it may be penned, viz. We will suppose, that the French King shall disclaim, directly or indirectly, all pretensions whatever to England; that the restoration of his friend King James is his only part and design in this expedition; and King James, on the other side, shall abjure all manner of violation to the laws, shall support the protestant religion, and (making a sea-mark of his former wreck) shall peaceably keep up to the full observance of so generous a profession; granting all this, I say, and whatever other imaginary security, his dreaming party can form to themselves; nevertheless, in the fairest face, let us observe the dismal and tremendous effects of his restoration. It is known to the whole world to what the French ambition tends, viz. universal monarchy. And it is as notoriously famous, what desolations and ravages the arms of France have made, and how formidable that successful destroyer is, even to the whole united powers of Europe. And as his present Majesty King William is, possibly (without vanity) the leading champion of the whole confederacy, and all little enough to make head against France; upon King James's return to the throne, here is not only so potent an arm as the alliance of Britain lopped off from the confederacy, but added to the strength of France. For though, in his reign before, he only stood neuter, with little, or no other assistance, to his idolised grand Lewis, than his heartiest vows and prayers for the success and prosperity of that incroaching enslaver of mankind. Yet now he will lie under a more pressing obligation; and the least return even of common gratitude, for his remounting him on his throne, will be to list under that tyrant's standard, and joining the arms of England, to the finishing and crowning the whole designs of that universal aspirer. And as the whole confederacy, already, is little enough to match him; upon this revolution in England, it is impossible to expect less than that the whole cause of Christendom must sink, and all Europe truckle beneath him. And whilst the English hands bear so great a part in this fatal turn (to give it no harder name) what is it but a making ourselves the monsters of mankind, the inevitable instruments and tools to that grand cut-throat of Christendom? And what has some little palliation on his side, as having the pretence of renown and honour, in the quest of laurels and enlargement of empire, &c. will on our part amount only to butchery and desolation, for meer butchery and desolation's sake. The glory, if any, will be Lewis's, and the infamy England's. Infamy indeed (if we meet with no worse reward) when we consider what a barbarous part we must act in the yoking and shackling of Europe. But suppose it ends there, and that will be the only brand in the English escutcheon; and that Lewis, in his grasp of universal Empire, shall exclude England from any part of his feudatories, and tributaries, viz. he shall make golden promises to King James, and once in his life (his first virtue of that kind) keep faith, and no worse follow (a very unlikely flattery) yet what an eternal shame to the old English honour, the sleeping dust of our Third Edward, and Fifth Henry, and indeed the whole British chronicles, is our portion, in aggrandising of France, to that prodigious bulk and growth, and dwindling ourselves to that diminutive and despicable state and condition, as are, and must be, the unavoidable consequences of King James's restoration.

Granting the Jacobites, therefore, all their own delusions can shape, that King James shall forget and forgive; shall rule by law, and turn a saint upon a throne: And that the disinterested Lewis shall have no other designs upon England, but purely King James's assistance; yet still the most, they can look for, is perhaps, to enjoy a little English liberty (upon their own supposition) during the short remnant of King James's days, whilst his gray hairs, perhaps, shall fill the seat. But I wonder any reasonable man, that pretends but to common sense, can think it possible, that France should ingross the dominion of Europe, and England ever hope to continue the only exempt from the univer sal yoke; is there that frenzy so mad as to fancy it? No, all our best hopes will be to be swallowed last, and the annexing of Britain, a province to France; and consequently to groan under all the slavery and vassalage of a French government, is the undoubted fate of England; and hereby the restoration of King James, in its favourablest aspect, brings no less fatality along with it, than entailing of misery upon us, to the end of the world; and all the honour, our protestant restorers will reap, is to be the ruin and curse of their whole posterity, their very names and memories loathed and abhorred to all succeeding generations.

ADMIRAL RUSSEL'S LETTER

ΤΟ

THE EARL OF NOTTINGHAM:

Containing an exact aud particular relation of the late happy victory and success against the French Fleet.

Published by authority. In the Savoy, printed by Edward Jones, 1692. Folio, containing eight pages.

MY LORD,

Portsmouth June 2, 1692.

SINCE your Lordship seems to think, that an account, in general, of the fleet's good success is not so satisfactory as one setting forth the particulars; I here send it, with as much brevity es the matter will admit of. I must confess I was not much inclined to trouble you in this nature, not being ambitious to see my name in print on any occasion;

but, since it is your Lordship's commands, I am the more inclined to give you the best information, I am able, of the action, having seen seve ral printed relations not very sincere.

Wednesday, in the evening, being the eighteenth of May, standing over for Cape de Hogue, I ordered Captain Gillam, in the Chester, and the Charles galley, to lie at such a distance to the westward of the fleet, that they might discover any signals made from me.

Thursday the nineteenth, standing with a small gale S.S.W. the wind at W. and W. and by S. hazy weather, Cape Barfleur bearing then S.W. and by S. from me distant about seven leagues, between three and four in the morning, we heard several guns to the westward, and, in a short time, I saw the two frigates making the signal of seeing the enemy, with their heads lying to the northward; which gave me reason to think the enemy lay with their heads that way; upon which, I ordered the signal to be made for the fleet's drawing into a line of battle; after which, I made the signal for the rear of the fleet to tack, that, if the enemy stood to the northward, we might the sooner come to engage. But, soon after four o'clock, the sun had a little cleared the weather, and I saw the French fleet standing to the southward, forming their line on the same tack that I was upon; I then ordered that signal for the rear to tack to be taken in, and, at the same time, bore away with my own ship so far to leeward, as I judged each ship in the fleet might fetch my wake or grain; then brought to again, lying by with my fore-topsail to the mast, to give the ships, in the fleet, the better opportunity of placing themselves, as they had been before directed. By eight o'clock we had formed an indifferent line, stretching from the S.S.W. to the N N.E. the Dutch in the van, the red in the center, and the blue in the rear. By nine o'clock, the enemy's vanguard had stretched almost as far to the southward as ours, their admiral and rear-admiral of the blue, that were in the rear, closing the line, and their vice-admiral of the same division stretching to the rear of our fleet, but never coming within gunshot of them. About ten, they bore down upon us, I still lying with my fore-top-sail to the mast. I then observed Monsieur Tourville, the French admiral, put out his signal for battle. I gave order that mine should not be hoisted, till the fleets began to engage, that he might have the fairer opportunity of coming as near me, as he thought convenient; and, at the same time, I sent orders to Admiral Almonde, that, as soon as any of his squadron could weather the enemy's fleet, they should tack, and get to the westward of them; as also to the blue, to make sail, and close the line, they being at some distance a-stern. But, as soon as the fleet began to engage, it fell calm, which prevented their so doing. About half an hour after eleven, Monsieur Tourville, in the Royal Sun (being within three-quarters musquet-shot) brought to, lying by me, at that distance, about an hour and a half, plying his guns very warmly; though I must observe to you, that our men fired their guns faster; after which time, I did not find his guns were fired with that vigour as before, and I could see him in great disorder, his rigging, sails, and top-sail yards being shot, and no body endeavouring to make them serviceable, and his boats towing of him to windward, gave me reason to think he was

much gauled. About two, the wind shifted to the N.W. and by W. and, some little time after that five fresh ships of the enemy's blue squadron came and posted themselves, three a-head of Monsieur Tourville, and two a-stern of him, and fired with great fury, which continued till after three. About four in the evening, there came so thick a fog, that we could not see a ship of the enemy's, which occasioned our leaving off firing for a little time, and then it cleared up, and we could see Monsieur Tourville towing away with his boats to the northward from ns; upon which I did the same, and ordered all my division to do the like; and, about half an hour after five, we had a small breeze of wind easterly. I then made the signal for the flect to chace, sending notice to all the ships about me, that the enemy were running. About this time I heard seve ral broadsides to the westward; and, though I could not see the ships that fired, I concluded them to be our blue, that, by the shift of wind, had weathered the enemy; but it proved to be the rear-admiral of the red, who had weathered Tourville's squadron, and got between them and their admiral of the blue, where they lay firing some time, and then Tourville anchored with some ships of his own division, as also the rearadmiral of the red with some of his. This was the time that Captain Hastings, in the Sandwich, was killed, he driving through those ships, by reason of his anchors not being clear. I could not see this part, because of the great smoke and fog, but have received this information from Sir Cloudesley Shovel since. I sent to all the ships that I could think were near me, to chace to the westward all night; telling them, I designed to follow the enemy to Brest; and sometimes we could see a French ship, two, or three, standing away with all the sail they could make to the westward. About eight, I heard firing to the westward, which lasted about half an hour, it being some of our blue fallen in with some of the ships of the enemy in the fog. It was foggy, and very little wind all night.

Friday the twentieth, it was so thick in the morning, that I could see none of the enemy's ships, and but very few of our own. About eight it began to clear up; the Dutch who were to the southward of me, made the signal of seeing the enemy; and, as it cleared, I saw about thirty-two or thirty-four sail, distant from us between two and three leagues, the wind at E.N.E. and they bearing from us W.S.W. our fleet chacing with all the sail they could make, having taken in the signal for the line of battle, that each ship might make the best of her way after the enemy. Between eleven and twelve, the wind came to the S.W. The French plied to the westward with all the sail they could, and we after them. About four, the tide of ebb being done, the French anchored, as also we in forty-three fathom water, Cape Barfleur bearing S. and by W. About ten in the evening, we weighed with the tide of ebb, the wind at S.W. and plied to the westward. About twelve, my fore-topmast came by the board, having received several shot,

Saturday the twenty-first, we continued still plying after the enemy, till four in the morning. The tide of cbb being done, I anchored in forty-six fathom water, Cape de Hogue bearing S. and by W. and the island of Alderney S.S.W. By my topmast's going away, the Dutch squadron, and the admiral of the blue, with several of his squadron,

had got a great way to windward of me. About seven in the morning, several of the enemy's ships, being far advanced towards the Race, I perceived driving to the eastward with the tide of flood. Between eight and nine, when they were driven so far to the eastward that I could fetch them, I made the signal for the fleet to cut and follow the enemy; which they all did, except the aforementioned weathermost ships, which rid fast, to observe the motion of the rest of the enemy's ships that continued in the race of Alderney. About eleven, I saw three great ships fair under the shore tack and stand to the westward; but, after making two or three short boards, the biggest of them run a-shore, who presently cut his masts away; the other two, being to leeward of him, plied up to him. The reason, as I judge, of their doing this was, that they could not weather our sternmost ships to the westward, nor get out a-head of us to the eastward. I observing that many of our ships hovered about those, I sent to Sir Ralph Delaval, vice-admiral of the red, who was in the rear of our fleet, to keep such a number of ships and fireships with him, as might be sufficient to destroy those of the enemy; and to order the others to follow me, I being then in pursuit of the rest of the enemy. An account of the performing that service I do not trouble your Lordship with, he having given it you already. About four in the afternoon, eighteen sail of the enemy's ships got to the eastward of Cape Barfleur; after which, I observed they hauled in for le Hogue. The rear-admital of the red, vice-admiral of the blue, and some other ships, were a-head of me. About ten at night, I anchored in the bay of le Hogue, and lay till four the next morning, being

Sunday the twenty-second; and then I weighed, and stood in near the land of le Hogue; but, when we found the flood came, we anchored in good sandy ground. At two in the afternoon we weighed again, and plied close in with le Hogue, where we saw thirteen sail of the enemy's men of war hauled close in with the shore. The rear-admiral of the red tells me, that the night before he saw the other five, which made up the cighteen I first chaced, stand to the eastward.

Monday the twenty-third, I sent in Vice-admiral Rooke, with seven ral men of war and fireships, as also the boats of the fleet, to destroy those ships; but the enemy had gotten them so near the shore, that not any of our men of war, except the small frigates, could do any service; but that night Vice-admiral Rooke, with the boats, burnt six of them.

Tuesday the twenty-fourth, about eight in the morning, he went in again with the boats, and burnt the other seven, together with several transport ships, and some vessels with ammunition, the names of which ships I am not yet able to give your Lordship any other account of, than what I formerly sent you, which are as follow: