It was printed 17th September, 1690; on which date the final result was not known, but enough had been learnt to describe the engagement as a victory; the battle was fought three leagues off the shore, and lasted from 10 a.m. till night. Macaulay does not refer to this exploit; but, writing of the year 1693, he tells us that 'Killigrew and Delaval _were Tories_, and that the Whigs carried a vote of censure upon the Government in consequence of the late naval miscarriages, but failed to fix it on Killigrew and Delaval themselves, the Admirals.' The facts seem to have been that Killigrew and Delaval were appointed to convoy seventy ships of the line and thirty smaller vessels--the richly-freighted Smyrna fleet--past Brest to the Mediterranean; Rooke was to take them on afterwards. But the French fleet lay in wait for them near Gibraltar, and Rooke fell into the trap, with dire results. Macaulay thinks that Killigrew and Delaval ought to have been sharper, and not to have returned to England so soon. On hearing of the news in England, many of the merchants went away from the Royal Exchange 'pale as death.' There is, however, in the British Museum a rare ballad which somewhat conflicts with Macaulay's views, and I am tempted to refer to it, without being able to reconcile the discrepancy. It is entitled-- 'The Seamen's Victory, or _Admiral Killigrew's_ glorious conquest over the French Fleet, in the Streights, as they were coming from Thoulon towards Brest. With the manner of Taking Three of their French Men of War, and sinking Two more; although the French Admiral vainly boasted he would recover Brest or Paradice, yet he shamefully run from the English Fleet. (_To the Tune of The Spinning Wheel._)' The ballad is illustrated with rough wood-cuts, three of which represent ships, and a fourth, it is to be presumed, the Admiral himself. It begins thus: 'Here's joyfull news came late from Sea, 'Tis of a gallant Victory, Which o'er the French we did obtain, Upon the throbbing Ocean Main. As soon as e'er they found our Rage, The Rogues was glad to disengage.' The defeat of the attempt made by the Toulon fleet to join that at Brest is then described, in the same rude sort of lines eminently adapted for the roystering choristers who frequent seaside taverns; and the poet thus continues: 'Now while we did maintain the Fight, Two French Ships there we sunk down right, And likewise have we taken Three, This Crown'd our Work with Victory; The noble, valiant KILLEGREW, After the rest do's still pursue.' And the ballad concludes with the hope-- 'That we hereafter may advance To shake the very Crown of France.' Possibly it refers to an episode of the fight which may have escaped the notice of the illustrious historian. This much, however, is certain, that the exploits of the British Admiral were caricatured in a street play, probably got up for political purposes.