so ^^tUBRARYQ<- K^mkmo/-^ ^— 'P I' § >&Aavaan-i^ AWElNIVERi//, &Aiiv}iaiH^ ^^nS^-UBRARYQ^ ^IIIBRARYQ<;^ ^OFCAIIFO/?^ ^«!/0JnV3J0-^ ^OFCAIIFOP;*^ AWfUNIVERS-ZA o ^ME-UNIVER5"/A >&AHVHOnAS^ >&;jJV}l8ll-# o "^/^ajMNajw^^ AWEUNIVERS-/A r-*c: OS %a3AINfl-3\V^^ ^OFCAIIFO/?,^ ^OFCAIIFO% "^^waaiH^ ^' ^OJIWD^O"^ AMEUNIVERy/A o %130NVS01^ ^•10SANCEI^>. '^/Sa3AINI13V^ ^.QFCAIIFO/?^ s^.OFCAlIFO/?;*;. "^(JAavnan-i^ «aweuniver% >&Aaviian-^^ Art. 6. That it muft be owing to ill Condud: for one fingle Ship to put the whole Line in diforder, by only loling her Forc-top- maft; whereas it might have been repaired in a few Hours. A". B. V/hat became of her Bowlings, or had flie any to her Sails ? Object. 6. What could il:ie do with her Bowlines — tear the Sails to pieces, or can it be fuppofed that the Bowlines could fupport the Fore-top-maft with all its Rigging, ^c. lying at the Back of the Fore-fail, when the Braces, Tack, ^c. were gone ; the beft Way mafl certainly be to cut the Top-maft Rigging quite away, and clear thcmfelves from it as faft as pofiible J its faid it might have been repaired in a few Hours, whereas this Confufion don't ap- pear to have lafled, according to the Letter, more x}[i2Si fome Minutes. The Confufion was far from being general, or extending thro' the Line, tho' Experience has often diewn, that one hhip may diforder bell Part of a Line of Battle. iV B. The Letter fays but a few were diforcer'd . C Art. 7, [ i8 ] Art. 7. As the Enemy was not to be fcen for five Days after, he might have landed his Forces, or at leafl peeped into Mabon ; but as he did neither, we think he was afraid of meeting the Enemy off the Mouth of the Harbour. But it fccms it icas not his Fighting Day. Object. 7. Why he did not land his Forces, muft appear from the Proceedings of the Council of War, but the Admiral, far from running away, prudently lay refitting his Ships the whole Night, for a frefh Engage- ment, fo that if Galijjonniere had been as ready as he next Morning, I can't help thinking but it would have prOv'd his Fighting Day. A'^. B, It feems to me that Admiral Weji, who tis allowed proved himfelf a Man of Courage, would have protefted againft the Council of War, had there not been fome better Reafons than we are acquainted with to induce him to acquiefce, unlefs it is to be fup- pofed that his Fighting Day was pafl too, which I won't fuppofe without better Foundation. Art. 8. [ 19 ] Art. 8. By his ill Condua, he left the Enemy Maflers of the Seas. Object. 8. This can only be determined by a Council of War. Art. 9. We look upon his Account that the Enemy failed three to one, to be a Mil- take, owing to a Pannic j becaufe, if it had been true, they had it in their Power, in the Attempt they made, to have gained the Wind- ward Gage, by eating us out of the Wind. Object. 9. One Ship may out-fail another large or right before the Wind, yet may not be able to ply to the Windward fo well- there is a great deal in the Building of Ship- ping which may occafion this Difference ; fome Ships holding their Wind much better than others ; further, the Wind might fliifr, and be ftill in our Favour however, I be- lieve their failing three Feet to our one may be an Overfight in the Admiral's reading the Letter, probably drawn up by a blundering Secretary j and we ought to refled, that the Admiral had more Things of Confequence to C 3 take [20 ] take Care of there, than mofl: of us, who can criticize coolly upon his Anions here. Art. 10. That it does not appear, that Mr. Bimgy intended any Skirmiili, if the French had not rudely begun firing upon his Ships. Ob J. lo. The contrary is apparent, be- caufe he, being to Windward, might have chofe whether he would have engaged or not j inftead of which it is exprefly faid, he made the Signal to bear down upon GaI?JJo}inicn' and engage. Art. II. That as the {7(1^ Bung had the Windward Gage, he might have run clofe on Board the Enemy, and with his Crowd of Sail becalmed them j the Confequence would have been a Vidory, as their Ships could not have edr>-ed away three Feet in an Hour. Ob J. II. x^s the French Ships are laid to be the beft Sailors, How could he clofe with and becalm them, when it was in their Power to take or leave at Pleafure ; 'tis faid, by the [21 ] the EngliJJj Fleet's crowding Sail ? — Did the French then leave their Sails behind them at Totilon ? If not, Had they not Power to crowd too ? Befides, Can any Mortal afcertain a Vidtory, where the Adverfaries are equal. War being fo fortuitous ? Art. 12. As he had 13 Sail of the Line to the Enemy's 12, and 52 Guns more than they, he ought not to have adled as a Fribble, and more efpecially as Mahon was at Stake. For thefe and many more Reafons we ex- pert he fliould be brought immediately to the Gang-way, to receive his Reward for Mifde- meanors fo malignant. Ob J. 12. This Article was anfwer'd be- fore ; a Fribble would never have diminifhed his Force, unlefs it could be proved, that the Admiral had retired himfelf into the Dept- Jordy fo dlfmllTed out of the Line. For the above, and divers other Reafons, I fliall pollpone my Opinion, till a legal En- quiry is made. Can it be fuppofed, a Coward would make Intereft to go upon an Expedi- tion, he knew muft be attended with immi- nent [ 22 ] Dent Hazard of Life and Charader j a Gen-. tleman, according to Report, pofieffed too of a very plentiful Fortune. As to the pretend- ed Delay of Mr. B in fetting out, the Nature of .his Inftrudions, &c. not being ac- auainted with the Arcana's of the Cabinet, I J. mufl leave them intwin'd, with other State Myfteries, to be untwifted by Time (perhaps fooner) at leaft at the final Difclofure of all Things. Thus much I muft fay, that had repeated Orders, as given out, been fent to Mr. B to fail, tis hardly probable, that he would have been prrmitied to have difre- garded fuch Orders. But to proceed, *Tls a lamentable Circumflance, if the falfe Reports given out of an Officer Abroad, rtiouid occafion his Difgrace among the Populace at Home, when tis poiTible thofe very Reports might be rais'd primarily by our profefs'd Ene- mies, the Reafon for which might be, their being too fenfible ot fuch Officer's Abilities, with refped to the intended Expedition. I fay, if this is the Cafe, 'twould be dreadful, (hould fuch Incendiaries gain their Ends j this muft deter experienc'd Officers f\'om offering their Service to ':be Goverment at any Exi- gency, [ 23 ] gency, not caring to run fo great a Rilk of lofing their Characters. — May the Means be ever remembered, whereby the Ejiglifi were deprived of that great and good Man Sir Wal- ter Raleigh ; his being too v^ell acquainted with South America^ made him obnoxious to the Spanifi Court, which, after repeated Efforts for many Years, work'd his Downfall, by the AfTiftance of curfed Gold, and the In- trigues of Gondomor. Thus far, in the Purfuance of my Plan, I have endeavoured to dived myfelf of all Party Prejudices, and to fpeak like a Citizen of the World; I fhall now clofe, with declaring, that if Mr. B fl:iould be found, after a candid Examination, guilty 3 I fhall readily, and doubt not every true Bj'itojj s]o\mng with me, in wifliing he may meet with the mofl exemplary Punidiment, as a Traitor to his native Country, and moft gracious Soverei^-n, whom may God out of his infinite Mercy Ion"- protedl, ^c. E I N I S. SOME Further Particulars I N RELATION TO THE CASE O F Admiral B y n g. FROM ORIGINAL PAPERS, &'c. Fiat Jufiitia! By a Gentleman of Oxford. LONDON: Printed for J. L a c y, at the Corner of St. Martin s Court, St. Martin% Lane, near LeiceJler'Fields ; and are to be fold at all the Pamphlet Shops and Bookfellers in London and JFejiminJicr. 1756. [ Price One Shilling, j [ I ] SOME Interefting Particulars Tending to Explain The late Condua of A — B-. THE cruel Situation of A ■ B , in being expos'd to the Refentment of the Nation for not doing what was not in his Power to do, and left to the Mercy of thofe who are pofTibly predetermined to Hiew him none, ap- pears already in fo glaring a Light, that a bare Mention of the Fadt, is fafHcient to introduce all that is here to be faid upon it. Nor will it be thought, I hope, indecent or improper" for the Friends of a Gentleman, labouring under fuch a Variety of Prefllires, to offer a Word or two to the Publick in his Vindication. B How [2] How heavy a Load has been laid upon him, and with what exemplary Patience he has borne it, is obvious to the whole World : And as an Interval of Candour and Moderation may poffibly recur, when it will be afked^ by what ftrange Fatality he was brought into fuch a Situation, it is a Duty incumbent on a Man, innocent and injured like him, to be provided with an Anfwer. And, indeed, whoever has at prefent Compofure enough to fee Things as they really are, muft be ftruck with no fmall Degree of Aftonifliment, in obferving, what flight PremifTes have produced thefe extra- ordinary Confequences. For as yet all that has been made Public concerning this fuppofed Criminal, (I mean that is fupported by any Degree of Autho- rity) amounts to no more than this ; That he fail'd, arrived, and fought the Enemy as foon as he could : and that, if he did not obtain a compleat Victory, fo neither did he fuffer any coniiderable Lofs. Scraps and Fragments of Intelligence, ge- nerally [ 3 ] n^rally in the mofl: abufive Language, have it is true been inferted from time to time in the News- Papers, under the Pretence of Letters from on Board his Fleet : But if the Matter they contain could have been rely'd on, even by thofe who have made fo unfair a Ufe of it, it would, no doubt, have been referv'd, to be given in Evidence at his Trial : And if they could not rely upon it, any Attempt to impofe it on the Public, ought to be refented, as it deferves. For their own fakes it ought to be re- fented ; for without the Help of fuch un- fair Pradices, from time to time repeated, a People fo defervedly famous for their good Nature and Generofity, could not have been induced to adt as they have done, in a Manner repugnant to the firft Principles of Juflice and Humanity, which provide. That the opprefled fhould be facred from Infults, and the accus'd from Cenfure, till a regular Courfe of Proofs has demon- ftrated their Guilt : So often as it appears in our Annals, that fuch an unnatural Fer- ment has been rais'd, and direded to the Ruin of any particular Man, it appears to have been rais'd and direded by the fame B 2 Means; [4] Means i and that within the Compafs of a very few Years, we fhould twice be taken in the fame Snare, is not the befl Compliment to our Memories. But I proceed now to the Particulars propounded at the Head of this P;.per. On the 17th oi March the Admiral re- ceiv'd his Commiflion, and took the Oaths as Admiral of the Blue : On the 20th he arriv'd at Port/mouthy and found Letters from the Board, forbidding him to meddle with any Men belonging to the Tot bay ^ Ejfex, Naffau^ Prince Frederick, Cokhefler and Greyhound (all which Ships were faid to be wanted for the mofl pre fling Service) or, if it was poffible to be avoided, with any Men belonging to any odier Ship in a ferviceable Condition, The fame Letters alfo direded him, to compleat the manning and fitting the Stirliiig^CaJJle, in Preference to any other Ship, as flie alfo was wanted for the fame mofl: preffing Service. On the 2ift at Sun-Rifing, he hoifted his Flag on Board the Ramillies : Six other Ships of his Squadron, viz. The Buckingham^ Cuilodeny [ s] Ctilloden, Captain^ Revenge^ Kingpon^ and Defiance were at Spifhead -, two, the Trident and Lancafter were in the Harbour fitting for Sea ; and the Intrepid was not as yet fail'd from the Nore, For thefe nme- Ships, feveri Hundred and Twenty- three Men were wanting, of which two Hundred and Forty were (hort of Comphment, two Hundred and Ninety-one lent to Ships at Sea, and one Hundred and Ninety two fick in the Hofpital. It is obfervable, that in the Evening of this Day he received a Letter from the Se- cretary of the Admiralty, preffing the ut- moft Diligence in getting his Squadron into failing Order, rrtarking the Neceffity of his fo doing from the Neceffity of the Service^ which requit'd him as foon as pofiible in the Mediterranean, and incloling the Reafon, in an' Extract of a Letter from the JEarl of Brifibi at Turin ^ to Mr. Tcx^ dated March the 6th, and communicating a Defign of the French to make a Defcent on Mi- norca. To [6] To this Letter the Admiral the next Day retarn*d the AlTurances requir'd, that he was ufing all poffible Difpatch : Specifying, That in feven or eight Days he hoped all the Ships under his Command would be ready in every Refpedl, excepting Men -, and accompanying this with a State of the Ships both in Portfmouth Harbour and at Spithead, that their Lord/hips might iflue their Orders ac- cordingly. For, by the Taid State it appear*d, that over and above the ten Ships afTign*d to the Admiral, there lay at Spithead^ at that In- ftant, no lefs than Twelve Men of War of the Line ; that is to fay, the Prince of 90 Guns, the Prince George of 80, the Invin^ cible and I'orbay of 74, the Monmouth^ Tarmoutby Efex, Najjau and Prince Fre- derick of 64, and the l^ottingham and Princefi Augufia of 60 ; to which may be added the Anfon of 60, which came in three Days after, and the Fire-Brand, fire Ship. All thefe Ships,, it is to be obferv*d, were either full mann'd, or nearly fo, and four of them were Mann'd above their Compliments. And thofe in the Harbour were the Royal Am [?] Ann and Duke of 90 Guns, the Barjleur of 80, the Swiftfure, Bedford^ and Elizabeth of 64, the Brijiol and Colchefier of 50, the Romney of 40, and the Greyhound^ Gibraltar , Nightingale and Unicorn of 20 j all of which, except the four firft were alfo full manned, or nearly fo. But the fending this Lift did not anfwer the Admiral's End ; no Orders came for fup- plying the Defed of Men till the 25th, when the Admiral was diredted to take them out of the (a) Tenders and Hofpitalsj and then not till the Compliment of the Stirling Cajile had been compleated firft ^ which is fo much the more remarkable, as he received an Ex-. prefs the Day before to difpatch Mr. Keppel in the Ejfex and Gibraltar to Sea, as foon as poftible, and to fupply the faid Ships with what Number of Men they wanted out of the Najjau. To (hew, however, how well their Lord- (hips underftood Bufinefs, and how notably huh. {a) Tenders expe£led to arrive from Liverpool and /«- land^ two only of which arrived before the Fleet failed, the greateft Part of the Men from them put on board the Sterling CaJlle -y the whole Number 198. they [ 8 ] they could condud it ; on the 26th at five in the Evening it was the Admiral's Turn to re- ceive an Exprefs, informing him, that the Ludtcw Caftle was order'd to Spithead from her Cruife, with the Men borrow'd from the Ramillies^ and direding him to take from a- board the Stirling-Cajlle the Men by for- mer Orders (hipp'd on board her out of the Tenders, together with 100 Men to be dif- charg'd out of the Augufia^ towards com- pleating the Compliments of his Squadron* He was alfo di reded by the fame Exprefs, to diftribute all the Marines be had on board a- mong the fcveral Ships at Spithead ^.nd. m Port/mouth Harbour, and to receive Lord Robert Bertie's Regiment of Royal Englifi Fuziliers in their Room. An Operation, which, together v/ith procuring them Bed- ding, GJT. found Employment for the Lieu- tenant?, Boats, C5?r. till -the 30th inclufive: And the next Day was employed in com- pleating the Officers, Stores, Provifions, Water, G?c. And now April the firft at ten in the Morning, the Admiral received by an Ex- prefs a Letter from the Secretary of the Ad- miralty, together with his Inflrudions, dated March I 9] March the 30th, inclos'd, which the fame Secretary had on the 2.1ft of the Month pre- ceding prepar'd him to exped: on the 23d following : The Letter required him, in the Name of the Board, to put to Sea with the iirft fair Wind, and to proceed without Lofs of Time to the Mediterranean: There was alio inclos'd in it, an Order for receiving on Bo:rd his Squadron Lord Robert Bertie's Re- giment of Royal Fuziliers, for what Service will be explained in the Sequel : And of the faid Inftrudions, it will be fufficient in this Place to fay. That of all the Articles they were compofed of, there is but one (regard- ing the Operatior of the Enem}^ mull be underftood) pofitivej namely; That repeat- ed by the Secretary, which required him to put to Sea as foon as poffible, ^r. For the* it is admitted in the introdudlory Claufe, That feveral Advices had been received, con- cerning the fuppQsd Intentions of the French to attack the Ifland of Minorca, the cf^xt fuppofes, that their t-eal Defign was to flip through the Straits of Gibraltar, and direift their Courfe to ISIorth America -, and makes a fuitable Provifion, for leparating the Squa- dron, and fending off fuch a Part of it under Rear Admiral V/ejI, together with fuch a C pro- [lo] proportionable Namber of the Soldiers on board, as, added to the Ships he was fuppos'd to find there, would render him Superior to the Enemy (in which Cafe it is to be noted, the faid Soldiers could not have ferv'd in the Mediterranean at all, and for this, that a Su- periority was judged to be a requifite, effen- tial to the Service.) And all the other Ar- ticles hingeing in like manner, upon Events, were accordingly, to be obferved or not, as Circumftances agreed or otherwife. In obedience to thefe Inftrudions and Orders, therefore, be directed the Captains of his Squadron, to take on board all the Men they had in the Hofpitals, fit for Ser- vice, and to difcharge all the Abfent, that he might know exadtly the Number want- ing to compleat his Compliment j which in the Evening of the fame Day were found to be 336; the greateft Part of them lent to the hudlow-Caftle^ (a) Hampton -Court ^ and Tilbury^ which were ftill at Sea : of this De- fedt he fent Information at four the next Morning by Exprefs to the Board, defiring (a) The Hampton-Court then at Lijboriy the Tilbury at Cork in Ireland. their [ " ] their Lordlhips final Orders, in relation thereto, and it may be fappofed he was fo much the more fenfible of it, becaufe the I'orbay^ Ejfex and Gibraltar had fail'd Eaft- ward on a Cruife the Evening before. That Morning, however, about nine o'clock, the Ludiow'CajJie ca.me to Spithead, and about four in the Afternoon repaid the borrow 'd Men : With her alfo came in the Intrepid^ Captain Toimg^ having 261 Super- numeraries on board, but then i56ofthefc were wanting to make up the Compliment of that very Ship: So that there was ftill a Neceflity to take 30 from the Stirling-Caftle^ and 70 Supernumeraries from the G2;;/- bridge^ notwithftanding he had taken 43 from the Cokhe/ler and Romney before; which, without an Order from above, was done accordingly. By thcfe Shifts and in this precarious Man* ner, by the 3d of Aprils while the Squa- dron was getting under Sail in order to repair to St. Helens^ the Deficience of Men was fupply'd : But then it ought not to be for- got, that Captain Toung, upon receiving Or- ders the Day before to put himfelf under the C 3 Ad- [ .2 ] ^ Admiral's Command, and to receive on board the only Company of Lord Robert Bertie's, Regiment, not yet embark'd, waited upon him, with a Reprefentation, That the Intrepid was not fit for a foreign Voy- age, having made fo much Water in her Paffage from the Nore to Spitheady though her Ports were caulk'd in, that he was forc'4 to fcuttle the lower Deck, and let the Water down, in order to have it pump'd cut: That he had receiv'd no Notice of his being deftin'd for any fuch Voyage, and that he had neither Water, Provifions, or Stores for it. This was as bad News for the Admiral as for him : However, as there was now no Remedy, on the 4th all the long Boats with an Offic er in each, were order'd to repair to ^pithead with empty Water Cafks from the Intrepid^ there to exchange them with the different Ships, for full ones 3 and in the mean while, her own Officers and Boats were employed in procuring and taking ia the nece0ary Stores, Provifions, &c. The next Day, the Admiral having iA fued out the Line of Battle-3ignals, made \ (bo [ 13 I the Signal at 1 1 o 'Clock to weigh, and ftood to Sea, but was forc'd by the Tide of Ebbj accompany 'd with a Calm, to anchor again at three in the Afternoon. I had almoft forgot to fpccify, that on the 23d of March in the Afternoon, the Admiral receiv'd a Lift from the Admiralty, of thirty Officers, including two Colonels, order'd to their Pofts at Minorca, together with thirty-two Recruits and eight Deferters ; and of fixteen Officers, one Corporal, two private Men, and thirty-eight Recruits for Gibraltar-, together with Orders to take them on board j which was done according- ly, as faft as they arriv'd ; and that was not the Cafe with fome of them till the Fleet was actually under fail. And to this Recolledion, I muft alfo beg Leave to add another; namely, that the Admiral having, March 24, apply'd by Let- ter to the Board for an additional Frigate to repeat Signals, in cafe of coming to Adtion with the Enemy in his Paflage out, he was never favour'd with any Anfwer to that Pa- ragraph. With [ h] With the Squadron already particularis'd, then, on the 6th of Jpril^ he again put to Sea, palpably as foon as it was poffible for him to do (o, and after a tedious Voyage, occa- fion'd as well by Calmr, as contrary Winds, arriv'd at Gibraltar ^ May the 2d. What neceflity for being thus circum- flantial will be fliewn in its Place. And, as Premiffes never to be lofl Sight of, it is here to be obferv'd. That as the Admiral's Inftru5 ] taliuics, accompany \i with Orders yet more unprccile and cmbarrafling, (as having no- thing clear in them, but the Negligence or Ignorance of the Writers) could not but be produdivc of Perplexities and DitlicuUies in every Qiieftion they gave Rife to, con- fequcntly of Snares and Dangers in every Rcfolution taken upon them. Thirdly, That from the very different Afpedt of Things on the Admiral's arrival at Gibraltar^ from that which they had been made to wear in England^ a Difference of Condu(fl became abfolutely ncccffary ; and thence- forward, lie was cither to proceed dif- crctionally, or not to proceed at all. Inftcad of fix or eight Men of War of the Line, he was informed the Enemy had put to Sea on the 13th of April; N. B. (juft a Week after the Admiral fct fail from St. Ilellem) with a Squadron of twelve Ships from fixty to eighty Gans ; five Frigate* from twenty to fifty i two Xcbeques of eighteen, four Gallies, two Galliots, four Bomb?, cfcoriing 233 tranf- ports, with 180CO foldiers on Board, and 50 veflicls freighted with Cattle, Stores, (^c. And that inllead of Ikcring for North- America, ti6] ^Americay they had not only made a Defcent on Minorca^ but were moreover in adtual PolTeffion of the Whole Illandj Fort St, Philip excepted* I fay then with this Difference in the real State, as well as the Afpedt of Things^ furely the moft partial or violent Man in Britain, will not take Upon him to infift, that the Admiral ought to have gone in immediate Quell of an Enemy fo much his Superior in Point of Strength, for the mere Vanity of fuch a defperate Attempt ! Surely the Difference between Brutality and Bravery is better underftood amongft usj and none but the very, very Vulgar, are fubjeft to that groundlefs Notion, That it is a Fundamental in the Navy-Difcipline^ for every EngliJI:) (hip to engage two of the fame Force of any other Nation ! And let none of thefe partial or violent Perfons exult too haftily, becaufe I have not as yet orought Commodore Edgecumbe^s little Souadron to account. JL So much in the Dark as we manifeftly were with regard to the Motions and De- figns r '7 ] tgns of the Enemy, and Co much ailonidi'd and furpriz'd as we were known to be, when Day-light unawares broke in upon us ; we have no Right to reckon on any one of the Ships that compos'd it. It is> befides, notorious, that they were all in the Enemy's Power j and that they did not adually fall into their Hand, was owing only to want of due Intelligence on their Side, and due Precautions to fupply the Defedl of it, which alfo contains a Brief of our own unhappy Cafe, with refpedl to Minorca, Some little Referve of good Fortune, then, is all the Merit we can pretend to On that Account : And when we farther fee in what a Condition thofe Ships fell under the Admiral's Command, we {hall find it was more owing to his good Con- dud:, than to any Forefight any where clfe, that they were at laft rendef'd fer- vieeable. — Which brings us to the Con- fideration of what paflcd on the Admiral's arrival at Gibraltar. It was then from Mr, Edgecumbe him- Telf, whom he found at Gibraltar ^ with D the [ i8 ] the Depfford, Pnncefs Louifa^ and Fortune Sloop, part of his Squadron, that lie re- celv'd the Information cited above : And having now, for the firft Time, on'e po- litive Fa6l to reafon upon, to wit^ that tort St. Philip was adlually befieged, with a great Force compleatly furnifhed with all Manner of Am.munition and Provifion, and the Siege cover'd with a Squadron abun- dantly flronger and better appointed, than had enter'd into any of the Suppofers Heads to fuppofe poflible, who dilated his Orders ; it mull be underftood his firfl Concern was to confider, how he was beft to con- du6l himfelf in Conformity to thofe Or- ders. • The American i f f^ated in the fecond Claufe, as the Point of moft Probability^ with Refpedt to the De/ign of the French Armament, and yet again recnrr'd to, and rniplieated in the third, was now out of the Queftion ; as was alfo another in the 4ame Claufe, i f the French were ilill inad:lve in Port, in which Cafe he was to ilation his Squadron, (flill fuppos'd all-fuf- ficient) in the beft Manner to prevent their gettiDg out: And he was now to ufe all i - fojjible f '9 ] pojfibk Meam in his Power (the learned aoxl able Secretary is to be anfvverable for this Tautology) for the Relief of the Placi, taking proper Care, ncverthelefs, to ^xert his utmoft Vigilance to protecfl Gibraltar from any hoflile Attempt j which is not only underflood, but exprefled in his Oj;- ders } as alfo to prqte<5t the Trade of his Majefty's Subjeds, and to annoy the Ene- my wherever they might be found within the * Limits cf his Command -, with an Exception, however, to the Ports of the Otto?nan Empire, , which was with the ut- mofl: Circumfpedtion guarded againft. "',, And now wh^t' nis'iCondud:*' really was," we {hall endeavour to fhew. As foon as he had received from Com- modore Edgecufnbe the Inform^atjon fpeci- fled above, which was the Day of his Ar- rival, he iffued immediate Orders, for all the Ships of his Squadron to compleat their . ■-- -■' * It feems -his Orders dicj not impow'er him tp attack the Enemy, even if he met them, without the Limit§ of his Command, as War was not then declared, D 2 Pro- [ 20 1 Provifions and Water with the utmoA Ex- pedition. On the third he went on Shore to com- tnnnicate to the Governor pf Gibraltar his Orders in relation to a Battallion, to be de- tach'd from the Garrifon, and to be em- hark'd on Board the Squadron for the Re- lief of Fort St, Philip, The Governor had alfo Orders delivered to him from the War Office ; which, it feems, were to have been of the fame Tendency, whether in Fad: they were fo or not ; But, waving that Point for a Mo- ment, new Matter in Abundance having arifen, which had not been fo much as fuppos'd at the Time of Penning them, and fuch as had been produdive of Diffi- culties, hardly if at all to be furmounted, it was thought proper, in the firfl: Place, to take the Opinion of the Engineers beft ac- quainted with the Works of Fort St. Philip (the principal of whom had not only been in Service there, but when at Home, had been promoted to the Poft he then held, on the Merit of bringing Home a Model of the Place) concerning the Poflibility or [ 21 ] Probability of relieving the fame, and they gave it under their Hands the fame Day, That all Circumftances confidered, it ap- pear'd to them extremely dangerous, if not impradicable, to throw Succour into This Opinion of the Engineers was more^ over fubmitted on the Morrow, to a Council of War, compos'd of the Governor and all the Field Officers of the GarrifonafTembled, to take into Confideration the feveral Orders above acceded to. And by the Way, tho' much has already been faid of thofe from the War Office to General Fowke, and more of the Ufage they have unhappily expos'd him to, it is hop'd the public will forgive a ffiort Interjection in the Shape of Queries on the fame Subje6t, which may poffibly ferve to throw fome additional Light upon it. To wit. Whether the Land and Sea fervice, are not diftindl from and independent of each o- ther ? Whether they are not accordingly un- der the Direcflion of diftincft Offices and Of- ficers? Whether thofe employ *d in either of the the f^id Services, are Subjefl to any Orders, but fuch as are addrefs'd to them thrcucrh the proper Office they belong tp? Whe- ther for Example, an Order from the. Secre- tary at War, can be underftood to be of Au- thority to the Fleet, and vice verfa from the Admiralty Board to the Army ? Whether when both Offices are. to co-operate. ia. the fame Service, the Orders given by both, Wght not to correfpond exactly in ev^y Cir- cumflance ? Whether, in cafe of recipiocal Ignorance in each Office as to what is doin^ in the other, this necefcry Co-operation might not be obtain'd, if the Secretary of State W2LS in the Secret of both, as he ought to be, and was to give his Inftrudtions ac- cordingly ? And laftly. When the Orders in relation to the fame Service ifTued frpm both, 'inftead of cbrrefponding as above required, happen to be irreconcilable, whether the Land-officers are not to be juflify'd, in ad- hering to thofe of the War Office, a!nd the Sea Officers to thofe of the Admiralty ? And 'novv" having put thefe Queftions which anfwer thenifelves, what is tp fol- low is an Abflra6l of the two Commands, Tidelicet. Jji the firft Paragraph of Lord Bar- [ 23 ] Barrrngion\ firft Letter to the General, dat- ed March 21, 1756, itisfaid, The Ki.ig has order'd the Royal Regiment of Fuziliers to embark immediately for Gibraltar.^ and that upon their arrival he is to make a Detach- ment from the four Regiments then in Gar- rifon to Minorca: Which implies furely. That if the Detachment was to go, the Regi- 0ient was to ftay. But, as if for fear this fhould not be plain enough, the next Para- graph is exprefs, That together with the Re- cruits for the Corps in his Garrifon, the faid Regiment was to be difeinbark^d^ and quar^ terd in the Garrijon under his Command : Upon which faid Difembarkation, he the faid General, in obedience to his Majefty's further Pleafure, was to caufe a Detach- ment, equal to a Batallion on the prefent Britifi Ertablifhment, to embark for Minor- ca. The next, without the leafl Reference to or Repeal of any Part of the former, reite- rates the Order for caufing a Batallion to em- bark on board his ?4ajefty*s Fleet for the Re- lief of the Ifland of Minorca, in cafe there (hould be any likelihood of its being attack'd. And the third, of Jpril 1 fl", only dire(fts him to receive fuch Women and Children be- longing to the Royal Regiment of Fuziliers, I as as Admiral Byng {hould think fit to lana there ; fuch is the War Office Language : And now what it ought to have been, wc are to learn it feems, from that made ufe of by the Lords of the Admiralty in their addition- al Inftrudions to Mr. Byng of March 31. For therein it is not only lignified. That the King had been pleas'd to diredl, that the Royal Regiment of Fuziliers fhould ferve on Board his Majeily's Ships in the Mediter^ raneariy and alfo be landed at Minorca in Cafe the faid Ifland was attack'd^ and upon a Confultation with General Blakeney^ it fhould be found neceflary j but, moreover, that the Governor of Gibraltar had Orders (which we have feen he had not) to make a Detachment equal to a Batallion from his Garrifon, in Cafe of a like Neceffity for a farther Reinforcement : And this Detach- ment, together with the faid Regiment, the Admiral was required to land at Af/- mrca under the Reflridions before fpecify'd, together with what other Affiftance of Gunners and Men his Ships could poffibly fpare. On the fourth of May the Council of War fat on thefe feveral Orders, together with [25 ] with the written Opinion of the Engineers, and the Situation of his Majefty's Garrifons and Forces in the Mediterranean j on a full Confideration of which, they were humbly of Opinion, that the fending the faid Detach- ment would evidently weaken the Garrifon of Gibraltar-^ and be no way effedual for the Relief of Minorca: Affigning for the Grounds and Reafons of this Opinion, That of the Engineers already mention'd, touching the Impradicability of introducing any Suc- cours into the Place, the Infnfficiency of the Number propos'd, ifintrodnc'dibr the Dsfer.ee and Prefervation of the llland in its prcfent Condition, which feem'd to be the Scope and Meaning of the Letters and Orders be- fore them: And the Imprudence of weak- ening the Garrifon oi Gibraltar, unnecefTari- ly rifking the Lofs of an additional Num- ber of his Majefty's Troops, without any rea- fonable Profpedt or Hope of being of any Af- fiftance to Minorca. To which was added the following Reafon ; which it will be ex- pedient to give in their own Words. To wit. " Becaufe the Toulon Squadron, by the " beft Accounts the Council have received, *' is at lead equal in Force, if not Superior E '' to [ 26] '' to that under Admiral Byng: Andfliould " the Britifi Fleet be any way weakened by *^ any Engagement ^ or any other Accident^ " the Garrifon of Gibraltar would be ex^ " pos'd to immnent Danger; and as the Gar^ " riibn {lands at prefent, it is not more than ** fufficient to the common Duty of the Gar- " rifon." But tho' they were induc'd by thefe Confide- rations not to go the Lengths indeterminately requlr'd, which would have expos'd one Place, without preferving the other, they difco- ver'd a Difpoiition to do whatever could be prudently done for the Good of the Service, Captain Edgecumbe^ before his Departure from Fort St. Philips had put on Shore all the Soldiers and Marines he had on Board his Ships, together with a confiderable Num- ber of Seamen, to make fome fmall Addi- tion to a Garrifon notorioufly deficient, and fo far at leaft prolong the Defence of the Place; by which means, however, his Ships were left fo thinly mann'd, that in cafe of an Engagement, no Service could have been • expeded from them. To remedy this De- fed and enable thefe Ships to proceed to Sea, the Admiral apply 'd to General Fowke for fuch [27] fuch a Detachment out of his Garrlfon as ha could fparejand with the Approbation of the fame Council of War, the General did ac- cordingly furniih him, with one Captain, fix Subalterns, nine Serjeants, eleven Corporals, five Drums, and two hundred thirty-five pri^ vate Men: in all two hundred fixty-feven. It was not, however, till the 6th, that he receiv'd a Lift of thefe from the Governor ; and the very next Day alfo the 'Experiment join'd his Squadron, as the Portland and Dolphin had done two Days before : And now having difpatch'd two ExprefTes to Rng- land; that is to fay, one on the 4th by the Way of Madrid', and a Duplicate of the fame on the 7th by Lieutenant O'Hara^ in the Lovel Packet ; and having alfo done hi^ beft to fupply all the Wants of his Squadron, on the 8th in the Morning he fet fail, tho' the Wind was Eafterly, and before his Ships were full water'd, which was owing not to any Negled: imputable either to Officers or Seamen, but the fmall Quantity of Water fupply'd by the Springs themfclyes. The Winds proving variable, and often in* terrupted by Calms, it was the i6th before E 2 the [ 28 ] the Squadron could get up as far as Palma^ the Capital of Majorca ; and here the Admiral thought fit to fend the Ex- periment to that Port, with a Letter to the Confal for what Intelligence he could fup- ply him withj about which Time, a Ship clofe in with the Shore (difcover'd afterwards to be the Gracieiife^ a Frigate of thirty Guns J that, together with another Ship, fuppos'd to be the Amphion of fifty, which quitted that Station the Day before, had cruiz'd off of that Port, and kept in thd Thccnix for near three Weeks) was obferv'd to ftand away to the Eaftward, with a fine Breefe, whilft the Squadron in the Offing was in a Manner becalm'd : And the next Day in the Afternoon, the 'Experiment rejoin'd. the Squadron, (which was {landing to the Eaftward) with the Phanix in Company, which laft brought the Admiral fome Intelli- gence of the Quantity of Cannon, Ammuni- tion, and Provifion, landed at Minorca by the Enemy, as alfoof their Manner of land- ing, and of treating the Inhabitants. The Wind flill continued Eafterly, until the 1 8th at nine in the Evening, when a fine Breeze [29] Breeze fprung up Northerly, and the Fleet failed large all Night. The 19th at Day break, the Squadron be- ing off the Coaft of Minorca, about five o'clock in the Morning, the Admiral fent the Pbanix, Captain Hervey, with the Chejlerfield and Dolphin, Captain Lloyd, and Captain MarJow, a Head of the Fleet, to re- connoitre as clofely as poflible, the Harbour's Mouth, and the Situation both of the Ene- my and their Batteries, as alfo to obferve whether it was pra<5ticable, and where to throw any Succours into the Caftle, to look out for the French Squadron, and to pick up if poflible any of their fmall Craft, in order to procure Intelligence ; in relation to all which Purpofes, proper Signals were ap- pointed for the Admiral's Information. Captain Hervey was alfo charged with the following Letter from the Admiral to Ge- neral Blakeney, Ramilliei [ 30] Ramilliis oS Minorca, May 19, 1756. S I R, *' T Send you this by Captain Hervey of his " Majefty's Ship Phe^nix^ who has my «* Orders to convey it to you if poffible, to^ *' gether with the inclofed Packet, which he « received at Leghorn, •* I am extremely concerned to find that " Captain Edgcumbe has been obliged to re- " tire to Gibraltar with the Ships under his •* Command, and that the French are land-* " ed, and St. Philip's Ca/lle is invefled ; as •* I flatter myfelf had I fortunately been ** more timely in the Mediterranean^ that I ** fhould have been able to have prevented ** the Enemy's getting a footing on the ** Ifland of Mijio-rca. '* I am to acquaint you that General Sfu- *^ art, Lord Effingham and Colonel Cornwall " //V, with about thirty Officers and fome " Recruits belonging to the different Regi- ments now in Garrifon with you, arc on board the Ships of the Squadron, and fliall be glad to know by the Return of the Of- 1! ficer, it [31 ] ** ficer, what Place you will think proper to *^ have them landed at. " The Royal Regiment of EngUp^ Fuzl- ** Hers, commanded by Lord Robert Bertie^ " is likewife on Board the Squadron deftin- *' ed, agreeable to my Orders, to ferve on ** Board the Fleet in the Mediterranean ^ un- " lefs it fhould be thought neceflary upon " Confultation with you to land the Rcgi- " ment for the Defence of Minorca; but I *' muft alfo inform you, fhould the Fuziliers ** be landed, as they are Part of the Ships " Compliments j the Marines having been " ordered by the Lords Commiffioners of " the Admiralty on Board of other Ships at " Fort [mouthy to make Room for them, that *' it will difable the Squadron from ad- ** ing againft that of the Enemy, which I am " informed is cruifmg off the Ifland ; however ** I (hall gladly embrace every Opportunity " of promoting his Majefty's Service in the " moft effectual Manner, and (hall affift you " to diftrefs the Enemy, and defeat theic " Defigns to the utmoft of my Power." " Pleafc to favour me with Information " how I can be moft effectual of Service to <( you [ 32 ] *« you and the Garrifon ; and believe me to " be, with great Truth and Efteem, S I R, Tour mojl Obedient Humble Servant^ J. B. Captain IIer'Oey\ Orders were to deliver this Letter if poflible to the General, and as with a View to fome fuch Service as this, a private Signal had been agreed upon between him and Captain the Enemy lay to, to receive. — — The Particulars of what follov^red cannot be ex- pedted here. The Admiral has now^ more dangerous Enemies to combat with, than he had then. And for the fake of a com- pleat Narrative, mufl: not throv^r away the Materials of his Defence.— -When the pro- per Time comes, every Man that is open to Convidlion, will be convinced, that he adled dn all Refpeds fuitably to the great Truft repos'd in him ; that without impairing the Honour, he never once loft Sight of the real Intereftof his Country j —That in every Or- der he gave, he made the beftUfe that he could pofTibly make of his Underftanding s That even what feems to be fo inexplicable, with Regard to his ordering the Deptford out of the Line, will receive the moft clear and fatif- fadory Explanation; That the odious Imputations thrown on his perfonal Behavi- our, are as groundlefs as wicked j That he had, indeed the Pkafure to fee the Ene- my give Way to the Impreffions made upon them.- — [ 37] them J — ' And that nothing could equal hi$ Mortification in not being in a Condition to- follow them. ' What his Condition really was, and what the Condition of the Mediterranean Service \n general, he was now fadly fenfible. *' Li- ftead of encountering fix or feven Ships at moft, he had met with twelve," far fu- perior in Strengh, far better mann'd, and far better Sailors than his own. Thefc had fuffered lefs in the Engagement, could be fupply'd perpetually with frelh Men from the Camp on Shore, as had already been the Cafe J were near their own Ports j could return to the Charge with thefe Advantages whenever they pleas'd, and if they pleas'd to retreat could not be overtaken. His own Ships, on the contrary, fuch at leaft as had borne the Brunt of the Action, had fuf- tained more Damage, than could eafily be repair'd. The Intrepid from the very be- ginning, was not fit for the Service fhe had been allotted to, on the Evidence of her own Commander*^ the Portland had not been cleaned for upwards of ten Months, * See the Admiral's firft Letter to the Admiralty Board, already publifh'd. nor [in nor the Chejlerfield for twelve: And as to the Careening-wharfs, Store-houfes, Pits, t^c, at Gibraltar, they were entirely decay *d.—- The Wounded were now moreover to be added to the Sick; and no Hofpital Ship had been appointed for the Reception of ei- ther. — And as to the Relief of Minorca, h6 had neither the Battallion on Board ; which was to have been fent on that Service ; nor could he have fpared the Fuziliers, if they had been a Number fufficient for it, which it is notorious they were not, without ex- pofing the Squadron to utter Perditioa, ei- ther in the Attempt to land them, if it could have been made, or in venturing on a fe- cond Engagement without their AlTift- ance. That however he might not rely on his own Judgment merely, as foon as he had taken the proper Meafures to cover the crippled Ships, as alfo to repair and refit them, as well as it could then be done; be called a Council of War on Board the Ramillies j the Refult of which is here fub- mJtted to the impartial World, [ 39 ] At a Council of War ajfemhkd^ and JM on Board bis Maje/Iy's Ship the Ramlllies, at Sea, on Monday the 24th o/^May, 1756. PRESENT, The Hon. John Byng, Efqj Admiral of the Blue. Major General Stuart Temple Wefi^ Erq;rear Capt. Henry Ward Ad. of the Red Hon. Kdw. Cornivallis Capt. Philip Durell Capt. Cha. Catjord Capt. James Tbung Hon. Geo. Edgcumhe Capt. Fred, Cornwall Capt; 'John Amherjl C?pt. William Parry Rt. Hon. Earl of Ef- Cii^i. Arthur Gardiner fingham Hon.Augs .Jo.Hervey Capt. William Lloyd Rt. Hon. Lord Rq* bert Bertie. Having read to the Council of War the Opinion of the Engineers, in Regard to throwing in Succours in the Caftle of St. Philips, the Ref ilt of a Council of War held by General Fo-wke at Gibraltar, with Regard to embarking a Detachment on Board the Fleet; likewife Admiral Byng*s Inftruftions for his Proceedings in the Me- diterranean ; likewife the Order with Re- gard [40] garcj to the Difpofal of the Regiment of Fu» ziHers, commanded by the Right Honour- able Lord Robert Bertie^ and the Defeds -of the Ships which received Damage in the Aftion with the French Squadron, the 20th Inftant; as alfo having laid before the Coun- cil the State of the Sick, and wounded Men on Board the Ships of the Fleets propos'd to the Council the following Queflions, viz, 1. Whether an Attack upon the French Fleet, gives any Profpedt of relieving Minorca ? IJnanimouJJy refohed that it would riot, ■ 2. Whether, if there was no French Fleet cruifing off Minorca, the Eag-^ lifl) Fleet could raife the Siege ? XJnapimoiiJly of Opinion that the Fleet could not, 3. Whether Gibraltar would not be in Danger, by any Accident that might befal this Fleet ? Vnanimoujly agreed that it would be iri Danger^ I 4. Whc- [41] 4. Whether an Attack with our Fleet in the prefent State of it upon that of the French, will not endanger the Safety of Gibraltar, and expofe the Trade of the Mediterranean to great Hazard ? Unanimoujly agreed that it would, 5. Whether it is not mofl for his Ma- jefty's Service that the Fleet fliould immediately proceed for Gibraltar ? We are unanimoujly of Opinion, that the Fleet jhould immediately proceed for Gibraltar. Ja. Stuart Temple Weft Henry Ward Phil, Durell Edward Cornwallis Ja. Toung Cha, Catjord Fred, Cornewall Geo. Edgcumbe William Parry fohn Amherfl Arthur Gardiner Effingham A, Her'vey Mich. Ever it t William Lloyd Robert Bertie, Here [4^1 Here then we have Authority as well as Reafon, to juftify the Admiral's Condud in every Particular 3 and at any other Period bat this, the unanimous Suffrages of fo ma- ny Perfons of diftingui(h'd Worth and Ho- noufy would have commanded an univerfal Acquiefcence, But fo gracelefs and fliame- lefs are the Times we live in, that Endea- vours have been ufed, even to blaft this very Authority, by the Means of a wicked Infi- nuation, that it was more owing to the ill Opinion entertain'd of the Admiral, than their Convidion of the ill-State of our Affairs; As if it was poflible for any fuch Number of Men to concur in a Prevarication of fo infa- mous a Nature : Namely, to fet their Hands to a Paper of fuch Importance, avowing one Motive, and guided by another. But to proceed. Agreeable to the laft Refolution of the Council of War, the Fleet flood to . the Weflward in the Afternoon, and after a tedious Paffage, (occalion'd partly by contrary Winds, and partly by the Tardi- nefs of the crippled Ships, one of which, the Intrepid, was fometimes forc'd to be taken in tow) arriv'd at Gibraltar on the 19th. Here r 43 ] , Plere the Admiral found Commodore Brod- erick, who had arriv'd four Days before with five Line of Battle Ships from Er.g- land; (which by the way fhew'd, that e- ven the very Cabinet was at lafl: convinc'd of the Necefhty of fuch a Re-inforcemcnt ; as a Means to transfer that Superiori- ty to us, which till then had been on the Enemy's Side ;) and it is to be obferv- cd, notwithflanding what has been given out, that the neceflitv of re-inforcing Ad- miral Byng^ was known foon after his fail- ing from England^ if not before, as may be feen by the Secretary of the Admiralty's Letter to him by Mr. Broderick *j and it is * Admiralty O^ce, May 21, 1756. Sir, "My Lords Commlflloners of the Admiralty having re- '* ceived certain Intelligence, that the French are fitting out •• more Ships at Tow/fl//, they have thought proper to reinforce ** the Squadron under your Command with the Ships named " in the Margin -j-, by whom this is fent to you. " Thefe Ships carry out a Regiment of Soldiers, and will " probably take more on Board at Gibraltar if they can be " fpared. lam, SI R, Tour mojl humble Servant , J. C D. Hon. Admiral Byng, Mediterranean y Receiv'd by Captain Broderick on the Arrival of the Fleet 2X Gibraltar, the 19th y**^, 1756. f Prince George oi 80 Guns, Hampton-Ceurt , Ip/vjichtZnA Naf- fau of 6^ Guns each, and the Ifis of 50 Gum. O 2 in- [ 44 ] indubitable, tbat Mr. Broderick received his Orders*, and failed before there v/as a poffibi- liiy of receiving any Letters from Admiral Byng^ or any authentic Intelligence relating to his Squadron j thoup;h too Jate to enable the Admiral to anfvver the fuppofed Dcflgn of the Expedition ; and it is likewife .ihio- lutely certain, that thofe very five Ships failing with the Squadron under his C>ai- niand, inftead of following him too la^e, would have rendered the Superiority in tbofc Seas indifputable. The French Admiral, who knew exadly his Force, would not then have dared to keep the Sea and wait for him. The Admiral mindful of the Promife he had made to the Board, in one of xhtfup- frefs'd Paflages of his Letter, after the Ac- tion, " not to lofe a Moment's Time in *' cafe he found Stores to refit with, and a *' Re-inforcement at Gibraltar, before he " fought the Enemy again, and once more ". gave them Battle j" his firft Care was to order the Sick Men of the Fleet, amount- ing to near looo, into the Hofpital j after which he iffued the following Orders. To wit, * His Orders dated the 17th of il%. To [45] To all the Captains to refit their Ships for the Sea, with all polTible Expedition. To compleat their Water, having fent fomc Ships to T^etiian for the fake of Difpatch. To fend a-fhore as rrwny Carpenters and Sail-Makers, as they could poffibly fpare from every Ship, to aflift the Mafter Ship- Wright and Store-keeper in carrying on the Service of the Fleet. ' To the Captains of Mr. Brodsrick'^ Squa- dron, as they vi^ere ready for Sea, to fend a- fliore from each Ship, one Officer, and two petty Officers, with 50 Men, every Morn- ing at Day-light, to affift in furveying the Stores, and feledting fuch as were fit for Ser- vice; as alfo to make a Report. of their Pro- grefs every Evening. To the Mafter Ship- Wright of Gibraltar, together with fome Carpenters of the Fleer, to furvey the Ships which had received Da- mage, and to make Report of their Defcds. To the Carpenter of the Ramtllies to a<5l as Affiftant to the Mafter Ship- Wright in re- fettinn [ 46*3 fitting the Ships which had been damaged in the late Adtion. And laftly, to the Agent Victualler, to conlpleat all the Ships to 70 Days Wine, three Months dry Provifions, four Months Beef and Pork, and to procure frefh Beef for the Seamen while in Port. All thefe feveral Duties and Services were profecuted with the utmofl: Diligence, till 'July the firft, when the Fleet being nearly ready for the Sea, excepting the Fortlandy reported on a Survey unfit for Service, till ca- reened, and the Intrepid, flill in the 'New Mole, and in no great likelihood of being rendered fit for Service, Time enough to fail with the Fleet, the Admiral came to a Re- folution to put to Sea on the 6th following, in queft of the Enemy, and to attempt the Relief of Fort *S^. 'Philip, which according to the Intelligence he had received, ftill conti- nued to hold out: And whereas moft of the Sick-feamen were flill in the Hofpital, in- capable of Service j he propofed to fupply that Defeat as well as he could, out of the Com- panies of the Portland and Intrepid, and by unmanning feveral of the Frigates, which were [ 47 ] were to have been left behind : As alfo to apply to the Governor of Gibraltar for two Detachments of Soldiers, each equal to a Battallion, as fpecify'd in Mr. Broderick'^ Orders, which now could have been fpar'd; feeing the Garrifon had already been re-in- forc'd with one Regiment brought on Board his Squadron, and two more were daily ex- peded from England, But thefc Refolutions of his, he was not permitted to have the Honour of carrying in- to Execution : For on the 2d of July arri- ved Sir Edward Haivke in the yhitelope^ with the Orders to fuperfede him, which were executed the fame Day in the Manner alrea- dy communicated to the Public. And now having given a Sketch of the Admiral's Condud, from the Day his Com- miffion was beftow'd on him, to the Day he was depriv'd of it j with an Exception to one very (hort InteiTal ; another Sketch of the Re- turns he has met with at Home would make the moft proper Companion for it : But as fomething of this Nature has already been done from fufficient Authorities in a late Pamphlet, call'd, A Letter to a Member of Tar- [ 48 ] Parllamenf in the Country^ relative to the Cafe of Admiral By n^^ certain fuplemental Touches will lerve the Purpofe as well j and even thefe need only be thrown in, partly to for- tify the Opinion which is gaining Ground c- very Hour, That both the Admiral and his Fellow-fufferer G F have been thus fevcrely dealt with, not fo much for any Mifcarriage of their own, as to ttirowr a Mill: over the Mifcarriages of others, and partly to throw a little farther Light on the Origin of the whole Procedure. And firfi:, as to the Origin j we ought to take (hame to ourfelves, for having been fo long hunting for it, in the A6iions of the two Parties, and to the no fmall Entertainment, no doubt, of thofe in the Cabal ; when the Truth is, that it can be found only in their Words^ In the Council of War, for Example, held at Gibraltar, May 4, a Mifchief 'ma- king Paragraph was inferted, importing. That tho' the Detachment under Con fide ration, to be fent by Way of Succour to the Bcfieg- ed at Minorca, was not likely at that Time to produce a?ty EffeB, yet it might have been 2 of [49] o^ great Service ^ had it been landed ihtro: be- fore the Ifland was adtually attack' d\ and if a Squadron of his Majefty's Ships had been there, to co-operate with the Troops in its Defence and Prefervation : And again, the Admiral in his Difpatch to the Secretary of the Admiralty of the fame Date from the fame Place, is alfo unguarded enough to fay, *' If I had been fo happy to have arriv'd at Mahon before the French had linded, I flat- ter myfelf 1 fliould have been able to have prevented their fetting a foot on that Ifland : But as it has fo unfortunately turn'd out, ^c. In both thefc Paragraphs, thofe in the firft Digeflion of Bufinefs are by Inference made anfvverable for all Mifcarriages and Misfor- tunes J and from the Moment their Pene- tration had made a Shift to keep them to this Difcovery, they apparently refolv'd to make ufe of all the Arts of Recrimination, accom- pany'd with all the Weight of their Power and Influence. Then as to the Proofs of fuch a Proce- dure, this opening is no fooncr madCj thnn like Water they flow in of themfclves. H I: [ 5° ] It is not ufual to take the Enemy's Word for their own Feats and Performances ; be- caufe notorious that the Bias of the Story will ever be in their own Favour. And it is cer- tain there is not a Precedent in Hiftory to be found of any Procefs of any Kind, founds- ed upon fuch Evidence. — But in this Cafe the Confederates, (not to give them a more fevere Appellation,) no fooner receive an Ex- tra^ of the Enemy's Account, pafs'd thro* the Hands of one frenchified foreign Minif- ter abroad, to another frenchified foreign Minifler at home, un-authenticated in any Manner whatfoever, than, without waiting for the Advices they could not but expetft from their own Commander in chief, thev not pnlytake the whole upon content, in the vfor/^ ConftruSliofi the Words would bear, but al- fo by grafting the fuperceding Orders upon it, ratify as far as in them lay, the, Infult therein offer'd to the Glory of the Nation; to fay nothing of the atrocious Injury dr^nc to the Officers fo fuperfeded. A Fad incapable of Aggravation ; and what will put to the St^retch, the Faith of Pofterity to believe -, and yet fo it is, that ^unc the 8th, but nineteen Days after the Ac- L 5' J Adion, one Mr. Clevlaudj Secretary to the f.ords Commiflioners of the Admiralty, in the Name of a good and gracious Kin^, and by Order of their Lordfliips, thus writes to the Admiral j '' I am commanded by my " Lords Commiflioners of the Admiralty, to " fend you herewith, an Extra6f of M. Ga- " lijfoniere's. Letter to his Court, giving an '^ Account of the Adion, and to acquaint ** you, that hi^ Majefty is fo much diflatisfi- ** ed with your ConduO, that he has or- *' der'd their LordQiips to recall yourfelf " and Mr Weft, and to fend out Sir Edward " Hdwke^ and Rear Admiral Saunders^ to *' command the Squadron." It is to be obferved, that the Extra(fl thus anclos*d was not in the Original French^ but an Office Tranflation ; and yet thefe are the moft material Articles of it. " The Engage- ment larted about three Hours and a Half, or four Hours J but was not general during ing all that Time ; the E?7gll/Iyi^h\ps that had fuffered moft from our Broad-fides, having got to the Windward out of the Reach of the Cannon. " They have always preferv'd this Ad- H 2 vanr vantage not to engage, and after having made their greatcft Efforts againft our Rev, \vhich they found fo clofe, and from which they received fo great a Fire, as not to be able to iTreak itj they refolv'd to retire, and appeared no more on the 21ft." The Amount of which is plainly this; That the French kept on the Defenfive onlyj That in owning their Rear was expofed to the Efforts of the EngUJ},\ they own they re- treated before them, and that if the Englijh did not break them, it was for want of fuf- ficient Strength, not of Courage; which, with an Exception to one Circumftance, That they out-fail'd us, correfponds in the Main with our Admiral's own Account, and ad:ually juflihes his Condud: without im- peaching his Bravery. But indeed if the Credit o^ France had ever obtained fuch a Sandion from her Enemies before, neither this or any other Nation would have had one Vidory to boafl: of a- gainll her ; or a Commander for fuch a Ser- vice to reward: It is a Rule of theirs to be ever v'dorious ; and a Variety of Proofs may be [ 53 ] be produced of annual Te Deums fung for annual Defeats. In the Cafe of the great Battle fought off of Malaga^ in the Year 1 704, between the confederate Fleet under Sir George Rooke^ and that of France J under the Count de Touloufe^ Louis XIV. in his Royal Capacity, afcribes the Vidory, notwithftanding a great Stiperi^ ority in Number ^ and the Advantage of the Wind on the Enemy's Side, to his own Fleet, and enjoins a Te Deu?n to be fung ac- cordingly ; and yet fo little Regard was paid to his Ipfe dixit here at home, that inftead of fuperceding, difgracing, imprifoning and making a public Vidim of Rooke^ he was complimented by the Houfe of Commons, in their Addrefs to the Queen, as defer ving almoft as much of his Country for that Year's Service, as the great Duke of Marlborough^ who had jufl won the Battle of Blenheim, There Is no need of adding any Thing more on this Topic; every Englijl:ma?i's Indigna- tion will fupply the reft. It has been obferv'd, That this unprece- dented Order fent by one Admiral to black- en [54 ] cn and ruin another, was dated 'June the Sth^ and it follows of Courfe, that haying once ventured to flrike fo bold a Stroke, the Con- federates were under a Neceflity of taking e- vcry Meafurc pollible, to keep themfelves iq Countenance for having done fo : when there- fore, the Admiral's Account came to Hand, which fetMatters in fo very different a Light^ it was incumbent on them to expunge every PafTage, which could either help to undeceive the Public in Refpeft to the Condud of thQ Admiral, or to expofe (though innocently on his Part) their own : And as thofe Paf- fages are now in Print, and can and will be prov'd to be genuine, it mull be felf- evident to every Man, who reads them, that they could be expung'd for no other Reafon. Having already proceeded againft him as a beaten Coward, they could not bear he fhould ever fo modeftly claim a Viftory^ much lefs produce the Proofs ; his lying to, to refit, for three Days together, often in Sight of Minorca^ and of the Enemy's Fleet, pore-feeing when too late, that the Illand would be loft, they refolv'd to place the Lofs to bis Account, knowing Gibraltar . . ~ had [ ss] had been taken no * better Care of. They would not fuffer him to derive any Merit from covering it. Willing to allow a Council of War had been held upon the pre- fent Situation, they would by no means have it underftood, that it was the prefent Situa- tion of Minorca and Gibraltar ^ about which not the leaft Doubt or Contention arofe. — And fenfible of what Importance it was to themfelves, that our Squadron fhould be thought fuperior to that of the Enemy, they falfify'd the Evidence in their Hands, which prov'd it to be otherwife. Add to this that, not fatisfy'd with having, in this perfidious Manner proftituted the Ga- zette^ and the facred Name of Authority placed at the Head of it, they caus'd the fol- lowing Paragraph (for it could come from no other Quarter) to be inferted the fame Even- ing, in a Paper known to be under their In- tiuence, if not their Direcftion. • See the weak State of the Garrifon, as prov'd by General Fcivie at his Trial ; and compare it with the Advice from our Conful at Carthagena, dated Jpril 21, fignifying. That twelve Men of War had been order'd thither, from Cai/tz and Ferrol \ on what Account he could not explain. [ 56 ] " We have received the following Cir- cumftances, relating to the Condudt of a Sea-officer in great command, which, we are told, may be depended upon. " Though he folicited the Command, he deferred failing from England, till very pref^ Jing Lttievs were fent him from Authority; n\2Lny /Irange Delays happened in the Courfe of the Voyage; he loft feven Days at Gib- raltar, when the utmoft Expedition was ne- ceiTary for the public Service; he was twehe Days upon his PalTage from Gibraltar to the Diftance of twelve Leagues off Minorca, where the French Fleet happened to find him ; he called a Council as to the Prudence of venturing an Engagement ; the bad Condi- tion of the Enemy's Fleet occafioned their only maintaining a running Fight ; Night, and the Caiitioiifnefs of our Admiral, put an entire End to the Skirmifli; after ftaying/o«r Days, without y^£'/«^ ov feeking for the Ene- my, a Council was called to determine upon the Expediency o^ it\\Q\\ng Fort St, Philip's — the Errand they were fent out upon ; when off Mahon Harbour another Council was called, in which it was refohed, that the endeavour- ing to throw io the deiigned Reinforcements 3 was [57] was too dangerou?, and that the Prelervatioii of the Fort was inipo/fible; [againft this Lord Effingham Howard of the Land Forces nobly proteftedj] another Point determined was, that the Non-appearance of the Enemy's Fleet made it probable they were failed againft Gibraltar^ and therefore, that it was prudent to get thither as fafl: as pofTible : — Where the BritiJJ: Admiral has fince remained in perkSifecun'ty and freedom from them." To every Word of this the Reader has now a fufficient and fatisfadory Anfwer in his Hand ; and that he may be further con- vinc'd, that no Body in the Service, not as yet pradtic'd upon by the Confederates, either did or could harbour a Thought, limilar to the odious Mifreprefentations thus artfully and wickedly made of it, an Extradl of a Letter to him from Sir Benjamin Keen^ dated yune the 14th, is here laid before him. " As I hope this will meet you at Gibral- tar^ I lay hold of the earheft Opportu- nity to return Thanks likewife, for your Favour of the 25th off Mahon, which en- abled me to contradict the French Accounts of the A(5lion on the 20th j what they were I preiume General Fowke will have commu- nicated to you out of my Letters on that I Sub- [ 58 ] Subjea; and, in fplte of their Art if ices, - your remaining Mafler of the Field of Bat- tle, decides the Advantage to have been on your Side^ to the Satisfaction of all Im- partial People." There is alfo another Paragraph in the fame Letter, which the prefent critical Situ- ation of the Admiral makes it alfo neceffary to publifii: It is true it will involve the Em- balTador in the original Sin, which has been vifited with fo much Rigour, not on him only, but alfo on General Fowke, nnd in fome Degree, on almoil all the Parties con- cerned in the Opinions given at the two Councils of War: But as no Pretence can be found for making an Example of him, nor Turn can be ferv'd by it, he can appre-. hend nothing from it. " I moft heartily join with you, Sir,, in your Concern, That ih^ inevitable Objiacles you had met with in your Navigation, re- tarded your Prefence in the Mediterranean fo long; and am fully perfuaded, that if, EVEN with the Force you then brought, you had been in thofe Seas, before the French had er.gag'd themfelves in the Enterprize, they would not have undertaken it : But as foon as thev knew both the Number of I your [S9] your Ships and their Qualities, and had COMPARED them with their own, they per- fifled in their Attempt, and would rifKi a Battle, though not an entire Defeat." Whether Sir Be?tja??jin made ufe of the fame Language in his Letters to the Confe- derates, can be only known to themfelves ; but if he did, they paid it no Regard -, and contrarywife went on as they had began, in exciting tlie Populace againft the Admiral, by every wicked Device in their Power, and making their own Court to them at his Ex- pence. Thus a Merit was made in the Gazette zn^ other News Papers, of an Order fent to all the Ports to put him under an Arreft, as foon as he arriv'd j which was done accordingly at Fortfmouth on the 26th oi July. Whether thefe Orders were regular or not, it is certain they were as unufual as fevere. MelTrs. Matt hew i and he flock were to the full as obnoxious to the Judice of their Country, as Mr. E — had been reprefented to be, and yet they were left at full Liberty, as if no Charge could be maintain'd againft them, or no Confequence was to be expeded from it. And though Admiral B -- and Rear Ad- miral Wcji had been equally involved in, and I 2 • dif- [6o] t^ifgrac'd by the fuperceding Orders, (which the Former in his animated Letter to Mr. Clevlaiid thereon, on Mr. Weji's Behalf in the moft gallant Manner relented) fpccial Care was now taken to fonder them by the moft invidious Diftindions. For while one was kept a clofe Prifoner on Board the Ante- hpe^ the other was not only permitted to re- pair to London, but was carefs'd in the moft extraordinary Manner. Particulars recolleded at this Time, not for the Sake of infinuating ever fo remotely, that thefe Favours were unworthly beftow'd on a Man whom the Admiral ftill continues to efteem as highly as he deferves; but of re- minding the Public of the inhumane ufe that was made of them, in the following Article of News, dated July 28 1 at the Drawing- Room at Kenfmgton, where there was the greateft Levee that has been known for ma- ny Months, Admiral Weft was diftinguifli'd by his Majefty in a very particular Manner, who was pleas'd to fay, '' Admiral Weft, I " am glad to fee you j I return you my " thanks for your gallant Behaviour j and " wifli every Admiral had foUow'd your Ex- " ample.*' It was obvious, this Vv'as meant to give the Coup' [ 6. ] Coup- de-Grace to the Admiral and hia Caufe. — For if the Public could be perfuaded that the King had already pre-judg'd and pre'Condemn'd, who ihould prefume to ab- solve him ? And with fuch an Air of Confi- dence dehver'd to the Public as this Article was, who but thofe of the firft-Rate under- flandings, would have been able to difcovcr the Forgery, by reflecting on the utter Im- pcffibility, that the fovereign-Judge ihould thus openly declare himfelf a Party, or that the Current of Juftice (hould run polluted from its very Source ? After this Piece of Pradlice then (which was fufficient to humble the ftouteft Heart) we are not to wonder at the Load of Indig- nities, Hardfliips, and Outrages, fince heap- ed upon him. His Letter to Mr. Clcjland, giving Notice of his Arrival, and incloling a Duplicate of his former upon his being fuperfeded, ferv'd only to produce an Order from the Admiral- ty, directing the Marfhal to take him into )iis Cuftody, and continue him, for the Pre- fent, on Board the Antelope^ though it might be fuppos'd his Health, and it was manifeft his Situation, requir'd all the Helps and Confolatiorts that the Shore and his Friends and Relations could give him. And [ 62 ] And after he had been accordingly conti- nued there fome Time, the Head of a cer- tain Board, was gracioufly pleas'd to inti- mate, That when he was weary of his Birth he would apply for a Removal which, however, did not happen, till the melan- choly Incident of his Brother's Death, (which had alfo the moft barbarous Conftrudions put upon it) oblig'd him and then he was only remov'd from one Ship to another. When ordered up to London Augiiji the 5th, he was furrounded with a Guard of Sol- diers, though an Admiralty-Prifoner, and when remanded upon the Road (becaufc thofe who had fent for him were not as yet agreed how to difpofe of him) he was re- manded on Ship -board again. On his fecond Removal on the 9th fol- lowing, guarded as before, he was not ap- prized, till he came as far as Kingjlon^ whi- ther he was to be convey'd; and when brought to Greenwich after Midnight, found no Provifion of any kind made for his Re- ception. Though fiill an Admiral, the Son of a Peer, and a Member of Parliament, he was ho'ided up to the Top of the Hofpital, into an Apartment where People were yet a-bed, and [ 63 I and where he was told, he was to accommo- date himfelf as well as he couldi which for the Remainder of the Night he did accord- ingly, h^Jftnaking choice of the Floor and his Portmanteau. In this Situation, ohliged to furnifli his own Prifon with every Convenience it want- ed, he thought it high Time, to put their Lordfhips of the Admiralty in Mind, that no Body in the like Cafe had ever been ufed with fuch Rigour before : But their Lord- fliips were not condcfcending enough to ho- nour him with any Reply. On the contrary, Ccntinels were placed at his Door, the Marfhal was order'd to keep him as clofeiy confined as poffiblc, the Gover- nor play'd the Part of Goaler in Chief, pleading fometimcs Lord A 's Orders, and fometimes Orders of Council for it ; fo that every Hour made it more and more du- bious, whether he was the Governor's Pri- foner, or the Marfhal's Prifoner, confequent- Jy whether he was to be try'd by a Court- Martial, or as an Offender againfl: the State, And during this whole Interval, his Cha- ra(5ler was deliver'd over to the Populace, to gratify upon it the worft Paffions, that the worft Artifices and Inilruments could raife ; in [64] in fo much, that there is not a Species of Li- belling in Prints, in Verfe, or in Profe, that has not been exhaufted to render him odi- ous : The very Ghoft of his reverejd Father has been raifed, adviiing him to lay violent Hands on himfelf Laft dying Speeches and Confeffions have been prepared for him. Mock Executions have been fpirited up to make the Way eafy for a real one ; and Epitaphs fit only for the Devil himfelf to in- fpire, have configned him over to everlaft- ing Infamy : Forgetting, that the worfe the Cafe, the lefs Need there is of y^ggravation^ and that an over Charge implies a Dq£c&. of real Matter. But whatever Effedt thefe v^^retched De- vices have had on the Rabble they were ad- drefs'd to, they have had none on him URConfcious of having done any Thing in- confiftent with his Duty, or even his Inflruc- tions — or unbecoming his Station in the fe- verell: Senfe confidered, he has all along re- garded them with the Difdain, the Contempt and the Derifion they fo juftly deferve : Nor is it to be underflood, that any one Com- plaint herein letter'd, concerning his paft or prefent Sufferings, ever rofe from him — His Refcntments, if he may be allow 'd to have any. [ 6s] any, arifing from much higher Confidcrations. It will not be deny'd, however, that, af- ter his Adverfaries had in this Way beggar'd both their Wit and their Malice, they did hit upon an Expedient, which not only ruf- fled the Compofure he had till then pre- ferv'd, but rais'd his Indignation. This was the fhamelefs Forgery, of his attempt- ing to make his Efcape in his Sifters Cloaths j of which he had fo much the quicker Senfe, becaufe the only Concern he had at Heart was the Vindication of his Honour -, and that he well knew could only be done efFedtually by a Trial as public as the Injury it had fuf- tein'd. Had therefore the PriTon- Doors been thrown open for him, he would not have pur- chafed Liberty and Life at fo dear a Rate : And were his Trial to be dropt on the Side of his Profecutors, they would find he himfelf would inlift upon it, according to a Refolu- tion he had taken from the Moment his Flag was ftruck. Whether it will or can be a fair one, after what has been faid and done to fct the whole World again (1: him, and the Precedent al- ready fet in the Cafe of G F , let the Reader judge for himfelf when h^ comes to the End of this Narrative. The bare Hint ofan Efcnpe, though ftart- K ed [ 66 ] cd only by themfelvcs, and never fo much as dreamt of by the Prlfoner, was qovv to be countenanced by new Precautions, fuch as additional Bolts and Bars, additional Guards of Soldiers, and as if all were dot fufficient, a Boatfwain and twelve Men of the Hofpital by way of Supplement, to watch in the Court below. Nor was it long before this new Officer was made, to fee four Men at his Window in the Middle of the Night ; upon which the Alarm was given, ftridl Search was made, the Officer upon Duty leading the Way, and though thefe Men in Buckratn were not to be found, nor any Trace that they had ever been there (the Mar{hal himfelf fleeping in the outer Room, and his Prifoner in the Inner,) yet this Figment was alfo to have an Air of Truth thrown upon it, by a further Pa- rade of new Fortifications No lefs than eleven Smiths being the next Day fet to work, by the officious Governor, affifted by a propor- tionable Number of Bricklayers, to wall up fufpedled Doors, (indeed to leave but one o- pcn, for the Ufe of a Water Clofet only, two Stairs down was now foibidj and not 'tnly to bar up all the Windows, but (as if they hud thought him capable of performing the famous Bottle Miracle) even the very 2 Chim- [ 6; ] Chimneys too*. For what Purpofes thefe wife Meafures were taken, and this extraordinary Vigilance was fliewn, is not worth Enquiry. But if it was to (hew, the Prifoner was to exped: no Favour, the Trouble might have been fp^r'd, for that had been already proclaim'd by every M and every one of their Echoes ; who were known to talk of his Deftiny, on all Occafions, with as much Confidence, as if it was hardly in the Power of Providence itfelf, to refcue him out of their Hands. As therefore, they had, in the moft pub- lic Manner, before declared, if not befpoke the Royal Difpleafure againft him, fo thefe fanguinary Difcourfes ferv'd as a proper Lef- fon to all their Dependents and Followers — Admiral B was the ftricken Deer, which all were to unite in goring out of the Herd. And it was to be underftood of Courfe, that to entertain a Doubt concerning him, much more to drop any Expreflion in his Behalf, or fhew him Countenance by any perfonal Advance or Civility, was an Offence unpar- donable both againd King and Country. • The worthy Go'vernor or GeaUr was fo jealous that his Care and Diligence was not lufficicntly confpicuoui, that he reprimanded the VV^orkmen for not having made the Bars a- crofs the Chimney Tops to projeft, fo chat all Pcrlons paffing might fee them. Ojc [ 63 ] Oat of fome Mouths a Hint is a Warning, and a -Caution a Menace : And to the Dif- grace of human Nature, they have had their full Effedt, wherever they have been com- municated : Thefe in Pofleffion, and thofe in Expedancy of Pre ferment, have been inti- midated ahke: And what is worft of all, the rendering him unpopular, has render 'd thofe who bid for Popularity, almoft as fearful of appearing for him, as thofe In the Service, not to take a Part agalnd him. Let it be imagined then what Difficulties he has to flruggls with, even in profecuting the common Forms of his Defence ; and what he has further to apprehend from a Continuance of the fame indlredt Pradices, w^hich have hitherto been made to operate fo notorioully to his Prejudice. Indead of finking, however, under fuch a Variety of Preflures, as it is probable his E- nemles hop'd he would, and meant he fiiould, he has never yet betray'd the lead Sign of Dejedlion or Difmay, much lefs of Diftrufl: in his Caufe ; but, on the contrary, has manifefted the fame uniform Compofure, ex'cept in the fingle Inllance of the forged Efcape, through the whole Series of his Per- fecutions. This is a Truth his faid Ene- mies are well appriz'd of, would fain fupprefs if [ 69 ] if it were in their Power, and endeavour to falfify as much as they can. But tho* they may pronounce him guilty, they can- not make him (o ; and till condemn'd by his ownConfcience, he will to thelaflGafp afferc and maintain his Innocence. ■ T^e Events of IVar arc uncertain fo it h Wid in his Majefly's moil gracious Anfwer to the Z>oW(3« Addrefs; and fo it has always been faid ever lince Mankind recorded their Mi- fcries. But, according to the iProcedure now carrying; on againft Admiral R — , the Com- mander that cannot convert Uncertainties into Certainties, miift run his Country or forfeit his Head, — Minifters are but Men, and Men are all fallible — fuch has been the Voice of the World till now — but now the World is to learn a new Creed — That more or lefs Power beftows more or lefs InfalKbility ; and confequently, that he who has the mofb, m.ufh always be moft in the Right. It has hitherto been efteem'd a national Duty to aflert national Honci;r, and m^ore cfpecially againft the open Attacks of an open Enemy But now it feems the Reverfe is to be the Prad:ice; and thofe who have the Lead amongft us, are not only become fo complaifant as to give up the Point of Ho- nour on the firft Challenge, but their Cham- pion [70] pion too, or as the Vulgar would cxprefs it; w4iatever M. dc la Galijjoniere says, they are ready to swear. And upon the whole ; let every thinking Man in Britain afk himfelf a few fuch Queftions as thefe : Whether the putting fuch a Change as this upon him is not one of the higheft Affronts that could be put upon his Underftandings ? Whether in the Cafe of Admiral B it has not been put upon the whole Community? Whether any Pretence cf Delufion, Raibnefs, Prejudice, Wanton- nefs, or even Connexion and Influence can C3kXufe any Man for fuffering himfelf to be made an Acceffary to it ? And whether it has not a dire(5l Tendency to ruin the Service both by Sea and Land, by difcouraging Men of Parts and Charader from engaging in it, and thereby throwing it wholly into the Hands of Fools and Madmen ; iince none but fuch will accept a Commiflion on the ignominious Terms of ferving with a Halter about their Necks, that a Knot of domineer- ing Grazidees may be exempt not only from Punirtunent but Imputation ? ~~" ERRATA ' Pag. 7. 1. 17. after the Word in, add, thelorhay with P- J 1. 1. 8. for repaid y read, returned. FINIS. A N APPEAL T O T H E PEOPLE: CONTAINING, The Genuine and Entire Letter of Admiral Byng to the Seer, of the Ad y : OBSERVATIONS on thofe Parts of it which were omitted by the Writers of the Gazette : AND What might be the R E A S O N S for fuch Omissions. -Nee lex eft axjuior ulla Quam necis artifices arte p erire fua. Ovid. PART the Firft. L O N D O hi: Printed for J, Morgan, in Pater-NoJIer-Raiv, A N APPEAL T O T H E PEOPLE, ^c. IN all States of whatever Plan the ConftitU- tion may be formed, general Prejudices arft extremely apt to take too ftrong PoflelTiort of the Hearts of Men, but in none are the Peo- ple \o open to the Influence of that Impullc aS in Governments, where, from the Nature of the Eildbiifhrnent, they make a Part of the le- giflative Power. From this Caufeat prefent in this Kingdom,' tonitit'Ued on a Plan of Liberty, it is probable, that as well as anciently in Athem and Rome, popular Condemnation and Applaufe are rnorc particularly vilible in the Adions of all Ranks ot Men, than in monarchic or delpotic States : Hence it is, that thofe who become the favou- rite Objeds of this People, are for the moft B Part [2] Part preferved inviolate from the Malevolence of the M rs, and thofe who become Ob- jeds of their Refentment or Contempt, are abandoned to the full Force of m 1 Attacks. No Man can be fafely punifhed, or fafely per- miued to eicape Punifhment, when the Nation is in great Ferment, contrary to the gene- ral Opinion of his Deferts, however well in- clined the M rs may be to fave or deftroy. This Confent or Difapprobation of the Pub- lic, frequently proves to be the juft Counter- poife which weighs againft the minifterial In- clinations, when unreafonably intended to re- ward or punidi thofe who become the Objects of the national Confideration, and a neceflaiy Sandiion to all their Proceedings of a public Nature ; for thefe Reafons, whenever, by ml Meafures long mifconduded, fome linifter Event becomes the Confequence of their Adminirtration ; thofe in the Cabinet who have little Honefty and lefs Underftanding to dircdt a Nation eiiher in Peace or War, to appoint pro- per Means for attacking their Enemies, and protcdling their own Country by Land or Sea ; in fhorr, thofe who are unequal to every Duty of a M'' r, are ftill cunning enough to think it indifpenfibly neceflary, to throw the whole Blame and Difgrace of the ill Succefs, on the vifible Objc(ft who preflded in the Scene of Ad:ion, to falcinate the Underftandings of the Multitude by delulive and partial Reprefenta- tions. (^3] . . tions, and fculk from their Indignation behind the Relcntment, which their Adherents and Abettors have craftily railed againft the Com- mander in the Day ot Battle, To quote Inflances of this Kind, would be to mention almoft all the part Fads in Hiflory, in which Military Affairs have proved unfuc- ccfsful, from the Iniquity, Negligence, or In- capacity, of the M rs, and the Chief in Command has been called to public Juiiihca- tion : and indeed as the Dependants of M-— — rs mull be more numerous than thole of a fuf- peded Commander, and as the Love of Money and their own Interefl is more particula ly pre- valent, in fuch Men, than the Love of Honefty of Truth, and of their Country, it has too ge- nerally happened, that by means of m 1 Fadion, the innocent Commanders have been condemned by the People, and the guilty Ad- miniftration not attended to or acquitted. It has been remarked, that the Tribunal of the People has generally pronounced righteous Sen- tences, when all the Circumftances of the Af- fair have been brought before it j and even where the Decifions have been either defedive or unjurt-, that it has been chiefly owing to partial and unfair Reprelentations ofiheSubjed; foe thefe Reafons, it neceffarily becomes the Inte- relf of all Minifters, who intend to transfer the Guilt of an Adion from themlelves to the Com- manders in any unfortunate undertaking, to B 2 conceal [4] conceal and jnifreprefent every Circumftancc, which can poilibly offer any favourable Idea, for the Juftification and Pefence of thofe who have junhappily mifcarried in their Endeavours, under their v^rong Diredions and ill-concerted Mea- fures, and to deftine them the public Sacri- fice and Atoneoient for their Inability .or Ini- quity. To efFe