a later edition of Hoste's treaty Paul Hoste, a Jesuit priest and a mathematician, aged 45, publishes two masterworks : L’Art des Armées Navales ou Traité des Évolutions Navales and Traité de la Construction des Vaisseaux. The first one is especially original and foundational. His career looks like Georges Fournier’s one, sixty years ago - a Jesuit mathematician who becomes a chaplain for the Atlantic fleet, so a scholar scrutinizing ships and observing manoeuvres, as well a

Louis, marquis of Phélypeaux The defeat suffered at La Hougue last year has discouraged the king from attempting a new grand strategic manoeuvre as the destruction of the Allied fleet or the invasion of England. King Louis XIV, 55, and his Secretary for the Navy, Louis de Phélypeaux, 49, have decided to focus on attacking the Anglo-Dutch trade in the Atlantic ocean with their main Western fleet under steady Anne-Hilarion de Costentin, count of Tourville's command. This is

Anne-Hilarion de Costentin, comte de Tourville Many ship constructions have already been ordered since the opening of this war between France and the Grand Alliance of England, of the United Provinces and of most of the states of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, including Austria and Brandenburg, joined by Spain last year. Yet the late French victory near Beachy Head has exacerbated arms race. The defeat of the Anglo-Dutch fleet led by Arthur Herbert, earl of Torring

Pierre Arnoul A distinguished naval administrator, Pierre Arnoul, aged 28, is held responsible for a shipwreck so ousted from his...