Had the combined fleets of England and France been able at this moment to obtain a victory at sea and to land an army on the coast, it is indeed difficult to see how utter and complete disaster could have been avoided.  Fortunately, however, this was averted.  It had been De Witt’s hope that De Ruyter might have been able to have struck a blow at the English ships in the Thames and the Medway before they had time to put to sea and effect a junction with the French.  But the Zeeland contingent was late and it was the middle of May before the famous admiral, accompanied as in 1667 by Cornelis de Witt as the representative of the States-General, sailed at the head of seventy-five ships in search of the Anglo-French fleet.  After delays through contrary winds the encounter took place in Southwold Bay on June 7.  The Duke of York was the English admiral-in-chief, D’Estrees the French commander, and they had a united force of ninety ships.  The Dutch, who had the wind-gauge, found the hostile squadrons separated from one another.  De Ruyter at once took advantage of this.  He ordered Vice-Admiral Banckers with the Zeeland squadron to contain the French, while he himself with the rest of his force bore down upon the Duke of York.  The battle was contested with the utmost courage and obstinacy on both sides and the losses were heavy.  The advantage, however, remained with the Dutch.  The English flag-ship, the Royal James, was burnt; and the duke was afterwards three times compelled to shift his flag.  Both fleets returned to the home ports to refit; and during the rest of the summer and early autumn no further attack was made on De Ruyter, who with some sixty vessels kept watch and ward along the coasts of Holland and Zeeland.  The Dutch admiral had gained his object and no landing was ever attempted.

But the battle of Southwold Bay, though it relieved the immediate naval danger, could do nothing to stay the advancing tide of invasion on land.  The situation appeared absolutely desperate; trade was at a standstill; and the rapid fall in the State securities and in the East India Company’s stock gave alarming evidence of the state of public opinion.  In these circumstances De Witt persuaded the States-General and the Estates of Holland to consent to the sending of two special embassies to Louis, who was now at Doesburg, and to London, to sue for peace.  They left the Hague on June 13, only to meet with a humiliating rebuff.  Charles II refused to discuss the question apart from France.  Pieter de Groot and his colleagues were received at Doesburg with scant courtesy and sent back to the Hague to seek for fuller powers.  When they arrived they found the council-pensionary lying on a sick-bed.  The country’s disasters had been attributed to the De Witts, and the strong feeling against them led to a double attempt at assassination.  John de Witt, while walking home at the close of a busy day’s work was (June 21) attacked by four assailants and badly wounded.  The leader, Jacob