S. N 2., JAN. 12. '56.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
" Before the king went beyond sea, the command of
the fleet was lodged with Russell ; but he fell under a
great peevishness of spirit: he owned a high friendship
for Marlborough after his disgrace, and expostulated
upon it with the king in a strain that was not acceptable ;
for he pressed somewhat rudely to know what secret in-
formation there was against him. He had this to say,
that seemed to justify it, for he had carried the messages
between the king and him, before the king came into
England, and so had formed the confidence between them.
Russell was also in very ill terms with Nottingham, and
he seemed to be in so ill a humour in all respects, that
nothing but the confidence in his fidelity made it reason-
able to trust the fleet to his conduct. I had more than
ordinary occasion to know this, for I was desired by some
of his family to try if I could soften his temper, but
without success."
, POPULAR BALLAD ON THE BATTLE OF BEACHY
HEAD.
The following song on the conduct of Torring- ton, who is so justly stigmatised by Macaulay ! (vol. iii. p. 607. et seq.) for his disgraceful conduct on June 30, 1690, furnishes strong evidence of the popular feeling against him. It is from a broad- side of the time, which, as we believe, has never before been reprinted. W. J. T.
" Torringtonia ; or, A new Copy of Verses on the late Sea Engagement.
" To a tune, Which nobody can deny. " I sing not the battle (so famed) of Lepanto, Nor what the Turks got by the siege of Otranto, Nor the Spanish Armada, so brave and gallanto.
Which nobody can deny.
" Nor how they were bang'd by Invincible Drake, Nor the courage and conduct of excellent Blake, Nor of men that fought bravely when all was at stake.
Which, &c.
" But a sort of sea-fight 'tween the French and Hollander, Where th' English had joyn'd, but that their Comm'-
der- In-Chief wou'd not be a with , but a by-stander.
Which, &c.
" The Dutch to the enemy boldly drew near, But th' Adm'ral o' th' English more wisely did steer, For he thought it was safer to keep in the rear.
Which, &c.
" Graf ton ('twas said) came courageousl}' in, And by mauling the French great honour did win, 13uL 7W was resolv'd to sleep in a whole skin.
Which, &c.
" Had each ship and its captain but been independent, They'd certainly made a more glorious end on't Then commanded by such a stout superintendent.
Which, &c.
" Tyrrd and Don-el did boldly stand to 'em, Thinking to beat the French and to undo 'em, But th' Adm 1 only came thither to view 'em.
Which, &c.
"And tho' the French Fleet was so little esteem'd And their courage and conduct despisable deem'd, To wise Herb t they plainly invincible seem'd.
Which, &c.
" Some ships, too fool-hardy, did headlong engage,
Which put the stout Adm 1 in such a rage,
That nought but a W - could his passion assuage.
Which, &c.
" When the shot from the Enemy, flying at random, Slew the stout hero's clog, that could no way with r
stand 'em, His bit s desired their master to land 'em.
AVhich, &c.
" Twould make a man, much more a woman, agast, Sir, To see a dog kill'd twixt the leggs of his master, Who much more deserv'd such a dismal disaster.
Which, &c.
" Some say that he wanted both powder and ball, Be that true or false, it was certainly all One to him, whose courage was so very small.
Which, &c.
" The Dutch at the enemy bravely did fire all, Tho' Arth r commanded the fleet to retire all ; For which, if he be'nt h g'd, we much shou'd admire all. Which, &c.
" Tho' the French'for a time may bluster and boast
Of the honour they won, by T n lost,
Their courage will cool when our fleet's on their coast.
Which, &c.
" Not one town of theirs, nor two, three, nor four Shall appease for the pranks they play'd on our shore ; We have admirals now that will pay off the score.
Which, &c.
" Printed at the request of a Tarr, for the Diversion of the Melancholy Widows of Wapping"
MAJOR BERNARDI.
When Macaulay (vol. iv. p. 653.) speaks of the autobiography of Major John Bernard! as " not at all to be trusted," that statement must be taken with some qualification. There can be little doubt that Bernardi makes out the best case he can for himself, and repudiates all share in the Assassin- ation Plot ; but whatever share he may have had in it, there can be no doubt that he was thirty-three years a prisoner in Newgate without trial or conviction ; and so, to use the words of the historian himself, " his name has derived a melan- choly celebrity from a punishment so strangely prolonged, that it at length shocked a generation which could not remember his crime." Some few extracts, therefore, from that autobiography*, and some few illustrations of it from other sources, may well find admission into " N. & Q."
John Bernardi was the son of Francis Bernardi, Agent, and afterwards the Resident, of the Re- public of Genoa. The severity of his father drove him from home when about thirteen years of age, and after several adventures having found his
- A Short History of the Life of Major John Bernardi,
written by himself in Newgate, where he has been for near Thirty-three Years a Prisoner of State without any allow- ance from the Government, and could never be admitted to his Trial, fyc. London, printed by J. Newcomb in the Strand, for the benefit of the Author, 8vo., with Portrait.
