1 colours of his uniform; and the battle of Culloden was total annihilation to him. When the news of that victory reached England, a new object presented itself to the public favour; and the honest Admiral, in every signpoft, made way for the more portly figure of the glorious Duke of Cumberland. The Duke kept poffeffion of the sign-posts a long time. In the beginning of last war, our Admiral in the Mediterranean, and our Generals in North America, did nothing that could tend, in the least degree, to move his Royal Highness from his place; but the doubtful battle of Hamellan, followed by the unfortunate convention of Stade, and the rifing glories of the King of Pruffia, obliterated the glorious Duke of Cumberland as effectually, as his Royal Highness, and the battle of Culloden, had effaced the figure, the memory, and the renown of Admiral Vernon. The Duke was so totally displaced by his Pruffian Majesty, that I have fome doubts whether he met with fair play. One circumstance, indeed, was much against him; his figure being marked by a hat with the Kevenhuller cock, a military uniform, and a fierce look, a very flight touch of the painter con 4 verted him into the King of Pruffia; but what crowned the fuccess of his Prufsian Majesty, was the title bestowed upon him by the brothers of the brush, "The glorious Protestant "hero;" words which added fplendour to every fign-post, and which no British subject could read, without peculiar sensations of veneration and of thirst. For two years the glorious Protestant hero was unrivalled; but the French being beat at Minden upon the 1st of August 1759, by the army under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, the King of Prufiia began to give place a little to two popular favourites who started at the fame time, I mean Prince Ferdinand and the Marquis of Granby. - Prince Ferdinand was supported altogether by his good conduct at Minden, and his high reputation over Europe as a general; - the Marquis of Granby behaved with fpirit and personal courage every where; but his success in the fign-posts of England was much owing to a comparison generally made between him and another British general of higher rank, but who was fuppofed not to have behaved so well. Perhaps too, he was a good deal indebted to another circumstance, to wit, the baldness of his head. The The next who figured in the fign-post way was the celebrated John Wilkes, Efq; -This public honour conferred on him was also an effufion of gratitude; for he was supposed to have written the Earl of Bute, who was both a Scotsman and a favourite, out of power, and to have resisted and explained the illegality of general warrants. Besides, he fought a bloodless duel with E. Talbot, and was shot in the cause of liberty by Mr Martin of the treasury. All these were great weights in the scale of popularity; and, though Mr Wilkes never attained the glory either of Admiral Vernon or the Duke of Cumberland, yet his visage has filled many a fign-post, and much ale and gin has been fold under his aufpices. These are the last whom the people of Great Britain have thought worthy of being so honoured; and, though the thing itself may seem ludicrous, yet the tale has a moral, by no means flattering to the well-wishers of this country. We have been now for five years employed in attempting to reduce our rebellious colonies; we have been two years at war with France, and one with Spain; many troops have been raised, many millions have been expended; expeditions without number have been planned and fupported, and the most powerful fleets have been fitted out that the coasts and dock-yards of England ever beheld; yet, during this long period, with so many opportunities and so much force, we have not an admiral whose head would fell a fingle can of flip, nor a general whose full length would procure custom for an additional pot of porter. That this expreffion of public gratitude may be sometimes misplaced, I will by no means deny; but still this tribute paid by the people is more likely, than any other circumstance, to be a fure proof of real merit. The Sovereign may be misinformed as to the defervings of those whom he is pleased to honour; and although, in the present reign, no substantial mark of unmerited favour has been conferred, yet every body remembers the late General Blackney, who gave up Minorca, made a Lord for defending it, merely to support a sinking administration, What reliance can be had on the thanks of parliament as a proof of public merit, may be learned from the answer of a gallant fea-officer, (not an admiral), who, upon being told that the House of Commons meant to give him thanks for his intrepid and fuccessful fuccessful conduct on the coast of France, swore, if they did, he would instantly resign his commiffion.. Perhaps, at that time, some recent instance of party-injustice and partiality had brought the thanks of parliament into disrepute; but, be that as it may, I shall never think our affairs, either by fea or land, in a profperous condition, till I fee the fign-posts of England filled with fresh figures of generals and admirals. When that happens, it will be a fure proof, that our affairs have taken a favourable turn, and that fome of our commanders have, at last, acted in a manner suitable to the troops and treasure with which, from the be. ginning of this war, they have all been so liberally supplied. No 83. : |