‘The Mars and the L'Hercule, April 21. 1798 / A Transparent Print’. Edward Orme (1775-1848) was a commercially successful London engraver, printseller and later property developer. His first plate was published in 1794 and by the time this one appeared (as its inscriptions show) he had a shop in Conduit Street where, among many other categories, ‘may be had a great variety of Transparent Prints and every requisite for drawing them’. The subject here is the occasion when the British 'Mars', 74 guns (Captain Alexander Hood) cornered the brand-new French 'L’Hercule' (also 74, Captain Louis L’Heritier) on the coast near Brest, as she tried to join the French fleet there from ‘L’Orient, where she was built. L’Heritier, forced to anchor until the tide turned in his favour, had to defend himself in a stationary night-time engagement. The 'Mars' managed to secure herself alongside and they fought a muzzle-to-muzzle broadside duel for about an hour from 9.30 p.m.. French boarders were twice repulsed before 'L’Hercule' surrendered, with about 290 men killed and wounded. The Mars had 30 killed and missing, with 60 wounded: one of the dead was Hood. The heavily inked stipple engraving is designed to be seen illuminated by a strong light from behind, making the crescent moon and the highlights it casts on lighter areas –clouds, pennants, gunsmoke and the sea – stand out dramatically. [PvdM 11/15]