Blake being wounded, Monk led the fleet to another victory in May. But
the dogged Dutch were not yet beaten; and it was not till the last of
July that the final battle came.
Monk made straight for the Dutch line at six in the morning. For nine
hours the fight went on, the two fleets manoeuvring with great skill
and fighting furiously every time they came together. Each time they
separated to manoeuvre again some ships were left behind, fighting,
disabled, or sinking. The British attacked with the utmost courage.
The Dutch never flinched. And so noon passed, and one, and two o'clock
as well. Van Tromp's flag still flew defiantly; but van Tromp himself
was dead. When the fleets first met he had been killed by a
musket-shot straight through his heart. When they first parted the
flag for a council of war was seen flying from his ship. The council
of Dutch admirals hurriedly met, decided to keep his flag aloft, so as
not to discourage their men, took orders from his second-in-command,
and met the British as bravely as before. But after nine hours
fighting their fleet broke up and left the field, bearing with it the
body of van Tromp, the lion of the Dutch, and by far the greatest
leader who had as yet withstood the British on the sea.
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