MASON’S LIFE OF RICHARD EARL HOWE. 
ftiendship,* and the steadiness of her 
_ principles, it is deeply to be regretted 
_ that her.conduct in many material parti- 
eulars can never be held up to imitation ; 
it was of a nature, indeed, so fraught 
with injury to civil society, that even 
those circumstances of palliation which 
which might be adduced in her favour in- 
dividually by the man who is disposed to 
_ temper the severity of justice with the 
‘tenderness of humanity, can scarcely be 
£99 
brought forward with impunity. Butin 
enumerating her faults, let us forget not 
to contemplate her transcendant virtues ! 
Of the one and of the other, she is now 
called to give an account at the tribunal 
of heaven ; let us, therefore, 
“© No further seek her merits to disclose, 
Or draw her frailties from their dread abode ; 
There they alike in trembling hope repose, 
The bosom of her father and her God.” 
VAar. VIL. The Life of Richard Earl Howe. By Guorce Mason. $vo. pp. 111. 
__ MR. Mason’s motto to this little vo- 
_ lume would form a fine text for a funeral 
oration: 
_ * Let us now praise famous men, 
_ The Lord hath wrought great glory by them, 
_ through his great power, from the begin- 
ning: 
are be of them, that have left a name be- 
‘hind them, that their praises might be re- 
_ ported, 
Their seed shall remain for ever, and their 
' * glory shall not be blotted out.” 
_ We need not enter into the details of 
this hfe ; those parts which do not be- 
_ long to the History of England, are such 
"as are common to all men; a few anec- 
dotes, that characterise the individual, 
- may be selected: 
_ Mr. Howe served on board the Bur- 
ford, Captain Lushington, in 1743, when 
_ an attempt was made on the town of La 
 Goitta, upon the coast of Curazoa. 
« The attack was made; the Burford suf- 
d considerably ; and the captain was kili- 
intheaction. This attempt having failed, 
court-martial was held, relative to the con- 
act of the Burford. Young Howe was par- 
rly called on for his evidence. He gave 
itinaclear and collected manner, till he came 
relate the death of his captain. He could 
en proceed no farther; but burst into tears, 
retired. There subsists a more intimate 
alliance between steady courage and sensibi- 
“Tity, than the generality of men are aware of. 
~**In 1761, he acted as Captain to Rear- 
Admiral his Royal Highness the Duke of 
York, on board the Princess Amelia of 80 
guns at Spithead. In this situation he con- 
reign country, when, spurnin 
end! 
tinued during the remainder of the war; the 
Duke of York being always second in com- 
mand toa senior admiral. Once, when he 
was in this service, the lieutenant of the 
watch went to him at midnight, and awaked 
him, saying, ‘ My lord, don’t be frightened, 
the ship is on fire close to the magazine.’ He 
sprung up, and replied in an angry tone, 
‘What do you mean by that, sir? I never 
was frightened in my life: I will be with. 
you ina moment: but, in the mean time,. 
give directions that nobody attempts to dis-. 
turb his royal highness.’ He went down in- 
stantly, and ordered wet swabs, and other 
proper remedies to quench the fire. He then 
went again upon deck, and, seeing all quiet, 
tetired to sleep with his usual composure. 
This anecdote is so egregiously mis-reported - 
in the Naval Chronicle, that the writer, 
thought it his duty to correct that statement. 
from Mr: L’Epine’s Memoir.” ‘ 
Werecollect.a somewhat similar anec« 
dote of Lord Bridport,-and relate it with: 
the more pleasure, as that excellent ad-- 
miral of the true old’ English school is- 
still living. During the action of the: 
first of June, one of his people.came to > 
inform him,that the water was. entering 
the ship fast. “ Well, sir,’ said the old 
seaman, never altering his. deliberate 
manner of speaking, “ they may-sink us, - 
but they must not make us haul down 
that flag uss yack eleas PR 
Mr.Mason,with commendable warmth, 
notices the conduct.of administration to- 
wards Lord Howe in 1793. 
** He always declared himself averse to the 
system of blocking up ports: he said, it was’ 
frequently ruinous to the shipping; and that, 
* Weallude to her noble conduct towards Miss Fanny Blood: the health Of this Jady-ber 
on a decline, her physicians recommended her.to,,go to Lisbon. . At this time 
odwin kept aschool for her support: she heard that 
Mrs. 
er friend was likely to die ina 
every interested and prudential consideration, she bor- 
owed a sum of money and instantly set off for Lisbon to catch the last breath of her expiring 
frie Say ye, ‘* whose clay-cold heads and luke-warm hearts can ar 
anask” your feelings, what would you have done? On her return, Mrs. 
that her school had materially suffered by her absence. 
ue down, or 
rodwin found 
The author of the Defence, in- 
stead of dwelling on such a noble trait of Mrs. Godwin’s character, has conteated himself 
glancing at it, 
Kk2 
id 
