112

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

France, whose intention of joining her arms with those of Spain had long beenformed, continued to avoid, for some time, making that intention actually known rthe armaments of Toulon, which comprized the great part of the naval force she pos-sessed, were, in great measure, kept in check by the English squadrons progressivelycommanded by Mr. Haddock, Mr. Lestock, and Mr. Mathews; but Spain havingunited her ships under the orders of admiral Navarro, as already related, withthose in Toulon then ready for sea, under Mr. De-Court, the jealousy and misun-derstanding which had long prevailed, appeared to wear a much more threateningand serious aspect. The British force in that quarter was considerably aug-mented ; Mr. Mathews, who was sent out to take the command, was regularly in-structed to blockade the port of Toulon, and prevent his antagonists, of whose de-signs and alliance not the smallest doubt was then entertained, from either actingoffensively against Britain, or affording any succour sent to an army collectedin Italy, for the purpose of acting against the queen of Hungary. A variety of trivialdisputes took place, which, if they bore not the appearance of actual warfare*tended, at least, to convince Europe that the hour of its commencement was notfar distant. Mr. Mathews, in the mean time, reigned the undisputed master ofthe Mediterranean Sea; and, for the space of two years, the combined force ofFrance and Spain was totally confined to the harbour of Toulon. In the earlypart of the year 17 44-, Lewis the Fifteenth, weary of having suffered this long-continued ignominy, and considering it necessary to create a diversion in thatquarter, in the hope that the British government might make some farther detach-ments which would weaken the force on the side of the Atlantic, sent positive ordersfor De Court, with his force, to put to sea in conjunction with Navarro, and resist,to the utmost of his power, any attack that might be made by Mr. Mathews ontheir united force. The French division consisted of five ships of 74 guns each,the Terrible, the Esperance, the Saint-Esprit, the Ferme, and the Due d’Orleans;six of 64 guns, the Bor£e, the Solide, the Leopard, the Trident, the Serieux,and the Eole ; one of 60, the Thoulouse ; one of 56, the Halcyon ; and tw o of50, the Diamantand Aquilon ; making, in the whole, sixteen ships of two decks,and four frigates, the Atalante, Flora, Zephyr, and Volga. The event of theaction is well known : it made too conspicuous a figure in the history of the timewhen it happened, to be forgotten even at the present hour. By the plan ofoperations arranged in the French cabinet, it was intended, that at the momentof that public alarm which it was supposed would be created in Britain in conse-quence