A fairly impartial account says: "The States lost in these actions three vice-admirals, two thousand men, and four ships.

The loss of the English was five thousand killed and three thousand prisoners; and they lost besides seventeen ships, of which nine remained in the hands of the victors."[33] There is no doubt that the English had much the worst of it, and that this was owing wholly to the original blunder of weakening the fleet by a great detachment sent in another direction.
Great detachments are sometimes necessary evils, but in this case no necessity existed.

Granting the approach of the French, the proper course for the English was to fall with their whole fleet upon the Dutch before their allies could come up.

This lesson is as applicable to-day as it ever was.

A second lesson, likewise of present application, is the necessity of sound military institutions for implanting correct military feeling, pride, and discipline.