determined conduct of the squadron you did me the honour to place under my command," said Blackwood in his letter to Sir C. Cotton, "I am fully persuaded, had the ambition of the enemy permitted him to make a bolder attack, the result would have been still more favourable to his Majesty's arms." James, in his excellent Naval History, calls this "a boast, from physical causes almost impossible to be realized," and regrets it had been made by an officer who had" already so unequivocally distinguished himself." Nor do we blame him for expressing his opinion, while we think it entirely mistaken. To us the words he quotes seem no boast at all, but an opinion justified by the behaviour of the enemy, and by Blackwood's confidence in his own skill and squadron. Had the squadrons met, so that the adverse ships laid each other on board, a triumph by the English might indeed "have been from physical causes almost impossible to be realized;" but Blackwood would have fought after another fashion; and "physical causes" produce extraordinary effects at sea under the guidance of nauti. cal skill, as a Spanish fleet was made to feel when they met with noble Jervis off Cape St Vincent. It is the duty of all commanders to commend the conduct of their officers and men when they deserve it, and Blackwood said neither more nor less than Sir Horatio Nelson himself might have said had he been the commodore. James says, "that it was not many weeks afterwards ere a more decided display of British valour occurred off the port of Toulon." A strong French squadron had worked out in the hope of capturing the British 18 gun brigsloop Philomel, Captain Guion; and that brig being in danger of capture, the Repulse, 74, Captain John Halliday, gallantly bore up, and opened so heavy and well-directed a fire upon the three headmost heavy frigates, that in the course of a quarter of an hour, they wore and joined the line-of-battle ships, several of which were also by this time far advanced in the chase. It was, in good truth, noble behaviour in Halliday; and "Guion, in a spirit of honourable gratitude," telegraphed the Repulse,

You REPULSED the enemy and no

For what if the

bly saved us; grant me permission to return thanks." At this time, the blockading British fleet was out of sight to leeward, all but the Warspite, and the Alceste frigate, Captain Maxwell. "Captains Blackwood and Maxwell, and their respective officers and companions," says James well," must have felt their hearts bound with delight at such a spectacle." They mustthey were just the very men to exult in such heroism; but the effects of the fire of the Repulse afford the best justification, if it needed any, of the expression found fault with in Blackwood's account of this affair with perhaps the selfsame squadron. Warspite, and Conqueror, or Ajax, and the Alceste frigate, had joined the Repulse after she had silenced and beaten off, in a quarter of an hour, three heavy French frigates, so that Blackwood's squadron had been of the same strength as on the former occasion-what, in the opinion of Mr James, would have happened then? Would Blackwood, as the mendacious writer in the Moniteur said he formerly did, have run away? He would have attacked, or waited for the attack of the French squadron; and had it even consisted of six sail of the line, and among them one three-decker and two 84's, can there be a doubt "that the result would have been still more honourable to his Majesty's arms ?" We have thought it right thus to notice the criticism made by Mr James on Captain Blackwood's letter; because no officer in the navy was less given, either in writing or speaking, to "boast" than he; and this is seen in his simple accounts of the various actions and affairs in which he was engaged, now laid before the public in this memoir.

Sir Charles Cotton being superseded in the chief command by Lord Exmouth, Captain Blackwood continued to serve under that illustrious Admiral, until May, 1812, when he returned to England for the repair of the ship. He then joined Sir William Young on the blockade of the Scheldt, and in a few months was moved to the Channel fleet, under Lord Keith, in which he served in the blockades of Brest and Rochfort until November, 1813, when he re

signed the command of the Warspite, having held it for six active years. "In all," says the gallant officer, in a letter we have seen, written by him at that time, and narrating with the utmost simplicity some of the chief incidents in his career, "with the exception of ten months at the peace of Amiens, on active service, without any blemish to my public or private character, and under some of our most distinguished commanders, of thirty-two years and eight months, in the course of which I was engaged either as Lieutenant or Captain, in some of the most celebrated actions in both wars."

He now enjoyed uninterruptedly for about six years that domestic happiness which was ever dearest to his heart; and in 1814, by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, was made Captain of the Fleet. He was appointed to bring over the crowned heads from France to this country; and at the Naval Review at Portsmouth, his skilful arrangements were the admiration of all who witnessed that magnificent spectacle, and for them he received public thanks. On this occasion he was created a ba ronet, and promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral. He attended his Royal Highness on the gratifying service of conveying back the King of France, and the members of that Royal House, to his dominions; and was afterwards appointed one of the new order of naval aide-de-camps to the Prince Regent; and in 1818, Groom of the Chamber, to which situation he was reappointed soon after the accession of William the Fourth. The Duke of Clarence had for many years honoured him with his kindest regard; and our Sailor King well knew the great loss the service sustained on his death, and graciously sought to soothe the sorrow of her who survives him, by a communication expressive of sympathy and condolence. In 1819, Sir Henry was appointed commander-in-chief of the naval forces in the East Indies, and on his way out in the Leander, had nearly suffered shipwreck, off Madeira, in Funchal Road. With Captain Richardson, a cool and skilful officer, he spoke but for a moment, at a time the Leander was in imminent peril of drifting on the

rocks; and orders, as we have heard, having been given, in the confidence of their united judgment, to wear, as the only chance of saving the ship, it was successfully effected, but with so little room to spare, "that a biscuit might have been thrown on board from the cliffs." Sir Henry used to say, that in all his dangers he had never so utterly given up hope in his heart as on that occasion. In consequence of the new arrangement at the Admiralty, that Commodores should perform the duties of Commander-in-chief, Sir Henry was recalled before the expiration of his command; but his unfavourable opinion of that regulation, and the soundness of the reasons on which he formed it, were afterwards justified by the necessity which the Government were under of returning to the former system, and again sending out an Admiral to that station. In 1827, Sir Henry was raised by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, then Lord High Admiral, to the command at Chatham, which appointment he retained for the usual period of three years. During that period, at his suggestion, we believe, took place the Experimental Cruise of a squadron, consisting of the Prince Regent and Britannia, firstrates, Pearl, Pylades, and Orestes, sloops. It was chiefly for the purpose of ascertaining the comparative advantages of round and square sterns; and Sir Henry, who was himself in the Prince Regent, was highly satisfied with the qualities of that ship, and especially with her facilities for fighting her stern guns on each of her decks. Always alive to the interests of the service, he directed much of his attention to what he considered an improvement on the round stern that had been introduced by the zealous Sir Thomas Seppings, and we have heard, though not on assured authority, that some of his suggestions were afterwards adopted; but we believe that the ideas of the present Surveyor of the Navy, a man of original genius, and complete skill in nautical affairs, as exemplified in the construction of that noble frigate the Vernon, the Snake, and other fine ships and brigs, have been approved of by the majority of the best judges in the profession.

So high an opinion did the people

at Chatham form of Sir Henry's character, that shortly after the command was up, a strong request was made to him, that he would stand for the representation of the town; but he prudently declined embroil ing himself in any such contest; for though a man of too decided a character not to have his own opinions on politics, he had all his life long kept aloof from the violence of party. At sea and on shore his duties to his country had been nobly discharged in a noble service; and far happier would he have been, to the last, under any Ministry, any Government, any Constitution, settled, reformed, or revolutionized, on board a three-decker to prove his patriotism, and let his country's enemies hear the best eloquence of her naval heroes, "the thunder from our native oak.” Sir Henry, there fore retired, alas! but for a brief time, into the tranquillity of private life. Anxious and earnest as ever to benefit the service, he took a warm interest in the Naval School (for the sons of naval officers), about that time established, to which Dr Bell had made a munificent donation, and which was to be conducted on the principles of the Madras system. For its advancement, his exertions were indefatigable; he was elected President of the Committee for a year, deriving all assistance from the business-talents of that able officer, Captain Maconochie, then, we believe, Secretary; and he had the gratification of finding that the undertaking met with great public encouragement, which, we devoutly trust, will endure, In the full vigour of life-for in his sixty-second year he seemed as strong as in the prime of manhood-after a short illness, he died of typhus fever on the 17th of December, at Ballyliedy, county of Down, the seat of his eldest brother, Lord Dufferin and Clanboye. Sir Henry left a widow, three sons, and a daughter. The eldest son-the present Sir Henry, is a Post Captain in the Navy, the second, Arthur, is in the Colonial Office, and the third, Francis, is a Commander in the Navy, and on his way out, in the Hyacinth 20 gun ship, to the East India Station.

It would be presumptuous in us to attempt to draw the professional character of Sir Henry Blackwood;

but we are entitled to give expression to those sentiments of respect and admiration with which it is regarded by all who know any thing of the heroic exploits, in their day, of British seamen. His exploits speak for themselves, even in this humble record; and the long series of services, in which he took always an active and often a most distinguished part, prove, far beyond any needless panegyric of ours, his zeal and enthusiasm, his skill and valour. Never was man more devoted to the profession he adorned, more eager to fly, in the cause of his country, to encounter any danger in any clime; nobly despising ease, and willing, without any vain regrets, to part with those blessings of domestic life, which by nature he was so warmly disposed to enjoy and impart, and which Providence had granted him to his heart's full content, at the call of duty, and under the inspiration of patriotism and honour. From boyhood he was ambitious to rise by his own merits, and all life long he sought not the "bauble," but the jewel "reputation, even in the cannon's mouth." His conduct, on all occasions, was eminently distinguished by promptitude and decision; nor did it ever, in a single instance, border upon rashness, being ever under the control of a spirit_cool in the midst of dangers, and under the guidance of a mind confident in its own resources, because thoroughly accomplished in the art of naval warfare. As a seaman, indeed, he was admitted to stand second to none; and whether in frigate or line-of-battle ship, bringing the enemy to action, or threatening offensive movements when obliged by overwhelming superiority of force to guard his Majesty's vessels from capture, his manœuvres were such as to baffle or confound, and sometimes, where failure would have been no disgrace, to command success. It was the scientific style in which he fought his actions that gave him so high a place in the profession, as much as his daring valour; and the vessels he commanded were perfect models for that order and discipline which were not meant to please the eye merely,

"On some calm day, In sunshine sailing far away," though every thing about them was

beautiful, but always in powerful preparation for the hour when the order might be given to clear for battle. Like all first-rate officers, he was a strict disciplinarian; he ruled both by fear and love, in such service equally salutary; and the conduct of his officers and crew never failed to prove their pride and trust in their commander. He rejoiced to encourage merit in all,high and low; and few officers of his standing in the service, and possessing little interest but such as appertained to their own characters, were ever more instrumental in advancing the deserving than Sir Henry Blackwood. Nothing could damp his zeal in the cause of those whom he befriended; personal inconvenience, trouble, and labour were then to him all pleasant; and he never rested till he had put them, if possible, in the path of promotion, letting them feel, by example as well as precept, that there was then but one sure way to gain it, "to do their duty." The same virtues which shone so brightly in his profession, adorned and endeared his character in private life. Highspirited, and sensitively alive to the minutest point of honour, his good name he guarded without art or ef fort; always dignified in his selfrespect, but never overbearing; incapable of harbouring resentment, even to those who might have injured him, and of such a forgiving disposition, that in those cases he never felt at ease till amity was restored, and all offence forgotten. Good-nature was indeed with him a virtue; and of a cheerful and sanguine temper, he delighted to look to the future in the sunshine of hope, nor ever gave way long to despondency, even under his severest trials. There was no selfishness in his nature; and far above jealousy and envy, he was proud to see rising in the service all who had illustrated it by their renown. Though never rich, he was most generous-too generous indeed

ever to become rich; but, while not neglectful of the interests of his family, he seemed to believe-nor will the belief be vain-that virtue and honour are beyond all other the best means of advancement in life, and that the sons of a man who had well served his country, may hope, by emulating their father's example, one day to gain their father's rank, and perhaps even to achieve some portion of their father's fame. His manners were as delightful as his character was estimable, simple and unpretending, but elegant and graceful, such as bespoke and became his birth; and their charm was increased by a fine countenance, full of animation, and a person singularly handsome, and though not above the middle size, indicating that strength and activity to which, under Providence, he more than once owed his life. Tenderly alive to the feelings and duties of all life's relations, he sought his own happiness in that of those he loved ; a good son, a good husband, a good father, and a good friend. Though unostentatious in his religious duties, it is not to be thought that he who habitually felt "in the midst of life we are in death," had not a soul solemnly alive to religion. In that he but resembled all the rest of his country's greatest heroes. Nor can we fear that we shall be blamed by any, even by those who were nearest and dearest to him, for mentioning here, that, after his death, a manuscript was found, containing extracts from the Bible, especially suitable for the devotional exercises of one whose lot had lain among perpetual dangers, and prayers, accompanied with heart-confessions," to the very last affectingly proving to one sad survivor, how humbly and penitentially that heart was disposed towards the God whose goodness guards them" that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters."

66

THE second period of the life of this memorable man, commencing with his acceptance of office, and ending with his abjuration of the Whig party, abounded in the most striking political change. The British Cabinet was in a perpetual state of convulsion. Ministers shifted their places, and sometimes their principles, like the scenes of a pantomime. The" King's Friends, the Landed Interest, and the Allies of the People," were alternately uppermost and plunged into the lowest depths of political disgrace. The wheel of power was in a perpetual whirl. But the world, too, was in a constant state of change. America had hoisted the standard of civil war, and it was rapidly answered by a signal from France. England was half revolutionized, and might have rivalled France in ruin, but for the prowess of one man. Unexampled ability, sustained by integrity beyond all spot, and patriotism equal to all sacrifice, constituted Pitt the national leader; and though he did not live to see the triumph of his efforts, he proved irresistibly, that if the British empire was to be preserved, it must be by his right hand.

We have seen Burke rising by rapid steps to the summit of parlia mentary fame. There he stood fixed. Nothing could shake the supremacy founded upon his own great powers. He had attained an equal eminence of popularity. But here he was to suffer the natural fluctuations of an element, to which the waves and the winds are constancy. He had been flung up by popular caprice to the height of popular confidence, and was now to be flung down by the mere action of the surge. The people of Bristol, clamouring for the rights and wrongs of America, became suddenly indignant at finding their representative supporting the same principles in the cause of Ireland. The injuries of men in open rebellion against their country, awoke all their sympathies; the benefits of their fellow-subjects on the other side the Irish Channel,

Το

roused all their resentment. please both was clearly impossible. Burke, at a later period of his career, would have scorned to please either. But he was still young in politics; his nature was generous and patriotic; his spirit was contemptuous of self; he took the side of justice and his country; and in that hour cast himself for ever out of the representative glories of Bristol. He was equally unlucky in both instances. Ireland, buoyed up with extravagant hope, pronounced the man all but a traitor, who advised moderation. Bristol branded him as renegade; and under the "pitiless, pelting storm" of rabble obloquy, he slowly learned the greatest, yet the tardiest talent of public life, the firmness, that, scorning the volatile and profligate breath of party, draws its judgment, its reason, and its reward, from its own bosom.

Once in every half century, the populace of England discover that they are the most aggrieved body under the stars. All the old institutions of the land are found to be utterly worthless; Church and State equally demand a universal change; the political buttresses which have supported our freedom for centuries, are seen, by the sudden discernment of the rabble, to be constructed on false principles; the safeguards for which the ablest men of England struggled and died, are declared by every fabricator of paragraphs in a newspaper to be tricks on popular credulity; allegiance to Kings, reverence to the Church, and honour to society, are ridiculed as the explo ded discovery of times when the human understanding was still in its infancy; and with the populace for the philosophers, and their haranguers for the legislators, the new course of illumination begins and ends. In the year 1779, Bristol had made the discovery, which she has renewed since in even a more expressive shape, that the law of the multitude was entitled to be the law of the land. Burke received sufficient intimation, that any doubt upon this subject