THE FOUDROYANT.

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till the peace of 1783, when that ship was paid off.

It was in the Foudroyant that the principal achievement of his early life first drew on him the public notice. That ship was attached to the channel fleet in July, 1778, when the memorable rencontre took place between Admiral Keppel and Count d'Orvilliers.

In that action the Foudroyant bore a very distinguished part; and I shall presently take a retrospect of the evidence given by Captain Jervis on the court-martial which ensued.

Speaking with the Earl, one day, of Lord Keppel's trial, he desired me to bring the minutes of the court-martial from the library, and read them to him, which I did, and listened to his remarks with great attention. He said, with reference to that trial, that he never liked Sir Hugh Palliser, and thought his conduct to Lord Keppel was the effect of envy alone. Keppel was a man of talent, but a decided Whig; Sir Hugh a Tory. I know not whether Captain Jervis had at that time taken any side in politics. I think he was rather of the school of Blake, who abstained from politics, and was devoted solely to the defence and glory of his country.

As there never was a question between two

officers which so completely absorbed the public mind in the metropolis as this court-martial did, I shall devote a chapter to it. Mobs collected, riots ensued, the windows of unpopular persons were broken. A lady of rank assured me that she actually saw Mr. Pitt himself break her windows. I doubted the fact, and am still sceptical; but the assertion itself seems to show the violence of party-feeling at the time. The public indignation bore hard upon the party opposed to Lord Keppel; and Captain Hood, who at that time commanded the Robert, of 74 guns, one of the ships in Lord Keppel's fleet, seems to have attracted a more than usual share of it to himself, in consequence of the alteration in his log-book. But there was much more importance attached to that act than it really deserved; because, had it been done with a criminal intention, it could not have failed of being discovered and rendered abortive, and the character of the officer would have been for ever blasted with his cotemporaries, which does not appear to have been the case. I shall, however, have something more to add on this subject as we proceed,

LORD KEPPEL'S ACTION.

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CHAPTER II.

Lord Keppel's action-Origin of the dispute between him and Sir Hugh Palliser-Unfair advantage taken by the latter as a Lord of the Admiralty - The trial takes place at the Government House in Portsmouth Garrison —Remarks on the removal of that building-The court meets on board a ship in Portsmouth harbour, and adjourns to the Government House on shore-Evidence of Captain Jervis- Observations on the conduct of the court as exhibited in the difference shown in their treatment of Lord Mulgrave and Captain Jervis - Captain Hood taking the leaf out of his Log-book, wrong but not criminal Irregular and improper mode of keeping that record in the Navy -Suggestions for improving it-Letter to George Jackson, Esq.

THE drawn battles between the British and French fleets off Ushant, in the summer of 1778, excited much murmuring and discontent throughout all parts of the country; and as nearly twenty years had elapsed since the execution of the unhappy Byng, the vox populi (which, though on some occasions it may be the voice of God, is in most the voice of the devil), grew clamorous for another sacrifice.

Sir Hugh Palliser was suspected of being the author of many anonymous letters and publications on this subject, the object of which was

to cast reflections on Lord Keppel; and the latter seems to have taken more notice of them than anonymous accusations usually deserve. Much hostile correspondence passed between the two admirals; and Sir Hugh, having the advantage over his adversary of being a lord of the Admiralty, availed himself of it, and had influence enough with the Earl of Sandwich, then first lord, to obtain an order to try Lord Keppel, his commander-in-chief, by a courtmartial, for neglect of duty in presence of the enemy on the 27th and 28th of July. This step was highly resented by all the respectable flagofficers in the service, and a considerable number of them memorialised the king on the subject. But the trial, nevertheless, took place; indeed, it is probable that Lord Keppel was, under the circumstances, the first to urge it on.

The trial took place in what was called the Government-house, in Portsmouth garrison; it having been transferred thither from a ship of the line in Portsmouth harbour *.

This house has been entirely removed since the conclusion of the late war. It was understood to be the intention of the government to have built one on the same spot, for the admiral commanding in chief; but the plan has been abandoned for one more economical, though certainly not to be compared with it in point of efficiency and the real interest of the naval service. That house commanded a complete view of Southampton Water, the Needles, Spithead, St. Helens, and as far eastward as Bognor Rocks. A more noble and commanding position

EVIDENCE OF CAPTAIN JERVIS.

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As Captain Jervis's evidence on this important and interesting case is at once illustrative of his own character, and gives the best account extant of the whole affair, I shall make no apology for giving it entire. The truth is that the fame and character of Lord St. Vincent depended almost as much on this trial as did those of Lord Keppel; and as on this occasion the former attached himself to the party and politics of his chief, so he adhered to them throughout the whole of his after-life.

The court first assembled in January, 1779, as I have said, on board of a ship of the line in Portsmouth harbour, whence it was adjourned to the Government house, where it met from day to day, until the final termination and finding of the sentence.

Of all the important moral lessons to be for a British admiral, or, shall I say, for a British monarch, could not be conceived; but "economy" has condemned the commanderin-chief to a smoky residence in the dock-yard, where, if the rear-admiral does his duty, the presence of the senior officer can not be required at all. Moreover, he is entirely out of sight of all that is passing in the busiest part of his command, where it might happen that his prompt orders would be of incalculable advantage to the service. This is the more to be lamented, as no expense has been spared to construct a beautiful residence at Devonport for the admiral, and one equally extravagant at Sheerness, where a house of less dimensions would have answered the purpose. The same money expended on the King's Bastion, or on the Parade at Portsmouth, which was lavished on the horrid neighbourhood of Blue Town, would have built a residence creditable and useful to the country.