TO THE LAW OF DIVORCE.

it. The bill passed the Lords, but in the Commons, it encountered great opposition. The gross immorality of the age was admitted, but every gentleman who took part in the debate had his own theory of immorality. One member attributed the alarming growth of vice to the Marriage Act, which prevented young people from marrying according to their inclinations. Another oppo

nent of the bill considered there was as much connection between adultery and the Marriage Act as there was between Tenterden steeple and the Goodwin Sands, but felt quite convinced that the laxity of morals was owing to French fiddlers and dancing masters, who had demoralized our ball-rooms. The bill was rejected on the second reading. The vehemence with which Thurlow supported a measure promoted by the party which affected an extraordinary strictness of life and morals, has suggested a suspicion that his support of the bill was ironical. The Chancellor had never been noted for the morality of his life and conversation. The abominable practice' of incontinence which he denounced in his speech, had been his own practice for a series of years; and at the very time when he adjured the House of Lords to discourage this crime by legislation, it was notorious that his own domestic arrangements were not free from scandal. There was something of malicious humour too to be de

h LORD CAMPBELL's Lives of the Chancellors, vol. v. 535.

421

Ch. 23.

1778

422

Ch. 23.

1778

Lord North's
Overture to

NORTH'S ATTEMPT TO

tected in his argument that their lordships, more
than any other class of the community, were in-
terested in the Bill. Considering also that Thur-
low was fond of boasting his descent from a
carrier, and that he had only recently in his
place in Parliament sneered at noble birth as
an accident,' he must have spoken in a spirit
of derision, when he advocated, with so much
apparent zeal, the enactment of a law to preserve
'the purity of forty descents.'

In the early part of the year, Lord North's the Whigs. increasing repugnance to continue any longer responsible for a policy, which for the last three years he had disapproved, obliged the King reluctantly again to open a communication with some of the Whig leaders. But this negotiation, like that of the preceding year, was rendered futile by the conditions with which it was clogged. His Majesty's idea of a change of ministry was merely the substitution of one individual for another. A change of measures was absolutely prohibited. The Duke of Grafton might come into office, but he was to have no will of his own. Lord Howe might preside at the Admiralty, but on the express understanding that he should

This passage occurs in his well-known speech in reply to the Duke of Grafton, who had taunted him with the meanness of his origin. Thurlow's retort is one of the finest bursts of extemporaneous eloquence extant. The speech is to be found in LORD CAMPBELL'S Lives of the Chancellors, and in the Reminiscences of Butler, who heard it.

1779.

Letter to the King, on Lord Gower's Resignation, October,

SECURE WHIG CO-OPERATION.

zealously concur in prosecuting the war in all the quarters of the globe. Such terms were mere mockery; and Lord North, afraid to meet the increasing difficulties of his position; afraid to retreat from it, remained in office, nominally at the head of affairs, but really the passive and servile tool of irresponsible power.

423

Ch. 23.

1778

fleets of

Spain.

The combined fleets of France and Spain, con- Combined sisting of sixty sail of the line, besides a large France and proportion of frigates and smaller craft, appeared in the Channel early in the summer. The English Admiral, having only thirty-eight ships of the line, did not think it prudent to venture upon an action. England had never appeared in such danger of invasion. But it afterwards proved that the danger was more apparent than real. The immense armament which insulted the coast, consisted in a great part of inferior ships, ill found and badly manned. Disease raged among the crews to such an extent, that many of the ships were little better than floating hospitals. No cordiality existed between the allied commanders, and no plan of operations appears to have been concerted between them. Had an enterprising and ardent officer been in command of the British squadron, he would probably have required some better reason for not fighting, than the mere fact that the enemy were superior in numbers and weight of metal. Sir Charles Hardy,

Fox's Correspondence, vol. i. p. 211.

424

Ch. 23.

1778

Allied fleets

in the Channel.

NAVAL MANOEUVRES.

the cautious veteran who had succeeded Keppel in the command, afterwards told Lord North, that had he known the state of the enemy's fleet, he would not have hesitated to offer battle.

The allied fleets manoeuvred for several weeks in the Channel, but no enterprize of importance was attempted. The Spanish Admiral was for landing troops immediately on the coast. The Count d'Orvilliers, on the other hand, maintained that a naval engagement must take place before such a decisive measure could be safely adopted. While these questions were dividing the allied commanders, autumn approached; and the Spaniard, dreading the effect of the equinoctial storms upon his crazy ships, determined to return to port. The French Admiral had no alternative but to do the same. Early in September, the vast armada retired from the British waters, its only achievement having been the capture of an English frigate.

The immediate apprehension of an invasion had aroused the old English spirit. Public bodies and individuals came forward with large subscriptions. Several noblemen offered to raise regiments in their respective counties. The common people, though disliking and even despising the profession of arms, yet in the presence of danger, were at once animated by a military spirit. The militia was readily recruited; and seamen tempted by large bounties, provided by voluntary contributions, came forward in sufficient numbers. In

GENERAL ELLIOT AT GIBRALTAR.

425

fine, the spirit and energy displayed throughout Ch. 23. the country, were not very encouraging to the prospect of invasion.

1778

Gibraltar.

The war was carried on languidly in other Siege of parts, and was confined mostly to petty affairs, which made no change in the relative position of the belligerents. The only undertaking of importance was the siege of Gibraltar, which had been formed by the Spaniards in the month of June. But this fortress, in itself all but impregnable, was well defended by General Elliot, with an efficient garrison of six thousand men.

An

Count
D'Estaing at

In the West Indies some active operations took place. Early in 1779, the British fleet was fully Savannah. equal to that of the enemy. But no general engagement took place. The advantage, however, was on the side of the enemy, who took the two small islands of Granada and St. Vincent. attempt, on a large scale, was made by the Count D'Estaing, assisted by the Americans, to recover Georgia, which had been taken by Colonel Campbell in the preceding December. The French admiral, with the greater part of his ships, appeared before the town of Savannah; and, having landed ten thousand men, a force more than double that of the garrison, prepared to take the place by regular approaches. approaches. But, after an ineffectual cannonade of five days, during which his works were interrupted by two successful sorties, D'Estaing determined upon an assault. The storming-party consisted of four