every ship is to have a
special regard to the common good, and if any flagship shall, by any
accident whatsoever, stay behind or [be] likely to lose company, or be
out of his place, then all and every ship or ships belonging to such
flag is to make all the way possible to keep up with the admiral of
the fleet and to endeavour the utmost that may be the destruction of
the enemy, which is always to be made the chiefest care.

This instruction is strictly to be observed, not-withstanding the
seventeenth article in the Fighting Instructions formerly given
out.[1]

2ndly. When the admiral of the fleet makes a weft with his flag, the
rest of the flag officers are to do the like, and then all the best
sailing ships are to make what way they can to engage the enemy, that
so the rear of our fleet may the better come up; and so soon as the
enemy makes a stand then they are to endeavour to fall into the best
order they can.[2]

3rdly. If any flagship shall be so disabled as not to be fit for
service, the flag officer or commander of such ship shall remove
himself into any other ship of his division at his discretion, and
shall there command and wear the flag as he did in his own.

RUPERT.

For Sir Edward Spragge, Knt., vice-admiral of the blue squadron.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Meaning, of course, Article 1 of the 'Additional Instructions' of
April 18, 1665, which would be No. 17 when the orders were collected and
reissued as a complete set. No copy of the complete set to which Rupert
refers is known to be extant.

[2] It should be noted that this instruction anticipates by a century
the favourite English signals of the Nelson period for bringing an
unwilling enemy to action, _i.e._ for general chase, and for ships to
take suitable station for neutral support and engage as they get up.

PART VI

THE THIRD DUTCH WAR TO THE REVOLUTION

I. THE DUKE OF YORK, 1672-3

II. SIR JOHN NARBROUGH, 1678

III. THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH, 1688

PROGRESS OF TACTICS DURING THE THIRD DUTCH WAR

INTRODUCTORY

For the articles issued by the Duke of York at the outbreak of the
Third Dutch War in March 1672 we are again indebted to Lord
Dartmouth's naval manuscripts. They exist there, copied into the
beginning of an 'Order Book' which by internal evidence is shown to
have belonged to Sir Edward Spragge. It is similar to the so-called
'Royal Charles Sea Book,' and is nearly all blank, but cont