SUPPLEMENT to the UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL. LXVII. 337

Summary Account of the Naval Services of Sir George Brydges Rodney: with his Head elegantly engraved on Copper.

THE

HE diftinguished bravery and good conduct of Sir George Brydges Rod ney, with the ftriking viciffitudes of his life, have placed him in the molt eminent point of view, and interested every Englishman, not only in his public fuccefs, but in his more private fortunes. A fhort fketch, therefore, of his fignal fervices, can at no period be unacceptable to our readers.

This gallant Officer entered early into the naval line; and, after going through the ufual gradations of fervice, he received the commiffion of Captain in 1742, and two years after was appointed to the commind of a forty-gun thip. In 1747, he had the command of the Eagle of 60 guns, and contributed much to the great victory gained by Admiral Hawke on the 14th of October in the fame year. In 1749, he was appointed Governor of Newfoundland, and, in 1753, married Mifs Jane Compton, fecond daughter of the Hon. Charles Comp ton, Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Portugal, and father of Charles and Spenfer, Earls of Northampton. This Lady died on the 28th of January, 1757, having one fon, George, elected Member in the prefent Parliament for Northampton. In May, the fame year, he commanded the Dublin of 74 guns. Soon after he was made a Rear-admiral, and in July 1759, was fent with a squadron to bombard Havrede Grace, where great preparations were understood to be carrying on for an invafion of England. On the 3d of that month he anchored in the great road off Havre. A proper difpofition being made, the bombs proceeded to place themfelves in the narrow channel leading to Harfleur; and early the next morning the bombardment began, which continued without intermiffion for fifty-two hours, and with fuch effect, that the town was feveral times on fire, and the magazines of ftores burnt with great fury, notwithstanding the efforts of feveral hundred men to extinguifh the fire. The explosion of the thells overturned many of the flat-bottomed boats ; and fo great was the confternation in the town, that the inhabitants fled into the country. On his return to England, he took but a fhort time to refit, and then went back to his ftation off Havre-deGrace; and, continuing there during that year and part of the following, he had NUMB. CCCCLXX, VGL. LXVII,

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the good fortune totally to deftroy all the preparations of the enemy for an invahon.

He was

In 1760, he was made Rear-admiral of the Blue, and fuch was the fenfe the Ministry entertained of his late important fervices, that he was appointed to the command of the fquadron destined' for the reduction of Martinico. On the 18th of October 1761, he failed from Spithead, with five fail of the line, three bombketches, and a floop; and arrived at Barbadoes alone on the 22d of November, having parted company with the rest of the fquadron in a hard gale of wind, foon af-" ter he had left the Channel. joined, however, by all his hips on the 9th of December, by the troops from) Beleifle on the 14th, and by the forces under General Monckton, from NorthAmerica, on the 24th. On the 7th of January 1762, the fleet arrived off Martinico, having employed very little of the intervening time in refitting the fhips, and refiefhing the men. anchored in St. Ann's bay, and having filenced the forts and batteries, landed the forces on the 16th. The fiege, commencing immediately, was carried on with fuch fpirit and perfeverance, that on the 7th of February following, the whole, ifland capitulated. It may be here not improper to obferve, that the dispatches, announcing this important conquett, were, brought over by Major (now the celebrated American General) Gates, then Aid-du-, Camp to General Monckton, who recommended him in the warmelt terms to the Earl of Egremont, then Secretary of State, as a moft deferving Officer.

On the 8th he

After the reduction of Martinico, the Admiral and General fent a detachment of the navy and army, which forced St. Lucia, and the remaining French iflands, to furrender. But, at the Peace of Fountainebleau, in 1763, the greater part of thefe valuable conquefts were reftored to the enemy.

On the 21st of January 1764, the Admiral was created a Baronet of Great Britain, and on the 3d of December 1765, was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hofpital. In March 1766, he was married to Mifs Clyfe, by whom he has feveral children. In the Parliament which met at the acceffion of his prefent Majelty,

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with Admical Digby on the 24th, he proceeded to the Welt-Indies with the Sandwich and three other thips.

On his arrival in that part of the globe, he exerted every effort to bring the French Commander, Monfieur de Guichen, to a&ion. At length, on the 17th of April, a general engagement enfùed, the French fleet conlifting of 23, and the English of 20 tail of the line; and if retreat, and every endeavour to avoid a purfuing enemy, be decifive proofs of a defeat, M de Guichen was certainly worited. It fince appears, that had Sir George been as nobly fupported as the French Admiral, the latter would not have had fuch a fortunate escape. Not a thip was loft on either file. General Vaughan, who accompanied Sir George on bond the Sandwich, pofled the higheit eulogy on him. in his letter to Lord George Germaine: No fhip,' faid he, could be led on with more gallantry; nor do the annals of the navy record a greater character than Sir George fupported, in fetting the noblett of examples; but to attempt his praise would be detracting

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from his merit, which furpaffes aj plaufe."

Sir George, after this action, continued to pursue a flying enemy till the 15th of May, when the van of our fleet and the rear of the French came to action. No material lofs was fuftained on either fide. However, in this campaign, our gallant Admiral had the fatisfaction of affording full protection to all our islands, as well as to our cominerce there, notwithstanding the great fuperiority of our combined enemies; and he now rides triumphant in thofe feas.

Thefe recent fervices have not been unrewarded. In the House of Commons, they unanimously voted their thanks to him. Minifiry, uniting with the grateful public, though not, perhaps, with their grateful views, Sir George was elected by a great Majority one of the Representatives of the city of Westminster; and his Majetty has recently created him a Knight Companion of the molt honourable order of the Bath.

OCCASIONAL LETTERS. LETTER CI.

On RETIREMENT.

O loft to Virtue, loft to manly Thought,
Loit to the noble Sallies of the Soul,
Who think it Solitude to be alone.'

T is undoubtedly true, that active life is the principal feene of virtuous effort. The excellent difpofitions that train us up to Heaven can no mo e be cultivated in abfolute Retirement, than the graces which ndear us to fociety, and render us amiable to all around.

And yet, without fome moments of occafional Retirement from the bufy fcenes, or fafcinating amufements of life, it is certain that we fall but ill perform the par, for which the Divine Being, in his infinite wiftom and goodnets, hath chieflv intended us. It will be requifite now and then to devote fome part of our time to ferious reflection, if we fincerely with to preferve a becoming confiftency of conduct, or excel ence of character. In the buftle of life our paflions are apt to dress every object in falfe and flattering colours; and Reafon can never exert her noble powers till we retire into the cool and fient thade, and, with fober and attentive eye, examine things, not as they feem, but as they really are. It is only in the

illness and folemnity of retreat, that we can perform this effential duty; that we can recollect the pait, look forward to the future, and form plans, not for this fugitive fcene alone, but for Heaven and immortality. But how can that man entertain thefe noble and elevated views how indeed can he perform any part of his duty aright, were he even to regard tile present moment only, who is inceffantly engaged in the tumults of the world?

Life's buzzing founds and flattering co

lours play
Round our fond fenfe, and waste the day,
Enchant the fancy, vex the lab'ring foul;
Each rifing fun, each lightfome hour,
Beholds the bufy flav'ry we endure.'

The men of pleafure and the men of bufinefs are the most apt of all others to be inattentive to this duty; and it is not eafy to determine which of thefe fuffer molt from the neglect of it, To the former, every moment is unhappy that is unenlivened by the varieties of amusement. U u 2

To

To unite different plans of pleasure with ⚫ each other in unceasing connection is their only aim; till, at length, they have no other choice than to tread the fame dull beaten road, languishing for novelty, and fatiated with eternal repetitions.

Nor is an inceflant commerce with the world lefs oppreffive to the man of bufinefs and ambition. The ft ongett fpirits may fink under, and the happiest tempers be foured by, the frequent oppofitions and inconstancy of men, and the continual dilgult and viciffitude of mortal things:

The fcenes of business tell us-What are men?

The fcenes of pleasure-What is all befide?

Heaven, is, on the contrary, but too often the feminary of vice. In our earliest youth we are but too much accustomed to pernicious principles and vicious examples. Inftead of that admiration of the Honeft the Beautiful, and the Good, which true philofophy would inculcate, we are taught to confider riches and honours as the noblelt diftinction; and to the ardent and inceffant pursuit of these we facrifice the true felicity of man-the sweets of a good confcience, and the joys of felf-ap. probation. The fanstions of virtue too are weakened by the falfe appellations given to crimes at which the human heart Thould fhudder-where gallantry and honour are but proffituted names, to render fashionable what in itself is vicious and deteftable. What then can tend fo well How requifite is it then to retire occa- to leffen the corrupting influence of false fionally from intercourse with men to inter- philofophy and pernicious examples, as courfe with God. Every intrufion of that Retirement which fis the mind for worldly obje&is and worldly case we must rational reflection, and enables it to form then fhut out; and, uniting a reverential · a jußler estimate of life? fear of the Dei y with an affectionate fenfe of his paternal goodnels, we thall pour forth our fouls to Him who is ever ready to hear, and who will not fail to footh the pious heart with heavenly hope, and with that peace which the world cannot give. To the inconftancy of our fellow-creatures here, we shall oppofe the permanent friendhip of angels and the bletfed fpirits hereafter; to the lofs of all that we hold lovely and dear in this life, the immortal fruition of Him who is the fource of lovelinefs and love; and to the vain and perishing pleasures of this world, the undecaying poffeffion of celestial joys. Such contemplations diffuse a holy and delightful calm over the heart of the good man. The world finks in his eftimation. Mifery, as it were, vanifes from his fenfation; and all the alarms and anxieties of those who are continually engaged in the world feem to him only like the noile of diftant waters, whofe found he hears, but whofe wages touch him not:

Religious awe's a favourite expreffion of the Poets when they would paint the fo lemn fhades and deep-embowering glooms. Religion in every age hath confecrated the walks of solitude. In these we feel her elevating influence. Here we no longer liften to the Syren voice of Vice, but in unmolefted converte with ourselves think down all her charms. We review the pat, and the tear of contrition falls. We confider the prefent, and are melted into the tenderness of devout affections. We look forward to the fo ure, and a holy hope begins to dawn. Fauh, repentance, and grateful piety take poffeffion of the foul, and the thoughtless diffipated being recolle that he is an immortal being, and becomes the Chriftian.

The first and most obvious theme of devout mediation is the certainty of a Deity. To revolve this idea in our minds to any useful purpose, (and this is the only fource of right fentiments and virtu ous conduct) we must begin by consìdering Him under the awful character of a Sovereign, and the more endearing one of Father. We are not to enter into vain and unedifying reafonings conce ning his effence, but to contemplate what is difplayed of his perfections. We must in a manner realize his prefence, so as to excite the deepest reverence in our minds, and to inspire them with a sacred impatience to approach nearer and nearer to the great Fountain of life and happiness.

If we enter into the ftill scenes of rural

A CONCISE HISTORY of the ORIGIN and PROGRESS of the prefent unhappy DISPUTES between GREAT BRITAIN and the AMERICAN COLONIES, continued from Page 235 of our Magazine for Nov. laft.

CHA P. XLV.