TOURVILLE, ANNE HILARION DE COTENTIN, Count de, third son of Cesar de Cotentin, seigneur de Tourville, was born at Tourville in 1642. Entering the French navy when, about eighteen, it seems that his somewhat delicate and effeminate appearance caused him to be regarded as anything but a hopeful seaman. He became, however, almost immediately conspicuous for bravery and enterprise; and the first six years of his naval service, directed against the Turks and Algerians, established his reputation both in France and in the south of Europe. In 1667, he was received at Versailles with great distinction by Louis XIV. In 1669, he distinguished himself in the expedition sent by France to the relief of Candia, then besieged by the Turks; and again in 1671-1672, in the naval war waged by the combined fleets of France and England against the Dutch. In 1682, he was made lieut.gen. of the navy, and for the following two or three years he was engaged in suppressing the pirates of Algiers and Tripoli. In the war which broke out after the English revolution of 1688, between France on the one part, and England and Holland on the other, Tourville was put at the head of the French navy. Iu June 1690, he entered the English channel at the head of a powerful fleet, and inflicted a dis astrous and ignominious defeat on the united English and Dutch armament near Beachy Head. "There has scarcely ever been so sad a day in London," says Macaulay, "as that on which the news of the battle of Beachy Head arrived." Tourville ranged the channel unopposed; and on July 22, his fleet cast anchor in Torbay (see Macaulay, History of England, vol. iii. p. 65'2-54, ed. 1855). In 1692, Louis XIV. having resolved to invade England on behalf of James II., an immense fleet was assembled at Brest under Tourville in order to protect the descent. On the 16th May of this year the
French fleet was descried from the cliffs of Portland, and on the following morning the English and Dutch force stood out to give battle. From the morning of the 19th to the afternoon of the 24th, raged one of the greatest naval battles of modern times that of cape La Hogue. It ended in the complete defeat of the French, 16 of their men-of-war being utterly destroyed. In spite of this disaster, Tourville was graciously received at Versailles: " We have been beaten," said Louis to him, " hut your honor and that of the nation are unsullied" (see Memoirs of St. Simon). On March 27, 1693, Tourville was made a marshal of France. Sailing from Brest harbor in the spring of this year, he attacked an English merchant fleet under inadequate convoy, and succeeded in inflict ing a damage on English traders estimated at some millions sterling. Sir George Rooke, who commanded the convoy, had some difficulty in saving his own squadron from destruction. This was the last exploit of the great French admiral; his career ending with the peace of Ryswick in 1697. He died at Paris, May 28, 1701. It has been said of Tourville that he was competent to fill any place on board ship, from that of carpen ter to that of admiral. It has also been said of him, that to the dauntless courage of a sailor he united the suavity and urbanity of an accomplished gentleman. But though a brave man, he was, during the earlier part of his career, a timid commander. Reckless of his life, he was often pusillanimously cautious where his professional reputation was at stake. Latterly, stung by the censures drawn on him by his natural disposition, he became bold even to rashness.