[426] The court-martial held at Portsmouth entirely acquitted
Admiral Keppel on February 11. The news reached London that
night. It was treated as a triumph for the Opposition. Ladies
appeared at the opera in caps _à la Keppel_, and blue cockades
bearing the Admiral's name were worn. His "Head" became
a favourite alehouse sign. Houses were illuminated; guns
discharged; bells rung; the windows of the houses of Sir H.
Palliser, Lord North, Lord G. Germain, and Lord Sandwich were
broken. Sir H. Palliser resigned his seat for Scarborough as well
as all his employments, and asked for a court-martial, which
acquitted him from any charge of misconduct. He underwent the
operation to which Gibbon alludes. "Here are the exact, and all
the words which the King said to him, the first time he was at
Court afterwards--'Sir Hugh, how does your leg do?'" (Warner to
Selwyn, May, 1779).
368.
_To J. B. Holroyd, Esq._
March 16th, 1779.
You use me very ill.--Will you never condescend to abuse, curse, damn
me for not writing? There is no bearing such treatment. Yet I have
not anything particular to write except to acquaint you with the
_certain_ intelligence of the taking of Pondicherry, which arrived
this day. You will soon hear the particulars, but the essential is
that the French have not any place of arms in the East Indies. With
regard to the West, there is a strong rumour of action in our favour:
but at all events we are safe, and possibly successful. We have had
and are like to have Parliamentary storms. There are no questions
which my opposition friends think stronger, and which I think
weaker than their Naval Operations.[427] I hardly know your opinion
about them. I want to hear some account of your military state and
progress, but much about my Lady, Maria, &c. &c., which interest me
more nearly than the Grenadier or Light Infantry Companies. I was
obliged to you about your friendly hint from Bath. I had not been
deficient, but from a sort of delicacy, I had satisfied myself with
corresponding with Mrs. Gould and Dr. Delacour, and desired that Mrs.
G. might not be informed of it. However, since your letter she is in
a less dangerous way, several letters have passed between us, and we
are now come to a tolerable understanding. Do you recollect that you
promised me a Visit of Inspection to my Aunt? She wrote to me some
time ago, I promised an account, and by this time she may be grown
impatient again.