reward of his crimes."

As soon as the ships were headed round they passed through the Dutch
as before, and this manoeuvre was several times repeated. Up to one
o'clock in the day no great advantage had been gained on either side.
Spars had been carried away; there were yawning gaps in the bulwarks;
portholes had been knocked into one, guns dismounted, and many
killed; but as yet no vessel on either side had been damaged to an
extent that obliged her to strike her flag, or to fall out of the
fighting line. There had been a pause after each encounter, in which
both fleets had occupied themselves in repairing damages, as far as
possible, reeving fresh ropes in place of those that had been shot
away, clearing the wreckage of fallen spars and yards, and carrying
the wounded below. Four of the Volunteers had been struck down--two
of them mortally wounded, but after the first passage through the
enemy's fleet, Prince Rupert had ordered them to arm themselves with
muskets from the racks, and to keep up a fire at the Dutch ships as
they passed, aiming specially at the man at the wheel. The order had
been a very welcome one, for, like Cyril, they had all felt
inactivity in such a scene to be a sore trial. They were now ranged
along on both sides of the poop.

At one o'clock Lord Sandwich signalled to the Blue Squadron to close
up together as they advanced, as before, against the enemy's line.
His position at the time was in the centre, and his squadron, sailing
close together, burst into the Dutch line before their ships could
make any similar disposition. Having thus broken it asunder, instead
of passing through it, the squadron separated, and the ships, turning
to port and starboard, each engaged an enemy. The other two squadrons
similarly ranged up among the Dutch, and the battle now became