It survived however in the French service, and the English books provided a signal for preventing its execution by a numerically superior enemy.

Sir Alexander Cochrane also revived it after Trafalgar.
Knowles's objection to the manoeuvre makes it easy to understand that, however well it suited the French tactics of long bowls or boarding, it was not well adapted to the English method of close action with the guns.

With the French service it certainly continued in favour, and the whole of Hoste's rules were reproduced by the famous naval expert Sebastien-Francois Bigot, Vicomte de Morogues--in his elaborate _Tactique navale, ou traits des evolutions et des signaux_, which appeared in 1763, and was republished at Amsterdam in 1779.

Not only was he the highest French authority on naval science of his time, but a fine seaman as well, as he proved when in command of the _Magnifique_ on the disastrous day at Quiberon.[9] The remainder of the new instructions, though less important than the expansion of the Duke of York's third article, all tend in the same direction.

So far from insisting on a rigid observance of the single line ahead in all circumstances, the new system seems to aim at securing flexibility, and the power of concentration by independent action of squadrons.