Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/493

1744.] Charles, extremely chagrined at this turn of affairs, dispatched a message to the earl marischal to join him at Gravelines, and there proposed that they should not trouble themselves to wait any longer on French armaments, but should sail together and raise Scotland. The carl marischal was too prudent to consent to any such project; and the prince then, losing all patience, declared that he would not remain idle, but go and fight against the usurper in Flanders. The carl marischal resisted this project more energetically than the former one. He justly represented that entering the French ranks against his own countrymen would for ever ruin all his hopes of regaining them as subjects. This advice, admirable as it was, put the climax to the young man's indignation. He wrote in severe terms to his father of the conduct of the earl marischal, and returned to Paris. Before this he had summoned the duke of Ormonde from Avignon to join the expedition; and the old man, now eighty years of age, was already on his way when the news of the failure met him, and he returned. Charles was directed by the king of France to maintain the strictest privacy whilst in Paris, and he accordingly took a house within a league of the town, where he lived, as he said, like a hermit. His incognito was, nevertheless, soon broken by his gossiping adherents, and he was compelled to seek occasionally the seclusion of Fitz-James, the seat of the duke of Berwick, where he could enjoy field sports.

Soon after the retreat of Roquefeuille, the six thousand Dutch troops landed, fresh troops were raised at home, and the coasts put into a better state of defence. The designs of France, frustrated on land, were still in part prosecuted at sea. It had been arranged that whilst Roquefeuille was engaged with the channel fleet, there should be a union of the Toulon fleet with the French squadron in the Mediterranean against the English fleet there under admiral Matthews. It was hoped by this simultaneous attack to annihilate our maritime power. Accordingly, the French and Spaniards having joined, they came to an engagement with Matthews off Toulon on the 22nd of February. The English were superior in number of ships, but those were foul from the time they had been at sea, and, what was worse, there was a deadly feud betwixt Matthews and his second in command, admiral Lestock. Matthews with his division gallantly bore down on the Spanish flag-ship of one hundred and fourteen guns, and the engagement was continued till night separated the combatants. The Spanish flag-ship was reduced to a mere wreck, the "Royal Philip" was disabled, and the "Padua" was burnt by the English. But all this time Lestock had held himself and his section of the fleet aloof, leaving Matthews to bear the brunt of battle. Matthews loudly complained, and evidently with great justice, of this conduct of Lestock, declaring that it was done purposely and maliciously; Lestock replying that Matthews' signals were so confused that he did not know what to do. The next day the combined squadrons retired, and then Lestock gave chase, followed by the whole fleet; but just as he was coming up with the enemy, Matthews signalled him to give up the pursuit. This Lestock complained, with equal justice, was done by Matthews from jealousy and resentment. Matthews treated Lestock with much indignity — suspended him from his command, and sent him to England for trial. But Matthews himself was very soon summoned to England, and the conduct of both parties, subjected to inquiry. The house of commons interfered with the proceedings of the court-martial, where conflicting opinions ran high; but at length the court-martial acquitted Lestock, and declared Matthews for ever incapable of serving his majesty again. Some commanders of ships were also cashiered. To an impartial judgment at the present time, both admirals were culpable, but Lestock the most so, for being the first to sacrifice the interests of his country to his private pique; and this view is confirmed by Smollett, a competent judge, who pronounces Matthews brave, open, and undisguised, but proud, imperious, and precipitate; and Lestock, though brave and cool, yet cunning and vindictive. The English did not alone suffer from the quarrels of their commanders. The Spaniards complained that the French did not properly support them in the engagement. They claimed the honours of the day, both from the French and the English; and conferred on their admiral, Don Joseph Navarro, the title of marquis de la Vittoria. The French, not conceding the honour, also promoted their admiral.

After these transactions there could no longer remain even the name of peace betwixt France and England. Mr. Thompson, the British resident at Paris, made the most indignant complaints of the hostile proceedings of the French fleets and of the encouragement of the young pretender. The reply to this was a formal declaration of war, couched in the most offensive terms, in the month of March, to which George replied in a counter-declaration, equally strong.

On the 15th of June of this year commodore Anson returned from circumnavigating the globe, and from a voyage in other respects one of the most extraordinary ever made. Having been, as we have seen, sent out to harass the coasts of Chili and Peru, and to co-operate with Vernon for more complete mischief to the Spaniards across the isthmus of Panama, he found his ships not only very unseasonably delayed, but most villanously stored. Those demons in the shape of contractors, commissioners, and others — who have in all ages been the curse of our service, making their infamous gains at the expense of the comfort and lives of our brave seamen — had sent out his squadron in the worst of conditions. In doubling Cape Horn in March, 1741 — a season when he had no business in so stormy a region — his store-ship, the "Wager," was wrecked, and the rest of his ships scattered different ways. Anson, however, hardily pursued his way with his only ship, the "Centurion," and in June reached the island of Juan Fernandez, so celebrated as the imaginary scene of Robinson Crusoe's solitary sojourn. The scurvy and other diseases had reduced his crew of nearly five hundred to less than three hundred. At that island he was overtaken by the "Gloucester," a sloop, and a junk laden with provisions. With this small remains of his fleet, and altogether only three hundred and thirty-five men, he pursued his commission and plundered the coasts of the Pacific, burning towns and seizing treasure. As the disasters of Vernon put an end to any operations across Panama, he determined to seize the Manilla galleon, which annually conveyed spices and silver from the Philippines