of the unloading of the supply ships, which had been attempted, though with no great success, on the occasion of the relief by Darby, in 1781.  Howe therefore at once headed for the Atlantic.  The allies pursued, and engaged partially on the afternoon and evening of October 20th; but the attack was not pushed home, although they had the advantage of the wind and of numbers.  On the 14th of November the British fleet regained Spithead.  It may be remarked that Admirals Barrington and Millbank both praised their captains very highly, for the maintenance of the order in their respective divisions during this action; the former saying it “was the finest close connected line I ever saw during my service at sea.”  Howe, who held higher ideals, conceived through earnest and prolonged study and reflection, was less well satisfied.  It seems, however, reasonable to infer that the assiduity of his efforts to promote tactical precision had realized at least a partial measure of success.

Another long term of shore life now intervened, carrying the gallant admiral over the change-fraught years of failing powers from fifty-six to sixty-seven, at which age he was again called into service, in the course of which he was to perform the most celebrated, but, it may confidently be affirmed, not the most substantial, nor even the most brilliant, action of his career.  During much of this intermediate period, between 1783 and 1788, Howe occupied the Cabinet position of First Lord of the Admiralty, the civil head and administrator of the Navy.  Into the discharge of this office he carried the same qualities of assiduous attention to duty, and of close devotion to details of professional progress, which characterized him when afloat; but, while far from devoid of importance, there is but little in this part of his story that needs mention as distinctive.  Perhaps the most interesting incidents, seen in the light of afterwards, are that one of his earliest appointments to a ship was given to Nelson; and that the cordiality of his reception at the end of the cruise is said to have removed from the hero an incipient but very strong disgust for the service.  “You ask me,” wrote the future admiral to his brother, “by what interest did I get a ship?  I answer, having served with credit was my recommendation to Lord Howe.  Anything in reason that I can ask, I am sure of obtaining from his justice.”

At the outbreak of the French Revolution, Howe stood conspicuously at the head of the navy, distinguished at once for well-known professional accomplishments and for tried capacity in chief command.  His rivals in renown among his contemporaries—­Keppel, Barrington, and Rodney—­had gone to their rest.  Jervis, Duncan, Nelson, Collingwood, and their compeers, had yet to show what was in them as general officers.  Lord Hood alone remained; and he, although he had done deeds of great promise, had come to the front too late in the previous war for his reputation to rest upon sustained achievement as well as upon hopeful indication.  The great commands were given to these two:  Hood, the junior, going to the Mediterranean with twenty ships-of-the-line, Howe taking the Channel Fleet of somewhat superior numbers.