role to his country and his friends. Let not baits be thrown out to allure him into crimes; to tempt him to defert and betray his country; to make improper discoveries; or to enter into any engagements, or accede to any propofals, which a man of integrity ought to reject. If he muft unavoidably be detained for a time in confinement, let not severity or neglect add to the diftreffes of a prifon. Let the utmost tenderness and delicacy be shewn to those of the weaker fex, who are overtaken by the calamities of war. And above all things, when towns and forts are captured by ftorm, let no exertions be spared to protect persons of every description, particularly the old and the helplefs, from the outrages of an unbridled foldiery, flushed with victory and panting for spoil and devastation.

Among the many bleffings which the introduction of Christianity has conferred on mankind, the change which it has wrought in the mode of conducting hoftilities, and in the treatment of enemies and captives, is not the leaft confiderable. This change is afcribed folely to the refinement of modern manners, Y

VOL. I.

by

by fuch as are not difpofed to attribute much credit of any kind to Revelation. But they forget that this very refinement is principally due to the influence of the Gofpel on thofe who believe it, and to the effect of their example on those who do not.

The duty of an Officer towards the subjects of neutral powers confists in respecting the rights and immunities of neutrality, whether established by the general laws and usages of nations, or by particular (m) treaties. He may

not

(m) There are fome things not provided for by treaties, which cuftom and the practice of war feem to authorise. Treaties generally forbid neutral powers to fupply an enemy with naval ftores, or any kind of warlike weapon; and commonly specify the particulars. But it fometimes happens that many articles not within the letter of the treaty may be highly useful to an enemy, when in great want of more material ftores; and this country, in such cafes, through the fuperiority of her naval power, has feldom failed to bring fhips having them on board into port, and to make a compulfory purchase of the articles in queftion. The public, through the medium of the Navy Board, has been the purchafer; and the price given has been fufficiently good. If we had never proceeded further, neutral powers would probably have found no fault. But inthe American war fuch fhips, through useless forms and

bad

hot compel nor delude individuals to violate their neutrality towards his enemies by abetting, directly or indirectly, his hoftile operations. He may not infringe neutral property by fea or by land, nor detain or purchase it by compulfion; except in cafes wherein the legality of fuch measures was previously recognised by the neutral state. He may not attack his adversaries, nor feize their property, in difregard of the privileges of neutral lands, coafts, and harbours,

bad management, were fuffered to lie in our harbours till both veffels and cargoes were perishing. The confequence was, that on account of a very few articles the ship's voyage was stopped; and a host of enemies raised up against us, which at last ended in an armed neutrality. We were in the end obliged not only to purchafe every article of the cargoes; but to pay heavy demurrage, and alfo compenfation for the damage which the fhips received, to an enormous amount. Some of the fhips remained twenty-one months in our ports before they were brought to trial; although a short and obvious plan (which would at once have enfured the feizure of the objectionable articles on the arrival of the veffels in port, and the immediate liberation of the fhips without the charges and delay of trials in the Court of Admiralty, and would thus have prevented the vast expences and other difagree

harbours, whatever advantage we might hope thus to obtain for (2) himself or for his country.

4. It remains to fubjoin a few brief remarks relating to the conduct of an Officer in private life.

They who escape the vices peculiar to their

able confequences which refulted to this country from method actually followed) was propofed from the proper quarter.

(n) There are various cafes of captures, fome refpecting neutral rights and immunities, others not, in which a Naval Officer will naturally be under a temptation of seeing the circumstances too ftrongly in his own favour. It may be. doubtful whether the veffel taken be neutral property or not, whether it was not seized within so small a distance from a neutral coaft, that the captor is bound to relinquish it; whether it was not taken after the commencement of a truce; whether other veffels were not actually in fight at the time of the capture, fo as to be entitled to a share in the prize; whether, if it be a retaken fhip, it was not in the enemy's poffeffion merely for fo fhort a time, that it fhould be restored to the original owner. In these and all fimilar fituations let an Officer carefully guard against the bias to which he is fubject; and fhew himself aware that the rights of others, whoever they may be, are no lefs facred than his own.

profeffion,

profeffion, cannot avoid the habits which it naturally produces. It may be obferved, with regard to the profeffions of which we are now treating (and a fimilar reflection might be applied to others), that fome of the habits which they occafion, and even require, become vices when they are transferred from the camp and the quarter-deck to the walks of focial and domeftic life. And thither they will certainly, though perhaps imperceptibly, be transferred, unless active care be employed to confine them to their proper fphere. He who has been long accustomed to the exercife of undisputed command, is in danger of expecting from his family and dependents a mechanical fubmiffion to his inclinations, and an unbounded deference to his opinions; or at least of tarnishing the character of the Mafter, the Parent, and the Husband, by the authoritative demeanour and peremptory tone of the Officer. He who has been familiarifed to the frequent change of place and company experienced by perfons in the Navy and Army, is liable to harass those who are connected with him, by indulging a roving and unfettled difpofition; to deprefs them by difcontent at what he terms the dul