Volume II Part 35 (2/2)
Ever most affectionately yours, G.
LORD GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
Cleveland Row, May 5th, 1797.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
The messenger is arrived this morning, and has brought us the confirmation of the Paris reports. The preliminaries were signed on the 18th; but we are still uninformed of the particulars of the conditions, except that they contain a stipulation for a Congress at Berne, to which the allies of the two parties are to be invited.
I believe, from what I can collect from the very defective information which has yet reached us, that the articles have been drawn in so much haste and confusion, and by persons so little used to transact points of this nature, that they are unintelligible, and require explanation before they can be made public, or even communicated to other Courts. Thugut has resigned--this step having been taken in contradiction to his opinion--and a Count Cobenzl, now Austrian Minister at Petersburg, is supposed to be destined to succeed him. This is, in the whole of it, a great event, and big with the greatest consequences, whether good or bad--_caliginosa nocte premit Deus_.
You cannot see the state of Ireland more gloomily than I do.
Possibly, if we have peace, that may leave us more at liberty to act in that quarter; but even then, what force have we? and to what objects are we to direct it, when the gentlemen are all flying from their duty, and either joining the adverse standard, or at best deserting their posts?
I rejoice to hear so good an account of your son, and I trust the attack is now over, though the recovery of strength must naturally be very slow.
Ever, my dear brother, Most affectionately yours, G.
Wells's s.h.i.+p's crew being harangued by him refused to cheer with the other s.h.i.+ps, till the 'Glory' loaded her guns to fire upon her.
MR. T. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
Charles Street, May 9th, 1797.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
I cannot express to you my disappointment in the Portsmouth news, which I found upon my return to town yesterday evening. By the post of Sat.u.r.day, the letters from the fleet were better than they had ever been; and the officers themselves seemed in much better heart and spirits. On Sunday, however, it broke out afresh: representations were handed about, complaining that the speeches of Lord Howe, Lord Spencer and the Duke of Clarence, were meant to disappoint the seamen of what had been promised them, and it was suggested that the 'Marlborough' was to be kept back, and made an example of when the fleet had sailed. Upon these pretences, the delegates began going round to each s.h.i.+p: Colpoys told his crew he would not admit them; they mutinied, and he ordered his marines to fire, who did so, and badly wounded four mutineers; but the fire was returned by the crew, who overpowered the officers and the marines, confined Colpoys, and threatened to hang Lieutenant Bover.
To save him, Colpoys a.s.serted that Bover had been ordered so to act by him, and that he had an order for this discipline from the Admiralty, which order he gave to the delegates. The order was a very proper order from the Admiralty to every captain, requiring him to give no cause of complaint to the men on the subject of provisions, requiring him to keep up a proper discipline, and to exert a proper spirit in resisting any appearance of mutiny. This order, we since hear, is stated as an act of treachery in the Admiralty as against the seamen.
Upon this tumult in the 'London,' the crews of the other s.h.i.+ps took possession of the arms, and many confined their officers to their cabins. The post of to-day brings no new or different state of things, except an account that three of the mutineers are dead in Haslar Hospital of their wounds; and that Campbell, Nichols, Talbot, one or two other captains, and many lieutenants, have been put on sh.o.r.e at St. Helen's.
A messenger was dispatched last night with the news of the vote of the House of Commons having pa.s.sed unanimously, but it is doubtful whether in this high wind he could get to the fleet; and all these circ.u.mstances show so little colour or pretence of real complaint, that I cannot help fearing the evil is more deeply rooted in the influence of Jacobin emissaries and the Corresponding Society, and to their machinations the vote of yesterday will afford no answer.
Upon the whole, this is the worst state of things which I have seen. The ground of the mischief is not known to the officers, and as far as I can see, they have no heart or nerves to meet this formidable calamity. With this wind they might have sailed; but with what has happened in the 'London,' and with so many officers put on sh.o.r.e, one can hardly now wish the fleet to sail.
The last accounts from Brest announce about twenty sail, but not in a very forward state of readiness; but this state of our fleet cannot be news to them, and they will doubtless profit of an opportunity which perhaps they have themselves created.
At half-past one no news was come. If I hear more before the post goes out, I will add it.
G.o.d bless you, dearest brother.
MR. T. GRENVILLE TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.
Charles Street, May 11th, 1797.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
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