dolent of ministers, is the most indefatigable of officers. For my part, I am almost afraid that there will be a larger military spirit amongst our men of quality than is wholesome for our constitution:* France will have done us hurt enough, if she has turned us into generals instead of senators. I can conceive another reason why France should not choose to venture an invasion. It is certain that at least five American provinces wish for peace with us. Nor can I think that thirteen English provinces would be pleased at seeing England invaded. Any considerable blow received by us, would turn their new allies into hauty protectors. Should we accept a bad peace, America would find her treaty with them a very bad one: in short, I have treated you with speculations instead of facts. I know but one of the latter sort. The King's army has evacuted Philadelphia, from having eaten up the country, and has returned to New York. Thus it is more compact, and has less to defend. General Howe is returned, richer in money than laurels. I do not know, indeed, that his wealth is great. Fanaticism in a nation is no novelty; but you must know, that, though the effects were so solid, the late appearance of enthusiasm about Lord Chatham was nothing but a general affectation of enthu siasm. It was a contention of hypocrisy between the Opposition and the Court, which did not last even to his burial. Not three of the Court attended it, and not a dozen of the minority of any note. He himself said, between his fall in the House of Lords and his death, that, when he came to himself, not one of his old acquaintance of the Court but Lord Despencer so much as asked him how he did. Do you imagine people are struck with the death of a man, who were not struck with the sudden appearance of his death? We do not counterfeit so easily on a surprise, as coolly; and, when we are cool on surprise, we do not grow agitated on reflection. The last account I heard from Germany was hostile. Four days ago both the Imperial and Prussian Ministers expected news of a battle. O, ye fathers of your people, do you thus dispose of your children? How many thousand lives does a King save, who signs peace! It was said in jest of our Charles II., that he was the real father of his people, so many of them did he beget himself. But tell me, ye divines, which is the most virtuous man, he who begets twenty bastards, or he who sacrifices a hundred thousand lives? What a contradiction is human nature! The Romans rewarded the man In reference to the prevalence of this military spirit amongst the higher orders, Gibbon wrote to Mr. Holroyd, "Their conversation at Almack's is about tents, drillsergeants, subdivisions, firings, &c., and I am revered as a veteran."-Ed. + Philadelphia was evacuated by the British army on the 18th of June; which passed the Delaware on the same day, under dispositions made for the purpose by the Admiral, Lord Howe.-ED. "Lord Chatham's funeral," says Gibbon, in a letter to Mr. Holroyd," was meanly attended, and Government ingeniously contrived to secure the double odium of suffering the thing to be done, and of doing it with an ill grace."-ED. who got three children, and laid waste the world. When will the world know, that peace and propagation are the two most delightful things in it? As his majesty of France* has found out the latter, I hope he will not forget the former. LETTER CCLXXXVIII. Arlington Street, Aug. 4, 1778. For these three weeks I have been constantly waiting for news from sea; for to tell you that nothing had happened, was telling you nothing. We are in the oddest situation that can be; at war, in fact, but managed like a controversy in divinity: we and France write against each other, and do each other all the hurt we can, but do not own we are enemies. The communication is open, the packet-boats pass as usual, and French and English are allowed to go to Paris and to come to London, as if to compare notes on all that happens. I am not sorry that this Christian plausibility is preserved; it may facilitate peace without the tediousness of a formal treaty. The two countries have nothing to do but to declare hostilities are at an end. On Saturday last we thought we had gained a double festival for the 1st of August. Admiral Keppel's captain arrived, and a rumour spread that he had taken or destroyed seventeen of the Brest fleet.† It was not for want of will or endeavours that if he has not. had placed himself between that squadron and port, and tried to force them to battle; which they obstinately declined, till he came He *The unfortunate Marie-Antoinette was then enciente for the first time. On the 19th of December, she was delivered of a Princess named Marie-Therèse Charlotte. The Rev. Dr. Warner, then at Paris, thus wrote on the 20th to George Selwyn, "Yesterday the beauteous Majesty of France underwent the pangs of childbirth. The agony of her regret that it is not a dauphin has thrown her into such strong convulsions, that her life is thought to be in danger. She had a fine time, as the goodies say, and it is a fine child. I hope the fine woman will do well, and have a dauphin another time. There were bonfires and sky-rockets; but the whole thing was wretched and poor. The public offices, such as the Hotel des Fermes, the Post-office, and some of the Financiers, or as Boileau calls them, Commis engraissés des malheurs de la France,' gave some of their tallow but scarce a candie, even of the diminutive size that is burnt to the lousiest saint in the calendar, was to be seen amongst the lean and little folks." Selwyn Correspondence, vol. p. 372.-ED. The Duc de Chartres, afterwards the infamous Egalité, who was on board of one of the French ships, took occasion to acquaint Sir George Rodney, that he was to have a command in the fleet which was to be opposed to that under the command of Admiral Keppel, and with an insulting air asked him, what he thought would be the consequence of their meeting? That my countryman will carry your Royal Highness home with him to learn English," was the spirited reply. During the action of the 27th of July, the Duke retired into the hold of the ship, and refused to come on deck until the engagement was over. See Keppel's Life, vol. ii. p. 36. -ED. VOL. II.-7. so near that they fired on him. He desired no more, and the fight began smartly; but the wind favouring the French, they kept sailing away, but pouring all their broadsides on his masts and rigging, which they damaged a good deal. This flying fight lasted two hours and our admiral promised himself a complete battle the next day: but, as the French meant mischief and not glory, at day break they were vanished-in short, got into port; and Keppel is returned to Plymouth, heartily chagrined that his enemies are so little ashamed of running away.* There is as little prospect of laurels from Byron's squadron. Both his fleet and D'Estaing's have suffered by a great storm. Nor are we likely to have more olives than laurels. The Congress has treated our Commissioner with sovereign contempt;† and the Commissioners themselves have quarrelled, and are coming home. Thus we have begged peace of those we bullied, and only been laughed at. We seem to have wearied Fortune in the last war. Cæsar seems to have made as bad a figure as we. After usurping Bavaria, he is forced to beg peace too. They say he is convinced of having been in the wrong, by a renunciation that has been found of the Emperor Albert. It is the first time a hero at the head of two hundred and twenty thousand men was ever convinced by an old parchment! His Imperial reason did not deign to listen to law and equity in the dismemberment of Poland; nor would he now, I ween, if Lord Chief Justice Frederic had not enclosed him with more numerous armies. We did not pay much regard to the charters of America, till France helped the latter to carry on the suit. * Admiral Keppel, finding it in vain to attempt a general or partial chase, determined to return to England to repair the heavy damages his fleet had sustained. He arrived at Plymouth on the 31st of July. Amongst the numerous letters of congratulation received by the Admiral on this occasion, was one from Mr. Burke: " You have," he says" saved us twice in one summer; once by retreating, and once by fighting. The disciplined mob of court-runners in the City thought proper, for some time, to censure the conduct to which we owe it; but the appearance of the French fleet off Ushant has shown you wisdom and their folly. Every honest man, every man of judgment, congratulates you and himself, with a sedate joy, on this great and eminent advantage. The designs which this fleet of the enemy was meant to second are defeated, and the honour of our flag completely secured." Life of Keppel, vol. ii. p. 57.—-Ed. The condition of the Commissioners on the 22nd of July is thus feelingly de picted by Lord Carlisle, in a letter to George Selwyn: "When you see before you the list of our misfortunes, I think I shall have your compassion. 1. We are blocked up by a French fleet. 2. We are kept in prison, as we dare not ride beyond our posts towards the country. 3. If any attack is made, either by sea or land, we wish more than we are likely to gain. 4. If certain events, which are not improbable, should take place, we shall be inevitably starved. 5. We have tried the Congress, and you will think with me that, in our present circumstances, they will not depart from their resolution in refusing our offers. 6. Our packet is taken, which would perhaps have relieved me from a state of suspense, that I have not public virtue enough not to think more bitter than many of those misfortunes which my country must feel as well as myself. I own fairly we have nothing to do here; but we must not quit the business till that point is so clear as not to admit of two opinions." Selwyn Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 301.-ED. I am very anxious for the confirmation of this pacification in Germany; for the Duke of Gloucester was just setting out to make the campaign under the King of Prussia. It was worthy of his spirit, and no body dared to remonstrate against it; and yet the physicians think he could not support an autumnal campaign. The Duchess herself has only shed floods of tears, but not murmured The behaviour of both does them infinite honour. Your friends the Mackenzies,* are arrived, and Mrs. Anne Pitt is expected daily. Mrs. Foote's friend, old Lady Westmoreland,† is dead, and the ancient beauty, Lady Fanny Shirley, she had lost her head some time, and her senses before, for she has made Lady Huntingdons her heir, having turned Methodist when she was no longer admired. Our summer is as Italian as yours: I do not remember such a one. Adieu ! LETTER CCLXXXIX. Arlington Street, Aug. 25, 1778. You tell me, my dear sir, that you depend so entirely on me for intelligence, at least for the confirmation of public events, that I must not let yesterday's Gazette go away to-night without writing you a line. Military narratives are apt to be a little oracular, and ours of late have wanted some additional obscurity. You will collect from yesterday's, that General Clinton's army did get to New York, though with some difficulty, which, ministerially, you are to take for a victory; and, wherever any darkness hangs over it, you must clear it up on our side. I divine that Washington was ill served, for he has brought two of his Generals to a court-martial; and the excessive heats seem to have fought against both armies. This is the quintessence of what I know of the matter; and, upon the whole, the Royal army has gained an escape-I doubt, not much to their comfort; for they find no plenty at New York, and Monsieur D'Estaing blocks up the fleet there: so, probably, accounts will not mend. Our fleet at home has not sailed again. There are rumours of dissensions between Admiral Keppel and Sir Hugh Palliser, and even of a duel between them; which, however, I have heard from no good authority; in short, I have nothing agreeable to tell you, and I do not love to send any thing that is not to the glory of my country 'cross the Channel. *James Stuart Mackenzie, only brother of Lord Bute, married Lady Elizabeth Campbell, third daughter of John, Duke of Argyll. + Daughter of a son of the first Duke of Devonshire. Formerly a great beauty, admired and celebrated by Lord Chesterfield, who wrote on her the well-known song, "When Fanny, blooming fair." Lady Selina Shirley, niece of Lady Fanny, and patroness of the Methodists. The German peace seems to halt. I should think it, however, still in agitation; as no considerable action has happened. The Duke of Gloucester has yet received no answer from the Prussian, but expects it this week. He is determined to go if he is accepted-to every peril indeed, for his strength is not equal to it. We have had the most marvellous summer that I ever remember in all my days. It is still sultry; and I am suffering, though I write between every open door and window in a back-room where the sun never enters. The harvest is prodigious; and we might have wine and oil, had we made preparations for them. The Duke of Ancaster is dead, and the Mastership of the Horse to be disposed of. This would have been an object in some summers; but we do not want topics of conversation at present. I used to make excuses for the shortness of my letters at this season. That is not the case at present. I have given you the reason at the top of this page.t Adieu ! LETTER CCXC. Strawberry Hill, Sept. 17, 1778. YOUR last is of August 22nd, and mine of the 25th. Since then I could have told you nothing but expectations; nor are they realized yet. Admiral Keppel has been hunting for the Brest fleet, which has either gone southward, or is dodging in and out of their ports: at least he had not found it. But if the god of sea-fights does not smile, the god of merchantmen has wrought miracles: all our fleets are come in from Portugal, the West Indies, and every other mart: he has been as cunning as if he were the demon of smugglers. Letters are arrived, too, from New York. D'Estaing had quitted that blockade, and was thought to be sailed to attack Rhode Island.. Lord Howe was gone after him with an inferior force, but, they say, hoping to be joined by six of Byron's squadron; which six are come to light again, and were not far off. Of that Admiral not a word. This is the quintessence of all I know. In my family we are very happy that the King of Prussia has sent the Duke a most handsome excuse, being afraid of exposing a constitution so delicate as his Royal Highness's to the fatigues of a latter campaign; so, that anxiety is at an end! Prince Henry's success has not availed much. Having devoured the country, the Prussians have been forced to step back. The people that have been devoured count for nothing. Your Duchess of Kingston is a paltry mountebank. It is too ridiculous to have airs after conviction. Mrs. Anne Pitt, I hear, is *The situation was conferred on the Duke of Northumberland.-ED. |