158

THE ROYAL DISPLEAsure.

CHAPTER VII.

A. D. 1788 TO 1789.

WHEN the Prince landed at Plymouth, it was with the intention of proceeding instantly to London, as well to explain those circumstances, which had been grossly misrepresented, to his disadvantage, as to see his family, particularly the Duke of York, who had arrived in England during his absence. Great, therefore, was the chagrin of his Royal Highness, at finding that he was interdicted from leaving the harbour of Plymouth, till he received permission so to do from the Admiralty board. The Pegasus was, therefore, kept in commission, and the Prince ordered to remain, for the purpose of superintending those repairs of which she stood in need.

This, it must be confessed, was hard measure-but, after all, it cannot be called unjust; for, in every service, and in none more than in the navy, discipline and obedience are indispensable. No one could be more sensible of this than the King; and with this feeling, he knew that it would be the height of injustice to punish others for what he excused in his son. When George the Third devoted the Prince to the marine service, he laid it down as a fixed principle, that he should pass through every stage of it in the regular way, and be obliged, when in a subordinate station, to discharge all the duties belonging to that department; as, without such a progressive course, it would scarcely be possible,

that he should know how to discriminate between those who might merit reward and promotion, and those who deserved reprehension and degradation.

It has already been seen, in the complaint of that great and experienced officer, Nelson, that the British navy was, at this very period, in such a state of disorganization, as to require a long time to bring things into a proper condition. Lord Howe, also, was so convinced of this deterioration, that, at the commencement of his brief government as first lord of the Admiralty, he set himself zealously about effecting a change, by drawing up a new code of regulations, for the better discipline of the navy. Among these articles, none could be more strict than those which respected the conduct of the officers; but especially that of the captain, who on no account was to leave the ship, when in England, without permission from the board; or, if abroad, to quit that station to which he was appointed, unless ordered home, or sent on a different service, by the commander under whose orders he might be placed.

It is obvious, that a breach of these rules, if permitted, must inevitably ruin the navy, and prove destructive to our colonial settlements, by depriving them of protection in the event of a war. For, were one captain allowed to quit his post at pleasure, another would claim the same privilege, and exercise it whenever he became dissatisfied with the particular station to which he was attached, or with the senior officer who held the command. In the present case, the example was of a very peculiar and serious character. The Prince was known to be a strict disciplinarian himself; and Black Monday, on board the Pegasus, when the registerbook, describing offences and exhibiting the names of

160

MEETING OF THE THREE PRINCES.

offenders, was publicly read for the allotment of punishment, rarely proved a blank day, much less one of festivity.

Such being the case, the violation of the primary rule of service in the captain, was one that could not, consistently with equity, and a regard to the general welfare, be passed over without censure, or some mark of displeasure. The board of Admiralty certainly stood in an awkward situation, and therefore submitted all the circumstances, and the adjudication, to the King; whose decision was, that the Prince should continue within the limits of Plymouth garrison for as many months as he had been absent from his station, and then to be sent abroad again to Halifax and the West Indies.

The sentence was communicated in due form to the Frince, by the Admiralty; and his Royal Highness submitted to the decree, without impugning its justice.

As the Prince could not leave Plymouth, his two elder brothers resolved to visit him, in what might, truly enough, be called his prison. They, accordingly, left Carlton House on the 6th of January, 1788; and, on the 8th, reached the Dock, now Devonport.

On their arrival, Prince William hastened to meet them; and it was represented, by one who witnessed it, as an affecting sight, to behold the three royal brothers assembled together, after so long a separation. The next morning the Princes, attended by several naval and military officers, visited the dock-yard, and surveyed every object of interest or curiosity with minute attention. In the evening they dined with a select party, and, at eleven o'clock, proceeded to the long-room, at Stonehouse, where was an assemblage of the principal ladies and gentlemen of Plymouth and the neighbourhood.

When the three Princes entered arm-in-arm, the eldest in the centre, they received the compliments of the whole company, which they returned with affability, ease, and dignity. The royal personages, in the course of the evening, danced with Mrs. Depeister, Miss Fanshawe, Miss Wynne, Miss Calton, and Miss Arthur, the reigning beauties of Plymouth. About one in the morning, they retired to rest. On the following day, their Royal Highnesses went afloat; and the whole fleet in Hamoaze manned the yards, and saluted with twenty-one guns each. After riding to Maker Heights, and taking a survey of Whitsand Bay, Penlee Point, and the Ram Head, the Princes returned to Dock-dined— and in the evening went again to the Long-Room, where the night was spent as before, "frisking light in frolic measure."

The next day, the two elder Princes, taking coach at the barrier-gate, drove through the town very slowly, and, being again saluted from the ramparts of the citadel with twenty-one guns, bade adieu to their brother, and set out on their return to London.

Soon after this, Prince William was visited at Plymouth by his friend Nelson, who remained here some weeks, during which period, they were consulted by some of the gentlemen of Antigua, respecting a reform of the prevalent abuses in that island. In answer to a letter which he had just received on that subject, Nelson said, "You may rest assured, that no steps shall be left untaken by me, to accomplish the discovery of these mal-practices, and to get you the reward which, I have not the least doubt, you will so well merit. I must, nevertheless, apprise you, that my interest in this country is very small; therefore do not build on what I

can do for you. Indeed, little else but my integrity and public spirit can bring such a humble individual as myself into notice: however, the goodness of the cause we are engaged in, will support itself at all times; more especially, I dare say, with such an upright character as Mr. Pitt. His Royal Highness commands me to say, that, were he placed in a situation where he could be of any service to this cause, he would most assuredly sift it to the bottom; but that, at present, not having been from this port since his arrival, he can only give his good wishes for the accomplishment of what you have begun."

Though many difficulties occurred, and much delay was experienced, in this work of reform, the investigation now set on foot had the effect of producing an immense saving to Government, and of preventing such extensive frauds in future.

In the summer, the Andromeda frigate was put in commission, and the command given to Prince William-Henry, but under the special direction of Admiral Gower. The present admiral, Sir Charles Morrice Pole was the first-lieutenant; and the late Dr. Majendie, the Prince's former tutor, was appointed chaplain of the ship, and private-secretary to his Royal Highness.

After cruising some weeks in the Channel, from Dungeness to the Lizard, and along the coast of France, the admiral returned to Cawsand Bay on the 21st of July; and, immediately, on his landing, the Andromeda proceeded again to sea, for Halifax, where she arrived at the end of August.

From this concise statement of simple facts, the reader will judge of the degree of credit due to the following