INTRODUCTION. 59 



talent * ; by it, the enemy was deprived of his last hold of Chile, 

 and what is of still greater consequence, the Chilenos learned to 

 place confidence in themselves and their officers, and to have the 

 moral as well as the physical courage necessary for all great achieve- 

 ments. 



But there is no character so perfect, no action so heroic, as to be 

 safe from envy. As the Spanish poet says — 



" Envy is Honour's wife, the wise man said, 

 Ne'er to be parted till the man was dead." 



On the arrival of the news of the taking of Valdivia at Valparaiso, 

 all the mean and bad passions of little men were awakened. The 

 people at large showed a joy that perhaps exasperated the envious ; 

 but it is certain that there were many persons in power, with Zen- 

 teno at their head, and some even of his own countrymen, who scru- 

 pled not to say, that Lord Cochrane deserved to lose his head for 

 daring, unbidden, to attack such a place, and for endangering the 

 patriot soldiers, by exposing them to such hazard. 



But the time was not yet arrived for any effectual attack on Lord 

 Cochrane. The government felt his value, or rather the absolute 

 necessity of the state required his services, and the clamours of the 

 envious and ungrateful were for once stifled, f 



Unconscious of these cabals, and encouraged by his success at Val- 

 divia, Lord Cochrane naturally turned his attention to Chiloe, where 



* A force of 2000 men, with 100 guns, had been overcome by 350, aided by the pre- 

 sence and name of their great chief. 



f On the 2d of March, the people of Coquimbo sent a congratulatory address to the 

 director and the admiral on the taking of Valdivia. 



On the 14th of August, the government voted medals to the captors of Valdivia, to be 

 suspended by a tricoloured ribbon; to Lord Cochrane, Captain Carter, Major Miller, 

 Major Beauchef, and Major Vicente,' gold medals ; and silver medals to 23 others. 

 The decree says' of the capture of Valdivia, " It was the happy result, of the devising of 

 " the best arranged plan, and of the most daring and valorous execution." And it 

 concludes, by conferring on Lord Cochrane, an estate from the confiscated lands of Con- 

 ception, of not less than 4000 quadras in superficies. 



This estate Lord Cochrane begged leave to return, that it might be sold for the pay- 

 ment of the sailors of the squadron. This offer was not accepted. 



i 2 



