All we have is our lives. But if you will give us
a fire-ship we will do that which shall show how we honour his memory
by avenging his death on the Dutch."
Even the King did his best for the fleet now, as he was afraid to meet
Parliament without a British victory. After immense exertions Monk and
Rupert met de Ruyter and van Tromp, with almost equal forces, on the
25th of July, at the mouth of the Thames, and closed in so fiercely
that there was hardly any manoeuvring on either side. Locked together
in a life-or-death struggle the two fleets fought all day long. Next
morning the British again closed in, and again the desperate fight
began. But several Dutch captains flinched this time; and so de
Ruyter, hoping the next shot would kill him, retired defeated at last.
The following year (1667) the Dutch came back and sank a British fleet
at Chatham; for Charles and his vile favourites were doing for the
British Navy what de Ruyter's flinching captains had been doing for the
Dutch.
The Peace of Breda ended this second Dutch war in disgrace.
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