CHARACTERS. 



759 



declined, are all the particulars the 

 ■writer can relate of the matter : he 

 rather believes that the knowledge 

 of it never extended beyond lord 

 Howe's own domi'stic society. 



A new turn oi ministerial arrange- 

 ments, in 1782, brought lord Howe 

 again into the notice of his country- 

 men. April the 8th, he was raised 

 to the rank of admiral of the blue. 

 On the 20th of the same month, he 

 ■was created a viscount of Great Bri- 

 tain, under the title of Howe of 

 Langar, in the county of N^otting- 

 hani. 



May the 9th, he sailed with twelve 

 line of battle ships, in quest of the 

 Dutch fleet that had put to sea from 

 the Texel ; but the Dutch admiral 

 hearing of this, put into the Texel 

 again. The British fleet cruized on 

 the coast of Holland for about a 

 month, and then returned to Spit- 

 head. 



In July, admiral lord Howe sailed 

 from Spithead on a cruize to the 

 westward, with 22 sail of the line : 

 August the I4th he returned to Spit- 

 head without having seen the enemy. 

 He sailed again from Spithead, Sep- 

 tember the 11th, with 34 s.^il of the 

 line for the relief of Gibraltar. This 

 he cflected, October the 11th, in 

 spite of the combined fleet of France 

 and Spain, (46 sail of the line) and 

 in that masterly manner which cha- 

 racterizes all his exploits. A more 

 particular account of this achicv«- 

 ment may be found in capt. Schom- 

 berg's work. It was the action 

 lord Howe always spoke of, to his 

 (lying day, as the greatest he had 

 ever performed, and as the only one, 

 of which he claimed the sole merit 

 to himself. The main object of his 

 mission being thus acfomplisfaed, he 

 offered the enemy battle ; which 

 they might from their situation have 



accepted, but which it was not in 

 his power to enforce. The enemy 

 to windward, kept up a constant 

 fire, for four hours, on the English 

 fleet, but would never come Tiear 

 enough to make the action any way- 

 decisive. Much inclined in himself 

 was lord Howe to have drawn the 

 enemy into a real engagement by a 

 pretended flight of bis ovvn. But 

 for the sake of his own reputation 

 with the people, and the honour of 

 the British tlag, he would not ven- 

 ture trying the experiment. He 

 knew that if his aitlfice had failed 

 of its intended effect, the English 

 admiral and his fleet would have 

 been reviled, as if they had fled ia 

 reality. Some may account this 

 overcautiousness against a false im- 

 putation, for a weakness in our he- 

 ro's character. Enamoured he cer- 

 tainly was of fair fame ; and con- 

 scious of never deserving obloquy, 

 he did not always despise it as he 

 should have done. Having, accord- 

 ing to his instructions, dispatched 

 part of his fleet on another service, 

 he returned home, and anchored at 

 Spithead November the 13th. For 

 his skill and courage in the forego- 

 ing transactions, he received the 

 thauks of both houses of parliament. 

 The corporation of London, in com- 

 mon council assembled, ordered aa 

 historical picture of the siege and 

 relief of Gibraltar, to be executed 

 by Mr. Copley. 



After all the splendid displays of 

 most extraordinary professional abi- 

 lities already recorded iri this life, 

 and an experience of naval service, 

 during 43 years, and a study of ma- 

 ritime affairs in general, for the 

 whole continuance of that period^ 

 ■who could be fitter to preside at the 

 board of admiralty, than Ford Howe ? 

 This post h« was appointed to 



3 C 4 January 



