Maréchal Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd duc de Richelieu writes to Voltaire that Admiral Byng’s fate causes him great pity. He notes that all he had known of Byng was positive and that all of his actions had been admirable. He then writes that it is the opionion of all our sailors that the forces were equal as the English had 13 ships and the French 12 with more numerous and fresher crews, and that chance was on the French side, forcing Byng to retreat as persistence would have resulted in the loss of the English fleet. He concludes by noting that there has never been a more flagrant injustic than that of Admiral Byng, remarking that every man of honour (and particularly every soldier) should take an interest in the case.