*

hundred wounded (whom, alas! a West India climate will not recover,) three captains, and Lord Robert Manners, a fine young fellow, only brother of the Duke of Rutland, who died of his wounds on the passage, but not one ship; yet you see the action must have been bloody. Rodney was recalled by the new Admiralty, but recovers from his falls with marvellous agility. The late Ministers are thus robbed of a victory that ought to have been theirs; but the mob do not look into the almanack. The city of Westminster has just

former ruinous war against England. Wraxall who states that he had an account of the engagement from Lord Cranston, who was sent to take possession of the ship, as well as to receive De Grasse's sword, says: "The French Admiral had received a contusion in the loins from a splinter, but was otherwise unhurt; a circumstance the more remarkable, as he had been, during the whole action, exposed to a destructive fire, which swept away almost all his officers. He was a tall, robust, and martial figure; presenting, in that moment, an object of respect, no less than of concern and sympathy. He could not recover from the astonishment into which he was plunged at seeing, in the course of so short a time, his vessel taken, his fleet defeated, and himself a prisoner."-ED.

*Crabbe, the poet, who had this year, through the powerful recommendation of Mr. Burke, been appointed domestic chaplain to the Duke of Rutland, has given, in a note to his poem of "The Village," an interesting memoir of the heroic young commander: "Lord Robert's last action," says he "was that memorable one of the 12th of April 1782, when the Resolution engaged very desperately nine or ten of the enemy, in breaking through their line; which she did, the third ship to the Admiral. It was in this attempt that Lord Robert had both his legs shattered, and his right arm broken at the same instant: his mind, however, remained unsubdued; for neither at that, nor at any future period, neither when he was under the most painful operations, nor when he became sensible of his approaching fate, did he betray one symptom of fear or regret. It was with great reluctance he suffered himself to be carried to the surgeon's apartment, and he objected to the amputation of his leg, because he had conceived it would prevent his continuance on board his ship; but, being assured to the contrary, he permitted the surgeon to proceed. At this time all his thoughts and inquiries were directed to the event of the day; which being soon after announced to him, every consideration of his own misfortune was suspended, and he both felt and expressed the greatest joy and exultation on a victory so important to his country, and so fatal to himself. Being persuaded to return to England, he was removed on board the Andromache frigate; but, before he quitted the Resolution, he ordered every man whose good conduct had been remarkable during his command to come into his cabin; where he thanked him for his attention to his duty, and gave each a present of money, as a token of his particular regard. He prepared for his approaching fate with the utmost calmness and composure of mind; and, having settled his worldly affairs with his accustomed regularity and despatch, he ended a life of glory with resignation and prayer." Lord Robert survived till the 24th of April. In the admirable Life of the Poet, by his Son, the following affecting instance of the Duke of Rutland's affection for his brother is recorded: "Some short time previous to his lordship's death, his hat, perforated with balls, was sent at the Duke's request to Belvoir Castle. The Duke first held it up with a shout of exultation and triumph, glorying in the bravery of his beloved brother; and then, as the thought of his danger flashed suddenly on his mind, sank on his chair in a burst of natural and irrepressible feeling. A few months after Lord Robert's death, my father accompanied his Grace to London, and went to the studio of the Royal Academician Stothard; where he consoled his sorrow by giving directions for the painting of the beautiful picture from which the well-known print of the melancholy event is engraved." Crabbe's Life and Poems, vol. i. p. 117.—ED.

nominated our young Cicero, Mr. William Pitt, to replace Sir George as their representative at the next general election; the latter being a little under a cloud from his rapacity at St. Eustatia.* Now Mr. Pitt must exert some oratorical modesty, and beg not to dethrone a hero!

These naval rostra arrived very opportunely to stay our impatience for a victory over the Dutch, which we have expected a good week from Lord Howe's hands-charming victories, if they facilitate peace! We have two negociators actually at Paris; the principal, Mr. Thomas Grenville,† whom you saw so lately. It will be one of Fortune's caprices, if the son of the author of the Stamp Act and of the war is the mediator of peace.

Lest we should be too exalted by these successes, we yesterday drank a cup of humiliation. Both Houses, in very few hours, signed the absolute Independence of Ireland. I shall not be surprised if our whole trinity is dissolved, and if Scotland should demand a dissolution of the Union. Strange if she alone doesn ot profit of our distresses. It is very true, she has grown more fond of availing herself of our prosperity.

There, there is a better cargo of news than I have sent you for some years!

I have received yours with the melancholy account of Lady William Campbell, and the one enclosed for General Conway. I shall probably see him this evening, for I am confined by a little gout in my foot. I caught a violent cold last week, which turned to a fever and great oppression on my breast. Two bleedings carried off all entirely; but, as I expected, left me this gout in lieu. However, I know better how to manage an English mastiff that I am used to, than a tiger from Afric.

* "Admiral Pigot, who had been appointed a Lord of the Admiralty, and promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Blue, was sent to the West Indies, to supersede Sir George Rodney, who was considered to have acted harshly in the capture of Eustatia, by confiscating the property of its inhabitants. Pigot was despatched, and could scarcely have sailed, when the news of Rodney's famous victory over Count de Grasse arrived in England. Keppel, who at once perceived the impropriety of recalling Rodney at such a moment, sent an express to stop his sailing, but it was too late: a fast-sailing cutter was then despatched, but was also unsuccessful in overtaking him." Life of Keppel, vol. ii. p. 379.-ED.

In the month of April, the British Cabinet made propositions for peace to the Court of Versailles, with a view to a general peace; and despatched Mr. Thomas Grenville to Paris for that purpose. The other Commissioner mentioned by Walpole was Mr. Oswald. Admiral Digby and Sir Guy Carleton were also sent to America, with instructions to offer an immediate acknowledgment of the independence of the thirteen colonies.-ED.

On the 17th of May, the two Secretaries of State, Lord Shelburne and Mr. Fox, moved in both Houses the repeal of the Act of George I., for the better securing the dependency of Ireland upon the Crown of Great Britain; and also, that it was indispensable to the interest and happiness of both kingdoms, that the connexion between the two countries should be established, by mutual consent, upon a solid and permanent footing. The motions passed without opposition; and, in return for this liberal procedure, the Parliament of Ireland voted 100,000l. for the purpose of raising twenty thousand Irish seamen.-ED.

I am concerned for your loss of Patch. He had great merit in my eyes in bringing to light the admirable paintings of Masaccio, so little known out of Florence till his prints disclosed them.

As our trophies arrived to-day, I was impatient to seize them for you; but the post set out last night, and will not depart again till Tuesday, by which time I may be able to send you another naval crown. I hate myself for being so like a sportsman, who is going out to hunt, and hopes to be able to make his friend a present of more game; but I doubt we must wade through more destruction to peace. What idiots are mankind to sacrifice themselves to the frantic passions of a few! The slain only pass for rubbish, of which the use is destroyed: who thinks on them? I do not quite love your Emperor, though he has demolished convents. I doubt he calculates, that, the more copulation is encouraged, the more soldiers he shall have.

21st.

Lord Howe's victory is not yet hatched; we reckon him in pursuit of the Dutch. The whole town was illuminated to Rodney's health on Saturday night. I was just going to bed in pain, when a mob, the masters of our ceremonies, knocked outrageously at the door, and would scarce have patience till the servants could put out lights; and till three in the morning there was no sleeping for rockets and squibs. Lord Robert Manners lost one leg and had the other and one arm broken, yet lived three weeks in good spirits, till the locked jaw came. How many others, of whom one shall not hear, because they were not young Lords!

After dinner.

The Dutch fleet have escaped into the Texel, and Lord Howe is expected back into the Channel.t

LETTER CCCLXXVII.

Strawberry Hill, June 10, 1782.

SINCE the naval triumph in the West Indies, I have had no public event to send you, nor any thing else but journals of the epidemic disorder, which has been so universal and so little fatal, that a dozen names would comprise all I know who have escaped it, or died of it.

An English painter settled at Florence.

Early in May, Lord Howe, who had been promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Blue, created a British peer, and appointed to the command of a powerful fleet, proceeded with twelve sail of the line to the coast of Holland, in the hope of intercepting, or at least confining, the enemy, and of frustrating any designs he might have formed upon our North Sea and Baltic trade. The Dutch fleet had already sailed, but the intelligence of Lord Howe's movements obliged them to return hastily to the Texel.-ED.

The strangest part of it is, that, though of very short duration, it has left a weakness or lassitude, of which people find it very difficult to recover. One has had nothing to do but send messages of inquiry after one's acquaintance; and yet, no servants to send on those messages. The theatres were shut up, the Birth-day empty, and the Ball to-night a solitude. My codicil of gout confined me three weeks. I came hither to-day to air myself, though still very lame, and it is so cold that I am writing close to the fire. We are paying the fine of three sultry summers together. I was afraid we should have had too much fire too; but we have narrowly escaped a contested election at Westminster. Some of the late Minsters set up the new Lord Hood in the room of the new Lord Rodney; and the new Ministers, not very prudently I think,* named a Sir Cecil Wray, very unknown. Fortunately, Lord Hood's friends declared against his being a candidate.

I do not hear of the peace advancing. They say, the King of France is obstinate; which, by courtiers, is always called firm. This is unusual: France commonly is the only nation that has sense enough not to persist on an ill-run, but to leave off play, and wait for better luck. However, I have hopes yet. The change of Administration, and the disposition of the new one to grant independence, must please the Americans; and as France, by the demolition of De Grasse's fleet, can send no reinforcements to America, the latter must see that this is the moment to shake off dependence on France as well as on England. The contribution, too, of twenty thousand seamen from Ireland must be sorely felt by our enemies.

The old Ministers have begun to revive a little, but have had no cause from success to be proud of their bickerings. Lord North, Lord Loughborough, and Lord Hillsborough have been most severely handled for their flippancies by Charles Fox, the Duke of Richmond, and Lord Shelburne; and all the new measures have been carried far more triumphantly than was expected. Still, I do not doubt whatever impediments can be thrown in their way, will be: but I am no dealer in futurities.

We expect Mrs. Damer every hour. Mr. Conway and Lady Ailesbury have told me how infinitely sensible they are of your attentions and goodness to Lady William.

I shall not go to town till Wednesday, and therefore shall not finish this till Friday, by which time I may have more to say.

"By Rodney's being created a peer, his seat in Parliament is become vacant. Hood has been proposed to succeed him; but the Westminster committee have named another candidate. This opposition to Hood is said to be ungenerous and ungrateful; but why, is more than I can tell, unless a seat in Parliament is to be considered merely as a reward, a titular dignity; or unless it be proved that the same qualities are requisite to make a good senator as to constitute a brave Admiral." Sir S. Romilly to the Rev. J. Roget, Life, vol. i. p. 231.-ED.

Several warm debates had taken place in both Houses on the recall of Admiral Rodney by the new Ministers.-ED.

246

There are letters from France which say, that their losses in the Thursday, 13th, London. West Indies are greater than we know yet. I hate to be hoping that any misfortunes are true; but, fortunately, one's wishes do not add a hair to the scale, except one is a stock-jobber. Such gentry coin disasters, to cheat some body by sinking the funds without cause. If gospels mended mankind, there should have been a new sermon preached on the Mount, since 'Change Alley was built, and since money-changers were driven out of the Temple over all Europe.

Friday, 14th.

Mrs. Damer arrived last night. She looks in better health_than when she went; but I cannot say, at all plumper. She said, "Pray, tell Sir Horace how much obliged to him I am;" and, do you know, she added, that "he is not only one of the most amiable men in the world, but the most agreeable." I see that you understood her as well as she does you; for you have given her an antique foot that is the perfection of sculpture. I have not time to add a word more, but that she told me that at Paris the universal language is, that the late change in the English Ministry est bien malheureux pour la France.

LETTER CCCLXXVIII.

THIS is to announce an important event which you could not expect. Monday night, July 1st, 1782. Lord Rockingham died at one o'clock at noon to-day. You will want to ask one, and many other questions, which no body in London can answer yet. Who is to be First Minister? Will the new Administration continue ?-Stay,-till I can tell you the first, it is in vain to proceed in your interrogatories-I may as well go back for a few days. This letter will not depart till to-morrow night. Whether I shall be able to tell you more by that time, can I guess?

This death was not a sudden one. a week, and in danger for some days. At first Dr. Warren thought The Marquis has been ill above it water in his stomach, then changed his opinion; Sir Noah Thomas doubted whether it was water. He was always of a very bad constitution.* I remember an elder It signifies little now what it was.

The Marquis of Rockingham, though only fifty-two years of age, already sunk under an infirm and debilitated constitution. Early in June he had been attacked by an epidemic disease, to which was given the name of influenza. The Marquis appeared in the House of Lords for the last time on the 3rd of June; where he both spoke and voted in support of the bill for preventing Revenue officers from voting at elections. In the course of his speech, he said, that the disorder universally prevalent affected him so violently, that at times he was not completely in possession of himself. borough interest, descended to his nephew, Earl FitzwilLeaving no issue, the greater part of his vast landed

property, as well as his liam.-ED.