1666. Jan. 16.

In January the French monarch, though with many Treaties. expressions of regret, declared war; but, at the reclamation of the English ambassador, granted three months to British subjects to withdraw with their effects from his territories'. The approach of a French force soon compelled the bishop of Munster, who, as the ally of Charles, had made a formidable inroad into the province of Overyssel, to submit to a disadvantageous peace; and the April 8. French agent at Copenhagen prevailed on the king of Denmark to withdraw from his alliance with England, Feb. 1. and to make common cause with the States. Charles, on his side, concluded a treaty with the king of Sweden, by Feb. 8. which each party engaged not to furnish munitions of war to the enemies of the other; but failed in an attempt to create an opposition to De Witt in Holland through the intrigues of De Buat, a partisan of the house of Orange, who forfeited his life as a traitor to the republic. These negotiations occupied the first months of the The four new year in May, prince Rupert and the duke of Albe- tle. marle assumed the joint command of the English fleet; and insulted with impunity the coast of Holland. There was but little cordiality between the two admirals. The pride of Rupert could hardly brook an equal in rank and authority; but the people remembered the former victories of Monk over the Dutch, and Charles gratified the general wish by associating him with the prince in the

2

'Dumont, vi. part iii. 82. Clar. 282. 8. Miscel. Aul. 373. Mémoires d'Estrades, iii. 54. 64. Charles, on his part, offered freedom from molestation in person or property to all natives of France, or the United Provinces, residing in or coming into his dominions, « especially to those of the reformed religion, whose interest should particularly be owned by him ». Ralph, i. 159.

2

Clarendon, 317. 9. 333-6. Dumont, vi. par. iii. 59. 83. 106.

days' bat

June 1.

chief command. They had returned to the Downs, when advice was received that the Dutch navy was not in a state to put to sea for several weeks, and that a French squadron, under the duke of Beaufort, had reached Belisle from the Mediterranean. Unfortunately neither reMay 29. port was true. De Ruyter, accompanied by De Witt, had already left the Texel: the duke of Beaufort had not passed the Straits of Gibraltar. Rupert, however, procured an order from court to hasten with twenty sail in May 31. search of the French, while Albemarle, with fifty-four directed his course to the Gun-fleet. The next morning the duke, to his surprise, descried the Dutch fleet of more than eighty men of war lying at anchor off the north Foreland. He had so often spoken with contempt of the enemy, had so severely criticized the caution of the earl of Sandwich, that to retire without fighting would have exposed him to the censure and derision of the public. A council of war was instantly summoned, the majority, in opposition to their own judgment, acquiesced in the rash, but decided, opinion of their commander, and the signal was made to bear down without delay on the enemy. No line was formed, no order observed; the blue squadron, which led the van, fought its way through the hostile fleet; but most of the ships of which it consisted were captured, or destroyed, or disabled. Darkness separated the combatants, and the action re-commenced with the return of light. But, if Monk on the preceeding day had fought for victory, he was now reduced to fight for safety. A reinforcement of sixteen sail added to the hopes and the courage of the enemy: nor was it without the most heroic exertions that the English were able to protract the unequal contest till night. Monk, having burnt

June 2.

June 3.

a part of his disabled ships, and ordered the others to make for the nearest harbour, opposed, in the morning, sixteen that remained as a rear guard to the pursuit of De Ruyter. But, in the hurry of their flight, they ran on the Galloper Sand, where the Prince Royal, the boast of the English navy, was lost; and where the rest would probably have shared its fate, had not Rupert, with his squadron of twenty sail, at last arrived to their relief. He had received orders to return from St. Helen's on the first day of the battle; nor was it ever explained why he did not join Albemarle till the evening of the third. The force of the hostile fleets was now more nearly balanced: they June 4. renewed the engagement on the following morning, and, having passed each other five times in line, separated under the cover of a mist'. Such was the result of this succession of obstinate and sanguinary engagements. That the Dutch had a just claim to the victory, cannot be doubted; though, if we consider the fearful disparity of force, we must own that no disgrace could attach to the English. «They may be killed », exclaimed De Witt, << but they will not be conquered ». At home the conduct of Monk was severely and deservedly censured; but no one could convince him that he acted imprudently in provoking the battle, or that he had not inflicted more injury than he had received. *

* Com. Journals, 1667, Oct. 31. Clarendon, 343, 4. Coke, 144. Heath, 550, Le Clerc, ii. 139. Basnage, i. 773. Pepys, ii. 398–402. 410. 1. 3. 5. 424. 434, 5.

2

Pepys, ii. 422. Com. Journ. Oct. 31. According to Evelyn, the English lost ten ships, one thousand seven hundred men killed and wounded, and two thousand taken (ii. 258.): the Dutch acknowledged the loss of two admirals, seven captains, and one thousand eight hundred men. Le Clerc, ii. 142.

XII.

13

Both fleets stood in need of repairs : both, by extraorJuly 25. dinary efforts, were in a short time again at sea. They met; the victory was fiercely and obstinately disputed ; but the better fortune, or more desperate valour, of the English prevailed. Few prizes were, however, made. With rash but successful daring, de Ruyter repeatedly turned on the pursuers, and kept them at bay, till the fugitives found a secure asylum in the Wierings. Rupert and Monk rode for weeks triumphant along the coast, interrupting the commerce, and insulting the pride of their Aug. 8. enemies. At the suggestion of a native, Holmes, with a

:

squadron of boats and fire-ships, was ordered to enter the channel between Ulie and Schilling, the usual rendezvous Aug. 9. of vessels trading to the Baltic in a short time two men of war, and one hundred and fifty merchantmen with their cargoes, were in flames, and the next day the neighAug. 10. bouring town of Brandaris, consisting of one thousand houses, was reduced to ashes. At the sight of the conflagration De Witt maddened with rage, and swore by the almighty God that he would never sheath the sword, till he had obtained his revenge : an oath which he religiously observed. '

Intrigues of
Louis.

Louis was not unwilling that the two great maritime powers should exhaust themselves in this tremendous struggle. To his allies he had promised the co-operation of his fleet, but that promise was yet to be fulfilled; and instead of risking the French navy in battle against the English, he sought to occupy the attention of Charles by exciting rebellion in his dominions. With this view he employed agents to intrigue with the catholics in Ireland,

Clarendon, 345. Pepys, ii. 444. Miscel. Aul. 411, 2. Mémoires d'Estrades, iii. 346. 361.

who had lost their lands by the late act of settlement; and encouraged the hopes of the English exiles, who persuaded themselves that their party was still powerful in England. Algernon Sydney hastened from Languedoc to . Paris to the French ministers he maintained that the interest of France demanded the establishment of a republic in England; and to the French king he presented a memorial soliciting the gift of 100,000l. to enable his party to commence operations against the English government. But Louis paused before he would part with so large a sum of money. In conclusion he offered Sydney 20,000l. in the first instance, with a promise of additional aid, if the rising should take place.

by sea.

Aug. 13.

About the middle of August, however, the duke of Operations Beaufort, contrary to the general expectation, arrived at La Rochelle from the Mediterranean, and a plan was arranged between the two powers for the junction of their respective fleets in the British Channel. The Dutch, for this purpose, had already passed the Strait of Dover, when they descried the English under prince Rupert. De Ruyter, though on board, was confined by severe indisposition; the men betrayed a disinclination to fight without the presence and orders of their favourite commander; and the fleet ran close into the shore in St. John's Road, near Boulogne. Rupert dared not follow : he turned to oppose Beaufort, as he came up the Channel; but the violence of the wind compelled him to seek shelter at St. Helens, and the French Squadron had the good Sep. 3. fortune to arrive safely at Dieppe. Louis, alarmed at the proximity of his fleet to the superior force of the English,

' Louis XIV. ii. 203, and note ibid. Miscel. Aul. 433.