OF THE LATE JOHN CLERK, ESQ. OF ELDIN. 123 



efforts of valour and seamanship thrown away, from our igno- 

 rance of the true principle by which our attack should have been 

 directed ; while the French, in their position to leeward, suc- 

 ceeded, with their usual address, in damaging our ships, and 

 in saving their own. 



The parallel drawn by Mr Clerk between the unfortunate 

 engagement of Admiral Byng and this of Admiral Byron, is 

 sufficiently striking, and shews but too clearly, that there are 

 many circumstances, besides conduct and valour, that deter- 

 mine the character of a soldier that rights either at sea or 

 land. 



The action of Admiral Arbuthnot in the succeeding year, 

 deceived equally the hopes of the nation, and equally demon- 

 strated the skill of the French commanders, in the means of 

 obtaining the end they had in view, and in entirely defeating 

 that of their enemy ; and by its unhappy influence on our mi- 

 litary operations on shore, may be regarded as the most fatal 

 miscarriage that marked the progress of the British arms. 

 The action of Admiral Greaves off the Cheasapeak, conclu- 

 ded a series of unsuccessful attempts, in which, though no 

 signal disaster fell on the British fleet, no glory was gained, 

 the ultimate object of the expedition was always lost, and, to a 

 power used to boast in its superiority, the entire absence of 

 victory seemed equivalent to defeat. The enemy was acqui- 

 ring skill and confidence, while we were losing that feeling of 

 superiority on which success so often depends. The circum- 

 stances of the nation had never called on every individual to 

 think more seriously of the situation of his country ; nothing 

 had ever proved so clearly, that, at sea, the system of offensive 

 warfare was yet but imperfectly understood, nor was there 

 ever a juncture, when such discoveries as Mr Clerk had made, 

 could be brought forward with so great effect. To a man 



Q 2 who, 



