y on the afternoon and evening of October 20th; but the
attack was not pushed home, although they had the advantage of the wind
and of numbers. On the 14th of November the British fleet regained
Spithead. It may be remarked that Admirals Barrington and Millbank both
praised their captains very highly, for the maintenance of the order in
their respective divisions during this action; the former saying it "was
the finest close connected line I ever saw during my service at sea."
Howe, who held higher ideals, conceived through earnest and prolonged
study and reflection, was less well satisfied. It seems, however,
reasonable to infer that the assiduity of his efforts to promote
tactical precision had realized at least a partial measure of success.

Another long term of shore life now intervened, carrying the gallant
admiral over the change-fraught years of failing powers from fifty-six
to sixty-seven, at which age he was again called into service, in the
course of which he was to perform the most celebrated, but, it may
confidently be affirmed, not the most substantial, nor even the most
brilliant, action of his career. During much of this intermediate
period, between 1783 and 1788, Howe occupied the Cabinet position of
First Lord of the Admiralty, the civil head and administrator of the
Navy. Into the discharge of this office he carried the same qualities of
assiduous attention to duty, and of close devotion to details of
professional progress, which characterized him when afloat; but, while
far from devoid of importance, there is but little in this part of his
story that needs mention as distinctive. Perhaps the most interesting
incidents, seen in the light of afterwards, are that one of his earliest
appointments to a ship was given to Nelson; and that the cordiality of
his reception at the end of the cruise is said to have removed from the
hero an incipient but very strong disgust for the service. "You ask me,"
wrote the future admiral to his brother, "by what interest did I get a
ship? I answer, having served with credit was my recommendation to Lord
Howe. Anything in reason that I can ask, I am sure of obtaining from his
justice."

At the outbreak of the French Revolution, Howe stood conspicuously at
the head of the navy, distinguished at once for well-known professional
accomplishments and for tried capacity in chief command. His rivals in
renown among his contemporaries--Keppel, Barrington, and Rodney--had
gone to t