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afternoon of the 23rd of July, and after manouvring for four successive days, an engagement ensued on the morning of the 27th, which lasted about two hours, the fleets passing on contrary tacks and in opposite directions. As soon as they had cleared each other, and the firing had ceased, the British Admiral wore his ship to return upon the enemy, and threw out a signal for the rest of the fleet to form the line, but observing that some of his ships, disabled in the engagement, had fallen to leeward, and were in danger of being cut off by the enemy, he was in the first place obliged to take measures for their safety. By the manouvres necessary for this purpose, and by the length of time required, for repairing the damages sustained by the ships of the rear division, under Sir Hugh Palliser, the day was so far spent, before they could be again brought into their stations in the line, that nothing now remained, but the expectation of the Commander in Chief, "that the French would fight it out handsomely the next day." D'Orvilliers put on every appearance of intending to do so, but in the night he quitted his station, and steered for the French coast, leaving three frigates with lights, to deceive the English Admiral. In the morning, the rearmost of his ships were scarcely discernible, and as their inferiority had been fully demonstrated, both in the action and in their flight, it was a matter of sincere regret, that the attack had not been renewed the preceding evening. A pursuit being deemed useless, Admiral Keppel returned to Plymouth to refit, and then resuming his former station, kept the sea as long as the approaching winter would allow. The Brest fleet, being also refitted, ventured out of Brest, but instead of directing their course, where they were sure of encountering the enemy, they made their way to the southward, where they were as certain of meeting none, and where their cruise, could answer no other purpose than that of parade.

The engagement of the 27th of July, though not altogether a proud day to England, impressed upon the French such a consciousness of their inequality to a renewal of the contest, that they avoided it by loitering about Cape Finisterre, and

abandoning their own coasts, and the bay to the British fleet, by which means the trade to England arrived in security, from the different quarters of the world, whilst the French commerce became a prey to the English cruisers.

But these advantages however, substantial, could not satisfy the public for the neglect of what they thought a favourable opportunity of terminating the war by a single blow. The failure of a complete victory, was by some, attributed to the Commander-in-Chief, for not pushing his success, and by others to Sir Hugh Palliser, for not obeying with all possible promptitude, the signals of his superior officer preparatory to a second attack. Some severe strictures on the Vice Admiral's disregard of orders, having appeared in the public prints, he wrote to Admiral Keppel, requiring from him an express contradiction of such foul aspersions. With this request, the Admiral refused to comply, upon which Sir Hugh Palliser published in one of the morning papers, a statement of particulars relating to the action, with an introductory letter, containing much implied censure on the Commander- n Chief. The latter immediately acquainted the first Lord of the Admiralty, that he could never sail, nor act in conjunction with the Vice Admiral of the Blue, until matters were

thoroughly explained by that officer. The dispute was inflamed by the indiscreet zeal of the partizans on both sides. It was taken up with great warmth in the House of Lords, on the very first day of the session (November 25th,) and afterwards discussed in the House of Commons with still greater vehemence, both the Admiral and Vice Admiral being present, and taking a share in the debates, when the latter declared, that finding he could not obtain justice by any personal application, and that no public motives could induce the Admiral to bring forward any charge against him, which might afford him an opportunity for the vindication of his character, he had been drawn by necessity, not having a right to demand a trial on himself, in order to repair the injury done to his honor, to lay several articles of accusation against Admiral Keppel, tending to show, as he would hereafter demonstrate,

that the failure of success on the 27th of July, was owing to the misconduct and fault of that commander.

A court-martial being ordered by the Lords of the Admiralty, the trial commenced at Portsmouth, on the 7th of January 1778, and was not closed till the 11th of the next month. The result was very flattering to the Commander-inChief, he was not only acquitted, but the charges against him were declared to be malicious and ill-founded. The acquittal was celebrated in London for two nights successively, with the usual testimonies of popular joy, but was also disgraced by the usual ebullitions of popular outrage. The iron gates or palisades of the Admiralty were but a weak defence against the fury of the mob, and the houses of Sir Hugh Palliser, e Lord Sandwich, and of several others were threatened to be demolished, until troops were brought forward to their protection. Admiral Keppel's friends were not less anxious to obtain for him some tribute of Parliamentary applause, and the thanks of both houses were voted to him for his conduct. Sir Hugh Palliser afterwards obtained a court-martial on himself, and with due magnanimity resigned his place at the Admiralty Board, his lieutenant generalship of marines, and his government of Scarborough Castle, besides vacating his seat in the House of Commons. The court-martial after sitting twentyone days, acquitted him, but not without a slight censure. The want of temper and policy, appears to have been his greatest crime. His signal bravery during the action of the 27th of July, was acknowledged by his enemies; and if he were really blameable for a voluntary neglect of signals, and contempt of orders after the action, the Commander-in-Chief cannot well escape some censure, for not enforcing obedience, when he knew the honour and interest of his country to be at stake.

At this period, there appears to have been a sinister genius operating on the British navy, and certainly the son of the King of England could not have entered at a more inauspicious time. Admiral Arbuthnot, with a squadron of men of war, and a large fleet of merchantmen and transports, bound for

New York, was proceeding down the channel, when he fell in with a vessel sent express from Jersey, with the first account of the danger of that island. He sailed directly with a part of his squadron for its relief, ordering the rest to wait his return in Torbay; but finding on his arrival off Guernsey, that the French fleet had been repulsed, he rejoined his convoy. This deviation from his course, though short, was the cause of much subsequent delay, as the fleet was detained for nearly a month afterwards by contrary winds. In the interval of its detention, it was apprehended that the French would receive intelligence of its great value, and of the force that protected it; in consequence of which, ten ships from the channel fleet were detached under Admiral Darby, to accompany Arbuthnot to a certain latitude. The channel fleet thus weakened, was obliged to suspend a plan for blocking up the harbour of Brest, and the French availing themselves of the opportunity, hurried to sea with an imperfect equipment, and joined the fleet of Spain on the 24th of June. This junction was truly alarming, the two fleets amounting to more than sixty sail of the line, with nearly an equal number of frigates and smaller vessels, steered for the British channel, in the mouth of which, Sir Charles Hardy, who had succeeded Keppel, was cruising with thirty-eight ships of the line and some frigates. The combined fleets passed him about the middle of August, neither party observing the other, and appeared before Plymouth for two or three days, until a strong easterly wind compelled them to retire. The same

wind had also driven the British fleet to sea; but on the last day of August, Sir Charles Hardy entered the channel in full view of the enemy, who followed him as high as Plymouth, but as their crews were said to be sickly, their ships to be in bad condition, and the season for equinoctial gales was fast approaching, Count D'Orvilliers steered back to Brest, early in September, without effecting anything further, than the capture of the Ardent man of war, which had accidentally fallen in with the combined fleets. The naval pride of England

was certainly much mortified at these occurences on her own coasts, but the hopes of France and Spain, in fitting out so great an armament, must have been greatly disappointed.

Such was the situation of the British navy at home and abroad, when it was determined that Prince William should become a sailor. They were no piping times of peace; but a period of danger, in which the existence of England itself, depended upon the exertions of the navy, and the enemy evincing a boldness and promptitude which promised them success, considering the comparative inferiority of the force which England could bring against them.

On the evening previously to the departure of Prince William, the whole of the royal family met at supper, at which that gloom prevailed, which is the usual attendant on the approaching loss of a member of a family, under whatever circumstances it may take place, but under those which accompanied the estrangement of Prince William from the family circle, the pain of separation was more acutely felt. On supper being over, and the members of the family were about to retire to their respective apartment; the King on presenting Prince William with a bible, addressed him in the following terms, "You are on the eve, my dear boy, of leaving the residence of your parents, to enter into the duties of a profession, in which I will not conceal it from you, that you will be obliged to undergo many privations, and be surrounded by many dangers. Let me impress it strongly upon your mind, that obedience to your superior officers is your first, your principal duty. By knowing how to obey, you will learn how to command, and think not that the high station in which you were born, absolves you from the performance of even the most menial duty attached to the rank which you may hold in the ship. Expect not that because you are the son of the King of England, that you will be treated with greater respect than what is shown to the other officers of the same rank as yourself. You will in every respect be subject to the same discipline, and the same routine of duty, as the other officers, and

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