Qe4 S, Ne 2., Jan. 12.56.) 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
a) 
w 
“ Before the king went beyond sea, the command of 
the fleet was lodged with Russell; but he fell under a 
great peevisbness of spirit: he owned a high friendship 
for Marlborough after his disgrace, and expostulated 
upon it with the king in a strain that was not acceptable ; 
for he pressed somewhat rudely to know what secret in- 
formation there was against him. He had this to say, 
that seemed to justify it, for he had carried the messages 
between the king and him, before the king came into 
England, and so had formed the confidence between them. 
Russell was also in very ill terms with Nottingham, and 
he seemed to be in so ill a humour in all respects, that 
nothing but the confidence in his fidelity made it reason- 
able to trust the fleet to his conduct. I had more than 
ordinary occasion to know this, for I was desired by some 
of his family to try if I could soften his temper, but 
without success.” 
POPULAR BALLAD ON THE BATTLE OF BEACHY 
HEAD. 
The following song on the conduct of Torring- 
ton, who is so justly stigmatised by Macaulay 
(vol. ili. p. 607. e¢ seq.) for his disgraceful conduct 
on June 30, 1690, furnishes strong evidence of the 
popular feeling against him. It is from a broad- 
side of the time, which, as we believe, has never 
before been reprinted. Walasde 
“ Torringtonia ; or, A new Copy of Verses on the late Sea 
Engagement. 
“To a tune, Which nobody can deny. 
“T sing not the battle (so famed) of Lepanto, 
Nor what the Turks got by the siege ot Otranto, 
Nor the Spanish Armada, so brave and gallanto. 
Which nobody can deny. 
“ Nor how they were bang’d by Invincible Drake, 
Nor the courage and conduct of excellent Blake, 
Nor of men that fought bravely when all was at stake. 
Which, &c. 
“ But a sort of sea-fight ’tween the French and Hollander, 
he th’ English had joyn’d, but that their Comm’- 
der- © 
In-Chief wou’d not be a with—, but a by-stander. 
Which, &c. 
“The Dutch to the enemy boldly drew near, 
But th’ Adm’ral 0’ th’ Lnglish more wisely did steer, 
For he thought it was safer to keep in the rear. 
Which, &c. 
.“ Grafton (twas said) came courageously in, 
And by mauling the French great honour did win, 
But Zorr’ was resoly’d to sleep in a whole skin. 
Which, &c. 
“Had each ship and its captain but been independent, 
’ They’d certainly made a more glorious end on’t 
Then commanded by such a stout superintendent. 
Which, &c. 
“ Tyrrel and Dorrel did boldly stand to ’em, 
Thinking to beat the French and to undo ’em, 
But th’ Adm—1 only came thither to view ’em. 
Which, &c. 
“And tho’ the French Fleet was so little esteem’d 
And their courage and conduct despisable deem’d, 
To wise Herb—t they plainly invincible seem’d. 
: Which, &c. 
“ Some ships, too fool-hardy, did headlong engage, 
Which put the stout Adm—] in such a rage, 
That nought but a W7/—— could his passion assuage. 
Which, &c. 
“When the shot from the Enemy, flying at random, 
Slew the stout hero’s dog, that could no way with- 
stand ’em, 
His bit—s desired their master to land ’em. 
Which, &c. 
“°Twould make a man, much more a woman, agast, Sir, 
To see a dog kill’d twixt the leggs of his master, 
Who much more deserv’d such a dismal disaster. 
Which, &c. 
“Some say that he wanted both powder and ball, 
Be that true or false, it was certainly all 
One to him, whose courage was so very small. 
Which, &c. 
“The Dutch at the enemy bravely did fire all, 
Tho’ Arth—r commanded the fleet to retire all ; 
For which, if he be’nt h—g’d, we much shou’d admire 
all. Which, &c. 
“'Tho’ the French for a time may bluster and boast 
Of the honour they won, by T——n lost, 
Their courage will cool when our fleet’s on their coast. 
Which, &c. 
“ Not one town of theirs, nor two, three, nor four 
Shall appease for the pranks they play’d on our shore; 
We have admirals now that will pay off the score. 
Which, &c. 
“Printed at the request of a Tarr, for the Diversion of the 
Melancholy Widows of Wapping.” 
MAJOR BERNARDI. 
When Macaulay (vol. iv. p. 653.) speaks of the 
autobiography of Major John Bernardi as “not 
at all to be trusted,” that statement must be taken 
with some qualification. ‘There can be little doubt 
that Bernardi makes out the best case he can for 
himself, and repudiates all share in the Assassin- 
ation Plot; but whatever share he may have 
had in it, there can be no doubt that he was 
thirty-three years a prisoner in Newgate without 
trial or conviction ; and so, to use the words of the 
historian himself, “ his name has derived a melan- 
choly celebrity from a punishment so strangely 
prolonged, that it at length shocked a generation 
which could not remember his crime.” Some few 
extracts, therefore, from that autobiography *, and 
some few illustrations of it from other sources, 
may well find admission into “ N. & Q.” 
John Bernardi was the son of Francis Bernardi, 
Agent, and afterwards the Resident, of the Re- 
public of Genoa. ‘The severity of his father drove 
him from home when about thirteen years of age, 
and after several adventures having found his 
* A Short History of the Life of Major John Bernardi, 
written by himself in Newgate, where he has been for near 
Thirty-three Years a Prisoner of State without any allow- 
ance from the Government, and could never be admitted to 
his Trial, &c. London, printed by J. Newcomb in the 
Strand, for the benefit of the Author, 8yo., with Portrait. 
