In November 1787 she was under CdF José Zurita, ferrying troops from Barcelona to Palma de Mallorca, where she arrived on 10 January 1788.

In April 1800, Emerald was on blockade duty at Cadiz as part of a squadron under Rear-Admiral John Thomas Duckworth and including the 74-gun ships Leviathan and Swiftsure, and the fireship Incendiary.

On 5 April the squadron sighted a Spanish convoy comprising thirteen merchant vessels and three accompanying frigates, and at once gave chase.

[5] On 8 January 1801 Penelope captured the French bombard St. Roche, which was carrying wine, liqueurs, ironware, Delfth cloth, and various other merchandise, from Marseilles to Alexandria.

She is not among the vessels listed as having suffered casualties in the landing,[6] but for his services, Broughton received a gold medal from Ottoman Sultan Selim.

[7] Because Florentina served in the Navy's Egyptian campaign between 8 March 1801 and 2 September, her officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal that the Admiralty authorised in 1850 for all surviving claimants.

[2] The Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy offered "Florentina, 943 Tons, Copper-bottomed, lying at Deptford", for sale on 1 December 1802.