noticed. When a ship in that line (as at c)
found itself without an opponent abeam, and its next ahead perhaps
heavily engaged, the natural impulse would be to put up the helm so as
to bring the broadside to bear. This advantage would be gained by a
loss of ground to leeward and consequent disorder in the line; which,
if the act were repeated by several ships, could only be restored by
the whole line keeping away.

[62] Davies: History of Holland.

[63] Martin: History of France.

[64] Gougeard: Marine de Guerre.

[65] Troude: Batailles Navales.

CHAPTER IV.

ENGLISH REVOLUTION.--WAR OF THE LEAGUE OF AUGSBURG,
1688-1697.--SEA BATTLES OF BEACHY HEAD AND LA HOUGUE.

The Peace of Nimeguen was followed by a period of ten years in which
no extensive war broke out. They were, however, far from being years
of political quiet. Louis XIV. was as intent upon pushing on his
frontiers to the eastward in peace as in war, and grasped in quick
succession fragments of territory which had not been given him by the
peace. Claiming this and that in virtue of ancient feudal ties; this
and that other as implicitly surrendered by the treaty, because
dependent upon something else that had been explicitly surrendered;
purchasing at one time, using bare force in other cases, and backing
up all the so-called peaceful methods of obtaining his asserted rights
by the presence of armed power, he carried on this process of
extension between 1679 and 1682. The aggression most startling to
Europe, and above all to the German Empire, was the seizure of the
then imperial city of Strasburg on the 30th of September, 1681; and on
the same day Casale, in Italy, was sold to him by the Duke of Mantua,
showing that his ambitions were directed that way as well as to the
north and east. Both of these were positions of great strategic
importance, threatening, the one Germany, the other Italy, in case of
war.

The excitement throughout Europe was very great; in every direction
Louis, serenely trusting to his power, was making new enemies and
alienating former friends. The king of Sweden, directly insulted, and
injured in his duchy of Deux-Ponts, turned against him, as did the
Italian States; and the Pope himself sided with the enemies of a king
who was already showing his zeal for the conversion of the
Protestants, and was preparing for the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes. But the discontent, though deep and general, had to be
organize