Amongst those distinguishing themselves upon this fateful day was that great ship of honoured and long-transmitted name, the _Swiftsure_. Never did any noble vessel that had served to make England's fame widespread perform greater feats of valour than did she upon this occasion. Forcing her way towards the enemy, she encountered Conflans' flagship, the _Soleil Royal_--a name of evil omen to France, as some recalled who brought to their recollection another _Soleil Royal_, crushed and destroyed at La Hogue--attended by two great French seventy-fours; and in an instant the _Swiftsure_ had flown at them as flies the gallant hound at treble the number of wolves. Broadside upon broadside she poured from her seventy guns--above their roaring being heard the ringing cheers from those on board her as well as the howls of contempt and hideous oaths of the British bull-dogs; and so she fought and fought till her guns were almost too hot to touch. Yet still she fought, not with the courage of despair, nor with the doomed energy of one o'ermastered, but with the spirit of some wild and savage tigress, recking neither of death nor wounds nor destruction to herself, so that, amidst them, she tore and mangled and destroyed, while still thirsting for more death and destruction. Tossed on the rolling seas, hurled backwards and forwards as were those other three with whom she strove, she poured forth her deadly venom, until at last, outnumbered, with her main topmast shot through, her main top-gallant mast gone, and her tiller-ropes cut away, she broached-to in the tempest, the three enemies rushing forward to encounter next the English Admiral in his flagship. That all the rest were fighting with grim determination, be very sure. The _Resolution_ was pouring a terrible cannonade into the _Formidable_ (flagship of the French Rear-Admiral); the _Royal George_ had been laid alongside the _Soleil Royal_ by now; the _Torbay_ was sinking the _Thesée_--with an awful cry from all on board, the latter went down amidst the turbulent waves! the _Magnanime_ was destroying for ever the _Héros_. Meanwhile the _Royal George_ was driving the _Soleil Royal_ from out the fray, she being followed by the _Tonnant_ and three others. The _Superbe_ had drawn the _Royal George's_ fire next, receiving the whole of the latter's broadsides, and was sinking close by her victress. And because of how she, this gallant French ship, had fought; because she was a foe worthy of England's best shot and steel; because she bore bravely the hell of fire rained into her by the great English vessel as she went down with her colours flying, there arose from her enemy's decks a long and ringing cheer of applause. She was a conquered foe, but still a noble one, and the hardy British throats could not refuse to her the tribute she had so nobly won.