Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1969, Síða 136

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Brillumanninum til verju
Baron Hompesch to Lord Hawkesbury
Leith, 25. August 1808
My Lord,
Glad when called to address His Majesty’s Ministers that is to Lord
Hawksberry I have to vindicate my conduct, being the first to whom
the Venom of foul Malicious aspersions against me was sent — I with
invigorated confidence address this Nobleman, who personally knows I
was once deemed, to represent in the Cabinet as well as the Field, if my
superior liege duty to His Britannic Majesty had not superseded the pri-
mitive ties of Birth, my Military services and those of the several thousand
men I brought under English banners, I trust need not be recalled to the
memory of British Ministers, no more than the sacrifices I made, nor the
loss I experienced on that Account. — Not successful in my various re-
peated applications for Active Service in my own Military profession,
I thought (not being allowed to do so on land) I might at least try to
fight His Majesty’s enemies at Sea; for this purpose I bought, Armed, and
Manned, at my own expence, a private Vessel of War of twenty Guns,
and with His Royal Highness the Commander in Chief’s permission,
mounted her myself tho’ (for form’s sake) intrusted to my Agent as
Owner, and to Captain Gilpin as Commander, myself being rated in the
Ship’s Books only as Chaplain to the Vessel. — After sailing westwards,
sighting near the Bay of Biscay a French Privateer, who ran away, N I
veer’d, round England and Ireland, north about, in expectation of Danish
Indiamen; when finding myself in the Northern latitudes, I recollected, a
Danish Fort being in the Faroe Isles, proceeded there, and landed, in
order to storm it, but found the Fort had been partly destroyed a fort-
night before by a British Vessel of War. I seized some Effects belonging
to the King of Denmark, deposited them at Lerwick in Shetland, left some
of my Men in Farro in token of possession, and, for my person, returned to
London, to make my report of this transaction to the Commander in chief
and to Ministers, demanding further orders on the Subject. — A vague
rumour, which whilst in London I never could properly fathom, apprised
me some sort of complaint against me had been received by Government;
Verbal application of my Agent Mr. Gilpin 432 Strand in my behalf on
the subject, produced a written Summons from Lord Castlereagh’s Office
to state my proceedings at Farro. I applied personally at the office and
explained to the under Secretary of State Mr. Cooke (I trust satisfac-
torily) my conduct there. Subsequent loose hints made me suspect these
Aspersions to originate in the disappointment of Prize Money of the Clio
and Co.... (cancellation). I therefore made Leith in my way and applied
to Vice Admiral Vashon and Captain Baugh the Commander of the Clio.
The Admiral told me he had sent the Clio on purpose to Farro the second
time for such an investigation, that it was hard, he should lose his Prize