Kitabı oku: «The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 291 - Supplement to Vol 10», sayfa 2

Memoir Of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence,

LORD HIGH ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND

 
Ye sacred arks of Liberty! that float
Where Tamar's waters spread their bosom wide,
That seem, with towering stern and rampart stride,
Like antique castles girt with shining moat:
Should War the signal give with brazen throat,
No more recumbent here in idle pride,
Your rapid prows would cleave the foaming tide,
And to the nations speak in thundering note.
Thus in the firmament serene and deep,
When summer clouds the earth are hanging o'er,
And all their mighty masses seem asleep,
To execute Heaven's wrath, and judgment sore,
From their dark wombs the sudden lightnings leap,
And vengeful thunders peal along the shore.
 

Forget Me Not—for 1828.

The recent appointment of the above illustrious individual to the head of our naval administration is a gratulatory topic for every Englishman; and we doubt not the measure will contribute as largely to individual honour, as it will to the national welfare. In the abstract, nations resemble large families, of which kings are fathers or guardians; and the subdivision of this guardianship or paternal government, among the sons or younger brothers of the sovereign is calculated to promote unanimity among the governors, and to engraft with affectionate loyalty the hearts of the governed. Indeed, the tutelar presence of princes seldom fails to inspire courage, and to support the patriotic sons of arms even in the extremes of danger; and, although the princes of our times have seldom been distinguished in the camp of war,—we should recollect that

 
Nihil sunt foris arma nisi est consilium domi.
 

The DUKE of CLARENCE, who is next brother to his present Majesty, was born at St. James's Palace, August 21, 1765, at a quarter before four in the morning, and in the following month was baptized by the name of WILLIAM HENRY. It is said that in his childhood and youth, it was the frankness of his countenance and behaviour induced the king to devote him to the naval service: added to this, he surpassed his brothers in corporeal strength and constitutional hardihood; although he was exceeded by them in the more refined acquirements of study, to which he manifested comparative indifference. With a mind naturally framed for peril and enterprise, and aware of the subordinate rank and laborious stations through which he must pass to distinction, he appears to have been enthusiastic and impatient for the service long before he entered the lists, notwithstanding he commenced his career at the age of fourteen, by joining the Prince George, a ninety-eight-gun ship, recently built, and named after his present majesty. In this ship, under the command of Admiral Digby, his royal highness bore a part in the great naval engagement between the English and Spanish fleets, commanded by Admiral Rodney and Don Juan de Langara. Previous to his leaving the Prince George, he was also present at the capture of a French man-of-war and three smaller vessels, forming part of a considerable convoy; but in neither of these instances was an opportunity offered for any distinguishing effort of bravery. On this occasion, the Spanish admiral, Don Juan de Langara, on visiting Admiral Digby, was introduced to his royal highness. During the conference between the two admirals the prince retired, and when it was intimated that Don Juan wished to return, his royal highness appeared in the uniform of a midshipman, and respectfully informed the admiral that the boat was ready. The Spaniard was surprised to see the son of his Britannic majesty acting in the capacity of an inferior officer, and emphatically observed to Admiral Digby, "Well does Great Britain merit the empire of the seas, when humble stations in her navy are filled by princes of the blood."

We have next the pleasing duty of adverting to two signal exertions of his royal highness in the cause of humanity—conduct which

 
is twice bless'd:
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
 

The first is thus narrated by a midshipman of the Torbay, in a letter to his friends:—

"Port Royal Harbour, April, 1783.

"The last time Lord Hood's fleet was here, a court-martial was held on Mr. Benjamin Lee, midshipman, for disrespect to a superior officer, at which Lord Hood sat as president. The determination of the court was fatal to the prisoner, and he was condemned to death. Deeply affected as the whole body of the midshipmen were at the dreadful sentence, they knew not how to obtain a mitigation of it, since Mr. Lee was ordered for execution; while they had not time to make their appeal to the Admiralty, and despaired of success in a petition to Admiral Rowley. However, His Royal Highness generously stepped forth, drew up a petition, to which he was the first to set his name, and solicited the rest of the midshipmen in port to follow his example. He then himself carried the petition to Admiral Rowley, and in the most pressing and urgent manner, begged the life of our unhappy brother; in which he succeeded, and Mr. Lee is reprieved. We all acknowledge our warmest and grateful thanks to our humane, our brave, and worthy prince, who has so nobly exerted himself in preserving the life of his brother sailor."

In the same year, 1783, the prince, then a fine midshipman, visited Cape Francois, and the Havannah, where the second instance of his generous humanity occurred. It should be premised, that some of his countrymen having broken their oath of fidelity to the Spanish government, were in danger of suffering under sentence of death. The governor of Louisiana, Don Galvez, offered, at the intercession of the prince, to pardon them; and the enthusiasm which he manifested in this "labour of love" cannot be better illustrated than by the following letter addressed by his royal highness to the governor:—

"Sir,—I want words to express to your Excellency my just sense of your polite letter, of the delicate manner in which you caused it to be delivered, and your generous conduct towards the unfortunate in your power. Their pardon, which you have been pleased to grant on my account, is the most agreeable present you could have offered me, and is strongly characteristic of the bravery and gallantry of the Spanish nation. This instance increases, if possible, my opinion of your Excellency's humanity, which has appeared on so many occasions, in the course of the late war.

"Admiral Rowley is to dispatch a vessel to Louisiana for the prisoners. I am convinced they will ever think of your Excellency's clemency with gratitude; and I have sent a copy of your letter to the king my father, who will be fully sensible of your Excellency's attention to me.

"I request my compliments to Madame Galvez, and that you will be assured that actions so noble as those of your Excellency will ever be remembered by

"Yours, sincerely, WILLIAM P."

On June 17, 1785, after a service afloat of six years and three months, his royal highness was promoted lieutenant of the Hebe. In ten months after this we find him serving as captain of the Pegasus; next in the Andromeda and the Valiant; and on December 3, 1790, his royal highness received a commission as rear-admiral of the blue, having then been about eighteen months a peer of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by the titles of duke of Clarence and St. Andrews, and earl of Munster. From this period till the year 1814 his royal highness remained on shore. On April 19, in that year, he hoisted his flag on board the Jason, as admiral of the fleet; and on the 23rd of the same month he sailed from Dover, with several other ships, to escort Louis XVIII. to the coast of France; and having seen him to Calais, returned to the Downs on the night of the 24th, and struck his flag a few days after.¹

During the period between the 25th of May and June 28th, 1814, (when his royal highness finally took leave of the sea,) his flag was hoisted, successively, in the Impregnable and Jason, and again in the Impregnable, and from her transferred to the Magicienne; in which last ship he sailed on the 26th of June, and having escorted the allied sovereigns to the continent, struck his flag, and came on shore.²