letter, he bore testimony to the excellent conduct of five
of the captains, Walter Young, of the flagship, George Bowyer of
the _Albion_, John Douglas of the _Terrible_, John Houlton of the
_Montagu_, and A.J.P. Molloy[83] of the _Trident_. "To them I have
given certificates, under my hand," "free and unsolicited." Beyond
these, "no consideration in life would induce" him to go; and the
two junior flag-officers were implicitly condemned in the words, "to
inattention to signals, both in the van and rear divisions, is to be
attributed the loss of that glorious opportunity (perhaps never to
be recovered) of terminating the naval contest in these seas." These
junior admirals were Hyde Parker and Rowley; the latter the same who
had behaved, not only so gallantly, but with such unusual initiative,
in Byron's engagement. A singular incident in this case led him to a
like independence of action, which displeased Rodney. The _Montagu_,
of his division, when closing the French line, wore against the
helm, and could only be brought into action on the wrong (port) tack.
Immediately upon this, part of the French rear also wore, and Rowley
followed them of his own motion. Being called to account by Rodney, he
stated the facts, justifying the act by the order that "the greatest
impression was to be made on the enemy's rear." Both parties soon wore
back.

Hyde Parker went home in a rage a few weeks later. The certificates to
Bowyer and Douglas, certainly, and probably to Molloy, all of Parker's
division, bore the stinging words that these officers "meant well, and
would have done their duty had they been permitted." It is stated that
their ships, which were the rear of the van division, were going down
to engage close, following Rodney's example, when Parker made them a
signal to keep the line. If this be so, as Parker's courage was beyond
all doubt, it was simply a recurrence of the old superstition of the
line, aggravated by a misunderstanding of Rodney's later signals.
These must be discussed, for the whole incident is part of the history
of the British Navy, far more important than many an indecisive though
bloody encounter.

One of the captains more expressly blamed, Carkett of the _Stirling
Castle_, which had been the leading ship at the time the signal to
alter the course toward the enemy was made, wrote to Rodney that he
understood that his name had been mentioned, unfavourably of course,
in the public letter. Rodney's reply