"There's beauty in the deep:--
The wave is bluer than the sky;
And, though the light shines bright on high,
More softly do the sea-gems glow,
That sparkle in the depths below;
The rainbow's tints are only made
When on the waters they are laid.
And sun and moon most sweetly shine
Upon the ocean's level brine.
There's beauty in the deep."
BRAINARD.
As Daly was the recognised jester of the fleet, his extraordinary
attempt to announce his vessel's name was received as a characteristic
joke, and it served to laugh at until something better offered. Under
the actual circumstances of the two squadrons, however, it was soon
temporarily forgotten in graver things, for few believed the collision
that had already taken place was to satisfy a man of the known
temperament of the commander-in-chief. As the junction of the rear
division was the only thing wanting to bring on a general engagement, as
soon as the weather should moderate a little, every ship had careful
look-outs aloft, sweeping the horizon constantly with glasses, more
particularly towards the east and north-east. The gale broke about noon,
though the wind still continued fresh from the same quarter as before.
The sea began to go down, however, and at eight bells material changes
had occurred in the situations of both fleets. Some of these it may be
necessary to mention.
The ship of the French admiral, _le Foudroyant_, and _le Scipion_, had
been received, as it might be, in the arms of their own fleet in the
manner already mentioned; and from this moment, the movement of the
whole force was, in a measure, regulated by that of these two crippled
vessels. The former ship, by means of her lower sails, might have
continued to keep her station in the line, so long as the gale lasted;
but the latter unavoidably fell off, compelling her consorts to keep
near, or to abandon her to her fate. M. de Vervillin preferred the
latter course. The consequences were, that, by the time the sun was in
the zenith, his line, a good deal extended, still, and far from regular,
was quite three leagues to leeward of that of the English. Nor was this
all: at that important turn in the day, Sir Gervaise Oakes was enabled
to make sail on all his ships, setting the fore and mizzen-top-sails
close-reefed; while _la Victoire_, a fast vessel, was enabled to keep in
company by carrying whole courses. The French could not imitate this,
inasmuch as one of their crippled vessels had nothing standing but a
foremast. Sir Gervaise had ascertained, before the distance became too
great for such observations, that the enemy was getting ready to send up
new top-masts, and the other necessary spars on board the admiral, as
well as jury lower-masts in _le Scipion_; though the sea would not yet
permit any very positive demonstrations to be made towards such an
improvement. He laid his own plans for the approaching night
accordingly; determining not to worry his people, or notify the enemy of
his intentions, by attempting any similar improvement in the immediate
condition of his prize.
About noon, each ship's number was made in succession, and the question
was put if she had sustained any material injury in the late conflict.
The answers were satisfactory in general, though one or two of the
vessels made such replies as induced the commander-in-chief to resort to
a still more direct mode of ascertaining the real condition of his
fleet. In order to effect this important object, Sir Gervaise waited two
hours longer, for the double purpose of letting all the messes get
through with their dinners, and to permit the wind to abate and the sea
to fall, as both were now fast doing. At the expiration of that time,
however, he appeared on the poop, summoning Bunting to his customary
duty.
At 2 P.M. it blew a whole top-sail breeze, as it is called; but
the sea being still high, and the ships close-hauled, the vice-admiral
did not see fit to order any more sail. Perhaps he was also influenced
by a desire not to increase his distance from the enemy, it being a part
of his plan to keep M. de Vervillin in plain sight so long as the day
continued, in order that he might have a tolerable idea of the position
of his fleet, during the hours of darkness. His present intention was to
cause his vessels to pass before him in review, as a general orders his
battalions to march past a station occupied by himself and staff, with a
view to judge by his own eye of their steadiness and appearance.
Vice-Admiral Oakes was the only officer in the British navy who ever
resorted to this practice; but he did many things of which other men
never dreamed, and, among the rest, he did not hesitate to attack double
his force, when an occasion offered, as has just been seen. The officers
of the fleet called these characteristic reviews "Sir Jarvy's
field-days," finding a malicious pleasure in comparing any thing out of
the common nautical track, to some usage of the soldiers.
Bunting got his orders, notwithstanding the jokes of the fleet; and the
necessary signals were made and the answers given. Captain Greenly then
received his verbal instructions, when the commander-in-chief went
below, to prepare himself for the approaching scene. When Sir Gervaise
re-appeared on the poop, he was in full uniform, wearing the star of the
Bath, as was usual with him on all solemn official occasions. Atwood and
Bunting were at his side, while the Bowlderos, in their rich
shore-liveries, formed a group at hand. Captain Greenly and his first
lieutenant joined the party as soon as their duty with the ship was
over. On the opposite side of the poop, the whole of the marines off
guard were drawn up in triple lines, with their officers at their head.
The ship herself had hauled up her main-sail, hauled down all her
stay-sails, and lay with her main-top-sail braced sharp aback, with
orders to the quarter-master to keep her little off the wind; the object
being to leave a little way through the water, in order to prolong the
expected interviews. With these preparations the commander-in-chief
awaited the successive approach of his ships, the sun, for the first
time in twenty-four hours, making his appearance in a flood of brilliant
summer-light, as if purposely to grace the ceremony.
The first ship that drew near the Plantagenet was the Carnatic, as a
matter of course, she being the next in the line. This vessel,
remarkable, as the commander-in-chief had observed, for never being out
of the way, was not long in closing, though as she luffed up on the
admiral's weather-quarter, to pass to windward, she let go all her
top-sail bowlines, so as to deaden her way, making a sort of half-board.
This simple evolution, as she righted her helm, brought her about fifty
yards to windward of the Plantagenet, past which ship she surged slowly
but steadily, the weather now permitting a conversation to be held at
that distance, and by means of trumpets, with little or no effort of the
voice.
Most of the officers of the Carnatic were on her poop, as she came
sweeping up heavily, casting her shadow on the Plantagenet's decks.
Captain Parker himself was standing near the ridge-ropes, his head
uncovered, and the grey hairs floating in the breeze. The countenance of
this simple-minded veteran was a little anxious, for, had he feared the
enemy a tenth part as much as he stood in awe of his commanding officer,
he would have been totally unfit for his station. Now he glanced upward
at his sails, to see that all was right; then, as he drew nearer, fathom
by fathom as it might be, he anxiously endeavoured to read the
expression of the vice-admiral's face.
"How do you do, Captain Parker?" commenced Sir Gervaise, with true
trumpet formality, making the customary salutation.
"How is Sir Gervaise Oakes to-day? I hope untouched in the late affair
with the enemy?"
"Quite well, I thank you, sir. Has the Carnatic received any serious
injury in the battle?"
"None to mention, Sir Gervaise. A rough scrape of the foremast; but not
enough to alarm us, now the weather has moderated; a little rigging cut,
and a couple of raps in the hull."
"Have your people suffered, sir?"
"Two killed and seven wounded, Sir Gervaise. Good lads, most of 'em; but
enough like 'em remain."
"I understand, then, Captain Parker, that you report the Carnatic fit
for any service?"
"As much so as my poor abilities enable me to make her, Sir Gervaise
Oakes," answered the other, a little alarmed at the formality and
precision of the question. "Meet her with the helm--meet her with the
helm."
All this passed while the Carnatic was making her half-board, and, the
helm being righted, she now slowly and majestically fell off with her
broadside to the admiral, gathering way as her canvass began to draw
again. At this instant, when the yard-arms of the two ships were about a
hundred feet asunder, and just as the Carnatic drew up fairly abeam, Sir
Gervaise Oakes raised his hat, stepped quickly to the side of the poop,
waved his hand for silence, and spoke with a distinctness that rendered
his words audible to all in both vessels.
"Captain Parker," he said, "I wish, publicly, to thank you for your
noble conduct this day. I have always said a surer support could never
follow a commander-in-chief into battle; you have more than proved my
opinion to be true. I wish, publicly, to thank you, sir."
"Sir Gervaise--I cannot express--God bless you, Sir Gervaise!"
"I have but one fault to find with you, sir, and that is easily
pardoned."
"I'm sure I hope so, sir."
"You handled your ship so rapidly and so surely, that _we_ had hardly
time to get out of the way of your guns!"
Old Parker could not now have answered had his life depended on it; but
he bowed, and dashed a hand across his eyes. There was but a moment to
say any more.
"If His Majesty's sword be not laid on _your_ shoulder for this day's
work, sir, it shall be no fault of mine," added Sir Gervaise, waving his
hat in adieu.
While this dialogue lasted, so profound was the stillness in the two
ships, that the wash of the water under the bows of the Carnatic, was
the only sound to interfere with Sir Gervaise's clarion voice; but the
instant he ceased to speak, the crews of both vessels rose as one man,
and cheered. The officers joined heartily, and to complete the
compliment, the commander-in-chief ordered his own marines to present
arms to the passing vessel. Then it was that, every sail drawing, again
the Carnatic took a sudden start, and shot nearly her length ahead, on
the summit of a sea. In half a minute more, she was ahead of the
Plantagenet's flying-jib-boom-end, steering a little free, so as not to
throw the admiral to leeward.
The Carnatic was scarcely out of the way, before the Achilles was ready
to take her place. This ship, having more room, had easily luffed to
windward of the Plantagenet, simply letting go her bowlines, as her bows
doubled on the admiral's stern, in order to check her way.
"How do you do to-day, Sir Gervaise?" called out Lord Morganic, without
waiting for the commander-in-chief's hail--"allow me to congratulate
you, sir, on the exploits of this glorious day!"
"I thank you, my lord, and wish to say I am satisfied with the behaviour
of your ship. You've _all_ done well, and I desire to thank you _all_.
Is the Achilles injured?"
"Nothing to speak of, sir. A little rigging gone, and here and there a
stick."
"Have you lost any men, my lord? I desire particularly to know the
condition of each ship."
"Some eight or ten poor fellows, I believe, Sir Gervaise; but we are
ready to engage this instant."
"It is well, my lord; steady your bowlines, and make room for the
Thunderer."
Morganic gave the order, but as his ship drew ahead he called out in a
pertinacious way,--"I hope, Sir Gervaise, you don't mean to give that
other lame duck up. I've got my first lieutenant on board one of 'em,
and confess to a desire to put the second on board another."
"Ay--ay--Morganic, _we_ knock down the birds, and _you_ bag 'em. I'll
give you more sport in the same way, before I've done with ye."
This little concession, even Sir Gervaise Oakes, a man not accustomed to
trifle in matters of duty, saw fit to make to the other's rank; and the
Achilles withdrew from before the flag-ship, as the curtain is drawn
from before the scene.
"I do believe, Greenleaf," observed Lord Morganic to his surgeon, one of
his indulged favourites; "that Sir Jarvy is a little jealous of us,
because Daly got into the prize before he could send one of his own
boats aboard of her. 'Twill tell well in the gazette, too, will it
not?--'The French ship was taken possession of, and brought off, by the
Achilles, Captain the Earl of Morganic!' I hope the old fellow will have
the decency to give us our due. I rather think it _was_ our last
broadside that brought the colours down?"
A suitable answer was returned, but as the ship is drawing ahead, we
cannot follow her to relate it. The vessel that approached the third,
was the Thunderer, Captain Foley. This was one of the ships that had
received the fire of the three leading French vessels, after they had
brought the wind abeam, and being the leading vessel of the English
rear, she had suffered more than any other of the British squadron. The
fact was apparent, as she approached, by the manner in which her rigging
was knotted, and the attention that had been paid to her spars. Even as
she closed, the men were on the yard bending a new main-course, the old
one having been hit on the bolt-rope, and torn nearly from the spar.
There were also several plugs on her lee-side to mark the spots where
the French guns had told.
The usual greetings passed between the vice-admiral and his captain, and
the former put his questions.
"We have not been quite exchanging salutes, Sir Gervaise," answered
Captain Foley; "but the ship is ready for service again. Should the wind
moderate a little, I think everything would stand to carry sail _hard_."
"I'm glad to hear it, sir--_rejoiced_ to hear it, sir. I feared more for
you, than for any other vessel. I hope you've not suffered materially in
your crew?"
"Nine killed. Sir Gervaise; and the surgeon tells me sixteen wounded."
"That proves you've not been in port, Foley! Well, I dare say, could the
truth be known, it would be found that M. de Vervillin's vessels bear
your marks, in revenge. Adieu--adieu--God bless you."
The Thunderer glided ahead, making room for the Blenheim, Captain
Sterling. This was one of your serviceable ships, without any show or
style about her; but a vessel that was always ready to give and take.
Her commander was a regular sea-dog, a little addicted to hard and
outlandish oaths, a great consumer of tobacco and brandy; but who had
the discrimination never to swear in the presence of the
commander-in-chief, although he had been known to do so in a church; or
to drink more than he could well carry, when he was in presence of an
enemy or a gale of wind. He was too firm a man, and too good a seaman,
to use the bottle as a refuge; it was the companion of his ease and
pleasure, and to confess the truth, he then treated it with an
affectionate benevolence, that rendered it exceedingly difficult for
others not to entertain some of his own partiality for it. In a word,
Captain Sterling was a sailor of the "old school;" for there was an "old
school" in manners, habits, opinions, philosophy, morals, and reason, a
century since, precisely as there _is_ to-day, and probably _will_ be, a
century hence.
The Blenheim made a good report, not having sustained any serious injury
whatever; nor had she a man hurt. The captain reported his ship as fit
for service as she was the hour she lifted her anchor.
"So much the better, Sterling--so much the better. You shall take the
edge off the next affair, by way of giving you another chance. I rely on
the Blenheim, and on her captain."
"I thank you, sir," returned Sterling, as his ship moved on; "by the
way, Sir Gervaise, would it not be fair-play to rummage the prize's
lockers before she gets into the hands of the custom-house? Out here on
the high seas, there can be no smuggling in _that_: there must be good
claret aboard her."
"There would be 'plunder of a prize,' Sterling," said the vice-admiral,
laughing, for he knew that the question was put more as a joke than a
serious proposition; "and that is death, without benefit of clergy. Move
on; here is Goodfellow close upon your heels."
The last ship in the English line was the Warspite, Captain Goodfellow,
an officer remarkable in the service at that day, for a "religious
turn," as it was called. As is usually the case with men of this stamp,
Captain Goodfellow was quiet, thoughtful, and attentive to his duty.
There was less of the real tar in him, perhaps, than in some of his
companions; but his ship was in good order, always did her duty, and was
remarkably attentive to signals; a circumstance that rendered her
commander a marked favourite with the vice-admiral. After the usual
questions were put and answered, Sir Gervaise informed Goodfellow that
he intended to change the order of sailing so as to bring him near the
van.
"We will give old Parker a breathing spell, Goodfellow," added the
commander-in-chief, "and you will be my second astern. I must go ahead
of you all, or you'll be running down on the Frenchman without orders;
pretending you can't see the signals, in the smoke."
The Warspite drove ahead, and the Plantagenet was now left to receive
the prize and the Druid; the Chloe, Driver, and Active, not being
included in the signal. Daly had been gradually eating the other ships
out of the wind, as has been mentioned already, and when the order was
given to pass within hail, he grumbled not a little at the necessity of
losing so much of his vantage-ground. Nevertheless, it would not do to
joke with the commander-in-chief in a matter of this sort, and he was
fain to haul up his courses, and wait for the moment when he might
close. By the time the Warspite was out of the way, his ship had drifted
down so near the admiral, that he had nothing to do but to haul aboard
his tacks again, and pass as near as was at all desirable. When quite
near, he hauled up his main-sail, by order of the vice-admiral.
"Are you much in want of any thing, Mr. Daly?" demanded Sir Gervaise, as
soon as the lieutenant appeared forward to meet his hail. "The sea is
going down so fast, that we might now send you some boats."
"Many thanks, Sir Gervaise; I want to get rid of a hundred or two
Frenchmen, and to have a hundred Englishmen in their places. We are but
twenty-one of the king's subjects here, all told."
"Captain Blewet is ordered to keep company with you, sir; and as soon as
it is dark, I intend to send you into Plymouth under the frigate's
convoy. Is she a nice ship, hey! Daly?"
"Why, Sir Gervaise, she's like a piece of broken crockery, just now, and
one can't tell all her merits. She's not a bad goer, and weatherly, I
think, all will call her. But she's thundering French, inside."
"We'll make her English in due time, sir. How are the leaks? do the
pumps work freely?"
"Deuce the l'ake has she, Sir Gervaise, and the pumps suck like a nine
months' babby. And if they didn't we're scarce the boys to find out the
contrary, being but nineteen working hands."
"Very well, Daly; you can haul aboard your main-tack, now; remember,
you're to go into Plymouth, as soon as it is dark. If you see any thing
of Admiral Bluewater, tell him I rely on his support, and only wait for
his appearance to finish Monsieur de Vervillin's job."
"I'll do all that, with hearty good will, sir. Pray, Sir Gervaise,"
added Daly, grinning, on the poop of the prize, whither he had got by
this time, having walked aft as his ship went ahead, "how do you like
French signals? For want of a better, we were driven to the classics!"
"Ay, you'd be bothered to explain all your own flags, I fancy. The name
of the ship is the Victory, I am told; why did you put her in armour,
and whip a kedge up against the poor woman?"
"It's according to the books, Sir Gervaise. Every word of it out of
Cicero, and Cordairy, and Cornelius Nepos, and those sort of fellows.
Oh! I went to school, sir, before I went to sea, as you say yourself,
sometimes, Sir Gervaise; and literature is the same in Ireland, as it is
all over the world. Victory needs armour, sir, in order to be
victorious, and the anchor is to show that she doesn't belong to 'the
cut and run' family. I am as sure that all was right, as I ever was of
my moods and tenses."
"Very well, Daly," answered Sir Gervaise, laughing--"My lords shall know
your merits in that way, and it may get you named a professor--keep your
luff, or you'll be down on our sprit-sail-yard;--remember and follow the
Druid."
Here the gentlemen waved their hands in adieu as usual, and la Victoire,
clipped as she was of her wings, drew slowly past. The Druid succeeded,
and Sir Gervaise simply gave Blewet his orders to see the prize into
port, and to look after his own foremast. This ended the field day; the
frigate luffing up to windward of the line again, leaving the
Plantagenet in its rear. A few minutes later, the latter ship filled and
stood after her consorts.
The vice-admiral having now ascertained, in the most direct manner, the
actual condition of his fleet, had _data_ on which to form his plans for
the future. But for the letter from Bluewater, he would have been
perfectly happy; the success of the day having infused a spirit into the
different vessels, that, of itself, was a pledge of more important
results. Still he determined to act as if that letter had never been
written, finding it impossible to believe that one who had so long been
true, could really fail him in the hour of need. "I know his heart
better than he knows it himself," he caught himself mentally exclaiming,
"and before either of us is a day older, this will I prove to him, to
his confusion and my triumph." He had several short and broken
conversations with Wycherly in the course of the afternoon, with a view
to ascertain, if possible, the real frame of mind in which his friend
had written, but without success, the young man frankly admitting that,
owing to a confusion of thought that he modestly attributed to himself,
but which Sir Gervaise well knew ought in justice to be imputed to
Bluewater, he had not been able to bring away with him any very clear
notions of the rear-admiral's intentions.
In the mean while, the elements were beginning to exhibit another of
their changeful humours. A gale in summer is seldom of long duration,
and twenty-four hours would seem to be the period which nature had
assigned to this. The weather had moderated materially by the time the
review had taken place, and five hours later, not only had the sea
subsided to a very reasonable swell, but the wind had hauled several
points; coming out a fresh top-gallant breeze at north-west. The French
fleet wore soon after, standing about north-east-by-north, on an easy
bowline. They had been active in repairing damages, and the admiral was
all a-tanto again, with every thing set that the other ships carried.
The plight of le Scipion was not so easily remedied, though even she had
two jury-masts rigged, assistance having been sent from the other
vessels as soon as boats could safely pass. As the sun hung in the
western sky, wanting about an hour of disappearing from one of the long
summer days of that high latitude, this ship set a mizzen-top-sail in
the place of a main, and a fore-top-gallant-sail in lieu of a
mizzen-top-sail. Thus equipped, she was enabled to keep company with her
consorts, all of which were under easy canvass, waiting for the night to
cover their movements.
Sir Gervaise Oakes had made the signal for his fleet to tack in
succession, from the rear to the van, about an hour before le Scipion
obtained this additional sail. The order was executed with great
readiness, and, as the ships had been looking up as high as
west-south-west before, when they got round, and headed
north-north-east, their line of sailing was still quite a league to
windward of that of the enemy. As each vessel filled on the larboard
tack, she shortened sail to allow the ships astern to keep away, and
close to her station. It is scarcely necessary to say, that this change
again brought the Plantagenet to the head of the line, with the
Warspite, however, instead of the Carnatic, for her second astern; the
latter vessel being quite in the rear.
It was a glorious afternoon, and there was every promise of as fine a
night. Still, as there were but about six hours of positive darkness at
that season of the year, and the moon would rise at midnight, the
vice-admiral knew he had no time to lose, if he would effect any thing
under the cover of obscurity. Reefs were no longer used, though all the
ships were under short canvass, in order to accommodate their movements
to those of the prize. The latter, however, was now in tow of the Druid,
and, as this frigate carried her top-gallant-sails, aided by her own
courses, la Victoire was enabled not only to keep up with the fleet,
then under whole top-sails, but to maintain her weatherly position. Such
was the state of things just as the sun dipped, the enemy being on the
lee bow, distant one and a half leagues, when the Plantagenet showed a
signal for the whole fleet to heave to, with the main-top-sails to the
masts. This command was scarcely executed, when the officers on deck
were surprised to hear a boatswain's mate piping away the crew of the
vice-admiral's barge, or that of the boat which was appropriated to the
particular service of the commander-in-chief.
"Did I hear aright, Sir Gervaise?" inquired Greenly, with curiosity and
interest; "is it your wish to have your barge manned, sir?"
"You heard perfectly right, Greenly; and, if disposed for a row this
fine evening, I shall ask the favour of your company. Sir Wycherly
Wychecombe, as you are an idler here, I have a flag-officer's right to
press yon into my service. By the way, Greenly, I have made out and
signed an order to this gentleman to report himself to you, as attached
to my family, as the soldiers call it; as soon as Atwood has copied it,
it will be handed to him, when I beg you will consider him as my first
aid."
To this no one could object, and Wycherly made a bow of acknowledgment.
At that instant the barge was seen swinging off over the ship's waist,
and, at the next, the yard tackles were heard overhauling themselves.
The splash of the boat in the water followed. The crew was in her, with
oars on end, and poised boat-hooks, in another minute. The guard
presented, the boatswain piped over, the drum rolled, and Wycherly
jumped to the gangway and was out of sight quick as thought. Greenly and
Sir Gervaise followed, when the boat shoved off.
Although the seas had greatly subsided, and their combs were no longer
dangerous, the Atlantic was far from being as quiet as a lake in a
summer eventide. At the very first dash of the oars the barge rose on a
long, heavy swell that buoyed her up like a bubble, and as the water
glided from under her again, it seemed as if she was about to sink into
some cavern of the ocean. Few things give more vivid impressions of
helplessness than boats thus tossed by the waters when not in their
raging humours; for one is apt to expect better treatment than thus to
be made the plaything of the element. All, however, who have ever
floated on even the most quiet ocean, must have experienced more or less
of this helpless dependence, the stoutest boat, impelled by the lustiest
crews, appearing half the time like a feather floating in capricious
currents of the air.
The occupants of the barge, however, were too familiar with their
situation to think much of these matters; and, as soon as Sir Gervaise
assented to Wycherly's offer to take the tiller, he glanced upward, with
a critical eye, in order to scan the Plantagenet's appearance.
"That fellow, Morganic, has got a better excuse for his xebec-rig than I
had supposed, Greenly," he said, after a minute of observation. "Your
fore-top-mast is at least six inches too far forward, and I beg you will
have it stayed aft to-morrow morning, if the weather permit. None of
your Mediterranean craft for me, in the narrow seas."
"Very well, Sir Gervaise; the spar shall be righted in the morning
watch," quietly returned the captain.
"Now, there's Goodfellow, half-parson as he is; the man contrives to
keep his sticks more upright than any captain in the fleet. You never
see a spar half an inch out of its place, on board the Warspite."
"That is because her captain trims every thing by his own life, sir,"
rejoined Greenly, smiling. "Were we half as good as he is, in other
matters, we might be better than we are in seamanship."
"I do not think religion hurts a sailor, Greenly--no, not in the least.
That is to say, when he don't wedge his masts too tight, but leaves play
enough for all weathers. There is no cant in Goodfellow."
"Not the least of it, sir, and that it is which makes him so great a
favourite. The chaplain of the Warspite is of some use; but one might as
well have a bowsprit rigged out of a cabin-window, as have our chap."
"Why, we never bury a man, Greenly, without putting him into the water
as a Christian should be," returned Sir Gervaise, with the simplicity of
a true believer of the decency school. "I hate to see a seaman tossed in
the ocean like a bag of old clothes."
"We get along with that part of the duty pretty well; but _before_ a man
is dead, the parson is of opinion that he belongs altogether to the
doctor."
"I'd bet a hundred guineas, Magrath has had some influence over him, in
this matter--give the Blenheim a wider berth, Sir Wycherly, I wish to
see how she looks aloft--he's a d----d fellow, that Magrath,"--no one
swore in Sir Gervaise's boat but himself, when the vice-admiral's flag
was flying in her bows;--"and he's just the sort of man to put such a
notion into the chaplain's head."
"Why, there, I believe you're more than half right, Sir Gervaise; I
overheard a conversation between them one dark night, when they were
propping the mizzen-mast under the break of the poop, and the surgeon
_did_ maintain a theory very like that you mention, sir."
"Ah!--he did, did he? It's just like the Scotch rogue, who wanted to
persuade me that your poor uncle, Sir Wycherly, ought not to have been
blooded, in as clear a case of apoplexy as ever was met with."
"Well, I didn't think he could have carried his impudence as far as
that," observed Greenly, whose medical knowledge was about on a par with
that of Sir Gervaise. "I didn't think even a doctor would dare to hold
such a doctrine! As for the chaplain, to him he laid down the principle
that religion and medicine never worked well together. He said religion
was an 'alterative,' and would neutralize a salt as quick as fire."
"He's a great vagabond, that Magrath, when he gets hold of a young hand,
sir; and I wish with all my heart the Pretender had him, with two or
three pounds of his favourite medicines with him--I think, between the
two, England might reap some advantage, Greenly.--Now, to my notion,
Wychecombe, the Blenheim would make better weather, if her masts were
shortened at least two feet."
"Perhaps she might, Sir Gervaise; but would she be as certain a ship, in
coming into action in light winds and at critical moments?"
"Umph! It's time for us old fellows to look about us, Greenly, when the
boys begin to reason on a line of battle! Don't blush, Wychecombe; don't
blush. Your remark was sensible, and shows reflection. No country can
ever have a powerful marine, or, one likely to produce much influence in
her wars, that does not pay rigid attention to the tactics of fleets.
Your frigate actions and sailing of single ships, are well enough as
drill; but the great practice must be in squadron. Ten heavy ships, in
good _fleet_ discipline, and kept at sea, will do more than a hundred
single cruisers, in establishing and maintaining discipline; and it is
only by using vessels _together_, that we find out what both ships and
men can do. Now, we owe the success of this day, to our practice of
sailing in close order, and in knowing how to keep our stations; else
would six ships never have been able to carry away the palm of victory
from twelve--palm!--Ay, that's the very word. Greenly, I was trying to
think of this morning. Daly's paddy should have had a palm-branch in its
hand, as an emblem of victory."