It probably would be, in fome refpects, a wife and wholesome act of literary legislature, were it exprefly to forbid, under pain of being everlastingly configned to moths and book-worms, any promulgation of opinion as to individual merits or delinquency, till time had mellowed the afperity of prejudice, as well as cooled the warmth of partiality and private friendship; for it is a certain and ferious truth, that among the worst means of attaining a true knowledge of a man's character, are the accounts written of him during his life, or foon after his decease. On the other hand, to the risk of afferting what never exifted, by placing an implicit confidence in reports or opinions which time has established as truths, we may add the danger of omitting many important facts which really did happen. Thefe are perpetually occurring, and presenting themfelves to us in thofe inmoft receffes of private life which biography delights fo much in exploring; fo that it may, with tolerable propriety, be compared to a painting on which fresh touches are daily bestowed, as they appear neceffary to the connoiffeur, or ftrike the fancy of the artift, who scarcely ever knows how to fay, with fatiffaction to himself, that his labours are fully com-. pleated.

After this fhort apology for any omiffions or inaccuracies that may be discovered in the course of the following fheets, it is neceffary to acquaint the reader with fome peculiar difficulties under which this work labours, in order to refcue its author from an imputation of neglect, which, without a knowledge of thofe circumstances, he might, perhaps, be charged with.

Among thofe who have attained the rank of naval commanders fince the reftoration, the

period when our history commences, there are many of whom it has been utterly impoffible to collect any particulars or account, except a mere lift of their feveral appointments and promotions; nor will this be wondered at by the reader, when he is informed that, in the twenty-eight years which intervened between the restoration and revolution, we find a greater number of perfons acting as commanders in the navy, than in the fixty years that followed the abdication of James the Second.

This circumstance which, till explained, may appear fingular to fome, is eafily accounted for. Every perfon intrufted with the command of a veffel, however fmall and infignificant it might be, immediately ranked as a commander or captain; and there does not appear to have been any material diftinction previous to the revolution between the captain of a first rate and the moft inconfiderable floop in the royal navy. There was not, at this time, any fixt establishment of rank, fo that we have frequent inftances of commanders who, after having acted as admirals with the highest reputation, returned, withcut difgrace, to the rank of private captains; and of captains, who having ferved many years in that ftation, did not think it at all derogatory to their characters to become again lieutenants.

Promotions and alterations of command were, at that time, when compared with the prefent ufage, almost incredibly rapid, fo that thofe commiffions which have, in a variety of inftances, entitled perfons to a place in the following very honourable lift, have, perhaps, been enjoyed for a few days only. Every officer who was appointed what is now denominated "atting," or, to fpeak intelligibly to perfons not acquainted

with the technical terms of the fervice, a temporary commander, as is ftill frequently the cafe, particularly after an action, is given as an actual captain; and it has not been poffible to difcriminate one from the other previous to the révolution.

Anecdotes of the public fervice of officers cannot be expected in time of profound peace. This is another circumftance that abridges the lives of a multitude to the fimple enumeration and recital of their several commands, all which would have been inferted merely as notes had it been poffible to have done it uniformly, without the greatest inconvenience and interruption to the lives of thofe, whofe good fortune, length of fervice, and gallantry has enabled us to render the account of them more interesting.

As it is not the fortune of every man to have that opportunity of diftinguishing himself, which is neceffary to the acquifition of high renown, there have been feveral commanders who have attained the moft elevated rank in the fervice, and with the greatest intrinfic honour, without acquiring that fame which has indelibly establifhed the characters of others; yet are thefe men not a tittle lefs entitled to the thanks and applause of their countrymen. But, as in civil life, honour and troops of friends usually attend profperity, while thofe who experience the frowns of fortune almoft as generally live neglected and die unlamented and difregarded, fo have hiftorians and biographers been lavish of their praises of those who, in the public picture, ftand forwardest of the group, while they are almost totally filent about the reft, whom chance only has, indeed, thrown into the back ground, perhaps with

6

equal

equal merit, though with lefs advantages than the moft prominent and diftinguishable.

Let not this remark be understood as the fmalleft depreciation of thofe truly valuable characters which all perfons are acquainted with, because general and deserved applause has placed them high in the public notice, but as an humble reproof to that ingratitude which has difregarded thofe, who have the merit of producing to us the most rigid, and unremitting attention to the duties of their station, and whose prudence, and general conduct calumny itself has never dared to arraign.

This partiality has, however, proved a grand inconvenience and impediment to the arrangement of a complete and proper fyftem of naval biography. The lives of fome are unavoidably extended, though not to a greater length than their merits really deferve. This alfo may tend to throw their lefs celebrated cotemporaries into obfcurity, and induce, from the unavoidable fhortnefs of their memoirs, the paltry reflection, that little must have been the merit of that man of whom fo little is known. This inconvenience relates principally indeed, to those who lived at the period moft remote from the prefent, and which gradually diminishes as they progreffively advance to the present time.

To fupply fuch deficiency as far as may be, to refcue the characters of an incredible number of brave men from a ftate almoft of oblivion, and to expose also those shameful attacks of particular party writers, whofe defamation and calumny have, in some instances, hitherto proved too fuccessful in the world, is the humble intention of the following work. As its credit must reft merely on its authenticity, while truth is preferved, there can be little room for cenfure; and

ftill lefs do we expect praife, on any other ground than that of induftry. The facts contained in it have been selected, with much care, from the beft hiftories and accounts that have hitherto been published; and where these, as has been too frequently the cafe, have proved infufficient, the deficiency has been fupplied, with all poffible affiduity, from the public repofitories and records, and the numerous manufcripts of private families who have, from time to time, been connected with the navy.

It is on this occafion neceffary that the public fhould be informed, to whom they are principally indebted for fuch information and amufement as, it is hoped, they may derive from the perufal of the following pages. Without this affiftance it would have been impoffible to have extended the memoirs, in any confiderable degree, farther than the general notice which has already been taken, by hiftorians, of certain great characters, amounting, to fpeak numerically, to about thirty

in the whole.

The British Mufeum, and the College of Arms, claim, as public bodies, our first thanks; the former, as a repofitory to which the munificence and liberality of the nation affords admittance to us in common with the reft of our fellow-citizens, and the latter, to which we owe our admiffion to the private friendship and politeness of its individual members.

Our acknowledgements are next due to William Locker, Efq. lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hofpital, who, by an indefatigable attention to the study of naval biography for many years, has collected from authentic documents, or private information not lefs refpectable, the major part of thofe anecdotes which are here arranged collectively.