CHAPTER XII.

Anecdotes of Lord St. Vincent-His attention to the Health of his

People - Introduction of the Sick Bay, or apartment peculiarly adapted for the Sick on board Ship-His encouragement of zealHis Answer to Keats-Comparison between St. Vincent and Vernon-Anecdote of the latter being dismissed from the Service-Lord St. Vincent's extensive command-His Hospitality and Munificence to Foreigners-His polished manners--His dislike of ceremonyAccused of want of sincerity-The charge common to all men in high station-His attention to trifles-His humanity to Prisoners.

In order to vary the nature of my narrative, I will here introduce a few anecdotes and details touching the personal character and bearing of Lord St. Vincent, in his private as well as public capacity; setting them down without any minute regard to chronological order or dates.

It has been said that Lord St. Vincent was rough in his manner when at sea. He may have been so occasionally, for he had rough materials to deal with; and this manner, be it remembered, was the remains of the Barrington and Boscawen schools, when a midshipman

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was thought too fine a gentleman because he came to dine with his admiral in a white shirt, and was desired to go down and put on one of check.

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He was fretful if he saw any thing done in a careless or slovenly manner, whether at his table, or on service; and if he could not reclaim a young man in these particulars, he gave him up. He could not endure to hear of the word trouble:" there ought, he said, to be no such word in the naval dictionary. When any one said they could not do a thing they were desired to do, he used to tell them to "rub out 'can't' and put in 'try.'" He would forgive an officer for losing or springing a topmast in carrying sail; but he never overlooked splitting a topsail in handing or reefing it, because he said. such accidents were the effect either of ignorance or carelessness.

He was a great enemy to intemperance, and above all things abhorred gluttony. A visitor once caused himself to be helped three times from the sideboard by the butler, after the dish was removed from the table; and he was never invited again.

At table his observations were always instructive and good humoured, though he invariably repressed any forwardness or freedom in

young people; but, on the other hand, he encouraged them when they appeared abashed, from too strong a sense of awe at the presence of their superiors.

Yet he had great forbearance on occasions when men of his temper and station might have been excused for feeling annoyed, and for showing that feeling.

The late Lord Gardner, who commanded the Hero in Sir Richard Strachan's action, was a great favourite with Lord St. Vincent. The latter, one day, apologised to his friend for having given him a very bad dinner, and his lordship received the following candid answer with great good humour. "You may say that, my lord! it was a very bad dinner, and wretchedly put on the table. Three ducks in a dish! only think of that!"

I remember his saying one day at the dinnertable at Rochetts, speaking of the year 1782, "that was a memorable year for me. I committed three great faults about that time: I got knighted, I got married, and I got into parlia

ment.*

His anecdotes of some of his cotemporaries were often very amusing. One or two here oc

• His lordship, however, did not get into parliament till the year 1784.

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cur to me, which I will repeat. Sir George Walton had his flag, or broad pendant, flying at Spithead, when a nobleman in the neighbourhood sent his gamekeeper with half a fat buck. Sir George sent back a suitable message of thanks, but the keeper begged the steward to inform the admiral that he expected a complement for himself. "A complement, does he?" said the admiral-who was more economical of his money than of his powder," then he shall have one; go and tell the captain to salute him with five guns when he leaves the ship."

Lord St. Vincent had a horror of a twice-told tale. He was one day telling a story to the late Admiral Sir George Murray (one of our best and bravest); and seeing by his countenance that he had heard it before, he said to him, "My dear George, I see you have heard this story before. Now I love you very dearly, but if ever you suffer me to grow garrulous, I will never forgive you."

Neave, his signal lieutenant, one day gave him an indirect answer to a question; on which Lord St. Vincent hastily said, “Sir, you are as bad as the quaker." Neave, not at all disconcerted by this reprimand, replied in a slow and solemn manner peculiar to himself, "Why, what did the quakers do, my lord?" His lordship

was so much amused at this sang froid, that he good humouredly said, "Come and sit down, and I'll tell you." He then related to him some one of the numerous stories which are told at the expence of that harmless and inoffensive sect.

No admiral ever paid more attention to the health of his people than Lord St. Vincent did at all times. He was the first to introduce a regular sick berth on board of our ships of war. Before his time, there was no particular place assigned for the sick, and each person slept in the place where his hammock usually hung, or perhaps, to be more out of the way, he was removed close in to the ship's side. When Lord St. Vincent commanded the fleet off Cadiz, this evil was effectually remedied, and a proper airy and spacious apartment, called the sick bay, was fitted up in each of the line-of-battle ships. Here the sick were so completely secured from any annoyance, that they rapidly recovered, under the skilful management of a superior description of medical men who were about that time encouraged to enter the navy. The sick, under the old system, were visited, and in many ships placed in the cock-pit, where the surgeon had his medicine chests, and performed all his operations; but it was evident that the want of air, space, and daylight, rendered this the very