PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

3

appointed you first lieutenant of the Gibraltar, of eighty guns. Go to Calder, and he will tell you more about it."

After the Gibraltar had received so much damage on the Pearl Rock in 1796, (her escape from which danger was altogether miraculoussee Naval History) she was ordered to England. Sir John Jervis removed my brother into the Barfleur, and, after the glorious termination of the battle of the 14th February, took him into the Ville de Paris. He then inquired if he had any brothers; -"for," said he, "I will do the best I can for the sons of officers." On being informed that my youngest brother was in the Romney, with his godfather, Sir James Wallace, on the Newfoundland station, he sent for him, and as soon as he had served his time, made him a lieutenant in the Petterel sloop of war. The admiral then inquired for me, and, being informed that I was with Vice-Admiral the Honourable William Waldegrave, he said he could not do better for me at that time. As soon, however, as the Vice-Admiral was succeeded on the Newfoundland station by Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Pole, Lord St. Vincent, who had, in the

*

He was subsequently, after some very successful cruises, and having made many valuable captures, mortally wounded in hoarding a French letter of marque off Barcelona.

mean time, come to the head of the Admiralty, wrote to him, and asked him to promote me. Sir Charles never had a vacancy as long as I was with him; but I was instantly removed from sixth to be first lieutenant of the Agincourt, his flag ship. In the following year, I was removed to go out in the Theseus to the East Indies, with my friend Admiral Waldegrave, afterwards Lord Radstock. But this arrangement was not effected, his lordship never having hoisted his flag again; and the Theseus was sent out to the West Indies, with the squadron under the orders of the late Admiral Sir George Campbell.

On our arrival at Jamaica, I was appointed commander of the Lark sloop of war. This was the act of Lord St. Vincent, who, being First Lord of the Admiralty, had included me in the promotion of the 29th of April, 1802.

His kindness followed me to the day of his death; being, as he said, "the son of an officer, and having had a brother killed in the service."

On my return home in the Lark, in August, 1802, I paid off my ship at Woolwich, and waited on his lordship at the Admiralty. He received me very kindly; and, in the following year, on the renewal of the war, he gave me the

ORIGIN OF THESE MEMOIRS.

command of the Merlin sloop of war.

5

I saw

no more of Lord St. Vincent until I returned from the coast of North America in the Spartan, in 1813, when he invited me to Rochetts. My eldest sister had long been staying there on a visit to Lady St. Vincent, and indeed the whole of my family at different times experienced the greatest attentions from him. During this visit, his Lordship frequently led me to converse with him on many subjects connected with the naval service, and, by the depth of his observations, soon convinced me that he had a master mind.

Deeply sensible of the advantages I thus enjoyed, in my free intercourse with this great man, I availed myself of every occasion to obtain his opinions and sentiments, on the events of the war in which he had borne so conspicuous a share, both as a commander-in-chief and as a cabinet minister.

I soon afterwards told his lordship that I committed to paper whatever he said to me on historical subjects. His answer was, "You are perfectly right, sir, I wish you to do it." Encouraged by this kindness, I asked if his lordship would have any objection to furnish me with a history of his early life, as far back as he could remember.

"That I will, with great pleasure," said he.

It was the fulfilment of this promise which occasioned the undertaking of this work. It also led to the publication of the Naval History: for, finding that I was fond of inquiry, he gave my eldest sister and myself access to his muniment room; when I was in town, he desired she would write to me, and tell me to procure a large blank book, and to come down and copy his letters, public and private, while he was first lord of the Admiralty and commander-in-chief in the Channel and Mediterranean.

I lost not a moment in procuring a letter book, which I sent to my sister, with a request that, before she made one extract, she would ask Lord St. Vincent to write in it with his own hand that I had his permission to undertake the work.

"Madam," said the Earl, "your brother has acted with judgment in making this request, and I have great satisfaction in complying with it."

His Lordship then took the book, and wrote in it as follows:

66

Captain Edward Brenton has permission to make extracts or copies of such letters or orders standing in my letter and order books while commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean and

ORIGIN OF THESE MEMOIRS.

7

Channel fleets, as he may conceive useful to him.

"Dated at Rochetts, the 16th day of May, 1817.

"ST. VINCENT.*

I had abundant reason to be satisfied with my precaution in the above particular: for no sooner was the breath out of his Lordship's body, than I was required by the executors to give up those very letters; and, on pain of refusal, an injunction was threatened in the Court of Chancery, to prohibit my publishing the Naval History, the two first volumes of which were then not only before the world, with some of Lord St. Vincent's letters in them, but his Lordship had actually read and approved of them, and, as I shall soon show, commented ou the work, aud had taken a great interest in it. I therefore replied, in the most decided and peremptory manner, that I would not give them up; and in the course of a few days I received official notice that an injunction was prayed for. The case came on late on a Friday, and my answer was directed to be put in on the Monday following; a very unfair advantage was thus taken of me. My Chancery solicitor was Mr. Winbourn, and, with the able assistance of my active young friend, Mr. Alexander William Grant, now of the firm of Walker, Grant, and Pugh, I was enabled to face my enemies. My affidavits were fully prepared. The Attorney General, (the late Lord Giffard) Mr. Beames, and Mr. (now Sir Charles) Wetherel, were retained for me.

The affidavits exhibited by my persecutors were not founded in fact. They stated that my sister and myself had surreptitiously, or by unfair means, obtained access to the muniment room of Lord St. Vincent, and copied the letters without permission. But when Lord Giffard held my letter-book in his hand, and showed them the express written permission of Lord St. Vincent to make copies and extracts, they were utterly confounded. They then attempted to avail themselves of the Admiralty letters and orders not being expressly included in the permission; but this was overruled, the indulgence being considered as general and unrestricted. The depositions of my sister, Miss Brenton, entirely refuted the assertions of the executors as to the clandestine copying, and my brother, Sir Jahleel Brenton, deposed that Lord St. Vincent had told him that he had not only given me leave to copy his letters, but also that