The _Marlborough_, a powerful 74, one of the finest men-of-war that Deptford dockyard ever sent to sea, led the line. She kept her helm steady and held her way forward without checking for an instant, unswerving, regardless of the storm of shot that hurtled overhead or splashed in the sea alongside. Taylor Penny, the _Marlborough's_ captain, a gallant son of Dorset and a veteran now serving in his third war, was not the man to mind a cannonade. The _Marlborough_ stood on silently until she had come within 150 yards of the French line. Then, when nearly opposite the fifth ship from the enemy's van, her helm went swiftly up and the ship's huge bulk swung round to port. The next minute she began to range along the enemy broadside on, in the opposite direction to that the French were taking. Not a shot had come from the _Marlborough's_ ports all this time. Four French ships in turn passed her and fired at her, but Captain Penny took no notice. The flagship had made no sign. No order to 'commence action' had been given. Every telescope on board was kept fixed on the _Formidable_, while below the captains of the guns fidgeted impatiently with the firing lanyards. They had to practise patience. Eight bells clanged out on board the silent _Marlborough_, and still they waited. Then, instantaneously the signal was made. The _Formidable's_ signal halyards were seen to twitch, and a little ball of bunting slid swiftly aloft to the mast-head. There was a jerk, and the next instant the red flag for battle--the 'bloody flag,' as the navy called it--was 'abroad,' flying out upon the breeze. It went up just as the _Marlborough_ came abreast of the French _Dauphin Royal_, the ninth ship in De Grasse's line, and as the flag 'broke' the _Marlborough's_ opening broadside flashed off with a thundering crash, guns, carronades, and musketry all together. The British ships nearest astern of the _Marlborough_ opened fire at the same moment. Each in her station, a cable's length apart, they had been following close in the _Marlborough's_ wake, equally ready and eager to begin. There were sixteen ships in the line between the _Marlborough_ and the _Formidable_, each 200 yards apart (the length of a cable), and the men of Rodney's flagship had to wait some little time yet for their turn. Their eyes, though, had something to look at, for most of the ships ahead of them were full in their view meanwhile. What they saw was worth seeing.