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London, England, 1860-03-22 00:00:00

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THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1860.

LITERATUR.E.

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Greymore. A Story of Country Life. 3 vole,
Smith and Elder.

This is a very pleasing story, which well fulfils,
in interest and incident, the promise held out by
its attractive commencement. There is something
fresh and charming about it, the spirit of domestic
life seems to pervade it, and throughout the reader
is fascinated by the simplicity and grace of its most
delightful heroines, Katherine and Hester. The
most important personage is Agatha Marchmont,
but she has really less to do with the story than Kate.
In consequence of being brought up at the house of
her grandfather, Agatha was early estranged from
her father, and when her mother's relatives all
,died, the unhappy young heiress was removed to
her father's house, now ruled over by a stepmother.
Mrs. Rivers was an exception to the rule, and
proved a very desirable relation, but the high spirit
and peculiar temper of Agatha militated greatly
against any comfort. She was unfortunate, it is
true, for she adored Greymore, her old ancestral
place, but owing to her grandfather being involved
in pecuniary difficulties, the place was mortgaged,
and after his death it was found necessary to let it
to enable the trustees to clear off the encumbrances.
This was, of course, a heavy blow to Agatha, who
would have been happy to live there as mistress in
solitary supremacy, but who could not endure to
mingle among a different class to that in which
she had been brought up. Katherine and Hester
did all they could to render their home happy to
one who was so near in kindred and so far off in
feeling. Their efforts were fruitless ; and after a
time all the interest that the reader has hitherto felt
for Agatha gives place to scorn and indignation when
she conducts herself so unworthily and deceitfully
about the letter. Katherine had become attached
to a gentleman who had been visiting the neigh-
bourhood, but, owing to peculiar circumstances, he
was unable to declare his attachment previous to
leaving the place, though he wrote an explanation.
The letter containing this much-desired vindication
of ambiguous conduct never reached its destination
for four years. By a long series of subterfuges and
concealments, Agatha persuaded herself that she
could not act otherwise. She did not at first actu-
ally intend to suppress the letter, but she paused
and hesitated till she got compromised, and then
her regard for her own dignity was of more weight
than the dictates of honour, and the consideration
of others' feelings. All this is skilfully told ; and
doubtless many serious errors are committed, and
much unhappiness caused through such evil
thoughts once entering the mind, and through
such pertinacity in not revealing at once the mis-
take. It was through no doings of Agatha that all
went right at last. She would have been equally to
blame had death or another marriage intervened to
separate her sister from the object of her affections.
So indignant does her conduct make one feel, that
but little pity can be felt for her, when a sud-
den devastation swept away her cherished
dreams of future happiness. A destructive fire
consumed Greymore, and the solemn warning was
not sent in vain, for the very next day Katherine was
in possession of her letter. Apart from this serious
event, there are numberless passages of home life,
especially at the beginning of the story, which are
most delightful to peruse. The dispositions of some
of the actors introduced are also well described.
Henrietta Brooke is a perfect model of her sort, and
the skilful way in which she plays her cards so as
to entrap the wary and surprise the simple would
be amusingVid not such serious consequences follow
in the train of her manoeuvres and machinations.
Mrs. James Thorpe is also very well pourtrayed,
and only too many of her class exist, never happy
but when propagating slander and eternally en-
gaged in making small things large. Philip is a
strange person, he is very peculiar but not attrac-
tive; he and Agatha are, indeed, good enough for
each other, with their implied superiority and lofty
notions of humility and dignity. The character of
Katherine is in itself enough to make the story edi-
fying and engaging ; one does not often meet with
so perfect a specimen of a bright and happy creature,
not exaggerated or overdrawn. " Greymore" has
every chance of being appreciated by many, and all
who prefer something natural and real, after the
mazes of the ideal and the mysteries of the artifi,
cial„ will welcome this sketch of country life in an
English home, which is a state of society existing
in no other country, and whose lights and shadows,
storms and sunshine, have been here most exten-
sively displayed.

7he Autobiography of a Seaman. Vol. I. By.
Thomas, tenth Earl of Dundonald, U.C.8., &c.,
&c. Richard Bentley. Second notice.
Whatever may be the faults of Lord Dundonald,
want of straightforwardness and plain-speaking
is not among the number, and his work is
extremely interesting and full of stirring incident.
His chief object in submitting these pages to the
public is to vindicate his character from imputations
which have been long since set aside, likewise to
expose those whom he considers have wronged him.
Bat although one chafes over Government de-
spatches, and is indignant at the flagrant miscon-
duct which was perpetrated in the navy, one is
lighted with the quaint anecdotes which abound
throughout in the following strain :
" One day a party of ladies paid us a visit aboard, and
several had been hoisted on deck by the usual means of
a ' whip' on the mainyard. The chair had descended
for another whip,' but scarcely had its fair freight
been lifted out of the boat alongside, than the unlucky
parrot piped Let go I' The order being instantly
obeyed, the unfortunate lady, instead of being comfortably
seated on deck, as had been those who preceded her, was
soused overhead in the sea Luckily for Poll, Jack Lar-
mour was on shore at the time, or this unseasonable as-
sumption of the boatswain's functions might have ended
tragically."
" Being seated near the admiral at dinner, he inquired
what dish was before me. Mentioning its nature, I asked
if he would permit me to help him. The uncourteous reply
was—that whenever he wished for anything he was in the
habit of asking for it. Not knowing what to make
of a rebuff of this nature, it was mot by an inquiry if he
would allow me the honour of taking wine with him.
never take wine with any man, my lord,' was the unex
pected reply, from which it struck me that my lot was cast
among Goths, if no worse."

Lord Cochrane follows the history of the whole
naval war of the early part of this century very
minutely, with extracts from his diary of every
cruise he made, and he was always :in commission.
Having made himself obnoxious in headquar-
ters
by his straightforwardness of speech and com-
plaints in Parliament of naval abuses, although
his valuable services were always acknowledged,
they were but tardily requited, and then only on
compulsion, from his possession of a seat in
the House of Commons, making the Lords
of th. Admiralty fear as well as hate him.
Though he brought a good deal of
upon himself by often unnecessary bluntness, it was
the same spirit of daring, which made him an un-
daunted officer. The history of his cruise in the
Speedy, a ridiculously small brig, mounting four-
teen three-pounder guns, shows what zeal and
daring added to a mind which could meet any
emergency, and could find a dodge to get out of
any scrape, can do. That same little hit of a craft
became the terror of the Spanish coast ; and, when
at length her time was come, she gave so
much trouble to the line-of-battle ships to cap-
ture her, that the French captain of the vessel to
which she at length struck, returned the gallant
Cochrane his sword, as a compliment to his bravery;
but he was not destined to be long'a prisoner, and
was soon afloat again. The following history of
the capture of the Gamo.by the. Speedy was one of
the most daring actions in a tune when brave deeds
were frequent :
" As some of my officers had expressed dissatisfaction at
not having been permitted to attack the frigate fallen in
with on the 21st of December, after her suspicions had been
lulled by our device of hoisting. Danish colours, dm, I told
them they should have a fair fight, notwithstanding that,
by manning the two prizes sent to Mahon, our numbers
had been reduced to fifty-four, officers and boys included.
Orders were then given to pipe all hands, and prepare for
action.
" Accordingly we made towards the frigate, which was
now coming down under steering sails. At 930 ain she
fired a gun and hoisted Spanish colours, which. the 'Speedy
acknowledged by hoisting American colours, our object
being, as we were now exposed to her broadside,'
to puzzle
her, till we got on the other tack, when we an up the
English ensign, and immediately afterwards encountered
her broadside without damage.

" Shortly afterwards she gave us another broadside, also
without effect. My orders were not to fire a gun till we were
close to her ; when, running under her lee, we locked our
yards amongst her rigging, and in this position returned
our broadside, such as it was.
"To have tired our popgun four-pounders at a distance
would have been to throw away the ammunition ; but the
guns being doubly, and, as I afterwards learned, trebly,
shotted, and being elevated, they told admirably hpon her
main deck ; the first discharge, as was subsequently ascer-
tained, killing the Spanish captain and the boatswain.
"My reason for locking our small craft in the enemy's
rigging was the ene upon which I mainly relied for vic-
tory, viz., that from the height of the frigate out of the
water, the whole of her shot must necessarily go over our
heads, whilst our guns, being elevated, would blow up her
maindeck.
"The Spaniards speedily found out the disadvantage
under which they were fighting, and gave the order to board
the Speedy; but as this order was as distinctly heard by us
as by them, we avoided it at the moment of execution by
sheering off sufficiently to prevent the movement, giving
them a volley of musketry and a broadside before they could
recover themselves.

" Twice was this manoeuvre repeater., and twice thus
averted. The Spaniards finding that they were only punish-
ing themselves, gave up further attempts to board, and stood
to their guns, which were cutting up our rigging from stem
to stern, but doing little farther damage ; for after the lapse
of an hour the loss to the Speedy was only two men killed
and four wounded.

"This kind of combat, however, could not last. Our rig-
ging being cut up and the Speedy's sails riddled with shot,
I told the men that they must either take the frigate or be
themselves taken, in which case the Spaniards would give
np quarter--whilst a few minutes energetically employed
on their part would decide the matter in their own favour.
" The doctor, Mr. Guthrie, who, I am happy to say, is
still living to peruse this record of his gallantry, "Nitta-

_,------ , ..e

teered to take the helm; leaving him therefore for the time
both commander and crew of the Speedy, the order was
given to board, and in a few seconds every man was on the
enemy's deck—a feat rendered the more easy as the doctor
planed the Speedy close along side with admirable skill..
" For a moment the Spaniards seemed taken by surprise,
as though unwilling to believe that so small a crew would
have the audacity to board them ; but soon recovering
themselves, they made a rush to the waist of the frigate,
where the fight was for some minutes gallantly carried on.
Observing the enemy's colours still flying, I directed one of
our men immediately to haul them down, when the Spanish
crew, without pausing to consider by whose orders the
colours had been struck, and naturally believing it the act
of their own officers, gave in, and we were in possession of
the Gamo frigate of thirty-two heavy guns and 319 men,
who an hour and a half before had looked upon us as a cer-
tain if not an easy prey."
" Shortly before boarding an incident occurred which, by
those who have never been placed in similar circumstances,
may be thought too absurd for notice. Knowing that the
final struggle would be a desperate one, and calculating on
the superstitious wonder which forms an element in. the
Spanish character, a portion of our crew were ordered to
blacken their faces, and what with this and the excitement
of combat, more ferocious looking objects could scarcely be
imagined. The fellows thus disguised were directed to
board by the head, and the effect produced was precisely
that calculated on.. The greater portion of the Spaniard's
crew was prepared to repel boarders in that direction, brat
stood for a few moments as it were transfixed to the deck by
the apparition of so many diabolical looking figures emerg-
ing from the white smoke of the bow guns ; whilst our other
men, who boarded by the waist, rushed on them from be-
hind, before they could recover from their surprise at the
unexpected phenomenon.
" In difficult or doubtful attacks by sea—and the odds of
50 men to 320 comes within this description—no device can
be too minute, even if apparently absurd, provided it have
the effect of diverting the enemy's attention whilst you
are concentrating your own. In this, and other successes
against odds, I have no hesitation in saying that success in
no slight degree depended on out-of-the-way devices, which
the enemy not suspecting, were in some measure thrown off
their guard."
After this brilliant action promotion was actually
refused him and his officers, and after bringing
his prize into Malta ho was despatched to Gibral-
tar in charge of a notoriously bad sailing packet,
which actually caused the loss of the gallant little
Speedy. On his arrival in England, after his
exchange, when ho applied to the Admiralty for a
command for himself and promotion for his brave
first-lieutenant, he was met with the following cool
and cowardly reply :
"No answer being r urned to this application up to the
period of my arrival in England, another letter was for-
warded to his lordship, which met with the same reception,
and afterwards a third, which produced from Lord St.
Vincent the reply that my application could not be enter
•
tained, fee that it was unusual to promote two officers for
such a service—besides which the small number of men
killed en board the Speedy did not warrant the application.'
" It was impossible not to feel nettled at a reply so unex-
pected : that because few men had been killed on board the
Speedy, her first lieutenant was considered unworthy of
promotion, though terribly cut up. To argue with a First
Lord is no doubt an imprudent thing for a naval officer to
atiompt, and my remonstrance in this instance had such an
effect as to get my name placed on the black list of the
Admiralty, never aeain to be erased.
" In my letter to Lord St. Vincent, the following incau-
tious observations were made—viz., that ' his reasons for
not promoting Lieutenant Parker, ecause there were only
three men killed on board the Speedy, were in opposition
to his lordship's own promotion to an earldom, as well as
that of his flag-captain to knighthood, and his other officers
to increased rank and honours : for that in the battle from
which his lordship derived his title there was only one man
killed on board his own flagship, so that there were more
casualties in my sloop than in his line-of-battle ship.'
" From the receipt of that letter Lord St. Vincent be-
came my bitter enemy, and not he only, but his successors
thought it incumbent on them to perpetuate his lordship's
displeasure. My reply was no doubt keenly felt at the time,
when it was a common remark in the navy that the battle
of St. Vincent was gained by the inshore squadron, under
Nelson, the commander-in-chief being merely a spectator,
at a distance which involved only the loss of one man in his
own ship."
However, he scon afterwards got a ship, not from
any good will of those who were in authority, but
because he told them, on their refusal, that he
should move for an inquiry in the House of Com-
mons that bugbear of red-tapists. There is
more interest in his early career, at least as far as
this volume goes. In awaiting his ship he con-
trived to enter Parliament, and the following ex-
tract shows how he came the old soldier over the
electors, as he thought, but he found, to his cost,
that it was far easier to steal a march on a French-
man or a Spaniard than on the electors of a rotten
borough :
" Aware of my previous objection to bribery, not a word
was asked by my partisans, as to the price expected in ex-
change for their suffrages. It was enough that my former
friends had received ten guineas each after my defeat, and
it was judged best to leave the cost of success to my dis-
cretion.

"My return was triumphant, and this effected, it was
then plainly asked, what ex post facto consideration was to
be expected by those who had supported me in so delicate
a manner.

" Not one farthing I' was the reply.
" ' But, my lord, you gave ten guineas a head to the
minority at the last election, and the majority have been
calculating on something handsome on the present occa-
sion.'

"'so doubt. The former gift was for their disinte-
rested conduct in not taking the bribe of five pounds from
the agents of my opponent. For me now to pay them
would be a violation of my own previously expressed prin-
ciples.'

-"
Finding nothing could be got from me in the way of
money payment for their support, it was put to my gene-
rosity whether I would not, at least, give my constituents
a public supper.
" 'By all means,' was my reply, ' and it will give me
great satisfaction to know that so rational a display of
patriotism has superseded a system of bribery, which reflects
even less credit on the donor than the recipients.'
" Alas ! for the vanity of good intentions. The permis-
sion thus given was converted into a public treat ; not only
for my partisans, but for my opponents, their wives, chil-
dren, and friends ; in short, for the whole town ! The
result showed itself in a bill for some twelve hundred
pounds! which I refused to pay, but was eventually com-
pelled to liquidate, in a way which will form a very curious
episode hereafter."
When, after this, in command of a fine frigate, the
Imperieuse, he was despatched to aid the Spaniards
our then allies, as he best could, and with a discre-
tionary power. On arriving at Catalonia, which
was besieged by the French, he occupied a
breached tower which the Spaniards and their
British allies were about to abandon, and which
was the key to the town ; by the aid of some 200
of his men he so fortified and repaired it, that the
French found that they could make little or no
head-way, and at length, when the wall altogether
broke down, and they came to the assault, they
found unexpected difficulties in the shape of board-
ing nettings and chain-cables, and were repulsed
with great loss.