the inexcusable conduct of Lord Gambier, who,
having discountenanced the attempt with the fireships, now not
only refused to take part in the victory which his comrade had made
possible, but also hindered its achievement by him.

Lord Cochrane had already overstepped the strict duty of a
subordinate, though acting only as became an English sailor. The
fireships with which he had been ordered to ruin the enemy's fleet had
partly failed through the error of others. "It was then," he said, "a
question with me whether I should disappoint the expectations of my
country, be set down as a charlatan by the Admiralty, whose hopes had
been raised by my plan, and have my future prospects destroyed, or
force on an action which some had induced an easy Commander-in-Chief
to believe impracticable." He did force on some fighting, which
was altogether disastrous to the enemy, and rich in tokens of his
unflinching heroism; but it was in violation of repeated orders,
dubiously worded, from Lord Grambier, and, when at last an order was
issued in terms too distinct to allow of any further evasion, he had
no alternative but to abandon the enterprise. He was at once sent
back to England, to be rewarded with much popular favour, and with a
knighthood of the Order of the Bath, conferred by George III., but to
become the victim of an official persecution, which, embittering his
whole life, lasted almost to its close.

It must be admitted that this persecution was in great measure
provoked by Lord Cochrane's own fearless conduct. He was reasonably
aggrieved at the effort made by the Admiralty authorities to attribute
to Lord Gambier, who had taken no part at all in the achievements in
Basque Roads, all the merit of their success. To use his own caustic
but accurate words, "The only victory gained by Lord Gambier in Basque
Roads was that of bringing his ships to anchor there, whilst the
enemy's ships were quietly heaving off from the banks on which they
had been driven nine miles distant from the fleet." When for this
proceeding it was determined to honour Lord Gambier with the thanks
of Parliament, Lord Cochrane, as member for Westminster, announced his
intention of opposing the motion. As a bribe to silence he was offered
an important command by Lord Mulgrave, and it was proposed that his
name should be included in the vote of thanks. The bribe being
refused and the opposition persisted in, Lord Gambier demanded a
court-martial, in which, as