Prince William listened to these admonitions of his royal father, with that attention which a person generally manifests, who is determined in his own mind to discard them from his thoughts altogether. He felt himself subject to a law superior to that of man, and by that he was determined that his conduct should be regulated.

It was the latter end of January that Prince William returned to his naval duties on board the Prince George, then lying at Spithead. He was received by his messmates and all the officers of the ship with the most hearty welcome, and ordering half a dozen of wine to be taken into the middy's berth, they passed the evening in joviality and mirth, although distinguished by many of those mischievous frolics, which perhaps under any other circumstances, would have led to wrangling, and perhaps to blows.

On the 25th of February, Admiral Digby, with six sail of the line, got under weigh, and steered down the channel on a cruise, which at that time was looked upon as a trip to sea for about three weeks or a month, and then return to port to refit and revictual. The utility or necessity of a considerable fleet cruising in a sea where no enemy was to be found, except a straggling privateer or a fishing cock-boat, when their services might have been of great avail elsewhere, became a subject of inquiry, and brought the existing Board of Admiralty into disrepute, by frittering away the resources of the country, when our foreign possessions were in the most imminent danger of being captured by a vigilant and enterprising enemy

Spain was at this time so intent upon the reduction of Gibraltar, that she scarcely seemed to have another object in the war. The stupendous works which she raised before the place, were covered with the most formidable artillery that had ever perhaps been known in any siege, but all her efforts could not prevent timely relief from being conveyed to the garrison. Prince William had been engaged in the relief of it, under Rodney, and he was now about to assist in accomplishing the same purpose under Admiral Darby, who sailed on

the 13th of March with the Channel fleet, having under his command, 200 sail for the relief of that important fortress. He was joined by Admiral Digby, in the Prince George in the Channel, and a finer display of naval power had scarcely ever been seen by the oldest seamen. The equinoctial gales had set in, blowing furiously from the westward, and considerable difficulty was experienced in keeping the convoy together, or preventing some of them from falling into the hands of the sharks, as the sailors termed them, which consisted of a number of well-armed privateers, which hung about the rear of the fleet, with the hope of cutting off some of the stragglers, whose heavy sailing or damages committed by the wind might throw out of the protection of the men of war. From a series of contrary winds, the fleet did not reach Cape Spartel until the 11th of April, when Admiral Darby despatched the Kite cutter with a letter to General Elliot, informing him of the relief that was approaching him. The Spaniards had at that time a large fleet in Cadiz ready for sea, and considering the vast importance which they attached to the reduction of Gibraltar, it was a matter of surprise to all, that they did not push their fleet out to sea, for even if they avoided a general engagement, no doubt whatever existed, that they might have done great damage to the transports, if not scattered the fleet altogether. On the 12th, the whole of the convoy with four ships of the line, and some frigates for their protection, anchored in Rosier Bay, whilst the remainder of the squadron kept in the offing to protect them from any attack which might be made upon them by the Spaniards.

Mr. Gilpin, in his celebrated work on "Picturesque Scenery," presents us with an animated description of the appearance of the fleet.

"It was near day-break on the 12th of April, 1781, when a message was brought from the signal-house, at the summit of the rock, that the long expected fleet, under Admiral Darby, was in sight.

“Innumerable masts were first discovered from that lofty situation, but could not be seen from the lower part of the

Castle, being obscured by a thick fog, which had set in from the west, and totally obscured the opening of the straits. In this uncertainty, the garrison remained for some time, while the fleet invested in obscurity, moved slowly towards the Castle. In the meantime, the sun becoming more powerful, the fog rose, like the curtain of a vast theatre, and discovered at once the whole fleet, full and distinct before the eye. The convoy consisting of nearly three hundred vessels, were in a compact body, led on by twenty-eight sail of the line, and a number of tenders, and other smaller vessels. A gentle wind just filled their sails, and brought them forward with a slow and solemn motion. Had all the grand exhibition been presented gradually, the sublimity of it would have been injured by the acquaintance the eye would have made with it during its approach, but the appearance of it in all its greatness at once, before the eye had examined the detail, had a wonderful effect."

The ships were no sooner brought to their moorings, and the victuallers had began to unload their cargoes, than the Spaniards opened a tremendous fire upon them from the batteries and gun-boats. Some idea may be formed of the tremendous power which the Spaniards had collected for the reduction of the fortress, by the circumstance alone, that not less than 1200 pieces of heavy ordnance, of various kinds, were pointed towards the garrison. The quantity of shot, shells, powder, military stores. and provisions, were so immense, as to exceed all credibility. The gunpowder alone amounted to 83,000 barrels. Twelve thousand French troops were sent as a reinforcement to the Spanish army. The Count d'Artois, the Duc de Bourbon, and many others of the distinguished nobility of France, were assembled in the allied camp, in order to partake in the glory which was expected to be derived from so illustrious an enterprize as the reduction of this fortress. Besides the combined fleet, forty gun-boats, with heavy cannon, many bomb-vessels, with each a twelve-inch mortar, and five large bomb-ketches, on the usual construction, were destined to second the powerful efforts of the battering ships;

three hundred large boats were collected from every part of Spain, which were to be employed in landing the troops, so soon as a breach could be made.

The garrison having been effectually relieved, Admiral Darby, with Admiral Digby, in the Prince George, second in command, returned to England, and on the 21st they arrived at Spithead.

Prince William did not on this occasion leave his ship, for report was current at the time that the French fleet were in the chops of the channel, and Admiral Darby sailed in pursuit of them, but they were not to be found.

The theatre of Prince William's services was now to be changed, and he was on the point of entering upon a scene of busier warfare, for Admiral Digby having accompanied Admiral Darby to a certain latitude; they parted company, and Admiral Digby, with the Prince George, the Condor, of 74, the Lion, of 64, and the Perseverance, of 36, proceeded to America, and on the 24th of August, the fleet arrived at Sandy Hook.

The arrival of Prince William at New York, was hailed by the inhabitants with every token of loyalty and personal esteem. He was the first of the royal family of England, who had set a foot on the American soil, and his appearance amongst the Americans at this time, operated as a talisman to revive their sinking loyalty, and to stimulate them to fresh exertions in their arduous contests with the revolutionists.

Shortly after the arrival of Prince William at New York, the loyalists got up an address to his Royal Highness, in which the customary fulsome adulation was poured upon him with the utmost profusion, and a great deal of nonsense uttered in regard to his appearance effecting a conciliation between all parties, and putting an end to hostilities. The wrongs of America were, however, of too deep a nature to be cured by the simple appearance of a branch of the royal family of Great Britain, and in some respects, it acted in an inverse ratio; for royalty at that time was by no means in high estimation with the majority of the American people; on the contrary, they had

determined to shake off their allegiance to the Crown of England, and, therefore, to them, it was rather a matter of dislike, than of approval, to see an individual amongst them, who was one of the inheritors of that Crown, and who was actually come among them with the sword in his hand, to enforce their obedience to a government which they repudiated.

To the address of the loyalists, Prince William made a suitable reply, that is, he thanked them for their expressions of loyalty to his Royal Father, and for their determination to uphold the dignity of his Crown. He further informed the loyalists, that he would take the earliest opportunity of communicating their loyal sentiments to his father, who would, no doubt, properly appreciate them, which in other words, was saying, that just as much notice would be taken of them, as of many hundreds of the petitions of the people of England, which are murdered on the table of the House of Commons, without the slightest chance of ever being resuscitated.

The adulation of royalty by the clergy, is one of the surest ways to preferment, whether it be on the shores of America, or in the vicinity of Lambeth Palace on the banks of the Thames, and accordingly, we find that on the first visit of Prince William to the Episcopal church at New York, Dr. Inglis, the rector, seized the very first favourable opportunity of descanting largely on the blessings of royalty, and the great advantage which every country enjoys, which is subject to its sway. He impressed upon his auditors, the remembrance of the inextinguishable debt of gratitude which they owed to the King of England in sending one of his sons amongst them, who came to heal all dissensions, and to rivet closer the bonds of amity between the mother country, and her revolted colonies. Of the real character of Prince William, it may be said with truth, that the worthy divine knew little or nothing; nevertheless, he informed them that the royal Prince, who was then amongst them, was the paragon of every virtue, the focus all that is great and noble in the human character; and he so bespattered the royal youth with his fulsome flattery, that he became nauseated with it, and although it is by no means an uncommon