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to ship, for all knew that this was Prince Rupert coming up with the

White Squadron. A serious loss, however, occurred a few minutes

afterwards. The _Royal Prince_, the largest and most powerful vessel

in the Fleet, which was somewhat in rear of the line, struck on the

sands. The tide being with them and the wind light, the rest of the

Fleet tried in vain to return to her assistance, and as the Dutch

Fleet were fast coming up, and some of the fire-ships making for the

_Royal Prince_, they were forced to give up the attempt to succour

her, and Sir George Ayscue, her captain, was obliged to haul down his

flag and surrender.

As soon as the White Squadron joined the remnant of the Fleet the

whole advanced against the Dutch, drums beating and trumpets

sounding, and twice made their way through the enemy's line. But it

was now growing dark, and the third day's battle came to an end. The

next morning it was seen that the Dutch, although considerably

stronger than the English, were almost out of sight. The latter at

once hoisted sail and pursued, and, at eight o'clock, came up with

them.

The Dutch finding the combat inevitable, the terrible fight was

renewed, and raged, without intermission, until seven in the evening.

Five times the British passed through the line of the Dutch. On both

sides many ships fell out of the fighting line wholly disabled.

Several were sunk, and some on both sides forced to surrender, being

so battered as to be unable to withdraw from the struggle. Prince

Rupert's ship was wholly disabled, and that of Albemarle almost as

severely damaged, and the battle, like those of the preceding days,

ended without any decided advantage on either side. Both nations

claimed the victory, but equally without reason. The Dutch historians

compute our loss at sixteen men-of-war, of which ten were sunk and

six taken, while we admitted only a loss of nine ships, and claimed

that the Dutch lost fifteen men-of-war. Both parties acknowledged

that it was the most terrible battle fought in this, or any other

modern war.

De Witte, who at that time was at the head of the Dutch Republic, and

who was a bitter enemy of the English, owned, some time afterwards,

to Sir William Temple, "that the English got more glory to their

nation through the invincible courage of their seamen during those

engagements than by the two victories of this war, and that he was

sure that his own fleet could not have been brought on to fight the

fifth day, after the disadvantages of the fourth, and he believed

that no other nation was capable of it but the English."

Cyril took no part in the last day's engagement, for Prince Rupert,

when the _Fan Fan_ came near him on his arrival on the previous

evening, returned his salute from the poop, and shouted to him that

on no account was he to adventure into the fight with the _Fan Fan_.

On the morning after the battle ended, Lord Oliphant and Cyril rowed

on board Prince Rupert's ship, where every unwounded man was hard at

work getting up a jury-mast or patching up the holes in the hull.

"Well, Sir Cyril, I see that you have been getting my yacht knocked

about," he said, as they came up to him.

"There is not much damage done, sir. She has but two shot-holes in

her hull."

"And my new mainsail spoiled. Do you know, sir, that I got a severe

rating from the Duke yesterday evening, on your account?"

Cyril looked surprised.

"I trust, sir, that I have not in any way disobeyed orders?"

"No, it was not that. He asked after the _Fan Fan_, and said that he

had seen nothing of her during the day's fighting, and I said I had

strictly ordered you not to come into the battle. He replied, 'Then

you did wrong, Prince, for that little yacht of yours did yeomen's

service during the first two days' fighting. I told Sir Cyril to keep

her near me, thinking that she would be useful in carrying orders,

and during those two days she kept close to us, save when we were

surrounded by the enemy. Five times in those three days did she avert

fire-ships from us. We were so damaged that we could sail but slowly,

and, thinking us altogether unmanageable, the Dutch launched their

fire-ships. The _Fan Fan_ rowed to meet them. Three of them were

diverted from their course by a rope being thrown over the bowsprit,

and the crew rowing so as to turn her head. On the second day there

was more wind, and the fire-ships could have held on their course in

spite of the efforts of the men on board the _Fan Fan_. Twice during

the day the little boat was boldly laid alongside them, while the

crew boarded and captured them, and then, directing them towards the

Dutch ships, grappled and set them on fire. One of the Dutchmen was

burned, the other managed to throw off the grapnels. It was all done

under our eyes, and five times in the two days did my crew cheer your

little yacht as she came alongside. So you see, Prince, by ordering

her out of the fight you deprived us of the assistance of as boldly

handled a little craft as ever sailed.'

"'I am quite proud of my little yacht, gentlemen, and I thank you for

having given her so good a christening under fire. But I must stay no

longer talking. Here is the despatch I have written of my share of

the engagement. You, Sir Cyril, will deliver this. You will now row

to the Duke's ship, and he will give you his despatches, which you,

Lord Oliphant, will deliver. I need not say that you are to make all

haste to the Thames. We have no ship to spare except the _Fan Fan_,

for we must keep the few that are still able to manoeuvre, in case

the Dutch should come out again before we have got the crippled ones

in a state to make sail. '"

Taking leave of the Prince, they were at once rowed to the Duke's

flagship. They had a short interview with the Admiral, who praised

them highly for the service they had rendered.

"You will have to tell the story of the fighting," he said, "for the

Prince and myself have written but few lines; we have too many

matters on our minds to do scribe's work. They will have heard, ere

now, of the first two days' fighting, for some of the ships that were

sent back will have arrived at Harwich before this. By to-morrow

morning I hope to have the Fleet so far refitted as to be able to

follow you."

Five minutes later, the _Fan Fan_, with every stitch of sail set,

was on her way to the Thames. As a brisk wind was blowing, they

arrived in London twenty-four hours later, and at once proceeded to

the Admiralty, the despatches being addressed to the Duke of York.

They were immediately ushered in to him. Without a word he seized the

despatches, tore them open, and ran his eye down them.

"God be praised!" he exclaimed, when he finished them. "We had feared

even worse intelligence, and have been in a terrible state of anxiety

since yesterday, when we heard from Harwich that one of the ships had

come in with the news that more than half the Fleet was crippled or

destroyed, and that twenty-eight only remained capable of continuing

the battle. The only hope was that the White Squadron might arrive in

time, and it seems that it has done so. The account of our losses is

indeed a terrible one, but at least we have suffered no defeat, and

as the Dutch have retreated, they must have suffered well-nigh as

much as we have done. Come along with me at once, gentlemen; I must

go to the King to inform him of this great news, which is vastly

beyond what we could have hoped for. The Duke, in his despatch, tells

me that the bearers of it, Lord Oliphant and Sir Cyril Shenstone,

have done very great service, having, in Prince Rupert's little

yacht, saved his flagship no less than five times from the attacks of

the Dutch fire-ships."

The Duke had ordered his carriage to be in readiness as soon as he

learnt that the bearers of despatches from the Fleet had arrived. It

was already at the door, and, taking his seat in it, with Lord

Oliphant and Cyril opposite to him, he was driven to the Palace,

learning by the way such details as they could give him of the last

two days' fighting. He led them at once to the King's dressing-room.

Charles was already attired, for he had passed a sleepless night, and

had risen early.

"What news, James?" he asked eagerly.

"Good news, brother. After two more days' fighting--and terrible

fighting, on both sides--the Dutch Fleet has returned to its ports."

"A victory!" the King exclaimed, in delight.

"A dearly-bought one with the lives of so many brave men, but a

victory nevertheless. Here are the despatches from Albemarle and

Rupert. They have been brought by these gentlemen, with whom you are

already acquainted, in Rupert's yacht. Albemarle speaks very highly

of their conduct."

The King took the despatches, and read them eagerly.

"It has indeed been a dearly-bought victory," he said, "but it is

marvellous indeed how our captains and men bore themselves. Never

have they shown greater courage and endurance. Well may Monk say

that, after four days of incessant fighting and four nights spent in

the labour of repairing damages, the strength of all has well-nigh

come to an end, and that he himself can write but a few lines to tell

me of what has happened, leaving all details for further occasion. I

thank you both, gentlemen, for the speed with which you have brought

me this welcome news, and for the services of which the Duke of

Albemarle speaks so warmly. This is the second time, Sir Cyril, that

my admirals have had occasion to speak of great and honourable

service rendered by you. Lord Oliphant, the Earl, your father, will

have reason to be proud when he hears you so highly praised. Now,

gentlemen, tell me more fully than is done in these despatches as to

the incidents of the fighting. I have heard something of what took

place in the first two days from an officer who posted up from

Harwich yesterday."

Lord Oliphant related the events of the first two days, and then went

on.

"Of the last two I can say less, Your Majesty, for we took no part

in, having Prince Rupert's orders, given as he came up, that we

should not adventure into the fight. Therefore, we were but

spectators, though we kept on the edge of the fight and, if

opportunity had offered, and we had seen one of our ships too hard

pressed, and threatened by fire-ships, we should have ventured so far

to transgress orders as to bear in and do what we could on her

behalf; but indeed, the smoke was so great that we could see but

little.

"It was a strange sight, when, on the Prince's arrival, his ships and

those of the Duke's, battered as they were, bore down on the Dutch

line; the drums beating, the trumpets sounding, and the crews

cheering loudly. We saw them disappear into the Dutch line; then the

smoke shut all out from view, and for hours there was but a thick

cloud of smoke and a continuous roar of the guns. Sometimes a vessel

would come out from the curtain of smoke torn and disabled. Sometimes

it was a Dutchman, sometimes one of our own ships. If the latter, we

rowed up to them and did our best with planks and nails to stop the

yawning holes close to the water-line, while the crew knotted ropes

and got up the spars and yards, and then sailed back into the fight.

"The first day's fighting was comparatively slight, for the Dutch

seemed to be afraid to close with the Duke's ships, and hung behind

at a distance. It was not till the White Squadron came up, and the

Duke turned, with Prince Rupert, and fell upon his pursuers like a

wounded boar upon the dogs, that the battle commenced in earnest; but

the last day it went on for nigh twelve hours without intermission;

and when at last the roar of the guns ceased, and the smoke slowly

cleared off, it was truly a pitiful sight, so torn and disabled were

the ships.

"As the two fleets separated, drifting apart as it would almost seem,

so few were the sails now set, we rowed up among them, and for hours

were occupied in picking up men clinging to broken spars and

wreckage, for but few of the ships had so much as a single boat left.

We were fortunate enough to save well-nigh a hundred, of whom more

than seventy were our own men, the remainder Dutch. From these last

we learnt that the ships of Van Tromp and Ruyter had both been so

disabled that they had been forced to fall out of battle, and had

been towed away to port. They said that their Admirals Cornelius

Evertz and Van der Hulst had both been killed, while on our side we

learnt that Admiral Sir Christopher Mings had fallen."

"Did the Dutch Fleet appear to be as much injured as our own?"

"No, Your Majesty. Judging by the sail set when the battle was over,

theirs must have been in better condition than ours, which is not

surprising, seeing how superior they were in force, and for the most

part bigger ships, and carrying more guns."

"Then you will have your hands full, James, or they will be ready to

take to sea again before we are. Next time I hope that we shall meet

them with more equal numbers."

"I will do the best I can, brother," the Duke replied. "Though we

have so many ships sorely disabled there have been but few lost, and

we can supply their places with the vessels that have been building

with all haste. If the Dutch will give us but two months' time I

warrant that we shall be able to meet them in good force."

As soon as the audience was over, Cyril and his friend returned to

the _Fan Fan_, and after giving the crew a few hours for sleep,

sailed down to Sheerness, where, shortly afterwards, Prince Rupert

arrived with a portion of the Fleet, the rest having been ordered to

Harwich, Portsmouth, and other ports, so that they could be more

speedily refitted.

Although the work went on almost without intermission day and night,

the repairs were not completed before the news arrived that the Dutch