This combination of steady, patient, wary, skilful guidance, with resolute and tenacious personal leadership, constituted the firm tissue of Rodney’s professional character, and at no time received such clear illustration as in the case before us; for no like opportunity recurred.  One experience was enough for De Guichen; he did not choose again to yield the advantage of the weather gage, and he had the tactical skill necessary to retain it in his future contacts with this adversary.  The battle of April 12, 1782, upon which Rodney’s fame has rested, was rather an accident than an achievement, and as a revelation of character its most conspicuous feature is wariness exaggerated into professional timidity.  He himself has weighed the relative professional value of the two affairs.  A letter published in 1809, anonymous, but bearing strong internal evidence of being written by Sir Gilbert Blane, long on a trusted physician’s terms of intimacy with Rodney, states that he “thought little of his victory on the 12th of April.”  He would have preferred to rest his reputation upon this action with De Guichen, and “looked upon that opportunity of beating, with an inferior fleet, such an officer, whom he considered the best in the French service, as one by which, but for the disobedience of his captains, he might have gained an immortal renown.”

The misconduct of his officers brought out in full vigor the severity which was a salient feature of Rodney’s professional character.  In the St. Vincent business he may have been partly actuated to spare, by the reflection that the offenders were not his own captains; that they were about to quit him finally.  Moreover, there had been then a very considerable tangible success; results cover a multitude of sins.  No such extenuations applied here.  The wreck of his reasonable hopes of personal distinction coincided with failure towards the nation itself.  Rodney’s hand came down heavy upon the offenders; but so far as seen it was the hand always of a gentleman.  In private letters his full feelings betrayed themselves in vehemence; but in public they were measured to austerity.  To Carkett, when questioned concerning the rumored expressions in his despatch, he is withering in the pointed enumeration of varied shortcomings; but he never lapses into a breach of professional decorum of utterance.  The unfortunate man represented to the Admiralty his view of the matter,—­already cited; but it bears no indorsement to show that it had passed under Rodney’s eye.  Captain, ship, and ship’s company, were swept away a few months later in the memorable hurricane of October, 1780.