 27th, while the wind was blowing a stiff gale from the northwest, the Earl of Sandwich and other flag officers were invited to an entertainment on board the Duke of York's ship, and that in the midst of their hiliarity the earl, a most experienced officer, suddenly remarked that the fleets were in danger of being surprised as the wind then stood, and that, in his opinion, they ought to weigh anchor and gain the offing. In reply to this, the duke said something which seemed to hint that there was more of caution than of courage in his apprehensions. The earl, a man of resolute and undoubted courage, as he had proved at Naseby, where he had a regiment of 1,000 strong, the brother officer of Blake, and one who had covered himself with distinction in the battle where Baron Opdam perished, resented this keenly, and it had an effect on all his actions on the subsequent day. Cornelius de Witt, whose maxim it had ever been to give the navy a preference above the army, hoped to strike the first successful blow. Animated by the same idea, his compatriot and firm adherent, De Ruyter, had put to sea with seventy-five large ships, and forty frigates and fire- In the midst of their protracted jollity, as if to ships (another account says ninety-one men-of-verify his warning, about daybreak came a sudden war, forty-four fire-ships, and twenty-three yachts), and, as we stated, steered for the Channel. The was led by Adrian Bankhart, Vice-Admiral van alarm that the Dutch were in sight. Bishop Burnet states that the fleet was preparing to celebrate the 29th of May; that Buckingham was on board, and got ashore with all speed when tidings came of the Dutch. The drums beat to quarters; boats were shoved off in every direction from the duke's ship, and every man hastened to his post; for if surprised in the bay the fire-ships might soon have caused the destruction of every vessel there. In the hurry, confusion, and haste to get out, many slipped their cables, others got their anchors over the bow, but all put to sea, and ranged themselves in order of battle. Leading the van, with the Ribbon of the Garter above his buff coat, and determined to conquer or die, yet tempering his courage with such fine prudence that the whole fleet owed its safety to him, the gallant Earl of Sandwich was first out of the bay which had so nearly proved a fatal trap to them, and where the ships had been so crowded together; and by achieving this he gave time to the duke, commanding the centre squadron, and D'Estrées, with the Red, to form line, while, with all sails set, he rushed into battle with the Dutch. This was about seven in the morning of the 28th of May, and seldom has any action in our annals been more obstinately contested. He engaged the squadron of Van Ghent, and ere long the duke assailed that of De Ruyter, while Van Bankhart grappled with the French or White squadron, under D'Estrées, whose crews did not fight with the courage required of them. Though Père Daniel and other French writers deny the circumstance, the French were very plainly accused of "sheering off." But it is probable that they were ill supplied with ammunition, as the following letter by the Duke of York, subsequent to the battle, would seem to imply :— 66 Whereas, I am informed by the officers of His Majesty's Ordnance that there may be spared out of His Majesty's stores in the river unto the Count d'Estrées bullets of 24-pounders, 4,000 of 18-pounders, 10,000 of 12-pounders, and of 8-pounders 5,000. These are to will and require you forthwith to deliver unto such persons as the Count d'Estrées shall appoint to receive them the several quantities of bullets hereafter mentioned, which he desires to be furnished with, viz., 3,029 24-pounders, 9,243 18-pounders, 5,008 12-pounders, and 1,693 8-pounders, he paying the usual rates for them; and for so doing this shall be your warrant. "Given under my hand, on board the Prince, the 24th day of June, 1672. "JAMES. "To Sir Thomas Chickeley, Knight, Master of His Majesty's Ordnance." Sandwich, in the Royal James, 100 guns, was first assailed by the Great Holland, commanded by 339 Captain Jan Brackel, the same intrepid officer who forced the passage of the Medway; next came a fire-ship, and then the whole squadron of Van Ghent. Brackel got to windward of the earl, and then bearing down, grappled with his ship, amid a cloud of smoke and the roar of guns and matchlocks. Van Ghent was soon slain by a cannon-ball. Another man-of-war and three fire-ships all tried to grapple with the Royal James, but so tremendous was her fire that she sunk every one of them, and the sea around her was full of Dutchmen drowning, or swimming for their lives. At length he cut the grapplings of Brackel's ship, which, according to the Dutch (improbable) account, had only 300 men and 62 guns, and forged ahead of her, but still he could not work to windward. He had reduced the Great Holland to a mere wreck, and, after an hour and a half's conflict, had killed or wounded almost all her officers and twothirds of her men. A shot severely injured Brackel, and it is stated that three seamen from the Royal James, who had the temerity to run up to his mainmast-head to unship his pennant, remained prisoners in his hands when the grapplings were cast off. Sandwich presented himself wherever danger was thickest; and after a five hours' combat, he might have drawn out of it with honour, as his ship was torn to pieces with shot. Of the 1,000 men on board, 600 lay dead on the decks, by their very corpses encumbering the action of the guns; and the blood was trickling from the shot-holes and lee scuppers. At length another fire-ship, shrouded in smoke, and thus enabled to approach unseen, grappled with the Royal James, and she was instantly set on fire. On seeing this, the earl retired to his cabin, where he was followed by his captain, Sir Richard Haddock, who found him with a handkerchief before his eyes, and warned him of their danger. late remark of the Duke of York, "and am resolved "I see how things go," said he, referring to the to perish with my ship." She soon after blew up, and he, with many other gallant officers and men, was destroyed. Some who sought to escape in the barge, by overauthor of De Ruyter's life says that Lord Sandwich crowding upset her, and all were drowned. The was "valiant, wise, circumspect, cautious, and can did, in deeds as well as in words." With him there perished his son, Captain Charles Montague. Sir Richard Haddock was taken out of the sea with his thigh broken. In this action was another captain of the same name, who commanded a fire- a fire-ship; but he broke the grapplings loose, and ship and gained a gold medal. began to make sail with the rest of his scattered fleet, one of which, the Westergo, blew up by accident about midnight. Meanwhile, the Duke of York with the Red squadron had been for hours engaged with the Dutch centre under De Ruyter, and had been so heavily cannonaded that he had to leave his ship, the Prince, 100 guns, by one of the stern windows, and row amid the enemy's fire to the St. Michael, 90 guns (the maintopmast of which, with his standard, had been shot away); and as it was soon reported that she was in a sinking state, he had to go on board the Loyal London. The fall of Van Ghent, and the furious attack of that part of Lord Sandwich's squadron which came too late to his rescue, gave it an opportunity for assisting the Red squadron under the duke, who, on being abandoned by the French, after the Sieur Rabinière had a thigh shot off, was in imminent danger of being overborne by the united squadrons of the admiral and Adrian Bankhart. "Both fleets were intermixed pell-mell with one another," states a Dutch historian; "never was such slaughter seen in any sea-engagement before as at this time, according to De Ruyter's own confession." In this part of the action Cornelius Evertzenone of a brave family of seamen-Admiral of Zealand, was killed; and the vessels of De Ruyter, with Allemande, another flag officer, had a narrow escape from the English fire-ships. The former was wounded, 150 of his men were killed, and his ship, by boats ahead, was towed out of the action in a half-sinking state, and ultimately was got with great difficulty to Zealand. When the squadron of the dead Van Ghent, which after his fall had drawn a little way out of fire, came again into the action-the French still held aloof-the duke had to encounter alone the whole force of the Dutch fleet, a mighty odds on which he had never reckoned; but, notwithstanding this great disparity, the fight lasted with unabating fury till nine o'clock at night, both sides having displayed all the skill and courage that could be expected in men of inherent bravery and commanders of experience. Towards the end great havoc was made among the Dutch fire-ships, of which no less than six were all set ablaze by one English man-of-war; and, as the sun had set, the flames that rose from them shed a light upon the sea, and enabled a few farewell cannon-shot to be exchanged, as the Dutch fleet, now in the greatest disorder, began to drift to leeward. Sir John Jordan, who now led the Blue squadron, having worked it to windward, De Ruyter's ship was in great peril, as she had been laid aboard by As the Duke of York pursued them for some miles, England may fairly claim the victory, though it was disputed by the Dutch. The loss of men was pretty nearly equal, though that of the enemy was never exactly known, as its publication was forbidden by the States-General. Notwithstanding the pitiful share taken by the French in this action, they lost two ships of war; and Admiral de la Rabinière was killed, with many men. Their conduct was ascribed to secret orders issued to the Count D'Estrées, "not to expose His Majesty's ships too much, but to leave the English and Dutch fleets to effect their own destruction;" and all their other actions during the war tended to confirm this suspicion. The English wounded were placed in St. Thomas's Hospital, at Southwark, when the Earl of Ossory gave them, from his private purse, a gift each of from ten to forty shillings ("Ormond's Life”). The English had two ships burnt, three sunk, and one taken. Their loss was about 2,000 killed and wounded. Among the former were Admirals the Earl of Sandwich and Sir Fretchville Hollis, of Grimsby, who fell on board the Cambridge, and had been a colonel in the Civil Wars; Captain Digby, of the Henry; Captain Piercy, of the St. George; Captain Waterworth, of the Anne; Sir John Fox, of the Prince, who had been knighted for valour in 1665; Captain Harman, of the Triumph; Viscount Maidstone (son of the Earl of Winchelsea), Sir Philip Carteret, and John, son of Lord Napier, of Merchiston. Admiral de la Rabinière was interred, in presence of Mr. Evelyn, in the choir of Rochester Cathedral. The Dutch admit to having one ship sunk, another burned, and a third taken. The firstnamed was one of sixty guns, which went down under the artillery of Sir Edward Spragge, who was left with a squadron to watch the North Sea, where he soon ruined the Dutch fisheries, while their fleet was forced to remain idle for sheer lack of gunpowder (" Lives of the Admirals "). Sorely mangled and scorched, and recognisable only by his Order of the Garter, the body of the Earl of Sandwich was found floating in the sea by the crew of a bomb-ketch, by whom it was brought to Harwich, and thence transmitted to London, and on the 24th of June it was solemnly interred, at the king's charge, in Westminster Abbey (Kennet), to which the body was brought by water, |