WILLIAM AND MARY.

271

doms.” Devonshire was right: but his colleagues were unani-mously of opinion that to supersede a commander in sight of the ■enemy, and on the eve of a general action, would be a coursefull of danger; and it is difficult to say that they were wrong.“You must either,” said Russell, “leave him where he is, orsend for him as a prisoner.” Several expedients were suggested.Caermarthen proposed that Russell should be sent to assistTorrington. Monmouth passionately implored permission tojoin the fleet in any capacity, as a captain, or as a volunteer.“ Only let me be once on board; and I pledge my life that thereshall be a battle.” After much discussion and hesitation, it wasresolved that both Russell and Monmouth should go down tothe coast.* They set out, but too late. The despatch whichordered Torrington to fight had preceded them. It reached himwhen he was off Beachy Head. He read it, and w r as in a greatstrait. Not to give battle was to be guilt)' of direct disobedience.To give battle was, in his judgment, to incur serious risk ofdefeat. He probably suspected, — for he was of a captious andjealous temper, — that the instructions which placed him in sopainful a dilemma had been framed by enemies o.nd rivals with adesign unfriendly to his fortune and his fame. He was exaspe-rated by the thought that he was ordered about and overruledby Russell, who, though his inferior in professional rank, exer-cised, as one of the Council of Nine, a supreme control over allthe departments of the public service. There seems to be noground for charging Torrington with disaffection. Still less canit be suspected that an officer, whose whole life had been passedin confronting danger, and who had always borne himselfbravely, wanted the personal courage which hundreds of sailorson board of every ship under his command possessed. But thereis a higher courage of which Torrington W'as wholly destitute.He shrank from all responsibility, from the responsibility of* Mary to William, June 28. and July 2. 1C90.

CIIAP.

XV.

JG90.