sage was changed against
the poor Captain of the Main-Top," who had not taken off his hat before
the Image of blue and gold. Here a roar of laughter from the head of the
table unloosed all tongues, and Cumby's penance ended in a burst of
general merriment. "Lieutenant Cumby," said the admiral, when quiet was
restored, "you have been found guilty of parodying Holy Writ to bring
your commander-in-chief into disrespect; and the sentence is that you
proceed to England at once on three months' leave of absence, and upon
your return report to me to take dinner here again."

Compelled by general break-down of health to seek rest at home, St.
Vincent returned to England in August, 1799. He was not left long in
repose. The condition of the Channel Fleet as regards discipline has
already appeared, and the very recent incident of the escape of the
great French fleet from Brest, coupled with the equally humiliating and
even more threatening experience of the same character in 1796, when the
invasion of Ireland was attempted,--both which occurred under the same
British commander-in-chief,--showed the urgent necessity of placing in
control the only man of suitable rank, whose complete adequacy to such a
post had been demonstrated. St. Vincent accordingly hoisted his flag in
April, 1800.

In the effort to restore discipline, he here encountered not only
opposition, intensified by the greater desire for shore privileges that
always attends a home station and the proximity of wives and children,
but something very like an attempt at combination against his orders--a
very grave military offence--on the part of the captains. All this he
trampled down with severity amounting to ruthlessness. The insubordinate
toast--"May the discipline of the Mediterranean never be introduced into
the Channel Fleet"--was met face to face by republishing every order and
restriction upon which the discipline of the Mediterranean had rested.
In the more distinctly military part of his task, the closing of the
port of Brest to evasions by the enemy, such as those just mentioned, he
achieved a noteworthy success. Modelling his scheme upon that of Hawke,
forty years before, he gave to it a development, a solidity, and an
extension which his distinguished forerunner had not been able to
impart. Hawke had not the advantage, which St. Vincent had, of following
a period of inefficiency, the remembrance of which compelled the
Admiralty vigorously to support all meas