Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/447

 THE 17th of OCTOBEE, 417 That last epithet, large as it was, Lord Raglan ceiap. made bold to adopt ; for lie expressly applied it ^^^"- to the mode in which the Agamemnon was laid 'alongside of Fort Constantine ;' * and he ven- tured to declare it ' probable that if the whole of ' our fleet had got as close in, the fort would have ' been destroyed.' t I conceived it fitting that these opinions should be quoted ; and especially I desired to record the generous enthusiasm M'ith which the French gen- erall}^ and, above all, their naval men, were able to speak of an action performed by th^'ir ancient rivals ; but because I repeat this language of praise I am not therefore venturing to submit it for unqualified adoption by others. The dearth tliat there was of great naval exploits on that ITtli of October made it certain that the merit of the operation undertaken by the Agamemnon and the ships which followed her flag would be brought into strong light by contrast ; and although I imagine that our seamen will be unwilling to The credit lower their standard of naval excellence, by ac- to htm. cepting the highest of praises for any thing less than great deeds, yet, when it is seen that by venturing his Agamemnon upon the very edge of ' " sition de 1' Agamemnon etait superbe, et celle du Sanspai'eil ' " [Captain Dacres] pas moins admirable. Tons les deux etaient ' " snperieurement bien places; c'etait superbe."' — Sir E. Lyons to Lord Raglan, private letter, 19th (misdated 20tli) October 1854. cliffe, 21st October 1854. t The extent to which the casemates had held good against the fire was not known at the time to the Allies. VOL. IV. 2D
 * Private Letter from Lord llaglan to Lord Stratford de Red-