CAPTAIN RODNEY TO MR. GRENVILLE. Portsmouth, 21st October, 1757. FORGIVE me, my dear Sir, for being thus impertinent in troubling you with my letters, but as you were pleased to tell me you should always be glad to hear of every occurrence that happened in the Fleet, I cannot help telling you the surprise that an alteration in the command of the Fleet destined on the present cruize occasioned, as it seems to bear the appearance of reproach, and points out as delinquents the junior Admirals that served on the late expedition. Yesterday they received orders to remain at Spithead, to make room for Vice-Admiral B-s-n to command in the second post. We cannot refrain from thinking that avarice has in a great measure been the motive to these alterations, and that the good of the public must be subservient to private emolument; for can it be possible to imagine that two Admirals are sufficient to command thirty sail of the line, when the unhappy man' who suffered last spring laid his misfortune to the want of a third officer, and the enemy we are now in hopes of meeting have three at least. The hope of prize-money, and the unwillingness to have others partake with them, seems to have banished true honour from the breast of those who ought to prefer it to every other consideration, and contributes likewise to discourage officers in general, as it contributes to prevent their promotion to that rank they hope (by their services) to obtain. Forgive me, my dear Friend for thus unburdening my bosom to you, and you alone, who I am well assured 1 Admiral Byng. have the honour of your country at heart, and must sincerely despise those whose minds are so very corrupt, that, even in a military capacity, they can prefer wealth to honour. I cannot refrain from making you acquainted with an anecdote worth your notice, as it will more clearly give you an insight into men. On a certain expedition the Commander-in-Chief applied to the Admiralty to appoint him a first Captain, that he might be better enabled to perform the important service he was going to execute; their answer acquainted him that the Order of Council ordained that Admirals commanding twenty sail of the Line should always have two Captains, but that his fleet was composed only of sixteen. The present Fleet is composed of thirty sail, but neither has the Admiral applied, or the Board thought proper to appoint a first Captain. The motive you can guess when I tell you the first Captain ranks and shares as a Rear-Admiral. However I make no doubt but we shall give a good account of the enemy, if we are so fortunate to meet with them, and hope I shall ever prove myself worthy the friendship you are pleased to honour me with, and Dear Sir, with the utmost sincerity, &c., &c. am, P.S. We are now getting under sail. G. B. RODNEY. MR. WILKES TO MR. GRENVILLE. Great George Street, Saturday, October 22, 1757. DEAR SIR,-I wished extremely to have paid my com pliments to you the two last posts, but I found it impos sible. Ever since I have been here I have been surrounded with Milton's evil spirits, beseeching and besieging me. This is my first hour of leisure, which I most cheerfully dedicate to you; as cheerfully as an honest man can enjoy life in the present public calamity. There is the most general discontent I ever knew, and every person I converse with, of all parties, seems to be under the dread of something very terrible near approaching. Party is almost annihilated, and we all look up to the holy Theban band, as alone capable to avert the impending ruin. The City will take the lead, and will address the Throne. Great interest is making to ward the blow, but it will be ineffectual. The publication of Mr. Pitt's letter' has done him infinite service, and mankind do justice to his singular merit. The truth is now generally known, and the saddle laid on the right Ass. We are much diverted here with a plain blue coat, and a modest uncockaded hat; only we are apprehensive that the French will take this opportunity of invading us, now we are deprived we are deprived of our great General'. Poor Britain! and yet scarce one of her sons seems sensible of so important a loss. Hawke has been frequently in the city, and has sent his banker and It was said that 1 To Sir Edward Hawke and Sir John Mordaunt. Sir Edward had secret instructions to return to England by the end of September. Mr. Pitt's letter directs that notwithstanding any such instructions he is to continue with the Fleet such a further time as may be necessary for the completion of the intended operations, after which they are to return in the manner before directed. See a good account of the Secret expedition in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1757, p. 456. 2 An allusion to the Duke of Cumberland, who had resigned all his employments on the 15th instant, in consequence of his cold reception by the King, after having concluded the Convention of Stade, or, as it is oftener called, the Treaty of Closter Seven.-See Walpole's Memoirs of George the Second, vol. iii. p. 60. others to the Exchange, who have abused Mordaunt in the grossest terms. "Mordaunt fills the trump of fame, Gazettes are crowded with his name," &c., &c., the whole from Swift will make an excellent parody for Monday's balladins. / If I can get a printer to venture his ears, you shall have it at Wotton. Lord Lincoln' proposes to send for Clive from the East Indies, as we have not one fighting man here. I beg my compliments to Mrs. Grenville, and am with the sincerest gratitude and respect, Dear Sir, your most obliged humble Servant, JOHN WILKES. MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE. Whitehall, October 22, 1757. DEAR SIR,-I send you what few circumstances I have been able to pick up, since I troubled you last, relative to our unfortunate expedition. A very sensible officer told me that he thought he very soon saw that General Mordaunt3 had lost himself, and that the world 1 Nephew and heir to the Duke of Newcastle. His mother was Lucy, daughter of Thomas, Lord Pelham, and sister to the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pelham, and he married his cousin Catherine, daughter and co-heir of the latter. She died July, 1760. He succeeded to the Dukedom by special remainder, in 1768, and died in 1794. 2 66 Captain, afterwards Lord Clive, who was now at the commencement of that splendid career in India, which has since immortalised his name. "One of those extraordinary men," says Walpole, whose great soul broke out under all the disadvantages of an ugly and contemptible person." 3 time. Walpole gives a somewhat similar account of Mordaunt at this was mistaken in his character; that he grew peevish; that he talked of the affair they were going about as a very sharp piece of work, and particularly on the night they were to debark. He said that he believed that it was the greatest attempt that England had made since the days of Edward the Third. General Conway also by no means answered the idea that had been entertained of him, though he was better than the other two; and it is remarkable that not one of the generals went out to reconnoitre the shore all the time they were off the coast, until about five hours before they were to debark, when Conway went. The distance that Captain Howe and Colonel Clerk walked on the shore was two miles, as I sent you word at first; the last of these gentlemen told me so himself just now. The same person assured me that there was no occasion to have stopped to have taken Fouras, and that after taking Rochfort, for facilitating their retreat, they might have sent a couple of battalions for reducing Fouras, which would have been sufficient. In short, this gentleman, who was the only Englishman upon the expedition who had been before at Rochfort, and of course was the only person that knew anything of the matter, is clearly of opinion that the attempt was easy to be executed. I have the pleasure also to inform you that the world here is totally satisfied with Mr. Pitt, and the publication of his letter has thoroughly wiped off the scan 1 was much broken both in spirit and constitution, and fallen into a nervous disorder, which had made him entreat, last year, not to be sent to America, lest it should affect his head, and bring on disorders too familiar to his family."-Memoirs of George the Second, vol. iii,' p. 46. 1 See ante, p. 223, note. VOL. I. Q |