for some time a secret defensive alliance
between France and Spain, binding each party to support the other, under
certain conditions, with an effective armed force, to be used not for
aggressive purposes, but in defence only. It was claimed, indeed, that
by so doing the supporting country was not to be considered as going to
war, or even as engaged in hostilities, except as regarded the
contingent furnished. This view received some countenance from
international law, in the stage of development it had then reached; yet
it is evident that if a British admiral met a Spanish fleet, of strength
fairly matching his own, but found it accompanied by a French division,
the commander of which notified him that he had orders to fight if an
attack were made, friendly relations between the two nations would be
strained near to the breaking point. This had actually occurred to the
British Admiral Haddock, in the Mediterranean, in 1741; and conditions
essentially similar, but more exasperated, constituted the situation
under which Hawke for the first time was brought into an action between
two great fleets.

On the 11th of January, 1744, when the _Berwick_ joined the British
fleet, it had rendezvoused at the Hyeres Islands, a little east of
Toulon, watching the movements of twelve Spanish ships-of-the-line,
which had taken refuge in the port. As these were unwilling to put to
sea trusting to their own strength, the French Admiral De Court was
ordered to accompany and protect them when they sailed. This becoming
known, Admiral Mathews had concentrated his fleet, which by successive
reinforcements--the _Berwick_ among others--numbered twenty-eight
of-the-line when the allies, in about equal force, began to come out on
the 20th of February.

The action which ensued owes its historical significance wholly to the
fact that it illustrated conspicuously, and in more than one detail, the
degenerate condition of the official staff of the British navy; the
demoralization of ideals, and the low average of professional
competency.[3] That there was plenty of good metal was also shown, but
the proportion of alloy was dangerously great. That the machinery of the
organization was likewise bad, the administrative system culpably
negligent as well as inefficient, had been painfully manifested in the
equipment of the ships, in the quality of the food, and in the
indifferent character of the ships' crews; but in this respect Hawke had
not less to co