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.