DUQUESNE, ABRAHAM, Marquis, one of the most eminent naval officers of France, was b. at Dieppe in 1610, and trained under his father, the captain of a ship, for the naval service. In the war between France and Spain, he brilliantly distinguished him self at Corunna, Tarragona, Barcelona, and other places. During the minority of Louis XIV., when the navy of France was inactive, he entered the service of Sweden, which was then at war with Denmark. D. defeated the Danish fleet near Gothenburg in 1643, was elevated to the rank of vice-admiral, and by a succession of victories over the united fleets of Denmark and Holland, forced Denmark to conclude peace. He then returned to France, where he found the Spaniards prepared to support Bordeaux, which had declared itself for the party of the Fronde in 1650. D. immediately collected a squadron at his own expense, and compelled Bordeaux to submit. He was next employed in punishing the pirates of Algiers and Morocco who infested the Mediterranean. On the
revolt of Messina against the Spanish government, France sent him to support the insur gents in the Mediterranean. With a small force, D. gallantly opposed the united fleets of Spain and Holland, commanded by De Ruyter, and in April, 1676, completely defeated his enemies off the coast of Sicily, in the vicinity of Mt. Etna. De Ruyter died a few days after. France thus obtained possession of the island of Sicily. Louis XIV. rewarded D. with the title of marquis and a considerable estate. On the revocation of the edict of Nantes, D. was made the only exception to the general decree of banishment issued a(4-ainst all Protestants. His last achievement was the humiliation of Genoa. D. died at Paris, 2d Feb., 1688. See Duquesne et la Marine de son Temps, by Henri Plon (Paris, 1872).