[Footnote 1: Pepys's _Diary_, June 30, 1667.--'Several complaints, I hear, of the _Monmouth's_ coming away too soon from the chaine, where she was placed with the two guardships to secure it.'] [Footnote 2: Spanish neutrality was a by-word at this period. England and Spain were not at war yet, but the family relationship between the Bourbons of Versailles and the Escurial caused the latter Power to put the loosest construction on their obligations.] [Footnote 3: Summary of evidence at the court-martial on Admiral Byng, quoted in Entick's _New Naval History_ (published shortly after Byng's trial), p. 872:-- Tuesday 11 [Jan. 1757]. Captain Gardiner of the _Ramillies_ under Examination and Cross-Examination all Day. He ... said that he advised the Admiral to bear down, that the Admiral objected thereto, lest an Accident of a similar Nature with that of Admiral Mathews should be the Consequence. Wednesday 12. Captain Gardiner was again examined and made it appear that the Admiral took the whole Command of the Ship from him, and no thing done that day but what he ordered. Byng's words as to bearing down were these: 'You see, Captain Gardiner, that the signal for the line is out and that I am ahead of the ships _Louisa_ and _Trident_' (which two ships, according to the order of battle, should have been ahead of the admiral). 'You would not have me, as the admiral of the fleet, run down as if I were going to engage a single ship. It was Mr. Mathews' misfortune to be prejudiced by not carrying down his force together, which I shall endeavour to avoid.' One of Byng's ships, ahead of the flagship, had broken down. He would not pass her and go at the enemy, but stopped to re-form and 'dress' his line, during which time the enemy severely mauled Byng's leading ships. The French then drew out of range, and Byng, without further fighting, retired to Gibraltar. At the trial Gardiner was asked what he himself considered being 'properly engaged.' 'What I call properly engaged,' was the answer, 'is, within musket shot.' See _Minutes of the Court-Martial, etc._, published by Order, 1757 (folio).] [Footnote 4: Log of the _Revenge_, Captain Storr. Admiralty documents, Captains' logs, at the Public Record Office.] [Footnote 5: Admiralty documents, Captains' logs, _Monmouth_, at the Public Record Office.] [Footnote 6: Captains' logs, _Monmouth_, at the Public Record Office (Admiralty documents).] [Footnote 7: _Poems, chiefly Religious_: Rev. H.F. Lyte, 1833.] [Footnote 8: The 'Monmouth' inn, to which the signboard belonged (now known as the 'Monmouth' hotel) was actually so named in 1758 in honour of Gardiner's _Monmouth_.] [Footnote 9: Stephen Hammick, Second Lieutenant of the _Monmouth_, in command on the lower deck.] [Footnote 10: David Winzar, Fourth Lieutenant of the _Monmouth_.] [Footnote 11: Captain of Marines.] [Footnote 12: Lieutenant of Marines.] II RODNEY'S SHIP ON RODNEY'S DAY THE _FORMIDABLE_ THAT BROKE THE LINE