ndure so continual a
fatigue. Had it been in Europe, half the people must have sunk under it.
For my part, it did me good." No evidence of professional aptness could
be given clearer than the last words. A man is easy under such
circumstances only when they fit him. De Guichen asked to be superseded;
"my health cannot endure such continual fatigue and anxiety." Twice the
wary Frenchman was nearly caught, but the wind did not favor Rodney long
enough to give him the weather position, the only sure one for offence.
But, while thus unable to compass results, he gave conclusive evidence
of the quickness of his eye, the alertness of his action, and the
flexibility which he was enabled to impress upon his fleet by sheer
force of personal character. The contest resembled that of two expert
swordsmen; more intermittent doubtless, but also much more prolonged.

There can be no trifling with such conditions. A moment's relaxation, or
inaptness, may forfeit opportunity, offered only by chance and not to be
regained by effort. Rodney was fixed that no such slip should occur
through the neglect of others, and his stern supervision, as represented
by himself to his wife, was that of a slave driver, lash in hand. "As I
had given public notice to all my captains, etc. that I should hoist my
flag on board one of my frigates, and that I expected implicit obedience
to every signal made, under the certain penalty of being instantly
superseded, it had an admirable effect, as they were all convinced,
after their late gross behaviour, that they had nothing to expect at my
hands but instant punishment to those who neglected their duty. My eye
on them had more dread than the enemy's fire, and they knew it would be
fatal. No regard was paid to rank,--admirals as well as captains, if out
of their station, were instantly reprimanded by signals, or messages
sent by frigates: and, in spite of themselves, I taught them to be what
they had never been before--_officers_: and showed them that an inferior
fleet, properly conducted, was more than a match for one far superior."
Making allowance for exaggeration in the irresponsible utterances of
family life, the above is eminently characteristic of temperament. It
must be added, as equally characteristic of an underlying justice which
Rodney possessed, that in his official account of these last manoeuvres
he gave credit to his subordinates as a whole. "I must inform their
Lordships, in justice to the comman