The battle between De Ruyter and the red squadron began about eight o'clock in the morning, and a multitude of circumstances concurred to threaten the English admiral with inevitable ruin. Sir Edward Spragge, intent on his personal quarrel with Van Tromp, had fallen to the leeward several leagues with the blue squadron; and to complete Prince Rupert's misfortune, the enemy found means to intercept his own rear-admiral, Sir John Chichele, with his division; so that by noon His Highness was wholly surrounded by the Dutch, being pressed by De Ruyter and his division on his lee-quarter, an admiral with two flags more on his weather-quarter, and the Zealand squadron on his broadside to windward. His Highness, in the midst of these disappointments, behaved with such intrepidity, and encouraged all his officers so effectually by his own example that, by degrees, he cleared himself of his enemies, rejoined Sir John Chichele, and by two o'clock had time to think of the blue squadron, which was now at three leagues' distance; and, not hearing their guns well plied, he made all the sail he could towards them, in order to unite with and relieve them. De Ruyter, perceiving His Highness's design, left firing and bore away also with his whole force to the assistance of Tromp; so that both fleets ran down side by side within range of cannon-shot, and yet without firing on either part. About four the prince joined the blue squadron, which he found in a very tattered condition. At the beginning of the fight, Tromp in the _Golden Lion_, and Sir Edward Spragge in the _Royal Prince_, fought ship to ship. The Dutch admiral, however, would not come to a close fight, which gave him a great advantage; for Spragge, who had more than his complement on board, suffered much by the enemy's cannon, and, having the wind and smoke in his face, could not make such good use of his own as he would otherwise have done. After three hours' warm fighting the _Royal Prince_ was so disabled that Sir Edward was forced to go on board the _St. George_; and Tromp quitted his _Golden Lion_ to hoist his flag on board the _Comet_, when the battle was renewed with incredible fury. The great aim of the Dutch admiral was to take or sink the _Royal Prince_; but the Earl of Ossory and Sir John Kempthorne, together with Spragge himself, so effectually protected the disabled vessel that none of the enemy's fire-ships could come near her, though they often attempted it. At last, the _St. George_ being terribly torn and disabled Sir Edward Spragge designed to go on board a third ship, the _Royal Charles_; but, before he had got ten boats' length, a shot, which passed through the _St. George_, took his boat, and though they immediately rowed back, before they could get within reach of the ropes that were thrown out from the _St. George_, the boat sank, and Sir Edward was drowned.