--how touching is stupidity when loyal!--was celebrated amazingly
in all the chief Towns, like a kind of Christmas, when it came round;
Nature having deigned to produce such a man, for a poor Nation in
difficulties. Invincible Vernon, it is thought by Gazetteers, 'will look
in at Carthagena shortly;' much more important Place, where a certain
Governor Don Blas has been insolent withal, and written Vernon letters.

"2. PRELIMINARIES TO CARTHAGENA (MARCH-NOVEMBER, 1740).--Monday,
14th March, 1740, Vernon did, accordingly, look in on Carthagena;
[_Gentleman's Magazine,_ x. 350.] cast anchor in the shallow waste of
surfs there, that Monday; and tried some bombarding, with bomb-ketches
and the like, from Thursday till Saturday following. Vernon hopes he
did hit the Jesuits' College, South Bastion, Custom-house and other
principal edifices; but found that there was no getting near enough on
that seaward side. Found that you must force the Interior Harbor,--a
big Inland Gulf or Lake, which gushes in by what they call LITTLE-MOUTH
(Boca-Chica), and has its Booms, Castles and Defences, which are
numerous and strongish;--and that, for this end, you must have seven or
eight thousand Land Forces, as well as an addition of Ships. On Saturday
Evening, therefore, Vernon calls in his bomb-ketches; sails past,
examining these things; and goes forth on other small adventures. For
example,--

"Sunday, 3d April, 1740, 'about 10 at night' opens cannonade on Chagres
(place often enough taken, by cutlass and pistol, in the Bucanier
times); and, on Tuesday, 5th, gets surrender of Chagres: 'Custom-house
crammed with goods, which we set fire to.' On news of which, there is
again, in England, joy over the day of small things. The poor English
People are set on this business of avenging Jenkins's Ear, and of
having the Ocean Highway unbarred; and hope always it can be done by the
Walpole Apparatuses, which ought to be in working order, and are not.
'Support this hero, you Walpole and Company, in his Carthagena views: it
will be better for you!"

"Walpole and Company, aware of that fact, do take some trouble about it;
and now, may not we say, PAULLO MAJORA CANAMUS? All through that Summer,
1740,"--while King Friedrich went rushing about, to Strasburg, to Wesel;
doing his Herstals and Practicalities, with a light high hand, in almost
an entertaining manner; and intent, still more, on his Voltaires and
a Life to the Muses,--"there was, in England,