SEA FIGHTS. 



^eck by one (hot; and the duke was covered with their gore, and even hurt 

 by their fplinters. "James Ley, earl of Marlborough, and Charles Wejlon, earl of 

 Portland, fell in the aftion : the veteran admiral Lawfon died foon after of his 

 wounds. 



On May aSth, 1672, a furprize of the duke of York by De Ruyter, in South- 

 would, alias Solebay, on the fame coaft, brought on a battle, fuftained on both 

 fides with unparalleled valour and obftinacy. The Dutch had the difadvantage, 

 but nothing decifive followed; yet the death of the earl of Sandwich, fecond in 

 command, would have caft a gloom over the greateft vidlory. This nobleman 

 poflefled the higheft charafter of any of his time, for courage, abilities, munifi- 

 cence, and goodnefs. He fought in the Royal James, of a hundred guns ; flewr 

 Van Ghent, a Dutch admiral, and beat off his (hip ; funk another great (hip ; 

 fent to the bottom two of the enemy's fire-(hips. Five hundred men (half of his 

 crew) lay on the decks weltering in blood. A third fire-fhip fucceeding, this illuf,- 

 trious hero was drowned in attempting to fave himfelf ; and his (hip was blown up, 

 with the remainder of his gallant companions. His body was found, and all due 

 honors payed to it by his lamenting fovereign and grateful countrymen.. 



In the late fatal war, when Britain had all Europe to contend with, as fecret or 

 open enemies, aiding the defection of its own long-foftered children, the Dutch 

 drew on themfelves an indignation which perhaps it might have been prudent 

 to fupprefs. The ftates exerted their reliques of naval life ; which emitted its 

 laft fparks on Augujl 5th, 1781, off the Dogger Bank. Our gallant veteran, vice- 

 admiral Hyde Parker, commanded our little fleet of fix (hips of the line, op- 

 pofed to eight two-deckers commanded by admiral Zoutman. The Dutch, dif- 

 ufed to arms for a long feries of years, collected their antient valour : neither the 

 Britijh nor Belgic lion feemed to have degenerated : the Dutch loft one (hip of the 

 line, fent to the bottom. The reft fought the fafety of the Texely and never more 

 vindicated the dominion of the fea. 



In thofe (eas off the coaft oi Norfolk, James II. when duke of Tork, had the xxi- 



JU fortune to efcape (hipwreck, to have clofed a life of glory, and to have pre- 

 vented the calamities which befel himfelf, his pofterity, and kingdoms, which a 

 condudl of which he had begun to give fymptoms, brought upon them. In the 

 fort of exile he was obliged to take to Scotland, on May 5th, 1682, his frigate- 

 ftruck on the Lemon and Ore. His Highnefs, with feme few, were preferved : 

 feveral people of quality perifhed; Malevolence fays, that the duke called out to* 

 fave his dogs, his priefts, and his favorite, the lord, afterwards duke of, Marlbo- 

 rough. His Highnels certainly had not the gift of prefgience, or he would not have 



B 2 cladedi, 



