HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.
223
the first-rates, the Bretagne*, which was by no means the most superior amongthem, far exceeded not only all the English first-rates which were cotemporarywith it, but even surpassed those which, in augmentation of the former establish-ment, were ordered to be constructed some years later, after the war had con-cluded. Spain conducted herself on the same principle. Every effort had beenmade, from the hour the declaration of peace restored tranquillity to the publicmind of government, towards increasing and materially improving its marine. Arestless, unquiet temper, at that time pervading those who were entrusted withthe public direction of her political concerns, rendered such exertions stillmore necessary, to satisfy the public mind, than those of France had been.The dispute which took place ere peace was more than seven years old,might have convinced any serious observer of the public demeanour of na-tions, that the continuance of peace depended merely on the absence of suffi-cient power to disturb it. Nevertheless, there were certain considerations pe-culiarly affecting this country, which caused her to continue rather an inactivespectator of the feuds existing beween Great-Britain, and her colonies, till thepersuasions of France, and the trivial progress made in reducing to subjectionthe immense eastern coast of North America, formed an opportunity of oppress-ing Britain too gratifying for the pride of a country to resist, that had beenreduced on former occasions to the humiliating situation of supplicating peace j\
With
* The Bretagne was in length, from the after part of the stern-post to the fore part of the stem,196 feet 3 inches 2 tenths. Her moulded breadth, 53 feet 4 inches; surpassing that of the RoyalGeorge now existing, which was one of the ships built on the augmented plan.
f The Navy of SPAIN comprised the following Ships.
First rates.
El San Vincente
- 80
La SantissimaTrinidada
114
El Terrible
74
La Furissima Conceptione
100
El Africa
70
Second rates.
El Angelo la Guarda -
70
El Rayo
66
El Arrogante
70
El Tonante
86
El Atlas
70
Third rates.
El Brillante
70
El Glorioso
80
El Diligente, 1st. (taken)
70
Ed San Carlos
60
El Diligente
- 70
El San Ferdinando
SO
El Espagne
70
El San Louis *
80
El Firmo
70
El San Nicolas -
. 80
El Galliardo
70
El Fhccnix (taken)
80
El Gallicia »
70
El Guerrero