same way.  The first one dealt with is the ‘St. James’s Fight,’ fought on July 25, 1666, and the dates in the tactical notes, as well as in the ‘Observations’ appended to the articles, range as far as the last action fought in 1673.  The whole manuscript is clearly intended as a commentary on the latest form of the duke’s orders, and it may safely be taken as an expression of some tactician’s view of the lessons that were to be drawn from his experience of the Dutch Wars.

As to the authorship, the princely form in which the manuscript has been preserved might suggest they were James’s own meditations after the war; but the tone of the ‘Observations,’ and the curious revival of the word ‘general’ for ‘commander-in-chief,’ are enough to negative such an attribution.  Other indications that exist would point to George Legge, Lord Dartmouth.  His first experience of naval warfare was as a volunteer and lieutenant under his cousin, Sir Edward Spragge, in 1665.  Spragge was in fact his ‘sea-daddy,’ and with one exception all the examples in the ‘Observations’ are taken from incidents and movements in which Spragge was the chief actor.  One long observation is directed to precautions to be taken by flag officers in shifting their flags in action, so as to prevent a recurrence of the catastrophe which cost Spragge his life.  Indeed, with the exception of Jordan, Spragge is the only English admiral mentioned.  Dartmouth was present at all the actions quoted, and succeeded in constituting himself a sufficient authority on naval affairs to be appointed in 1683 to command the first important fleet that was sent out after the termination of the war.  These indications however are far too slight to fix him with the authorship, and his own orders issued in 1688 go far to rebut the presumption.[2]

Another possible author is Arthur Herbert, afterwards Lord Torrington.  He too had served a good deal under Spragge, and had been present at all the battles named.  This conjecture would explain the curious expression used in the observation to the seventh instruction, ‘The battle fought in 1666.’  There was of course more than one battle fought in 1666, but Herbert was only present in that of July 25th, the ‘St. James’s Fight,’ represented in the manuscript—­and it was his first action.  But here again all is too vague for more than a mere guess.

But whoever was the author, the manuscript is certainly inspired by someone of position who had served in the last two Dutch Wars, and its undeniable importance is that it gives us clearly the development of tactical thought which led to the final form of Fighting Instructions adopted under William III, and continued till the end of the eighteenth century.  The developments which it foreshadows will therefore be best dealt with when we come to consider those instructions.  For the present it will be sufficient to note the changes suggested.  In the first place we have a desire to simplify signals and to establish repeating ships.