| 3d rank,|40 to | ½ bronze | 34.22 |12.01| 5.41| idem. | | 2d order| 50 | ½ iron | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Do not come into line. | | | 30 | ⅓ bronze | | | | | |4th rank | to | ⅔ iron | 38.98 |10.55| 4.71| idem. | | | 40 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18 | ¼ bronze | | | |Two small | |5th rank | to | ⅔ iron | 35.73 | 8.66| 4.55|castles or | | | 30 | | | | |only one | | | | | | | |aft. | | 8 | | | | | | |Frigates | to | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | | 16 | | | | | | [Sidenote: II 166] [Sidenote: II 169] [Sidenote: II 15] The progress made in naval architecture under the reign of Louis XIV is noted as follows in the work: _Le Musée de Marine du Louvre_. “The rake of the bow is less exaggerated, the after castle is lowered, the artillery is well distributed; the masts are better proportioned and the spread of canvas is much greater, as well as more handy, making the motion more rapid and the manœuvres more easy. The profusion and elegance of the ornaments have reached their highest point; they had the kind of poetry of the old chivalry. Everything in this navy already caused the perfection, which the ship reached quickly under the next two reigns, to be anticipated.” Naval architecture took a great start. Many works were published, of which those of Bernouilli (1738) and of Euler (1749), treating of the stability of ships, are the best known. The dimensions of vessels continue steadily to increase. Ships mounting 70 guns which, in 1715, were rated in the first class were passed to the sixth class in 1765. The French fleet in 1750, according to the _Musée de Marine du Louvre_, was composed as follows: