incurred in its improvement. "How could any body ever think a place fit to be kept at this charge that, overlook'd by fo many hills, can never be secured against an enemy!" "The place an ordinary place. Amazed to think how the King hath laid out so much money upon it. Wondered at the folly of the King's being at all this charge upon this town." "The leaft part of our minifters' mistakes, in reference to Tangier, hath been leading the King to fquandering near two millions upon what as much more would never make ufeful to him." The Commiffioners, appointed to furvey the fortifications, reported that "to fecure the place on the land fide would require two millions."* Lord Dartmouth, Dr. Ken, and every one else, suffered more or lefs from the ill effects of the African climate. "The expedition should have been sent two months fooner, that they might have had long days, and fair weather above head, to work on the mole, before the storms and feas came on." But the greatest disappointment was the ignorance, fupineness, and corruption of the people at Tangier, who were to affist in executing the King's orders: fo that, instead of being back in two months, it took almost four to destroy the fortifications. Dartmouth fometimes almoft defpaired of accomplishing the defign from the want of discipline among the naval commanders, "whofe whole care was to profit themselves, and not the public fervice." He had alfo to contend against the corrupt influence, and fecret oppofition, of Colonel Kirke, the Governor, a ruthless barbarian and tyrant. * Pepys, paffim. Such was the degradation of the navy in the latter part of this reign that, had the war with Holland continued, England must have fuffered total defeat. The King's fhips were "converted into carriers of merchandize and treasure, for their own advantage, from Cadiz, up and down the Mediterranean, and on the coast of Portugal, &c. to the corrupting of the commanders and others." "We have every day fresh inftances of their debaucheries, the King's own fon, Grafton, being the top of all." "The tyranny and vice of Kirke is ftupendous, as by infinite ftories appears; and his exactions on poor merchants, letting nothing be fold till he had the refusal.”* Dr. Ken did all in his power to stem this torrent of immorality, but in vain. "30th September. Sunday. To church (in Tangier); a very fine and seasonable, but most unsuccessful, argument from Dr. Ken, particularly in reproof of the vices of this town. I was in pain for the Governor, and the officers about us in church; but I perceived they regarded it not. "26th October. Being a little ill, and troubled at fo much loose company at table, my Lord not being there, I dined in my chamber; and Dr. Ken, for the fame reason, came and dined with me. We had a great deal of good difcourfe on the viciousness of this place, and it's being time for Almighty God to destroy it. "28th October. Sunday. Very high discourse between Dr. Ken and me on the one fide, and the Go * Pepys, vol. i, p. 403. vernor (Kirke) on the other, about the exceffive liberty of fwearing we obferve here. The Doctor, it seems, had preached on it to-day." At length, by the middle of January 1684, the fortifications were deftroyed: but the fame causes of delay, the treaty with the Moors for the release of the Christian flaves, arranging the compensation to the English, Portuguese, and other fettlers for their lofs of property, and getting them all on board, prevented their failing for England till the 5th of March. CHAPTER XI. Ken returns to England - Death of Ifaak Walton; and of HE fleet from Tangier moored off Spithead the first week in April. It would appear from Pepys's Diary that Ken and others landed at Portsmouth, which was the nearest point to his friends at Winchester. We may imagine the alacrity with which he escaped from the confufion and noise on shipboard, fo little congenial to his habits. No doubt he had found this sphere of usefulness disappointing to his hopes. The prevailing corruption and immorality at Tangier, and throughout the fleet, were beyond his control or influence. What anticipations of hope and fear muft he have felt, as he came within fight of the Church of St. Cross, and after that the well known town of Winchester. Alas! he Towers/ was to receive no welcome from the loved lips, that for fo many years had cheered him onward in his path; they were closed for this world. The devout Walton had fallen asleep; and he not by to receive his last words, and be the minifter of Chriftian folace in his parting hour! Few men in fo humble a fphere had lived a more useful life: the memory of few is more cherished. His writings are the mirror of a meek spirit, purified by a fimple devotion to God. It is not too much to say that they have been our comfort under trials, and the companion of our holiday walks : they have made us love the pleasantness of the mountains,—they have decked the meadows with more than their native flowers, and have made the falls of rivers more mufical; for they lift the hearts of the afflicted to their only Comforter, and the thankful praises of the happy to the divine Author of every bleffing. Ken amidft his regrets for fuch a lofs had the beft comfort of mourners, the conviction that he who had been to him all but a spiritual father, had left this jangling world, the difcord of " bad man on earth," for an eternal rest and harmony. Walton had been already buried three months within Prior Silkstead's Chapel, in the Cathedral, where he and Ken had for many years joined in the fervices of the Church they both loved fo well, and had each, in his sphere, fo zealously served. We may judge of their mutual attachment by the epitaph that still marks the place of Walton's burial, and which in all likelihood was written by Ken himself, HERE RESTETH THE BODY OF WHO DIED THE 15TH OF DECEMBER 1683. Alas he's gone before, VOTIS MODESTIS SIC FLERUNT LIBERI. |