place, it is obferved *,- It is inconceivable how great an affection the whole army had for General Wolfe; his fickness, (during a few days of the fiege,) made a moft vifible impreffion on them, and when his health permitted him to return to camp, and vifit the guards and pofts as ufual, they gave the ftrongest proofs of the moft heart-felt joy: his prefence never failed to infufe fresh fpirits into the troops.' After defcribing the battle which preceded the furrender of Quebec, Captain Beatfon again remarks †, Small as our lofs was in this action, the nation deemed the victory dearly bought, when they heard that General Wolfe was killed.'-On the fuccefsful conclufion of this expedition, he adds ‡, Although joy and rapture flew from one end of the kingdom to the other, yet in the midft of this exultation, a concern for the death of the General was visible in every countenance; while they rejoiced at the victories, they failed not in paying due praises to the memory of the accompliifhed hero, who had fallen in the attainment of them. Bonfires and illuminations were univerfal, one place excepted, and this was the village in which the mother of the deceafed General lived. The inhabitants felt for her grief, which they would not increase; and put a violence on their inclinations, by not joining with their neighbours in giving public teftimonies of joy and approbation on this occafion. To every one in the leaft acquainted with the difpofitions of the people, it must be known that the facrifice they here made was very great.' Thefe fhort remarks are very expreflive;-the author has added to them a character of the General, drawn by Dr. Smollett; to which we refer the reader |. It may not be deemed improper, if we here notice the brave but unfortunate Thurot, who was killed in engaging a small English squadron under the command of Captain Elliott §.He was generally lamented, (fays Mr. Beatfon,) both by friends and foes, as his behaviour on all occafions, was replete with honour, humanity, and generofity. Thefe joined to an undaunted courage, juftly rendered him confpicuous: -in him France loft one of her beft naval officers, who, if he had furvived this difafter, might, from his abilities, have proved a formidable enemy to this country.' Captain B. finds too frequent caufe to fpeak in different terms concerning our adverfaries: among other reflections of this kind, on one occafion he adds f, It is to be lamented that fome of their privateers exercised horrid barbarities on their prifoners, being the crews of fuch fhips as had prefumed to make refiftance, and who were afterwards obliged † p. 383. * Vol. II. p. 378. ¶p. 66. I p. 387. to fubmit: conduct that would have difgraced the most infamous pirate; and it would have redounded much to the credit of the court of France, to have made public examples of those who had behaved in this manner. I am afraid, likewife, that there was but too much reafon for complaint of ill treatment to the British fubjects, even after they were landed in France, and fent to prifon. Of this indeed, feveral affidavits were made by the fufferers when they returned to England.' The remark that follows, the juftice of which cannot be difputed, is highly honourable to our country. • On the contrary, the conduct of Great Britain was a ftriking example of kindness and humanity to fuch unfortunate perfons as were made prifoners of war. One, among other inftances of Britifh generofity, as the paragraph is fhort, we may properly introduce here; it relates to a number of prifoners and wounded men, who were discharged and set on fhore at Lisbon, by Captain Faulknor, commander of the Bellona, a fhip of seventyfour guns on their landing, we are told *, They applied to the French Refident for relief; but he could give them none. On which the gentlemen of the British factory there raifed a fubfcription for them, to which the officers of the Bellona and Brilliant, (a fhip of thirty-fix guns, which accompanied the other,) were very liberal; fo that they gained as much honour by their humanity and benevolence to their vanquished enemies, as they had acquired glory in fubduing them. The fubfcription amounted to 230l. And had it not been for this timely relief, thefe poor unfortunate people must have perifhed for want; there being no provifion made by the French government for the relief of fuch of their fubjects as may chance to be carried in there, or to any other port, fick, wounded, or prifoners; whereas, British feamen are every where provided for, and the expence defrayed by parliament.' The Captain intermingles his narration with feveral fenfible and useful reflections: among others, his obfervations concerning fignals are worthy of notice, and indeed feem to demand great attention: after having related the circumftances of the victory gained by Admiral Hawke over the French fleet commanded by M. de Conflans, in November 1759, he adds +, • From a very grofs defect, or impropriety, in the night-fignals at prefent in ufe, and which are eftablished by the authority of the admiralty, the very falutary measure adopted by Sir Edward Hawke, of bringing the fleet to an anchor at the time he did, might have been attended with the most fatal confequences, and might have proved the deftruction of the victorious fleet of Britain. By thefe inftructions, the signal to anchor by night is, two guns fired from the admiral's fhip, without lights, or other means being used by which they can be diftinguished from any other guns firing at the + Vol. II. p. 4c©9. • Vol. III. p. 116. fame fame time. It is very obvious, therefore, that towards the con clufion of a battle, only terminated by the wart of light, there must be firing on all fides; and that confequently, two guns fired from the admiral's fhip, could not, in fuch a fituation, be ditinguifhed as a fignal. The obedience to fuch a confufed order was fuch as might have been expected only a few of the flips which were near the admiral, knew any thing of his having anchored: the others either ftood out to fea, or anchored on different places of the coaft, as they were urged to that measure by neceflity. From this divided state of the British fleet, it is evident that had the French fhips kept in a collected body, which they ought to have done, by following the route of M. de Beaufremont within the Four-bank, they might have attacked the few fhips which remained at anchor near Admiral Hawke, in the morning of the 21ft, with fuch fuperior force as must have given them a decided and complete victory. Thefe facts fuggeft fome very ferious and important reflections on the fubject of fignals; as, in this inftance, they appear to be of fo much confequence, that by a defect in them alone, Britain might have been exposed to an invafion, and France left miftrefs of the fea, notwithstanding the efforts of a skilful and gallant commander, feconded by the exertion of the most active and intrepid feamen embarked in a fuperior fleet. It perhaps may be matter of furprise to fome of the inhabitants of this island to be informed, that the fame fignals are ftill in force, and continue to direct the evolutions of the British fleet, and that they were formed during the last century. It may also appear ftrange, that among all the various improvements which have pervaded naval affairs fince that time, no Lord High Admiral, or Board of Admiralty, have ever bestowed fufficient time in confidering of a proper change in this part of the fea fervice.' The account of our fuccefs at the Havanna under the direction of Sir George Pocock and Lord Albemarle, concludes with a reflection on the unequal diftribution of the wealth, or prize-money, acquired at that rich city *. It will indeed (fays our author,) for ever remain an indelible stain on adminiAtration, that they permitted the commanders to appropriate fo large a fhare to themfelves, by which the inferior officers and private men obtained but a trifle in reward of the bravery they had fhewn, and the unparalleled hardships they had undergone.' We will not dispute with Captain Beatfon, whether the peace of 1762 was very inadequate to the train of glorious fucceffes which are here recited: they did indeed feem to have warranted the expectation of greater acquifitions than thofe that we made. It is well known that the terms were loudly arraigned, but they had alfo many advocates. Even fplendid victories fometimes tend to the injury, perhaps to the ruin of the victors. Peace is, however, peculiarly defirable, and neceffary, for every commercial nation: Long will it be, (if fuch a period ever arrives,) before this country ceases to feel deeply and painfully the ill effects of war, however fuccefsful. Yet the reflection with which the writer finishes his third volume, if juft, does certainly yield cause of regret, and cafts fome difhonour on those who had, at that time, the management of public affairs: By the terms of peace, the best opportunity was loft of humbling the pride of the house of Bourbon that ever was, or perhaps ever will be again in the power of Great Britain.' We now hope, that what is prefented to our readers in this article will prove fufficient to enable them to judge what they may expect from the work at large. We apprehend that it will be found agreeable, and useful to the public; and we cannot but wish that it may meet with encouragement fufficient to induce the author to complete his plan. We have already intimated fome inaccuracies and flight defects, but they are not fuch as will greatly affect the real utility of the performance, or prevent its being perufed with pleasure. The appendix, which forms a confiderable part of each volume, is by no means a needlefs addition; it is in truth an important one, and will contribute much to the reader's fatisfaction. We could almost wish that a few maps might have attended the work: but thefe are expenfive articles. ART. XVII. The Shakspeare Gallery. THE Hi...5. A Foem. By Mr. Jer- ningham. 4to. pp. 24. 25. 'HE poetic character and merit of Mr. Jerningham are fo well known to the public, that we deem it unneceflary to enter into a particular confideration of this new production of his elegant pen. With refpect to the author's general defign, it is fufficiently explained in the Advertisement prefixed to the poem, viz. The following Poem does not pafs any judgment upon the Pictures that are now exhibited in the Gallery; but attempts to point out new fubjects for future exhibitions: And, in the delineation of new fubje&s, attention is paid to the principle laid down by our great Painter, (in his notes to the tranflation of Frefacy by Mr. MASON) That palpable fituation is preferable to curious fentiment, as the Painter fpeaks to the eye.' The encouragement that is now fo liberally extended to Painting, will foon decide the queftion, Whether or no our Painters are adequate to the task they are called upon to perform. MACKLIN'S exhibition is also a fplendid and arduous undertaking: It is another Lyceum, in which rival Artists may contend for fame and emolument.' The The fubjects pointed out, are all taken from the works of Shakspeare; and while the poet recommends them to the pencil of the artift, we fee them, already, here delineated, in the glowing descriptions of the enraptured bard; whose ideas the painter may be happy to follow, and might, frequently, in our opinion, adopt with advantage. We are introduced to Mr. Jerningham's Gallery, by the following well compreffed abftract of the rich furniture of our Great Poet's all-comprehenfive mind. Shakspeare is reprefented as borne, by GENIUS, with -A whirlwind's rapid force To his illumin'd fight was then confign'd The fuperior dignity of that fpecies of painting which diftinguishes the Boydellian Gallery, from other exhibitions of the breathing canvas, is pointedly marked, in a few lines, with which we thall conclude: Oft have we heard the pure of tafte complain Of mawkish Portraiture's eternal reign; Of exhibitions which the art disgrace, And pall the eye with many a vacant face. And 'mid her gewgaws unmolested rule; Let her bright dome each pleas'd Narciffus feek, In fond allution to the month of May, Munificence |