BOOK II

CHAPTER I

Captain Leake is appointed Commodore of a squadron to Newfoundland. He proceeds thither, destroys the French trade and settlements there and returns to England.

We are now entering upon a period of time that will be ever famous in History for reducing the mighty power of France and thereby securing the liberties of Europe, a work reserved for the glorious reign of Queen Anne, under whose auspicious influence the military glory of Great Britain (both by sea and land) was carried to the utmost height, and for nine successive years an uninterrupted series of victories and triumphs over an enemy till then formidable in all Europe. But in particular, our naval power was remarkably conspicuous in this war. For though it was not at all increased in strength,1 our success was much greater than in the former Our land achievements were indeed great

war.

1 Compare, however, Derrick, pp. 117-25. Navy Royal at accession of Queen Anne Navy Royal at death of Queen Anne

Increase

were

and glorious; but our naval successes permanent and lasting. By sea we conquered France and secured our naval dominion by important conquests, the happy effects of which we feel at this day.1

At the conclusion of the last book we left the British nation under a just resentment for the indignity offered by the French King in acknowledging and declaring the pretended Prince of Wales, King of England; and with a brave resolution not to make peace till ample satisfaction was made for the affront. And for this end vigorous preparations were making for a new war against the mighty tyrant, who, during that short Peace (which he never meant to continue longer than till his projects were ripe to break it) having now accumulated his strength, pulled off the mask to make a vigorous push once more for universal monarchy. This was therefore the last struggle for our honour and our liberty, and consequently required such a vigorous resolution, as a British Parliament inspired, not to sheath the Sword till that haughty monarch was humbled and brought to reason.

Her Majesty therefore, at her accession to the throne, made her first declaration to her Council a declaration of war, by acquainting them she designed to carry on all the preparations that were making against France; and pursuant thereto, war was proclaimed against France and Spain the 14th of May, 1702.

In this war, the nation lay under the greatest discouragement, having maintained a long and expensive war, so lately, with so little success. Queen Anne likewise laboured under great

1 1750.

SPANISH SUCCESSION WAR BEGINS 89

difficulties which King William did not. For whereas, during the late war with France, we had Spain as an ally and their ports to harbour and refit our fleets; now, a Prince of the house of Bourbon was upon the throne of Spain; and we had the united force of both those powerful kingdoms to contend with. The Duke of Savoy too had declared for France;1 and it was to be doubted whether we could persuade the King of Portugal to break his late engagements with the French King; so that we had no harbour in the Mediterranean, or those parts, and were reduced to the hard necessity of courting the friendship of Portugal, otherwise very inconsiderable and it was a year after the war begun, before they could be prevailed upon to come into the Grand Alliance. Our allies the Dutch too, did neither furnish so large a proportion of shipping, nor perform what they agreed to do as they had done the last war; so that the whole brunt of the war by sea fell upon the English. But these disadvantages made the event so much the more glorious.

The Earl of Pembroke having been removed from the post of Lord High Admiral to make way for His Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark Her Majesty's consort, and Captain Leake's commission as First Captain to his lordship being thereby become void, he had been appointed commander of the Association, a Second Rate ship, till an opportunity offered for his further

1 The War of the Spanish Succession began in Italy. By a treaty between the French and the Duke of Savoy in the spring of 1701 a road to the Milanese was opened for the soldiers of Louis XIV. In the summer of 1703, however, the opinion of Victor Amadeus underwent a change; and, desiring to be upon the winning side, he joined the Grand Alliance.

promotion, as we observed before. There were then but five Captains upon the list his seniors, of whom one or two only expected Flags; for, as yet, the custom of preferment according to seniority was in use, unless postponed on account of some misbehaviour or incapacity in the person, and then with good reason; for he who cannot command a single ship as he ought is not fit to be trusted with a squadron. The rule else was so strictly observed that the First Captain to the Admiral of the Fleet, though allowed the rank and pay of a Rear-Admiral, was not advanced to a Flag the sooner upon that account (as has been the modern practice). For Captain Byng, afterwards Sir George Byng, having been First Captain to Admiral Russell in the year 1695 and upon Rear-Admiral's half-pay as First Captain, nevertheless was afterwards a private Captain, and so continued, till his superiors were made Flags. Captain Leake is another instance, in a higher degree, who having been First Captain to the Lord High Admiral, was not promoted to be a Flag-Officer, till Captain Graydon, the Captain next before him, was made a Rear-Admiral, and it came to his turn by seniority.

The 23rd of May, His Royal Highness appointed Sir George Rooke, Sir David Mitchell, George Churchill, Esq. and Robert Hill, Esq. his Council, as Lord High Admiral. The three first of these were Captain Leake's friends, but particularly Mr. Churchill, who besides was of the bedchamber to his Royal Highness, and very much in favour. He therefore had it more immediately in his power to serve Captain Leake, and he soon found

1 Camden Society's Publications, New Series, vol. xlvi, pp. 66, 85-7.

NEWFOUNDLAND COMMAND

91

an opportunity to do it; for the 9th of June he sent him the following letter.

SIR, I have proposed to the Prince, your going to command a squadron to Newfoundland; you will be a Chief de Squadron; I hope it will be agreeable to you. I desire you would keep this to yourself, and let me hear from you by the next post.

I am your friend and servant,

GEORGE CHURCHILL.

And the 18th he was informed by a letter from Mr. Clarke, His Highness's Secretary, that he was appointed Commander-in-Chief to Newfoundland, with power to wear a distinguishing Pendant; that his commission would be sent to him very soon, and that he gave him this

1 When the First Dutch War broke out in 1652, the Dutch, unwilling to create new Admirals sufficient for their needs, introduced for the use of captains detached upon squadronal duties the rank of Commander.' In place of a flag' the Commander was directed to wear a broad pendant.'

The rank was introduced into England by William III and continued to be used together with the distinguishing pendant from his time onwards. The word was at first spelled Commandore,' but this was quickly corrupted into Commadore.' The title, however, though adopted and found useful, was not at once officially sanctioned. Attempts to obtain recognition, indeed, were made without avail in 1731 and 1747; and not until 1805 was the reluctance of the Admiralty finally overcome. Dislike was probably prompted by a fear that young captains would obtain promotion over the heads of their seniors.

The official distrust of the unsanctioned word is here amusingly illustrated by the Admiralty's preference for an incomplete translation of the French phrase Chef d'Escadre. But our author, as will be seen, uses the word Commodore, though in the original he adopts the spelling 'Commadore,' which persisted until after 1750. See Naval Executive Ranks, by Rear-Admiral Sir R. Massie Blomfield, K.C.M.G., Mariner's Mirror, vol. iv, p. 77