York and Opdam, he was promoted to the Warfpight, a third rate of fixty-four guns, in which he alfo had an opportunity, which he did not neglect, of signalizing himself during the two actions, fought in that year, between the English and Dutch fleets. In December 1666, captain Robinson was fent commodore of a fquadron of fix fail*, to convoy the fleet home from Gottenburgh. On the 25th they fell in with a fquadron of five Dutch men of war, of which threet, including the admiral, were, after a short action, taken. In 1668 he was removed into the Ruby; and, on the 21st of August, 1670, was appointed to the Greenwich, as commodore of a convoy bound to the Streights. Through his very extraordinary care a numerous fleet was conducted, in fafety, through the most tempeftuous weather and repeated storms. On his return from the Streights he was, in 1672, again appointed to the Warfpight; early in the enfuing year to the Monmouth; and, on the 9th of February, 1673-4, to the Diamond. A little before this time he received the honour of knighthood, in confideration, as it is exprefsly faid in the notification of it, of the many good services done by him. It is most probable, that from the time of his quitting the Warfpight, he was employed in the Mediterranean fervice, where the peaceable difpofition of the piratical states, at that time, has prevented any occurrence, worthy of notice, from being tranfmitted to us. This conjecture is founded on the circumftance, of no notice being taken, in fuch documents as we have been able to procure, either of himself, or the feveral fhips it is known he commanded during the second Dutch war, and for fome years afterwards. In 1674 he was appointed to the Royal Oak; but ftill we continue in the dark as to the particular service in which he was engaged. On the 17th of April, 1676, he was appointed by Charles the Second, who, fince the retirement of the duke of York, in 1673, had affumed to himself the management of the

The Warfpight, the Jerfey, the Diamond, the St. Patrick, the Nightingale, and the Oxford.

Thele were the Clean Hardeer of thirty-eight guns, the Leyden, and the yacht Eeles of thirty-fix guns each.

On the 12th of December.

navy, to command the Affurance frigate, and fent on the Mediterranean service. Hoftilities being commenced against the Algerines, he had the good fortune to fall in with, and capture one of their principal corfairs, mounting twenty-two guns, in the month of Auguft, 1677. Returning from the Mediterranean at the end of the year, he was, on the 7th of January, 1677-8, removed into the Harwich; and, on the profpect of a rupture with France, was, in the fummer following, fent commodore of a fquadron, confifting of ten fail, to cruize at the entrance of the Channel, and watch the motions of the French fleet at Breft, as well as to reftrain the probable depredations of the Algerines, who, at this time, rofe into fuch infolence, as to fend their corfairs even into the English Channel. On the 3d of January, 1679, he was appointed to the Forefight; and on the 15th of May, 1680, to the Affiftance. He failed on the 24th of June as commodore of a fquadron bound to Newfoundland. This is the laft fervice we find him engaged in.

SMITH, James,-commanded the Newcastle in 1661, the Ann in 1662, and the Effex in 1663, all in the time of profound peace, fo that we can only regret we have nothing memorable to relate of him.

SMITH, Thomas,-commanded the Welcome in 1661, and the Madras in 1665.

SPARROW, Francis,-commanded the Swallow ketch in 1661: his name not occurring again we are in the fame predicament with him that we are with the two former gentlemen.

SPRAGGE, Sir Edward.-There is fcarcely any thing more grievous to the enquiring mind than not being able to trace, with certainty, the early tranfactions of a man, who, rifing into years and public fame, hath erected himfelf into a meteor to be gazed at for a time, leaving us incapable of afcertaining the quarter, or firft caufe from which it fprung. The first knowledge, either public or private, we have been able to acquire, relative to captain Spragge, is, that in the year 1661 he commanded the Portland; in 1664 he was made captain of the Dover; and afterwards, in the fame year, of the Lyon. At the commencement of the Dutch war, in 1665, he was appointed to the Royal James; and was, in a fhort time,

9

removed

removed from thence into the Triumph. His behaviour in the engagement between the duke of York and Opdam, taught the world, on every future occafion of the fame kind, to look up to and admire that gallantry it expected, and was ever gratified in beholding, without once experiencing the finalleft difappointment. His very confpicuous behaviour procured him the honour of knighthood from king Charles, at the fame time that he conferred it on admiral Allen. Early in the enfuing fpring, 1666, he was made commander of the Dreadnought, and appointed to ferve as rear-admiral of the white. As he was in prince Rupert's divifion, which failed to the weftward in expectation of meeting the French fleet coming up Channel for the purpofe of joining the Dutch, he had no fhare in the three firft day's action of the long engagement between De Ruyter and the duke of Albemarle; but on the fourth, the junction having taken place between prince Rupert and the duke, he amply compenfated for his former abfence, infomuch that, removing into the Victory, he was promoted, by the joint admirals, to ferve as vice-admiral of the blue, a worthy fucceffor to the brave and ever to be lamented fir William Berkeley. In the enfuing engagement the blue fquadron, in which he ferved, was the weakeft in the English flect, while Van Tromp's, to which it was oppofed, was the ftrongest in that of the enemy. To have maintained its ground, or have acted merely on the defenfive, would, confidering the inequality of force, have been a conduct highly deferving praife; yet, combating with the odds it did, it compelled its enemy to owe that fafety to its flight + which its own fuperior ftrength, aided by the acknowledged ability of its commander, could not procure for it. In 1667 fir Edward removed his flag into the Revenge, and commanded at Sheernefs when it was attacked by the Dutch on the 10th of June. The place itfelf was almoft inca

The 24th of June, 1665.

"July the 26th.-At two this day, the wind veering round wellward to the N. E. the generals difcovered Tromp, with the remainder of the Dutch, in the Offen, chaced by the blue fquadron, who had the wind."

VOL. I.

Nar. of the late great Action at Sea.

F

pable

pable of refiftance, its whole defence confifting of a platform, on which were mounted fifteen iron guns, yet he continued, for a confiderable time, to oppose near thirty men of war. And when, at laft, the fuperiority of their force was such as to render all farther conteft fruitless, he made good his retreat with the few brave men under his command, to oppofe the enemy a fecond time, and with greater fuccefs than before. He retreated up the river; and taking poft at the battery, at Gillingham, oppofite Upnor caftle, received the Dutch fo warmly when they attempted to force their way up the river, on the 13th, that they were glad to retreat, with the lofs of a confiderable number of their men, the deftruction of many of their long boats, and an infinite mifchief done to their fhipping, two of which, after running on fhore, were burnt to prevent their falling into our hands. Not yet fufficiently chastised for their rafhness, on the 23d of July they returned to the mouth of the Thames, and from thence failed up to the Hope, where a small fquadron lay that had juft before been put under the orders of fir Edward. When they first made their appearance he unfortunately had not arrived to take the command. As an incontrovertible proof how much the abfence of a fingle perfon may injure the nation whose battles he has undertaken to conduct, the only fuccefs the Dutch could, with any proper juftice, claim during this expedition, fo that it was not counterbalanced by their lofs in acquiring it, was owing to this unlucky caufe. On the following day the enemy began to retire; and fir Edward, who had now taken upon him the command, prepared to pursue with the utmoft expedition. On the 25th, at day-light, it was difcovered the enemy had dropt down nearly as low as the buoy of the Nore. Sir Edward having refolved to take every advantage of the tide, and drive down with the ebb, though it was then almoft low water, was compelled, in confequence of the tide making up, to come to an anchor about five o'clock a little below lee. At one o'clock the flood being fpent, the Dutch fleet again got under way: our fquadron doing the fame, and plying up to them with all the expedition in their power, a diftant, and confequently indecifive action commenced, which continued, with little intermiffion, till funfet. In the account pub

6

lifhed

**

lifhed by authority, it is faid, " in all this afternoon's fervice fir Edward gave them fcarcely one gun in answer to the great firing they made, not being able to come up fo near them as he defired, the enemy having the wind.” On the 26th the Dutch wifely perfevered in retiring whenever the tide permitted them; and fir J. Jordan, who arrived from Harwich with a reinforcement of twenty fmall frigates and firefhips, having contrived, though with fome difficulty, to pafs the Dutch fleet, which lay between him, and fir Edward Spragge, the pursuit was continued with redoubled alacrity, but the wind fuddenly rifing both parties were obliged to come to anchor. On the 27th the Dutch got clear of the banks, fir Edward not having it in his power to clofe with them. Thus ended an expedition treacherously planned, and ingloriously executed; an expedition from which fo much advantage was expected by the enemy, and which, in the end, effected very little more injury to the English than what recoiled back on themfelves. This was the concluding action of the war, for the fame day that the account of fir Edward's fuccefs arrived in London, intelligence was received of the articles of peace having been figned at Breda. Sir Edward ftill continued in commiffion, being appointed commander-in-chief in the Downs, with permiffion to wear his flag at the main-top. He was foon afterwards appointed to ferve, as vice-admiral, under fir Thomas Allen, to watch the motions of the French fleet. But the Revenge, on board which fhip he had hoifted his flag, having fprung a dangerous leak, fhe was obliged to be taken into dock to be repaired, fo that he did not rejoin the fleet till the latter end of June.

*The Dutch were enabled to carry it into execution by affuring the British court of the fincerity of their wifhes for peace. Charles the Second, whofe finances were, from his extravagance in other refpects, in rather a defperate fituation, was glad to deceive himself into the idea of no further hoftilities being menaced by the Dutch, merely because he wished to fave the expence of fitting out a fleet fufficient 10 render their menaces fruitlefs. The Dutch were vain enough to wave every folid advantage they might have reaped, from the fuperiority of their naval force in actual equipment, for the paltry gratification of infulting us by burning a few unarmed fhips in the river Medway.