440 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



and admiral, therefore, moved to 

 dijssohe the committt-e which they 

 had been so studious to obtaiiij and 

 it j\as dissolved accordingly. 



"But although bir William Howe, 

 as well as his friends, was disap- 

 pointed in his hopes oF something 

 even morethan exculpation, from an 

 in4ulgcjilhou.se ot commons, henei- 

 ther wanted a sufficient number of 

 partisans to keep hirn in counte- 

 nance amidst all that censure that 

 was poured on his conduct, nor 

 pplitical friends of sufficient conse- 

 quence to compensate for that cen- 

 sure by an lionourable and lucrative 

 station, which he now holds under 

 government : nor is this the only in- 

 siante in the history of Britain, at 

 this period, of great inequality in 

 the public retribution of rewards 

 aadpunibhments. When we reflect 

 oii ilie difierent and even opposite 

 recep on given to successful genius 

 actuated by tlie purest patriotism on 

 the one hand, and to monotonous 

 m^iocrity not only unsuccessful, if 

 success is -io be measured by etfects 

 conducive to the public good, but 

 even of ambiguous intentions, what 

 a|;e'we to think of the spirit which 

 influences and directs the pub.ic 

 cj^uncils ? 



," In the decline of free govern- 

 ments we ever observe the influence 

 of/action to predominate over ideas 

 oFpatriotibn), justice, and duty, on 

 vvhich alone liberty is founded, and 

 p.pn penslty in the citizens to range 

 iLemselves under the banners of a 

 J\Jarius or a S}lla, a Punrpey or a 

 Caesar Hence the servants of the 

 state are apt to become less and less 

 sensiMe to honour ai^d tiie voice of 

 iarne, ihegreat incei. lives toglorious 

 actions, wi 11 knowing that their con- 

 i}t.C.t,iio\vever meriiyrious, may still 

 he cpndenuied, or however excep- 



tionable, still be palliated, and ever|_ 

 applauded, to advance the views of 

 faction and ambition ; while the 

 great body of the people, distracted 

 and confounded by the oppcsiteopi- 

 nions and declarations ot their sUr 

 periors, who are supp<jst.d to have 

 the best mcansof information, know 

 not whereto place their hopes, their 

 confidence, or their fears. It is the 

 province of the historian to correct 

 thtsCj and to animate the patriot, 

 the sage, and the hero, under tem- 

 porary neglect or detraction, by car- 

 r} ing an appeal in their behalf to a 

 tribunal more candid than theii mis- 

 guided con temporaries, and that raisei} 

 on a tjieatre more extended than 

 their nuti\e country." — Here our 

 historian, by a very natural diCision, 

 concludes his iir^, and enters on his. 

 second, volume. 



The surrender of Saratoga was 

 followed by the most iniportant 

 events. Commissioners ot peace 

 were sent out to America from the 

 mother country ; and flrst France, 

 then Spain, and afterwards the Se- 

 ven United Provinces, joined the 

 Americans in one great confederacy 

 against Great Eriiain. The theatre 

 of war is enlarged ; and navies are 

 brought inioaction at sea, and mure 

 numerous armies oppose each otJu r 

 by land. A a ast variety of scenes 

 goon at the same time in dilleient 

 quarters of the world: numberless 

 events, actions anu transactions, are 

 recorded ; anecdotes related, cir- 

 cumstances marked, and characters 

 described. Our aiuhortraverses the 

 whole, on ground that conomands 

 extensive views, with a dignity and 

 ease that shew how weil acquainted 

 he is with general knowledge, and 

 3o\v nnich he is master of his sub- 

 ject. He who attempt^s to describe 

 every thing, describes nothing 



but 



