pact, or compact alliance, which is known by the name of the Lichfieldhonse agreement. Having appealed to the people, Sir Robert Peel so strengthened his party as to find himself at the head of nearly one-half of the House of Commons. Still, united, the Whigs and Radicals were too much for him. In order to set about his reforms without delay, he introduced an Irish tithe-bill, nearly similar to that which his predecessors bad proposed. The new allies passed the memorable vote of April 7, 1835,* by which, for the sake of asserting an abstract right of alienating church property in Ireland, they deprived the people of Ireland of the opportunity of relief from that which they had described as an intolerable grievance. They succeeded in replacing the Whigs in office; and for one, two, three years, they obliged the people of Ireland to endure this grievance, because they could not in the face of an immense minority in the House of Commons, and a majority in the Lords, enforce the principle avowed in their factious resolution. A general election, and O'Connell's permission, enabled them at last to throw aside this vote, which had answered its party purpose. Meanwhile, they have done much in conformity with the Lichfield House agreement: it still remains to be seen whether they have done enough. They have, in one instance, falsified their declarations recently recorded; and have, in their vote upon the pensionlist (a matter of slight importance in itself), established a principle more republican than any which has been enunciated since 1648. They have, since their last return to office, made repeated appointments to high judicial offices of persons favoured- -we cannot positively say recommended-by O'Connell. They have, beyond all question, offered to that denounced demagogue himself nearly the highest situation in the law; although their leader has avowed that he has not the confidence, nor his proceedings the approbation, of the government.t It cannot be pretended that in this reconciliation with O'Connell the ministers have followed "public opinion." Two general elections, under their own law, which purports to collect the real sense of the people, exhibited a pro *Parl. Deb, xxvii. gressive change of public feeling against the Whig members, and eminently against their encouragement of Popish allies. But without these allies they cannot maintain their majority and their power. If, indeed, they would introduce into their measures even so much of moderation as characterised Lord Grey, and were thereby to lose their Irish and Radical support, they would be supported by the Tories; but at this their pride and jealousy revolt. They are thus kept in office by their Radical alliance, but not by that alone. It is known that, reckless as they sometimes appear, some degree of moderation is induced by office. And they have shewn that, when deprived of power, they will resort to the most unnatural connexions, and give the most daring pledges, in order to regain it. Moderate and conscientious Tories, therefore, feel that, mischievous as they are in government, opposition, followed by a recovery of office by Radical means, would render them still more noxious. It is not in this place that we inquire whether the moderation and caution which this feeling dictates are justifiable in the Conservative party: our purpose is historical only; and we are satisfied that we truly record the late history and present state of parties. Since the above was written the Whigs have been again out, and they are again in! The increasing strength of the Tories, and the discontent of a few of the Radicals, left them almost in a minority on an important question, and they resigned. This discontent of the Radicals was partly occasioned by a letter from Lord John Russell to his constituents, of which the tone was deemed too Conservative. Sir Robert Peel was commissioned to form an administration, but gave up his commission, for a reason which we cannot discuss here. The Whigs resumed the offices which they had lately declared themselves incapable of filling usefully; and the same Radicals who censured the letter of Lord John, and found in it nothing but a determination to resist all further reform, and who thereupon declared that never again would they help the Whigs against the Tories, now find in that letter the. germs of very extensive improvement. ★ H»») Woh Third Series, xlv. 31. their allies. The Tories, faithful to EPISTLES TO THE LITERATI. THOMAS CARLYLE, ESQ. TO OLIVER YORKE, ESQ., ON THE SINKING OF THE VENGEUR. DEAR YORKE, Shall we now overhaul that story of the sinking of the Vengeur, a little; and let a discerning public judge of the same? I will endeavour to begin at the beginning, and not to end till I have got to some conclusion. As many readers are probably in the dark, and young persons may not have so much as heard of the Vengeur, we had perhaps better take up the matter ab ovo, and study to carry uninstructed mankind comfortably along with us ad mala. I find, therefore, worthy Yorke, in searching through old files of newspapers, and other musty articles, as I have been obliged to do, that on the evening of the 10th of June, 1794, a brilliant audience was, as often happens, assembled at the Opera House here in London. Radiance of various kinds, and melody of fiddlestrings and wind pipes, cartilaginous or metallic, was filling all the place,—when an unknown individual entered with a wet newspaper in his pocket, and tidings that The Lord Howe and the English fleet had come up with Villaret-Joyeuse and the French, off the coast of Brest, and gained a signal victory over him.* agitation spread from bench to bench, from box to box; so that the wet newspaper had finally to be read from the stage, and all the musical instruments, human and other, had to strike up Rule Britannia, the brilliant audience all standing, and such of them as had talent joining in chorus,- before the usual squallacci melody, natural to the place, could be allowed to proceed again. This was the first intimation men had of Howe's victory of the 1st of June; on the following evening London was illuminated: the Gazette had been published,— some six ships taken, and a seventh, named Vengeur, which had been sunk; a very glorious victory: and the joy of people's minds was considerable. For the remainder of that month of June, 1794, and over into July, the newspapers enliven themselves with the usual succession of despatches, private narratives, anecdotes, commentaries, and rectifications; unfolding gradually, as their way is, how the matter has actually passed; till each reader may form some tolerably complete image of it, till each at least has had enough of it; and the glorious victory submerges in the general flood, giving place to other glories. Of the Vengeur that sank there want not anecdotes, though they are not of a very prominent kind. The Vengeur, it seems, was engaged with the Brunswick; the Brunswick had stuck close to her, and the fight was very hot; indeed, the two ships were hooked together by the Brunswick's anchors, and stuck so till the Vengeur had got enough; but the anchors at last give way, and the Brunswick, herself much disabled, drifted to leeward of the enemy's flying ships, and had to run before the wind, and so escape them. The Vengeur, entirely powerless, was taken possession of by the Alfred, by the Culloden, or by both of them together; and sank after not many minutes. All this is in the English newspapers; this, so far as we are concerned, is the English version of Howe's victory, in which the sinking Vengeur is noticeable but nlave no nre-eminently distinguished part. The same English newspapers publish, as they receive them, generally without any commentary whatever, the successive French versions of the matter; the same that can now be read more conveniently, in their original language, in the Choir des Rapports, vol. xiv., and elsewhere. The French Convention was now sitting, in its Reign of Terror, fighting for life and death, with all weapons, against all men. The French Convention had of course to give its own version of this matter, the best it could. Barrère was the man to do that. On the 15th of June, accordingly, Barrère reports that it is a glorious victory for France; that the fight, indeed, was sharp, and not unattended with loss, the ennemis du genre humain being acharnés against us; but that, nevertheless, these gallant French war-ships did so shatter and astonish the enemy on this 1st of June and the preceding days, that the enemy shore off; and, on the morrow, our invaluable American cargo of naval stores, safely stowed in the fleet of transport-ships, got safe through;-which latter statement is a fact, the transport-ships having actually escaped unmolested; they sailed over the very place of battle, saw the wreck of burnt and shattered things, still tumbling on the waters, and knew that a battle had been. By degrees, however, it becomes impossible to conceal that the glorious victory for France has yielded six captured ships of war to the English, and one to the briny maw of Ocean; that, in short, the glorious victory has been what in unofficial language is called a sheer defeat. Whereupon, after some recriminating and flourishing from Jean-Bon St. André and others, how the captain of the Jacobin behaved ill, and various men and things behaved ill, conspiring to tarnish the laurels of the Republic,-Barrère adroitly takes a new tack; will shew that if we French did not beat, we did better, and are a spectacle for the very gods. Fixing on the sunk Vengeur, Barrère publishes his famed Rapport du 21 Messidor (9th July, 1794), setting forth how Republican valour, conquered by unjust fortune, did nevertheless in dying earn a glory that will never die, but flame there forever as a symbol and prophecy of victories without end: how the Vengeur, in short, being entirely disabled, and incapable of commonplace fight, flew desperate, and refused to strike, though sinking; how the enemies fired on her, but she returned their fire, shot aloft all her tricolor streamers, shouted Vive la République; nay, fired the guns of her upper deck when the lower decks were already sunk; and so, in this mad whirlwind of fire and shouting, and invincible despair, went down into the ocean depths; Vive la République and a universal volley from the upper deck being the last sounds she made. This report, too, is translated accurately in the Morning Chronicle for July 26, 1794; and published without the smallest commentary there. The Vengeur with all her crew being down in the depths of ocean, it is not of course they that can vouch for this heroic feat; neither is it the other French, who had all fled by that time: no, the testimony is still more indubitable, that of our enemies themselves; it is "from the English newspapers that Barrère pro fesses to have gathered these heart-inspiring details, the candour even of these ennemis acharnés could not conceal them,-which, therefore, let all Frenchmen believe as a degree truer than truth itself, and rejoice in accordingly. To all this, as was said, the English newspapers seem to have made no reply whatever. The French, justly proud of so heroic a feat, a degree truer than truth itself, did make, and have ever since continued to make, what demonstration was fit. Convention decree, Convention decrees were solemnly passed about this suicidal Vengeur; the deathless suicidal Vengeur is written deep in innumerable French songs and psalmodyings; a wooden model of the Vengeur, solemnly consecrated in the Pantheon of Great Men, beckoned figuratively from its peg, "Aux grands hommes, la patrie reconnaissante!"-and hangs there, or in the Musée Naval, beckoning, I believe, at this hour. In an age of miracles, such as the Reign of Terror, one knows not at first view what is incredible: such loud universal proclamation, and the silence of the English (little interested, indeed, to deny), seem to have produced an almost universal belief both in France and here. Doubts, I now find, were more than once started by sceptics even among the French,-in a suitable low tone; but the "solemn Convention decrees," the wooden "modèle du Vengeur" hanging visible there, the "glory of France?" Such doubts were instantly blown away again; and the heroic feat, like a mirrorshadow wiped, not wiped out, remained only the clearer for them. Very many years ago, in some worthless English history of the French Revo lution, the first that had come in my way, I read this incident; coldly recorded, without controversy, without favour or feud; and, naturally enough, it burnt itself indelibly into the boyish imagination; and indeed is, with the murder of the Princess de Lamballe, all that I now remember of that same worthless English history. Coming afterwards to write of the French Revolution myself; finding this story so solemnly authenticated, and not knowing that, in its intrinsic character, it had ever been so much as questioned, I wrote it down nothing doubting; as other English writers had done; -the fruit of which, happily now got to maturity so far as I am concerned, you are here to see ripen itself, by the following stages. Take first the corpus delicti : 1. Extract from Carlyle's "French Revolution" (vol. iii. p. 335). "But how is it, then, with that Vengeur ship, she neither strikes nor makes off? She is lamed, she cannot make off; strike she will not, Fire rakes her fore and aft from victorious enemies; the Vengeur is sinking. Strong are ye, Tyrants of the Sea; yet we also, are we weak? Lo! all flags, streamers, jacks, every rag of tricolor that will yet run on rope, fly rustling aloft: the whole crew crowds the upper deck; and, with universal soul-maddening yell, shouts Vive la République,-sinking, sinking. She staggers, she lurches, her last drunk whirl; Ocean yawns abysmal: down rushes the Vengeur, carrying Vive la République along with her, unconquerable, into Eternity." 2. Letter from Rear-Admiral Griffiths, in the "Sun" Newspaper of Nov. 1838. "Mr. Editor,--Since the period of Lord Howe's victory, on 1st June, 1794, the story of the Vengeur French 74-gun ship going down with colours flying, and her crew crying Vive la République, Vive la Liberté, &c., and the further absurdity that they continued firing the maindeck guns after her lower deck was immersed, has been declared, and has recently been reasserted by a French author. It originated, no doubt, on the part of the French, in political and exciting motives-precisely as Bonaparte caused his victory at Trafalgar to be promulgated through France. While these reports and confident assertions were confined to our neighbours, it seemed little worth the while to contradict it. But now, when two English authors of celebrity, Mr. Alison, in his History of Europe during the French Revolution, and Mr. Carlyle, in his similar work, give it the confirmation of English authority, I consider it right thus to declare that the whole story is a ridiculous piece of nonsense. At the time the Vengeur sunk, the action had ceased some time. The French fleet were making off before the wind; and Captain Renaudin and his son had been nearly half an hour prisoners on board H.M.S. Culloden, of which ship I was the fourth lieutenant; and about 127 of the crew were also prisoners, either on board the Culloden, or in her boats, besides I believe 100 in the Alfred's, and some 40 in the hired cutter, commanded by Lieutenant (the late Rear-Admiral) Winne. The Vengeur was taken possession of by the boats of the Culloden, Lieutenant Rotherham, and the Alfred, Lieutenant Deschamps; and Captain Renaudin and myself, who were by Captain Schomberg's desire at lunch in his cabin, hearing the cries of distress, ran to the starboard quarter gallery, and thence witnessed the melancholy scene. Never were men in distress more ready to save themselves. "A. J. GRIFFITHS." This letter, which appeared in the Sun Newspaper early in November last, was copied into most of the other Newspapers in the following days; I take it from the Examiner of next Sunday (18th Nov. 1838). The result seemed to be general uncertainty. On me, who had not the honour at that time to know Admiral Griffiths even by name, still less by character, the main impression his letter left was that this affair was singular, doubtful; that it would require to be farther examined by the earliest opportunity. Not long after, a friend of his, who took an interest in it, and was known to friends of mine, transmitted me through them the following new Document, which it appeared had been written earlier, though without a view to publication: 3. Letter from Rear-Admiral Griffiths to a private Friend (penes me). "Since you request it, I send you the state of the actual fact as respects the sinking of the Vengeur after the action of the 1st of June, 1794. I was fourth lieutenant in the Culloden in that action. Mr. Carlyle, in his History of the French Revolution, vol. iii. p. 335, gives, in his own peculiar style, the reiterated by a French author. Mr. Carlyle, in adopting these authorities, has given English testimony to the farce; farce I call it,-for, with the exception of the Vengeur * sinking,' there is not one word of fact in the narration. I will first review it in detail: "The Vengeur neither strikes nor makes off.' She did both. She made off as well as her disabled state admitted, and was actually taken in tow by a French eighteen-gun brig; which cast her off, on the Culloden, Alfred and two or three others approaching to take possession of her. Fire rakes her fore and aft from victorious enemies.' Wicked indeed would it have been to have fired into her, a sinking ship with colours down; and I can positively assert not a gun was fired at her for an hour before she was taken possession of. The Vengeur is sinking.' True. Lo! all flags, streamers, jacks, every rag of tricolor that will yet run on rope fly rustling aloft.' Not one mast standing, not ONE rope on which to hoist or display a bit of tricolor, not one flag, or streamer, or ensign displayed; her colours down; and, for more than half an hour before she sunk, Captain Renaudin, and his son, &c., prisoners on board the Culloden,-on which I will by and by more especially particularise. The whole crew crowds the upper deck, and with universal soul-maddening yell, shouts Vive la République! Beyond the fact of the crew (except the wounded) being on the upper deck, not even the slightest, the most trivial semblance of truth. Not one shout beyond that of horror and despair. At the moment of her sinking we had on board the Culloden, and in our boats then at the wreck, 127 of her crew, including the captain. The Alfred had many; I believe about 100: Lieutenant Winne, in command of a hired cutter, a number; I think, 49. 'Down rushes the Vengeur, carrying Vive la République along with her, unconquerable, into Eternity.' Bah! answered above. "I have thus reviewed Mr. Carlyle's statement; I now add the particulars of the fact. The Vengeur totally dismasted, going off before the wind, under her sprit-sail, &c.; five sail of the line come up with her, the Culloden and Alfred two of these. Her colours down, Lieutenant Richard Deschamps, first of the Alfred, I believe, took possession of her. The next boat on board was the Culloden's, Lieut. Rotheram, who died one of the Captains of Greenwich Hospital. Deschamps went up the side. Rotheram got in at the lower-deck port, saw that the ship was sinking, and went thence to the quarter-deck. I am not positive which boat got first on board. Rotheram returned with Captain Renaudin, his son, and one man; and reported her state, whereupon other boats were sent. The Vengeur's main yard was lying across her decks; Rotheram, &c., descended from its larboard yard-arin, by the yard-tackle pendant; and I personally heard him report to Captain Schomberg the Vengeur's state, That he could not place a two-feet rule in any direction, he thought, that would not touch two shot-holes.' Except the Purser, Mr. Oliver, who was engaged in arranging the prisoners in classes, &c., as they came on board, I was the only officer who knew any French, and mine very so-so. Captain Schomberg said: "You understand French; take Renaudin and his son into the cabin, and divert his mind from attention to his ship while sinking.' Having been in presence of the French fleet for three days prior to the action, the accustomed cooking had not gone on; the galley fire was little lighted. But the captain, foreseeing, had a cold mutton-pie standing by; this, with wine, was ordered for us; and I was actually eating it with Renaudin, a prisoner in Captain Schomberg's cabin, when a bustle on deck made us start up; we ran to the starboard quarter-gallery, and saw the Vengeur, then say a stone's-throw from us, sink. These are the facts. "Sept. 17, 1838. "A. W. GRIFFITHS. "I have said I am not certain which boat took possession; and I gave it to the Alfred, because there arises so much silly squabbling on these trifles. But from Rotheram taking the Captain, it seems probable the Culloden's boat was first. A matter, however, of no moment." Such a document as this was not of a sort to be left dormant: doubt could not sleep on it; doubt, unless effectually contradicted, had no refuge but to hasten to denial. I immediately did two things: I applied to Admiral Griffiths for leave to publish this new letter, or such portions of it as might seem needful; and at the same time I addressed myself to a distinguished French friend, well acquainted with these matters, more zealously concerned in them than almost any other living man, and hitherto an undoubting believer in the history of the Vengeur. This was my letter to him; marked here as Document No. 4: "My dear 4. Letter of T. Carlyle to Monsieur -Inclosed herewith are copies of Admiral Griffiths's two |