272

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CnAP.

XV.

169U.

Rattle ofBeachyHead. .

fighting, and from the responsibility of not fighting; and hesucceeded in finding out a middle way which united all the in-conveniences which he wished to avoid. He -would conform tothe letter of his instructions: yet he would not put every thingto hazard. Some of his ships should skirmish with the enemy:but the great body of his fleet should not be risked. It wasevident that the vessels which engaged the French would beplaced in a most dangerous situation, and would suffer muchloss; and there is but too good reason to believe that TorringtonV'as base enough to lay his plans in such a manner that thedanger and loss might fall almost exclusively to the share of theDutch. He bore them no love; and in England they were sounpopular that the destruction of their whole squadron waslikely to cause fewer murmurs than the capture of one of ourown frigates.

It was on the twenty ninth of June that the Admiral receivedthe order to fight. The next day, at four in the morning, hebore down on the French fleet, and formed his vessels in orderof battle. He had not sixty sail of the line, and the Frenchhad at least eighty; but his ships v r ere more strongly mannedthan those of the enemy. He placed the Dutch in the van andgave them the signal to engage. That signal was promptlyobeyed. Evertsen and his countrymen fought with a courageto which both their English allies and their French enemies, inspite of national prejudices, did full justice. In none of VanTromp’s or De Ruyter’s battles had the honour of the Batavianflag been more gallantly upheld. During many hours the vanmaintained the unequal contest with very little assistance fromany other part of the fleet. At length the Dutch Admiral drewoff, leaving one shattered and dismasted hull to the enemy.His second in command and several officers of high rank hadfallen. To keep the sea against the French after this disastrousand ignominious action was impossible. The Dutch ships which