136 FRAGMENT OF AN INTENDED ACCOUNT 



from direct or intentional neglect. It might seem to derogate 

 from the glory of our Naval Officers, to recognise a Landsman 

 as the author of one of the most valuable discoveries that had 

 been made in their own art, — as the person who had not only 

 pointed out the new principle, but had completely unfolded its 

 advantages, and predicted its effects. If this were the ground 

 on which the reward was withheld, it must at once be consider- 

 ed as very insufficient for the purpose of justification. The man 

 entrusted with the power of rewarding merit, ought no more, 

 than those who have committed to them the office of punish- 

 ing guilt, to be accessible to any voice but that of truth and 

 justice. The little and mean jealousies that may be excited, 

 by an impartial discharge of their duty, ought never to in- 

 terfere with the performance of what is imperiously called for. 

 Jealousy, in the present instance, was a weakness that deserves 

 no indulgence ; it was vanity and selfishness that ought to 

 have met with no sympathy, no toleration. If, indeed, such 

 feelings any where exist, there is fortunately no reason 

 to think them general ; and it is a duty which I most 

 willingly discharge, to say, that the Naval Officers with 

 whom I have had the honour to converse on this subject, 

 have all in the most unequivocal terms expressed their 

 conviction of the importance and originality of Mr Clerk's 

 discovery. That there are exceptions to this rule, I can only 

 state as a conjecture, necessary to explain what is otherwise so 

 difficult to be accounted for. 



But to whatever cause the neglect of which I now complain 

 is to be attributed, it is certain that the Government and the 

 Navy have both lost a great opportunity of doing honour to 

 themselves. A National Monument, that would have marked 

 the era of this great improvement, and testified the gratitude 



of 



