Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 1).djvu/269

Rh Magnanime. It is painful to point out, and much more to dwell on failings which are incident to human nature, and at the same time lead to the contempt of it. The following lines which appeared in the newspaper in the course of the winter, sufficiently explain the character of the Lieutenant-General on shore. It is to be feared there was too much foundation for what is insinuated, and more need not be said.

"The army landed, reconnoitered St. Malo, burned a few empty ships, which were out of reach of the cannon of the place, and returned to the fleet and with the fleet to England.

"It was not the business of any party to attack Lord George. Mr. Pitt had too much on his hands and felt his power too little established to risk it. The German war was at the same time resolved upon; six thousand of the best of the troops were detached from the coast of France to Germany. It was an object for several political reasons to have the troops commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and Lord George Sackville. Lord George had seen enough of that service not to wish to return to it, and therefore willingly left the remainder of the army under a General without interest and without favour, to attack with little more than half the number of troops and the regiments (now the French were everywhere upon their guard along the Channel to which our operations were visibly confined), the same or still stronger places on the coast than what he attempted with the whole, knowing as he thought pretty well what must come of it.