Warned by Sir Edward Haddock, his captain, he refused to make his escape; and bravely embraced death, as a shelter from that ignominy which a rash expression of the duke's, he thought, had thrown upon him.
During this fierce engagement with Sandwich, De Ruyter remained not inactive.

He attacked the duke of York, and fought him with such fury for above two hours, that of two and thirty actions in which that admiral had been engaged, he declared this combat to be the most obstinately disputed.

The duke's ship was so shattered, that he was obliged to leave her, and remove his flag to another.

His squadron was overpowered with numbers, till Sir Joseph Jordan, who had succeeded to Sandwich's command, came to his assistance; and the fight, being more equally balanced, was continued till night, when the Dutch retired, and were not followed by the English.

The loss sustained by the fleets of the two maritime powers was nearly equal, if it did not rather fall more heavy on the English.