INTRODUCTION. 73 



witnessed so bold a design so ably executed. But who ever pos- 

 sessed, like him, the quick eye to perceive every advantage; the 

 resolute spirit to undertake ; and, above all, the perfect self-posses- 

 sion, in every situation, that is necessary to accomplish great actions ! 

 The secrecy with which this blow was planned, and the suddenness 

 of the execution, secure to Lord Cochrane the double praise of the 

 politician and the warrior. " For the helmet of Pluto," says Lord 

 Bacon, " which maketh the politic man to go invisible, is secrecy in 

 " the council and celerity in the execution ; there is no secrecy com- 

 " parable to celerity ; like the motion of a bullet in the air, which 

 " flyeth so swift as it outruns the eye." 



Coriolanus, when his country was ungrateful, went and commanded 

 the armies of her enemies and revenged himself. Alcibiades fled to 

 a tyrant's court, and disgraced the land he had left by his excesses; 

 and most of those who have been obliged to " teach them other 

 tongues, and to become no strangers to strange eyes," have followed 

 either the one example or the other. But Lord Cochrane, when he 

 left his beloved home, refused the splendid offers of a court, because 

 he could not fight against the principles of his country, but went to 

 a remote and feeble nation and employed his talents in assisting the 

 sacred cause of national independence. And though, as all things 

 sublunary are imperfect, Chile is still far from enjoying all the ad- 

 vantages that she should derive from that blessing for which he 

 fought, — his part was done : the fleets of the oppressors were driven 

 from the shores of the Pacific ; and some principles established, and 

 some seeds of future good were sown, that will immortalise him as a 

 benefactor to mankind as well as a hero — things too often, alas! 

 so widely different. But to return to our narrative. 



On the morning of the 6th, a horrible massacre was committed 

 chiefly by the women of Callao on the boats' crews of the Mace- 

 donia. It was not believed that Lord Cochrane with boats alone 

 could have cut out the Esmeralda without the assistance of the 

 English ships ; and, as the people could not distinguish between the 

 English and North Americans, they fell on the boats' crews that had 



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