[1] “This gallant officer has had his bravery rewarded by being promoted to the rank of Post Captain, and now commands the CÆsar of eighty-four guns, which at present bears the flag of Admiral Sir J. Saumarez.”

[2] Afterwards the Honourable William Walpole, a Post Captain.

[3] “I think it was on this occasion, that, one morning, as I was going in, as usual, to early prayers, one of the men who had liberty to come into the town, came to me, and advised me not to go into the prison; for the men were ready to make an attempt upon my life, except I would promise to send in the money, which he knew I would not do. I, however, went in. The men crowded in a very tumultuous manner, in my way. There was a great buzz and murmur, but no one spoke; and I passed through them, and found my people as devout, and totally unaffected, with the storm that was going forward around them, as if they had been in another atmosphere. As I returned through the passage, still crowded with the perturbators, a man came up to me, and I then made up my mind, that the scene was going to begin. He was, however, only come, as was usual every time I went in, to ask me to do something for him; and I then passed through the crowd more dense and tumultuous than before, without however being accosted by any one. This sort of ebullition, fomented by the Commandant and his people, while I durst not explain myself even to those in whom I had the greatest confidence, occurred two or three times, during my residence at Givet.”

[4] “One evening, when some French persons in the town, were sitting with me, some one desired to speak with me. I went out to him in the ante-room, and he began to state to me, in a voice which must be audible in the room where they were sitting, the ingratitude of the French government towards him, and to request me to communicate to the British Admiralty, a plan which he had discovered, of destroying a whole fleet of ships of war. I simply told him, that I was there as a minister of religion, and could not enter into anything of a military, or political nature.

“At another time, the Count de L, a Flemish nobleman, introduced himself to me, in what way, it does not now occur to me. I had not the least suspicion of him; and even when my French friends cautioned me, I thought they were only angry with him, because he spoke so much against that people and government. Even this circumstance gave me no distrust, because it was common with the Flemings. However, he was so ultra in his remarks, saying that they had scarcely a human countenance, and things equally absurd, that I inclined to the opposite side of the question, and never said anything that could be laid hold of, not from suspicion, but from a cautiousness, which had become habitual.”

[5] “Dr. Lawmont, the surgeon of the ship commanded by the unfortunate Captain Wright, and who afterwards practised as Physician at Glasgow, obtained permission, about two years after my removal to Givet, to go and reside at that depÔt, in the exercise of his profession. He was making the journey on foot, when a party of gens d’armes, who were conducting some felons, overtook him; and in spite of his passport, which he produced, he was strung to them by the hand, and marched to the next brigade. What then would such persons do, under a condemnatory order from the Minister of War.”

[6] “Mr. Lee and Mr. Maude visited me at Givet, and went into the hospital with me. I stayed behind to speak to the men, when one of them took the opportunity to go out to them, and say, that he had not received his share of some money which I had obtained for them from Captain Brenton, and which from dishonesty on the part of a person he employed, had not been paid to them. At that moment I came up, and to the great surprise, I suppose, of the man, confirmed all that he had said. I informed them that when the money had been paid, this man was not in the depÔt, and did not get his share; and if they would get it for him, I should be very thankful; but having engaged the Captain to pay the money a second time, out of his own pocket, I had not the heart to apply to him a third. This they declined, and each of us gave the man something.”

[7] They were not all Wesleyans; but of that persuasion, jointly with those that hold the Calvinistic tenets.

[8] “General Monleau, who would willingly have ordered the death of half a dozen English in the mere hope of gratifying the Emperor, was complaining in a large party one evening, of the total impossibility of keeping the English midshipmen; and saying, that he had put them in the strongest dungeons in vain. ‘Je vous indiquerai, general,’ said a lady in company distinguished for her talents, ’un moyen sur.’ The general was all ears. ‘Mettez les sur leur parole, les Anglois sont esclaves de leur parole d’honneur.’”

[9] One day at dinner we were speaking of the final condemnation of sinners. The brother of Colonel D’Ivory who had been in the army, and was certainly a clever and intelligent man, said, ‘he did not understand how it could be possible for a priest to go out of the world in a state of condemnation.’ ‘Sir,’ said I, ‘did I understand you right? suppose he were a wicked man?’ ‘Mais oui, Monsieur, Á tel moment que ce soit, il peut se confesser!’

At another time, I was laughing with a very sensible officer, who had been in the English army, at ignorant persons, who thought that any thing which had touched a certain image in that neighbourhood, was a preservative against the bite of a mad dog; when he took a silver ring from his finger, and said, ‘how then do you think I have been preserved from being bit all these years, but by this ring, which has been rubbed against the image?’

[10] “One day, previous to his departure, I was sitting in my room writing, when a gentleman was shewn in, dressed in the most elegant French uniform I had, perhaps, ever seen. Not having the least idea who it was, I bowed to him, and spoke to him in French. To my great astonishment, he answered in English, that, ‘understanding there would, probably, come some money for some of the men who were gone into the French service, he should be much obliged to me if I would forward it.’ I answered, I fear rather too angrily, ‘that I should certainly send the money back.’ ‘Then, sir,’ said he, ‘I have done my duty, and you will do yours.’ ‘I do not know, sir,’ I answered ‘what your notions of duty may be; but certainly, I shall not fail to do mine.’ He bowed, with extreme confusion marked in his face, and hastily went away.”

[11]

“Paris le 10. xbre. 1806.

“Je tous annonce avec plaisir Monsieur que vous venez d’obtenir votre Échange contre Le Capitaine Infirmet cidevant Commandant le Vaisseau de sa MajestÉ L’Intrepide.

“Votre passeport pour vous, votre famille et le Docteur GrÈs vous sera remis par Mr. Le General Commandant la 22 Division militaire, et je donne des ordres Á Morlaix pour que vous soyez antorisÈ Á y freter un Parlementaire qui vous conduira dans votre Patrie.

“Je sais le plaisir que cette nouvelle vous causera, et il m’est agrÉable d’avoir  vous lÁnnoncer.

“Recevez Monsieur L’assurance de ma considÉration distinguÉe.

“DECRES.

“M. Brenton, Capne. de Vaisseau a Tours.”

[12] One of Mrs. Cutler’s sons had been taken in the Minerve as a Midshipman.

[13] “I have often heard this exciting circumstance mentioned, and the impatience with which the sailors obeyed my brother’s orders not to fire in return for the enemy’s shot; observing, as he says, that their fire deprived them of the breeze. The sailors were heard to say that they did not so much care for themselves, but it was too hard their poor captain should so soon be shut up in a French prison again.”

F. B.

[14] Correspondence and Memoirs of Lord Collingwood, p. 554.

[15] Three Russian line of battle ships which had been long at Trieste.

[16] The late Lieutenant General Sir Hudson Lowe.

[17] My brother has often conversed with us on the subject of courage, and drawn the distinction between moral and physical courage. He felt that his was not natural but acquired. His first trial was at the age of seven, when he first went to sea with his father. A supposed enemy came in sight, and the ship cleared for action. My two brothers (for they were both on board) immediately sought a secure hiding place, but their father discovering their intention, called them, and with a stern voice told them, that if they attempted to run from the enemy’s guns, he would immediately shoot them. The threat was believed, though it was totally in opposition to my father’s nature, and the greater and immediate danger superseded the one which had been anticipated. My brothers remained by the side of their father on deck: but the threat was never forgotten, and the dread of disgrace soon became stronger with them, than that of death. The next time I heard of my brothers having incurred their father’s displeasure, was, during their residence in France, a very few years later, when he discovered that they had challenged some French boys, to fight with them. He, upon this occasion, thought it necessary to repress their courage, and confined them to the house for the day; when they wept bitterly, and declared themselves disgraced in not being permitted to fight the promised battle. Sir Jahleel has often told me that in going into action, he had always an anxious feeling till the first shot was fired; but from that moment he thought of nothing but the cause in which he was engaged.

F. B.

[18] Of the accuracy of this little sketch, I can bear witness, for it was my privilege to accompany my husband to Portsmouth, that we might share either in the joys or sorrows of my poor anxious sister. On our way from London my husband met a brother officer, who told him that rumours prevailed at Portsmouth of my brother’s death; he concealed this information from me, and of course suffered doubly himself in consequence. It was however his happy privilege in the course of a few hours, to be the first to welcome our wounded brother on his anchoring at the Motherbank, and to give him the joyful intelligence that his wife and children had arrived at Portsmouth, and only waited his permission to come off, and share in his quarantine. My brother would not allow my husband to come on board, as we should have been deprived of his protection and society till the period of the quarantine had expired. The kind consideration of the First Lord of the Admiralty, however, shortened the period, and rendered it unnecessary for Mrs. Brenton to go on board. We had only time to secure a lodging for our dear invalid, (as near to Haslar hospital as possible, that he might have the full benefit of the medical attendance there) before he was brought on shore. I shall never forget his emaciated appearance as they brought him from the landing place, in an arm chair rigged upon poles by the sailors, who brought him most carefully; he was himself enveloped in flags, and followed by a crowd of spectators. His sick room seemed to be what he has described, an abode of perfect happiness. His patience and cheerfulness never failed him, and his gratitude to all those who had the privilege of approaching him, and assisting in any way towards his comfort or amusement was unbounded. Very soon after his return to us, he was able to use his pencil, and retraced the events of the 3rd of May. Paintings and engravings have been taken from these sketches, which are now in my possession.

F. B.

[19] Mr. Tucker became, successively, Private Secretary to the Earl of St. Vincent, when he was First Lord of the Admiralty; Commissioner of the Navy; and Deputy Surveyor General of the Duchy of Cornwall. He died at his estate, Trematon Castle.

F. B.

[20] Captain Bathurst was killed at the battle of Navarino when commanding the Genoa.

[21] About two shillings sterling.

[22] Now Major General Sir William Warre, K. C. B.

[23] Barrow, Vol. I. p. 311.

[24] General Sir James Craig’s observation on Hottentots, extracted from Barrow’s Travels in South Africa, vol. I. p. 372.

[25] The larder is a species of white mullet.

[26] The Editor cannot do otherwise on this occasion than direct his readers’ attention to a little volume which was drawn up by Sir Jahleel, which on many accounts deserves notice; viz.—“The Memoir of Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, R.N. C.B., with Sketches of his Professional Life, and Exertions in the Cause of Humanity.”—8vo., Nisbet, London.