text: From 1670, the Third Rank was defined as ships of the line carrying from 40 up to 50 carriage guns; in 1671 this was redefined as ships carrying from 48 to 60 guns. Initially during the first part of Louis XIV's reign these were designed and constructed as three-decked ships without forecastles and with minimal quarterdecks, although their upper decks were divided at the waist by an unarmed section of deck; but from about 1670 it was ruled that ships with fewer than 70 guns should not be built with three decks, so all subsequent Third Rank ships were two-decked vessels, i.e. carrying two complete gundecks, usually plus a few smaller carriage guns mounted on the gaillards (the quarterdeck and forecastle). During the first decade of the 18th century, the remaining Second Rank ships with 64 or fewer guns were down-graded (without change of armament) to Third Rank.
  Dragon 42 guns (designed and built by Laurent Hubac, launched 1646 at Brest) – reduced to 34 guns in 1669, hulked 1674 and sold in July 1684
  Mazarin 48, later 42 guns (designed and built by Laurent Hubac, launched early 1647 at Brest) – renamed Bon in June 1671; wrecked in December 1671
  Reine 56 guns (designed and built by Rodolphe Gédéon, launched 9 February 1647 at Toulon) – classed as 2nd Rank in 1669, then reduced to 50 guns in 1670 and reclassed as 3rd Rank in 1671; renamed Brave in June 1671 but hulked in 1673 and taken to pieces in 1674.