ng to board, the frigates
at the time running ten knots, when the French ship surrendered. She had
suffered very severely from the fire of the _Revolutionaire_, without
having been able to make any effectual return. Sir Edward sent the
passengers to Brest in a neutral vessel, and finding that one of the
junior officers of the prize was a son of Mme. la Large, he took the
young man's parole, and allowed him to accompany his mother.

With his official communication to the Admiralty, which accompanied
Captain Cole's account of the action, he wrote a private letter to the
First Lord, and another to the Earl of Chatham. It was his practice
through life thus to strengthen an interest for his officers in every
possible quarter, and it was one, though not the only, cause of his
remarkable success in obtaining promotion for so many of them. His
letters on this occasion, though they display the warmth of private
friendship, are not stronger than he was accustomed to write for others,
whose only claim upon him was that which every deserving officer has to
the patronage of his commander. The following is the letter to Lord
Spencer:--

"MY LORD,--I have much pleasure in informing your Lordship of the
capture of the French frigate, _l'Unite_, of thirty-eight guns, and
two hundred and fifty-five men; and I have more in conveying to
your Lordship my sense of Captain Cole's merit upon the occasion.
Nothing could be more decided than his conduct; and his attack was
made with so much vigour and judgment, that a ship of very superior
force to _l'Unite_ must have rewarded his gallantry. To his extreme
vigilance and zeal, the squadron are indebted for this prize. It is
not improper for me to say, that on all occasions I have found much
reason to respect Captain Cole as a skilful and brave officer, and
I rejoice in the opportunity of bearing testimony to his merit."

To the Earl of Chatham, with whom he was intimate, he wrote in a more
familiar strain:--

"MY DEAR LORD,--Much as I dislike breaking in upon your time, I
cannot resist the pleasure of repeating to you the good fortune of
my friend, Frank Cole, who was the fortunate man among us in taking
_l'Unite_, alias _la Variante_. There are few things, my Lord, that
could raise my friend either in your opinion or mine; but one
cannot but rejoice on finding our expectations realized.

"I am sa