she is in the best order of the Mediterranean fleet. One word more about what has passed at Spithead, Plymouth, and the Nore, and I will never mention the disgraceful business again; but I cannot pass over your remark about short weights and measures. Every officer must know, that, by the old allowance, the men on board the king's ships had more provisions than they could consume, and that they always sold a part; therefore, an increase of provisions was not wanted. I will not hurt your mind by relating the horrid particulars of the late events, but shall conclude the subject by observing, that in your next you will unsay what you have too hastily expressed. I dread nothing, as the Government here appear to pursue proper measures, and I am convinced St. Vincent will keep up his fleet in discipline. Lenity at first is severity at the last. My best wishes and compliments attend your gallant commander: my only acquaintance with him is as an officer. His very attention and abilities were shewn to me during the Spanish armament; since which time I have, and always shall respect him. You will, I am sure, always distinguish yourself; and I am afraid, from the exorbitant demands of the Directory, that for some time your fleet will be constantly employed. I am happy to find you are at last come over to my way of thinking. As circumstances arise, pray write, and ever belive me, dear sir, yours sincerely.

“ WILLIAM.”

The victory of Sir John Jervis over the Spanish fleet, was shortly followed by a still more decisive one by Admiral Duncan over the Dutch fleet, which took place on the 11th of October, when seven ships of the line and two frigates were taken.

On the arrival of Admiral Duncan at the Nore, the fleet was visited by the king, who created him a viscount, and conferred the honour of baronetcy on Vice Admiral Onslow. It has been stated in a contemporary publication, that Captain Trollop on this occasion, received the ancient honour of knight banneret; this is however incorrect, as that honour was con

ferred on Captain Trollope long before the battle of Camperdown, on account of his gallant conduct in the Glatton, beating off five French frigates.

The government was so deeply sensible of the importance of the victory, that Lord Spencer, in announcing the intended motion of thanks to the admiral, officers, and men of the North Sea fleet, moved that the lords should be summoned, an honour that had never before been conferred on any individual.

The career of naval success met at this time with rather a disheartening check, by an ill-judged expedition against the island of Teneriffe under the command of Admiral Nelson, on which occasion that gallant officer lost an arm, which was so shattered by a cannon ball as to render amputation indispensable. On this, Nelson returned to England, as he expressed himself, to be laid up for a time in ordinary, as the severity of the service, in which he had been lately engaged, required a relaxation of his duties, in order that the complete restoration of his health might be effected. On his landing, he repaired immediately to Bushey Park, when he was received by the Duke of Clarence in the most cordial manner, and he remained under the hospitable roof of his Royal Highness until his recovery was effected, when his Royal Highness introduced him at court, on which occasion he presented to the king a memorial of his services, which was most graciously received, and Nelson soon afterwards received a very flattering proof of the estimation in which those services were held by his majesty.

The Duke of Clarence was at this particular period, appointed ranger of Bushey Park, on the death of the dowager Countess of Guildford, and we cannot refrain expressing our indignation, that in the many plans of reform which have been brought forward for the abolition of all useless places and sinecures, the rangerships of the royal parks, have not been amongst the first to be swept away. The parks are acknowledged to be the property of the crown, and they are well adapted for the breeding of deer, wherewith to tickle the royal palates

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so far we might be disposed to withhold our reprobation, as we well know that luxurious and riotous living is one of the concomitants of royalty, but we would ask, why should the people of this country be called upon to pay to a certain member of the royal family a considerable sum, annually for the supposed performance of a menial office, called a ranger, the duties of which consist literally in doing nothing. So convinced indeed was the Duke of Sussex of the direct robbery, which these rangers commit upon the public purse, that on the demise of George the IV. when one of the most lucrative of the rangerships was offered to him, he, in a burst of high-flown patriotism refused the appointment, on the score that it was contrary to his acknowledged principles to accept of any office to which an adequate duty was not attached, and for which the people, nevertheless had to pay. We pretend not to know by what magician's wand, these qualms and scruples of his Royal Highness were overcome, but they by degrees gradually subsided, and he was duly installed into all the rights, immunities, emoluments, and profits of ranger of St. James' and Hyde Parks. If it be, however, necessary that these rangerships should be continued for the purpose of swelling out the income of the royal holders of them, we still cannot see why they should be conferred on individuals, who have not the slightest claim on the public purse for the performance of any useful services to the state, on the contrary, that the appointment has been conferred upon them for services of a very questionable and disreputable nature. If the House of Commons, in their scandalous and disgraceful rejection of Mr. D. W. Harvey's motion for a committee, to inquire into the services for which certain pensions and sinecures were granted, had proceeded to make an inquiry into the nature of the services by which Lady Bloomfield now holds the rangership of Hampton Court Park, we suspect, they would have to go back to certain scenes enacted within that pandemonium of vice, Carlton House, where the services of the Bloomfield Family stand most conspicuously prominent, and very scantily em

blazoned by the hand of virtue. We know that we shall be met with the hackneyed cry, that the dignity of royalty must be supported, be it so then, but we cannot discover how that dignity can be supported by the appointment to so menial an office as that of a park-keeper, to which a certain annual income is attached, in the same manner as to the park-keepers of our nobility. It is, however, these rangerships, these colonelcies of regiments, these governorships of castles, that form the cheese parings and candle ends of royalty, and proud indeed must the individuals be, when they reflect, by what degrading means their pomp and splendour are maintained.

George III. was a strange compound of sense and stupidity, of pride and imbecility, of obstinacy and subserviency, and on no occasion was that paradoxical character more conspicuously displayed, than in the pageant that was got up in the month of December, 1797, purporting to be a thanksgiving to the Almighty, for the defeat of the Spanish and Dutch Fleets, at the same time that his Majesty had forgotten that the Almighty in his wisdom, had been pleased to allow the utmost disgrace and discomfiture, to befall the British army under the command of that most notable of all generals the Duke of York. If therefore the country had to thank Heaven on the part of the navy, the reverse was the case on the part of the army, and there were not a few of the serious and the deep thinking part of the nation, who reprobated a solemn procession to St. Pauls' for some partial successes, when on the other hand, the country was daily and hourly threatened by the most disastrous consequences, arising from the defeat of the British armies. The 19th of December however was the day fixed for this great solemnity, and fortunately the weather proved uncommonly fine for that time of the year, which rendered the spectacle particularly brilliant and impressive.

Long before daylight, the houses in the streets through which the procession was to pass, were filled with spectators, many of whom came from a considerable distance, during the night. About seven o'clock the military moved to their res

pective stations. The Foot Guards took the duty from St. James' to Temple Bar, inside of which the streets were lined by the city militia, the East India volunteers, and several other corps of the same description. At eight o'clock, the seamen and marines, chosen to escort the colours, formed before the Admiralty. The procession began with two flags taken from the French-three from the Spaniards-and four from the Dutch. The colours were carried on artillery wagons, each set attended by a party of lieutenants on foot, who had served in the several engagements in which they were won.

A large detachment of marines, with music followed; and the whole corps took their stations in the cathedral, from the west door to the choir. The following admirals brought up the rear of this part of the procession-Viscount Duncan, Sir Charles Thompson, Sir Richard Onslow, Sir Alan Gardner, Sir Thomas Pasely, Sir Roger Curtis, Sir Horatio Nelson, Lord Hugh Seymour, Caldwell, Waldegrave, Hamilton, Goodall, Young, Lindsay, Gambier, Bazeley, and Captain Sir Henry Trollope.

The Lords and Commons followed in order; the Chancellor in the rear of the one, and the Speaker in that of the other.

These parts of the procession reached the cathedral about nine; and soon after ten, the firing of the Park guns announced that their Majesties had entered their carriages-preceded by the Dukes of Gloucester, York, and Clarence, with their respective suites.

At Temple Bar, the usual formalities took place, on the entrance of the King into the city; and then the Lord Mayor, with the principal authorities, by deputation, rode in their robes, bareheaded, before their Majesties, to St. Paul's.

When the procession reached the church, the lieutenants, taking the flags from the wagons, attended by the seamen and marines, divided into two lines, for the captains to pass to their seats in the galleries.

The colours were carried in procession, with martial music, to the middle of the dome, where they were placed in a circle. The Princesses, with the Dukes of York and Clarence, Prince