Under proper management the Ramillies doubtless could have done just what the Trident did,—­keep away with the helm, till the ships ahead of her were cleared; she would be at least hasting towards the enemy.  But the noise of battle was in the air, and the crew of the Ramillies began to fire without orders, at an improper distance.  The admiral permitted them to continue, and the smoke enveloping the ship prevented fully noting the incidents just narrated.  It was, however, seen before the firing that the Louisa was come up into the wind with her topsails shaking, and the Trident passing her to leeward.  There should, therefore, have been some preparation of mind for the fact suddenly reported to the admiral, by a military passenger on the quarter deck, that a British ship was close aboard, on the lee bow.  It was the Trident that had crossed from windward to leeward for the reasons given, and an instant later the Louisa was seen on the weather bow.  Instead of keeping off, as the Trident had done, the admiral ordered the foresail hauled up, the helm down, luffed the ship to the wind, and braced the fore-topsail sharp aback; the effect of which was first to stop her way, and then to pay her head off to leeward, clear of the two vessels.  About quarter of an hour elapsed, by Captain Gardiner’s evidence, from the time that the Ramillies’s head pointed clear of the Trident and Louisa before sail was again made to go forward to aid the van.  The battle was already lost, and in fact had passed out of Byng’s control, owing to his previous action; nevertheless this further delay, though probably due only to the importance attached by the admiral to regularity of movement, had a discreditable appearance.

The Court held that the admiral was justified in not trying to go to leeward of the two ships, under the circumstances when they were seen; but blamed him for permitting the useless cannonade which prevented seeing them sooner.  The results at this moment in other parts of the field should be summarized, as they show both the cause and the character of the failures due to faulty management.

The five ships of the British van had already seen their adversaries withdraw after a sharp engagement.  This seems to have been due to the fact that two were individually overmatched and driven off; whereupon the other three retired because unable to contend with five.  But no support reached the British van at this important moment; on the contrary, the British rear was now two or three miles distant, astern and to windward.  The lagging of the crippled Intrepid held back the Revenge.  Cornwall was detained some time by the old idea that he needed a signal to pass her, because to do so was breaking the order established by the admiral; but concluding at last that Byng was unaware of the conditions, and seeing that his immediate opponent—­the French admiral—­was drawing ahead, he sent word to the Intrepid to hold her fire for a few moments till he could go by.  He then made sail.