voluntary proposal; but not having had, for a month past, a letter from any person but Mr. Hotham and yourself, and my passport being expired, it was impossible for me to remain in this city at the risk of being sued by my creditors, who grew so clamorous it was impossible to bear it; and had they not been overawed by the Lieutenant of police, would have carried their prosecutions to the greatest length.  Their demands were all satisfied this day,”—­May 6th, 1778.  Friends in England enabled him to repay Biron immediately after his return.

This benevolent interference on behalf of a national enemy, although in its spirit quite characteristic, at once of the country and of the class to which the individual extending it belonged, has retained a certain unique flavor of its own among military anecdotes; due undoubtedly to the distinction subsequently acquired by Rodney at the expense of the people to which his liberator belonged, rather than to anything exceptional in its nature.  As it is, it has acquired a clear pre-eminence among the recorded courtesies of warfare.  It is pleasant to add that Great Britain had the opportunity in after times to requite Biron’s daughters an act from which she had so greatly benefited.  They having sought refuge, though with loss of fortune, from the early excesses of the French Revolution, received for some time pensions from the British Government.

Rodney came back to England feeling anything but cordial towards Sandwich, whose decided support he had found wanting throughout a very critical period of his career.  More than any one else the First Lord had had both the opportunity and the insight to see his professional value.  Tory though Rodney was, he hoped that “Lord Chatham (Pitt) would be minister, and another First Lord of the Admiralty be appointed.”  “We hear of a change of Administration.  I hope it is true, and that I may have a chance of being employed, should another be at the Admiralty.”  “The refusal of Lord Sandwich does not surprise me.  He cannot say but I have offered my services, and some friend will let the King know I have so done.”  Apparently he was to be ignored as well as overlooked.

Circumstances, however, soon compelled his employment.  Sandwich was an able man, but his personal character inspired mistrust.  Not only was he controlled by political considerations in administration; he was suspected of corruptly using the Navy for party advantage.  Whatever might be thought of Byng’s conduct, his execution, but twenty years before, was commonly ascribed to political exigency, making him a vicarious sacrifice to cover the neglects of a Government.  As in Byng’s case, the material of the service was believed to be now inadequate to the emergency come upon it; and it was known to have deteriorated gravely during the seven years of Sandwich’s tenure of office.  He was a Tory, as were his colleagues of the Cabinet; the leaders of the Navy in professional estimation, Hawke and Keppel, with