art of the war the French would not hazard another battle by sea with
the English.

Russel having ordered Sir John Ashby and the Dutch admiral Callemberg to
steer towards Havre de Grace, and endeavour to destroy the remainder
of the French fleet, sailed back to St. Helen's that the damaged ships
might be refitted, and the fleet furnished with fresh supplies of
provisions and ammunition; but his principal motive was to take on board
a number of troops provided for a descent upon France, which had been
projected by England and Holland, with a view to alarm and distract the
enemy in their own dominions. The queen was so pleased with the victory
that she ordered thirty thousand pounds to be distributed among the
sailors. She caused medals to be struck in honour of the action; and the
bodies of admiral Carter and captain Hastings, who had been killed in
the battle, to be interred with great funeral pomp. In the latter end of
July seven thousand men, commanded by the duke of Leinster, embarked on
board transports to be landed at St. Maloes, Brest, or Rochefort, and
the nation conceived the most sanguine hopes of this expedition. A
council of war, consisting of land and sea officers, being held on board
the Breda to deliberate upon the scheme of the ministry, the members
unanimously agreed that the season was too far advanced to put it in
execution. Nevertheless, the admiral having detached sir John Ashby with
a squadron to intercept the remains of the French fleet in their passage
from St. Maloes to Brest, set sail for La Hogue with the rest of the
fleet and transports; but in a few days the wind shifting, lie was
obliged to return to St. Helen's.

The queen immediately dispatched the marquis of Carmarthen, the earls of
Devonshire, Dorset, Nottingham, and Rochester, together with the lords
Sidney and Cornwallis, to consult with the admiral, who demonstrated the
impracticability of making an effectual descent upon the coast of France
at that season of the year. The design was therefore laid aside, and the
forces were transported to Flanders. The higher the hopes of the
nation had been raised by this armament, the deeper they felt their
disappointment. A loud clamour was raised against the ministry as
the authors of this miscarriage. The people complained that they were
plundered and abused; that immense sums were extorted from them by the
most grievous impositions; that, by the infamous expedient of borrowing
upon established