ved in
war during the memory of men then living, and "a general inclination
prevailed to lay the blame upon some individual, who might be punished
according to the magnitude of the object, rather than in proportion to
his demerit."[90]

During the year 1780 was formed the League of the Baltic Powers, known
historically as the Armed Neutrality, to exact from Great Britain the
concession of certain points thought essential to neutral interests.
The accession of Holland to this combination, together with other
motives of dissatisfaction, caused Great Britain to declare war
against the United Provinces on the 20th of December. Orders were at
once sent to the East and West Indies to seize Dutch possessions and
ships, but these did not issue in action until the following year.

Towards the end of 1780 the French Government, dissatisfied with the
lack of results from the immense combined force assembled in Cadiz
during the summer months, decided to recall its ships, and to refit
them during the winter for the more extensive and aggressive movements
planned for the campaign of 1781. D'Estaing was sent from France for
the purpose; and under his command thirty-eight ships of the line, in
which were included those brought by de Guichen from the West Indies,
sailed on the 7th of November for Brest. Extraordinary as it may seem,
this fleet did not reach its port until the 3d of January, 1781.

[Footnote 75: Parker's Report.]

[Footnote 76: Ibid.]

[Footnote 77: _Ante_, p. 115.]

[Footnote 78: Rodney's Report. The French authorities give their line
of battle as twenty-two ships of the line. There was no 90-gun ship
among them--no three-decker; but there were two of 80 guns, of which
also the British had none.]

[Footnote 79: A cable was then assumed to have a length of 120
fathoms,--720 feet.]

[Footnote 80: A properly formed line of twenty ships, at two cables'
interval, would be about five miles long. Rodney seems to have been
satisfied that this was about the condition of his fleet at this
moment.]

[Footnote 81: Rodney's Report.]

[Footnote 82: Testimony of the signal officer at the court-martial on
Captain Bateman.]

[Footnote 83: Singularly enough, this officer was afterwards
court-martialled for misbehaviour, on the 1st of June, 1794, of
precisely the same character as that from all share in which Rodney
now cleared him.]

[Footnote 84: The words in Rodney's public letter, suppressed at the
time by the Admira