He shrank from all responsibility, from the responsibility of fighting, and from the responsibility of not fighting; and he succeeded in finding out a middle way which united all the inconveniences which he wished to avoid.

He would conform to the letter of his instructions; yet he would not put every thing to hazard.

Some of his ships should skirmish with the enemy; but the great body of his fleet should not be risked.

It was evident that the vessels which engaged the French would be placed in a most dangerous situation, and would suffer much loss; and there is but too good reason to believe that Torrington was base enough to lay his plans in such a manner that the danger and loss might fall almost exclusively to the share of the Dutch.

He bore them no love; and in England they were so unpopular that the destruction of their whole squadron was likely to cause fewer murmurs than the capture of one of our own frigates.
It was on the twenty-ninth of June that the Admiral received the order to fight.