Art. 8, The Conduct of Admiral Knowles on the late Expedition fet in a true light. 8vo. is. Clarke, &c.

The defign of this pamphlet, written by Admiral Knowles himfelf, is to vindicate his conduct, in the expedition against Rochfort, from the afperfions of certain anonymous pamphleteers. Whether it required a very masterly hand to refute the performances here taken notice of, is not our bufinefs to determine; however, we may take leave to remark, that it must give every one, who looks farther than to fuch pieces of politics as are commonly retaled, a sensible pleafure to find the Admiral willing to fatisfy, by an open unreserved explication of his behaviour, the doubts of well-meaning perfons; and (were it poffible by any thing to do it) to ftop, by a deduction of undeniable facts, the mouth of flander itself.

In the first of the libels*, as the Admiral ftiles them, the charge against him is introduced by quoting the first article of the report of the Board of Enquiry, which feems to have been forcibly strained to make it appear in a light difadvantageous for the Admiral. But as he thinks their opinion, had it been determinate, was neither binding upon the public or himself, he waves entering into their reasoning, for giving or not giving the opinion that they did; and proceeds to confider the following charge of his antagonist, That the whole affair of the attacking Fort Fouras was delegated by Sir Edward Hawke to his infpection, and that Sir Edward had proceeded fo far in the execution of the plan, as to direct his fecretary to begin an order to lighten the Barfleur for that purpose; but this was laid afide upon the remonftrances of Captain Graves and Vice-Admiral Knowles, that the Barfleur was aground at between four and five miles from ⚫ the fhore.'

In answer to this are produced, 1. Sir Edward Hawke's manner of relating that flory. 2. His own teftimony at the enquiry. And, 3. his depofition given at the court-martial. By all which it appears, that Sir Edward himfelf examined the pilot of the Magnanime, on whofe own confeffion of the impracticability of carrying the Barfleur, even lightened two foot, near enough, and Captain Graves, the commander's report, that he was aground where the then lay, the order for lightening her and carrying her in was fuppreffed; and that Admiral Knowles in this affair had only to deliver Sir Edward's orders, and to give in to him the reports made by others. It appears alfo, as well from Sir Edward's, as from the Author's depofition, that the pilot of the Magnanime being ordered to conduct the Infernal Bomb in, upon trial ran her aground, where she was attacked by two row-gallies; and that the Coventry Frigate, in attempting to get to the bomb, ran afhore five feveral times.

After this, facts of a ftronger nature are produced in proof of the impracticability and impoffibility of carrying any fhip of force to batter Fort Fouras, viz. The foundings taken by Mr. Poulglafs, mafter

*The Expedition to Rochfort fully stated. See Review for January, 1758. page go.

of

of the Barfleur, now of the Magnanime, on the 26th of September, 1757, off of the entrance of Rochfort river. The foundings were taken at the fame time by Mr. Morant, pilot of the Barfleur, by order of Captain Graves; on the fhip's grounding in eighteen feet water, between the Ifle of Aix and Fort Fouras; and at other times alfo by the Lieutenant of the Royal William, and other officers, which entirely agree with each other. To which is added; the proof of ocular demonstration, the fhoal being feen dry every low water for more than a mild diftance from Fouras, by at leaft half the people of the fleet and army; infomuch that had there been a channel but the breadth of a boat, they must have seen it.

Having fufficiently (one would think) by these depofitions and facts, vindicated himself from the above-mentioned charge, he proceeds to confider another, the refutation of which, as it is fhort, we fhall infert as it ftands in the pamphlet.

I come now,' fays the Admiral, to that part of the charge against me which fays, that "Sir Edward Hawke having ordered me to carry the bomb-ketches in, that I did, and run them aground." The following certificate is an unanswerable contradiction to this particular, viz.

"These are to certify, that when his Majefty's bomb-ketch, In fernal, under my command, was ordered in to batter Fort Fourasi "Vice-Admiral Knowles was not on board; nor do I know that ever he was; and that Thierry, the pilot of the Magnanime, had the fole conducting and navigating of her, and ran her afhore at a greater diftance than flight of fhell from the faid fort, and never could get her near enough for the fhells to reach with the greatest quantity of "powder. Given under my hand, on board his Majefty's floop Infernal, the 25th day of February, 1758.

"JAMES MACKENZIE."

Were farther teftimony wanting to prove that I was not on board the bomb-ketch, Captain Keppel can atteft, that I was on fhore with him in the Isle of Aix, reconnoitring with our glaffes the Bay of Chatelaillon, when the gallies went to attack the bomb, and ⚫ that upon hearing their guns, I ran immediately to my boat, and went on board and made the fignal for all boats manned and armed, and fent them to the bomb-ketch's affistance.'

Our Author patiently fubmits, notwithstanding fuch grofs fallhoods; to answer, with the utmoft calmnefs, the other charges against him. Among other reflections the following was caft upon him:

"All these notable exploits were performed by Vice Admiral "Knowles, the fame who it is faid advifed Sir Edward Hawke not even to enter into the road of Basque, left he should be bombarded."

The caution, to which this piece of calumny refers, is proved by producing a letter from Sir Edward Hawke to Mr. Knowles, to have met with Sir Edward's approbation; and very justly so, indeed, ac cording to our Author's reasoning on this point.

In answer to the charge offending away the pilot destined to conduct the fleet upon a chace after a French fhip, and detaining the ⚫ fleet two days in fight of the French coaft,' our Author recapitulates part of his affidavit at the court-martial upon that fubject, by which it evidently appears, that his conduct had here alfo the approbation of Sir Edward Hawke, who repeated the fhips fignals to chace; and that, ftrictly speaking, not a moment of time was loft by those ships chacing,

What has been faid may be fufficient to fhew our Author's ability to vindicate his own conduct at leaft, against the afperfions which have been thrown upon him. We fhall therefore conclude by giving our Readers the following extract of his pamphlet, wherein he expreffes himself with a proper indignation at the manner in which he has been treated, and with a dignity becoming a man who is conscious of his innocence, and of a faithful difcharge of his duty..

Let the Reader lay these several facts together which have been related, and notwithstanding the pains that have been taken to make the public believe, that I greatly contributed to the failure of the expedition, he will find that I had, and could have, no other fhare⚫ in its execution, than in conveying the orders I received from Sir Edward Hawke, and feeing them obeyed by the proper officers. Was the cafe as it has been repréfented in these anonymous libels; $ was Vice Admiral Knowles the caufe of laying afide the attack on • Fort Fouras by fea, had it been practicable; the conclufion to be ⚫ drawn from it must be, that the Commanders in Chief, and other • members of the council of war, were all determined by the ViceAdmiral, and had no judgment of their own, whereon to found their opinion. It muft fuppofe Sir Edward Hawke to have laid down the command, and delegated it to Mr. Knowles; it must fuppofe Mr. Knowles to have been guided by opinion, without any experiments; ⚫ and it muft, in the end, arraign the justice and wifdom of the ad• miniftration for not bringing him to juftice for fuch a notorious breach of duty, and for their choice of officers fo unfit for fuch a command.

I faid at the court-martial on Sir John Mordaunt, that if I knew of any cowardice, or treachery, in the execution of this enter prize, that I would declare it openly; and I added, that I hoped, if any one could charge me with being guilty of either, that he ⚫ would do it, in order that I might be brought to justice. These words, and many others which I fpoke and thought effential, are omitted in the printed proceedings of the court-martial. This was a declaration, however, which betrayed neither guilt nor fear; and • I repeat it here, to fhew that I ought to be acquitted of both; or, as it is never too late to bring criminals to justice, that I ought to undergo a public trial, and if guilty, a public condemnation. My • Commander in chief has never fo much as accufed me of neglect or breach of duty: and he is not only the propereft Judge of my behaviour, but the proper perfon, if he difapproved it, to bring me to a trial, to answer his accufation.

Hard,

Hard, therefore, is my fate, to ftand exculpated in the opinion of my fuperior Officer, who faw my conduct, and under whofe ⚫ command I acted, and yet to be fingled out as the only Flag on ⚫ that expedition left unemployed in a time of war: and this after forty-one years conftant and faithful fervice in the navy.'

POETICA L.

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A

Art. 9. The Patriot Enterprize: or an Addrefs to Britain. Poem. Infcribed to the Right Hon. William Pitt, &c. &c. By Mr. Jones, Author of the Earl of Effex. 4to. 6d. Cooper.

While fuch a profufion of incenfe is daily offered to the great man, we wonder he is not fuffocated with the fteams. Several, both profemen and rhime-men, have lately fumigated him pretty handsomely; but Mr. Jones pours the cenfer full into his face. One would think thefe daubers were in a confpiracy against the virtue of Mr. Pitt; and, fince he is known to be proof against the temptation of gold, that they wanted to corrupt him with flattery.

Art. 10. The Pruffian Campaign. A Poem. Celebrating the Atchievements of Frederic the Great, in the Years 1756-57. By William Dobfon, L. L. B. 4to. Is. Manby.

This Gentleman, who has gained confiderable credit by his tranflation of the Paradife Loft into Latin, and of part of the Anti-Lucretius into English, will not, we fear, add much to his reputation by this little original.-A modern Critic, cenfuring Addison's Campaign, ftiled it a mere Gazette in rhime; the fame cannot strictly be faid of Mr. Dobfon's poem, because it is written in blank verfe: but this may with truth be obferved, that, whatever are the defects of the former, the laft mentioned piece is ftill its inferior, beyond all comparison.

RELIGIO U S.

Art. 11. Two Letters adapted to the prefent critical Juncture, &c. &c. (Vid. Review for February laft). By Hugh Worthington, M. A. 8vo. Is. Griffiths.

To our former recommendation of thefe Letters, on the publication of the first impreffion, (fee as above) we need only add here, that their worthy Author has added two excellent Prayers to this edition, for the ufe of his military Readers; which Prayers are, by his appointment, to be had separate from the Lettters, by applying to his Bookfeller: who will deliver hem not only to the Purchafers of the former edition, but to all others, gratis.

The Remainder of the Religious, and the greater number of the other Pamphlets, intended for this Month's Catalogue, will be inserted in our APPENDIX to this Volume, which will be published about the middle of July.

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APPENDIX

TO THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

VOLUME the EIGHTEENTH.

The Hiftory of the Civil Wars of France. In which are related, the most remarkable Transactions that happened during the Reigns of Francis the Second, Charles the Ninth, Henry the Third, and Henry the Fourth, furnamed the Great. A new Tranflation from the Italian of Henrico Caterino Davila. By Ellis Farneworth, M. A. In two volumes 4to. 11. 15s. Browne, Millar, &c.

DA

AVILA's Hiftory of the Civil Wars of France, is a work that has long been known, and highly efteemed in the original; which has undergone numerous impreffions in feral different nations of Europe. The first was printed at Ve nice, 1630; when it was bought up with fuch eagerness that all the copies were fold in lefs than a week. The last, in two volumes quarto, was printed at London, in 1755, and is the edition which Mr. Farneworth has chiefly made use of in the present tranflation.

This is not the firft appearance of this valuable work in our own language; for it was tranflated into English by Sir Charles Cotterel and William Aylesbury, Efq; in one folio volume, 1647, and printed again in 1678, without any alteration. Publisher of the fecond edition in English, fays, in his APPEN. Vol. XVII.

Sf

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