WILLIAM AND MAEY.

51

the Race of Alderney fled to the havens of the Cotentin. Thelloyal Sun and two other three deckers reached Cherhurg in •safety. The Ambitious, with twelve other ships, all first ratesor second rates, took refuge in the Bay of La Hogue, close tothe headquarters of the army of James.

The three ships which had fled to Cherburg were closelychased by an English squadron under the command of Delaval.He found them hauled up into shoal water where no large manof war could get at them. He therefore determined to attackthem with his fireships and boats. The service was gallantlyand successfully performed. In a short time the Royal Sun andher tw’o consorts were burned to ashes. Part of the crew'sescaped to the shore; and part fell into the hands of theEnglish. *

Meanwhile Russell with the greater part of his victoriousfleet had blockaded the Bay of La Hogue. Here, as at Cher-burg, the French men of war had been drawn up into shallowwater. They lay close to the camp of the army which w'as des-tined for the invasion of England. Six of them were mooredunder afortnamedLisset. Therest lay under the guns of anotherfort named Saint Vaast, where James had fixedhisheadquarters,and where the Union flag, variegated by the crosses of SaintGeorge and Saint Andrew, hung by the side of the white flag ofFrance. Marshal Bellefonds had planted several batterieswhich, it was thought, would deter the boldest enemy from ap-proaching either Fort Lisset or Fort Saint Vaast. James, how-ever, who knew something of English seamen, W'as not per-fectly at ease, and proposed to send strong bodies of soldierson board of the ships. But Tourville would not consent to putsuch a slur on his profession.

Russell meanwhile was preparing for an attack. On the

* See Delaval'a Letter to Nottingham, dated Cherburg, May 32., in theLoudon Gazette of May 2G.

4 *

CHAP.

XVIII.

1602 .