THE 4th. of July Admiral Evertsen joyned the English and Dutch Fleets, riding near the Isle of Wight, with Three Men of War; there he understood that the French Fleet had been descry'd riding in several places, to the number of Fourscore and Two Men of War, great and small; thereupon it was resolved, That they should weigh Anchor, with a Resolution to find them out, and observe their Motion.

Before the Arrival of Admiral Evertsen, it was agreed between the Two Na­tions, That the Hollanders should have the Van-guard, which was in all likely­hood to do them Honour; but at the bottom, to conceal Torrington's Designs, af­ter they had been under Sail about Two or Three Hours, they were obliged to come to an Anchor, by reason of the Foggs and bad Weather: But soon after they perceived the French Fleet to bear up towards them, with the Wind at East-Immediately they weighed Anchor, and endeavoured to gain the Weather-gage, which they did with that success, that Torrington gave the Signal for the first Squadron to Engage, but the French thought fit to retire. The 6, 7 8, and 9th. the Two Fleets were always in view of one another; but in regard the French Fleet was much the stronger, both for Number and biguess of Ships, it was judged most proper not to fight in the open Sea, and Torrington did his part so well, that he avoided engaging till he was come to the Bevesier, which was fa­vourable for his Purpose. And there it was that he received the Queen's Orders, not to delay Engaging, if the Wind and Weather would permit, which was the Reason that upon the 10th. by break of day, we went to seek the Enemy, who expected us in order of Battel, and so by nine of the Clock, the Engagement be­gan between the Blew Squadron of the French, and the Van-guard of the Dutch; and both sides fired desperately for Three Hours together, till the French Squa­dron not liking their Entertainment, bore away with all the tack they could make; but about one there happened a Calm, which not only prevented the Hollanders Pursuit, but put them into a little Disorder; upon which, the French (whom the same Calm hindred from getting away, were constrained to begin the Fight again, which lasted till five a Clock in the Evening, with an incredible Fury. As for what concerns the English, most certainly, unless it were some few Vessels that fought against Torrington's Order, the rest did nothing at all: So that the main Body of the French fell into the Rear of the Dutch Fleet; so that having fought from Morning till Evening, and having defended themselves so long against such a prodigious Number of the Enemy, that assailed them on every side, they were so very much batter'd, that hardly Three were capable of making any Defence; which constrained them to make their way through the French Fleet, and bear away to the Coast of England, between Bevesier and Ferly; Admiral Frackel, Jean Dick, and Captain Northey were slain; the Vreislandt ha­ving lost all her Masts, and not being to be towed off by reason of the Calm, was taken towards the end of the Fight. Admiral Evertsen gave this Testimony of all the Dutch Officers and Soldiers, That there was not one that did not exactly perform his Duty; and as for the Admiral himself, though he would not speak his own Praise, in his Letter to the States; yet all Men give him this Character, That he signalized himself by the greatest Actions that a true Valour could in­spire, and which deserve an equal Fame with that of Trump or de Ruyter. In short, it was never heard that ever Twenty two Ships fought so long against Fourscore and Two, of which Seventeen carried no less than some Fourscore and some an hundred Guns.

As for what concerns the English, had we known no more than what the Ad­miral of Holland out of his Modesty writes, we had known nothing at all: But in a Letter which a person of Honour in England wrote to the Lord Dursly, there is this Expression, which better informs us, That the Holland Squadron behaved themselves with so much Bravery, that if the Lord Torrington had done his Duty, in all probability we had won an absolute Victory. The English had but Two Captains slain, and Three Ships disabled, which are thought to be the only Ships that fought without the Lord Torrington's Order.