xperienced the grossest ingratitude for his
brilliant achievements and neglect and abuse of all sorts. At length,
in November, upon learning that his captain and crew had been formally
instructed to "cast off all subordination" to him, he deemed that he
had no alternative but to consider himself dismissed from Brazilian
employment and free to enter upon a new engagement.

That engagement had been urged upon him even while he was in South
America by his friends in England, who were also devoted friends to
the cause of Greek independence, and the proposal had been renewed
very soon after his arrival at Portsmouth. It was so freely talked of
among all classes of the English public and so openly discussed in the
newspapers before the middle of August that by it Lord Cochrane's last
relations with the Brazilian envoy were seriously complicated. "Lord
Cochrane is looking very well, after eight years of harassing and
ungrateful service," wrote Sir Francis Burdett on the 20th of August,
"and, I trust, will be the liberator of Greece. What a glorious
title!"

It is needless to say that Sir Francis Burdett, always the noble
and disinterested champion of the oppressed, and the far-seeing and
fearless advocate of liberty both at home and abroad, was a leading
member of the Greek Committee in London. This committee was a
counterpart--though composed of more illustrious members than any of
the others--of Philhellenic associations that had been organized in
nearly every capital of Europe and in the chief towns of the United
States. Everywhere a keen sympathy was aroused on behalf of the
down-trodden Greeks; and the sympathy only showed itself more
zealously when it appeared that the Greeks were still burdened with
the moral degradation of their long centuries of slavery, and needed
the guidance and support of men more fortunately trained than they
had been in ways of freedom. Such a man, and foremost among such men,
always generous, wise, and earnest, was Sir Francis Burdett, Lord
Cochrane's oldest and best political friend, his readiest adviser
and stoutest defender all through the weary time of his subjection to
unmerited disgrace and heartless contumely. Another leading member
of the Greek Committee was Mr. John Cam Hobhouse, afterwards Lord
Broughton, Lord Byron's friend and fellow-traveller, now Sir Francis
Burdett's colleague in the representation of Westminster as successor
to Lord Cochrane. Another of high note was Mr. Edwar