The Gazette which announced these creations announced also that the King had set out for the Continent.  He had, before his departure, consulted with his ministers about the means of counteracting a plan of naval operations which had been formed by the French government.  Hitherto the maritime war had been carried on chiefly in the Channel and the Atlantic.  But Lewis had now determined to concentrate his maritime forces in the Mediterranean.  He hoped that, with their help, the army of Marshal Noailles would be able to take Barcelona, to subdue the whole of Catalonia, and to compel Spain to sue for peace.  Accordingly, Tourville’s squadron, consisting of fifty three men of war, set sail from Brest on the twenty-fifth of April and passed the Straits of Gibraltar on the fourth of May.

William, in order to cross the designs of the enemy, determined to send Russell to the Mediterranean with the greater part of the combined fleet of England and Holland.  A squadron was to remain in the British seas under the command of the Earl of Berkeley.  Talmash was to embark on board of this squadron with a large body of troops, and was to attack Brest, which would, it was supposed, in the absence of Tourville and his fifty-three vessels, be an easy conquest.

That preparations were making at Portsmouth for an expedition, in which the land forces were to bear a part, could not be kept a secret.  There was much speculation at the Rose and at Garraway’s touching the destination of the armament.  Some talked of Rhe, some of Oleron, some of Rochelle, some of Rochefort.  Many, till the fleet actually began to move westward, believed that it was bound for Dunkirk.  Many guessed that Brest would be the point of attack; but they only guessed this; for the secret was much better kept than most of the secrets of that age.532 Russell, till he was ready to weigh anchor, persisted in assuring his Jacobite friends that he knew nothing.  His discretion was proof even against all the arts of Marlborough.  Marlborough, however, had other sources of intelligence.  To those sources he applied himself; and he at length succeeded in discovering the whole plan of the government.  He instantly wrote to James.  He had, he said, but that moment ascertained that twelve regiments of infantry and two regiments of marines were about to embark, under the command of Talmash, for the purpose of destroying the harbour of Brest and the shipping which lay there.  “This,” he added, “would be a great advantage to England.  But no consideration can, or ever shall, hinder me from letting you know what I think may be for your service.”  He then proceeded to caution James against Russell.  “I endeavoured to learn this some time ago from him; but he always denied it to me, though I am very sure that he knew the design for more than six weeks.  This gives me a bad sign of this man’s intentions.”