The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE

HISTORY OF OUR OWN TIMES. By the
Author of the "Court and Times of Frederick the
Great."

This is the second volume of a very interesting work,
referring to one of the most eventful periods in history.
The last fifty or sixty years have witnessed greater
changes than any five or six centuries before them. The
discovery of a new continent, an earthquake, or the fall
of a great empire, are events of suilicient magnitude to
immortalise their epoch ; but "our own times" have
witnessed greater things than these. We have had wars,
and conquests, and splendid achievements—we have
had patriots and heroes—but it is not in these that our
glory consists—it is in the great change that has been
effected in the human mind l—not that we have better
statesmen, or poets, or legislators, than of old; we have
not more great men, but man himself is more great. Our
ancestors had men of genius—bright meteors to illu-
mine the darkness; but we have not the darkness itself.
For centuries civilisation has made rapid and unceasing
progress; it was a child passing through the various
stages of youth, but now we have beheld the glorious
change when the child becomes a man—when he casts
aside his fetters, and, spurning all control, exults in the
conscious power of intelligence, and fears neither diffi-
culty nor danger. All things are seen in a new light—
wondrous achievements that dazzled the fancy are now
realities of daily. life. Intolerance and oppression,
bigotry and prejudice, thriving in the darkness of igno-
rance, fade away at the approach of reason; the narrow
views of the past give way to
" The power of thought—the magic of the mind."
What would our ancestors have thought of the wonders
of the present day—the difficulties of time and space
annihilated —the land and water traversed—and the
commonest articles produced by a mighty power then
undreamt of—the journeys of weeks performed in a
few hours, and distant countries within a few days'
reach? What would a politician of the last century have
thought of a London newspaper? Could he have com-
pared the Parliamentary reports with his hasty notes
taken in secret, and published under feigned names
months after their date? It was easy to bring back
the costume of a past age to enliven a royal festival, but
how impossible wore it to restore the manners and cus
toms of that period 1 Could the strong spirit of inquiry
be bound down, and the people, conscious of their
power, again yield blind obedience—could those who
have enjoyed the privileges of the present day return to
the thraldom of the past? Much has yet to be done, but
we have only to proceed—the great blow has been
struck, and the events of " our own times" have given
the impetus to our future greatness. The history of this
stirring period is given in the work before us. It con-
tains a clear and distinct account of the principal occur-
rences, both at home and abroad, during the last fifty
years—a study more beneficial than the history of '
Greece or Rome, and far more interesting. A great
part is devoted to the French Revolution--one of the
most violent remedies ever applied to a social disorder.
At this distance of time the violence is forgotten; while
all must confess the remedy, we may own that it was
terrible to overthrow ail the barriers imposed by time
and custom—to set the laws at defiance—to uproot
every long-established landmark. But were these dis-
tinctions only made by justice ? Were the poor not
trampled down, the liberty of all restricted, impediments
placed to improvement, and the rights of the many
forced to yield to the privileges of the few—the substance
to the shadow ? It is true that the pent-up waters burst
forth with violence, and madly pursued a devastating
course ; but the force of the torrent was occasioned by
the obstacles it-had surmounted ;it had acquired energy
from its long imprisonment ; the waters themselves were
pure, and when the storm abated, they flowed in newer
and better channels, fertilising the land. The first chap-
ter of this volume describes the effect produced in Eng-
land by the French Revolution, the disputes it occasioned
in the House, the formation of republican clubs, and the
enthusiasm of the people for war. England was the
most constant enemy to the revolution, and yet she bene-
fited most from the example. At first the sympathy of
the people was with the French ; they felt for a great
nation struggling for its rights, and the cry of "Liberty "
found a ready echo in their hearts. Their enthusiasm
was checked by th, cruel excesses of the French. Too
far removed to understand the excitement and passion
which alone could palliate such enormities, the peaceful
citizens looked on with horror. Then came the dread of
foreign invasion to arouse their patriotism, their ancient
hatred to the French returned, and they only looked on
them as enemies. This volume brings us to the naval
engagements in 1797. The following is an account of
the battle of St. Vincent:—
"Jervis, an officer of distinguished courage, skill, and ex-
perience, recently appointed commander-in-chief on the
Mediterannean station, bad, after the evacuation of Corsica,
in October, 1796, posted himself with his squadron at the
mouth of the Tagus, as it was uncertain whether the prepa-
rations then making at Brest were destined for a landing in
Ireland, or an attack upon Portugal. Early in February, the
movements in the port of CAliz, indicating an intention on
the part of the Spaniards to come out very soon, he sailed
with the intention of cruizing off the south-east point of
Portugal. A fleet of twenty-seven sail of the line and twelve
frigates actually put to sea, with the design of steering for
Brest, raising the blockade of that harbour, forming a junc-
tion with the Dutch fleet, and sweeping the English out of
the Channel. On the night of the 13th this formidable force
was so near to the British squadron, that its signal guns were
heard, and the British admiral made the signal to prepare for
battle.

" The dawn of morning was awaited with impatience. The
enemy's fleet was then discovered, extending from south-
west by south, eight leagues distant from Cape St. Vincent;
and Sir John Jervis communicated to his officers his de-
termination to cut through them. His ships were drawn up
in two lines in close sailing order; and he bore down upon
the Spaniards before they bad time to form in regular
order of battle. The gallant Sir Thomas Troubridge, in the
Culloden, was ordered to lead the van. Opening his fire on
the Spanish ships to windward, which effectually separated
one-third from the main body, he then tacked, and thus pre-
vented their rejunction. The British admiral readily
formed his two lines into one, to complete the intended move-
ment. As soon as Troubridge had passed through the
enemy's fleet, he gave his starboard broadside to the nearest of
the ships as he threw in his stays; his example was fol-
lowed by the van of our fleet, and the action became general.
It began about noon.

"The Spanish admiral, Don Josef de Cordova, endeavouring
,o regain that part of his fleet which had been cut off, Com-
modore Nelson, in the Captain, of seventy-four, which was
the rearmost ship, perceiving his design, stood direct towards
him, and penetrated into the midst of the enemy. Bravely
seconded by Captains Troubridge and Collingwood, he ran
his ship between the Spanish flag-ship, the,Santissima Trine-
dada, of 136 guns, and the San Josef, of 112, pouring a tre-
mendous fire into these gigantic antagonists, right and left.
In this manner he continued to engage the San Josef till his
ammunition was nearly expended, when his antagonist fell
on board the San Nicolas, of 84, which now became the com-
modore's opponent, and after a vigorous fire, kept up for
some time, he gave orders to board. He accompanied the
boarding party himself, and, not content with securing one
prize, he again headed the assailants in a similar attack on
the San Josef, shouting, " Westminster Abbey, or glorious
victory !" Nothing could resist such enthusiastic courage ;
the Spanish colours were hauled down, and the Captain lay
an absolute wreck beside her two prizes.
" In the meantime, Sir John Jervis, in the Victory, fol-
lowed by Vice-Admiral Waldegrave in the 13artleur, passed
clO=e under the stern of the Salvador del Mundo, which sur-
rendered after a few broadsides. The Santisima Trinadada
was engaged by many ships in succession, but finally struck
to the Orion, Sir James Saumarez, who, intent on preserving
the more effective ships, left her to be taken possession of by
the next English ship astern ; but, as this was not done, she
ultimately escaped.
" The action lasted till about five o'clock, when the de-
tached portion of the Spanish fleet rejoined the main body,
and thus formed a force greatly superior to the English
squadron : but they showed no disposition to renew the
fight, and, after a distant cannonade, retreated in the night
towards Cadiz.
" The trophies of this victory were two ships of 112 guns,
and two of 84 and 74. On board these four vesssels alone
there were about 250 men killed and as many wounded,
while the total loss of the victors amounted to no more than.
73 killed and 227 wounded. Nearly one-third of this num-
ber belonged, to Nelson's ship, the Captain, alone. The
thanks of both Howes of Parliament were voted to the con-
querors; the commander-in-chief was created Earl St.
Vincent, Vice-Admirals Thompson and Parker, and Captain
Calder, baronets, and Nelson was honoured with the Order
of the Bath. The Spanish commander and many of his
officers, on the contrary, were dismissed from the service
with disgrace."
Many persons acquainted with separate histories are
ignorant of their relative position. In this work we
have a concise summary of all contemporary events, so
that one coup d'oeil will show us the bearing of the
whole. It is written in a clear and animated style, in
terspersed with numerous anecdotes, forming a
most
interesting addition to modern history. The author has
maintained the impartiality of an historian in chro-
nicling the actions of friend and foe; yet the work bears
impress of having been written in the period which it
describes. It is hardly possible for " Memoirs of Our
Own Times" to be quite so unbiassed and impartial as
they will be written by posterity. This volume is em-
bellished with an engraving of William Pitt, from the
painting by Gainsborough, and a vignette illustrative of
the assassination of Marat. It contains ample details
of the French Revolution, the war in India, the downfal
of Poland, and the disturbances and mutinies at home.
The following is an amount of the disastrous battle when
" Freedom shrieked as Koseiuszko fell :"
" Koseiuszko, at the head of a corps of 20,000 men, crossed
the Vistula to meet the advancing Russians and to prevent
their progress to the capital. Meanwhile, the Russian force,
under Prince
junction with Suwaroff, whose anny was now
60,000 strong. The rest of the Russian troops in Poland
were under tire command of Generals Derfelden and Fersen,
the latter of whom, on separating from the Prussians, when
the siege of Warsaw was raised, crossed the Vistula and fell
back, either for the purpose of uniting with the army of Su-
waroff, or to cover the Russian frontiers from the roving
hordes of the insurgents.
" Kosciuszko, while hastening to meet the redoubtable
Suwaroff, encountered Fersen's corps on the 10th of October
at Macziejowicze, between fifty and sixty miles from the
capital. He had sent orders to Poninski to join him with the
troops under his command, but the Russians, intercepting his
messenger, foiled his plans. A most sanguinary engagement
ensued. Warsaw and revenge!' was the cry of the Rus-
sians ; ' Victory or death !' the answer of the Poles. Thrice
had the latter repulsed their infuriated assailants, when Su-
waroff appeared with a fresh army. Vain were the efforts of
Koseiuszko, with his imperfectly armed and disciplined
troops, against so overwhelming a superiority of tried soldiers.
The infantry gave way. Undistinguished by his dress, the
general was in the thickest of the danger. Three horses had.
been shot under him, when a wound on the shoulder ex-
tended him on the ground. Speedily recovering, he mounted
a fresh horse, and hastened to rally his fleeing cavalry. In
leaping a ditch, the animal fell. Cossacks and carabineers
were upon him ; one wounded him in the head, another in
the neck, Completely exhausted, he swooned, prophetically