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THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.

N° XLVI.-VOL. VIII.] For SEPTEMBER, 1807.

NEW SERIES,

"We shall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other cause, if we can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth."-DR. JOHNSON.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Rear-admiral Sir JOHN BORLASE the present times. In turning our WARREN, Bart. K. B. Sc. eyes towards the picture of modern IT T has been the practice in every Europe we naturally fix them on mi age to hold up the actions and litary men; and the Cobourgs, and the character of the worthies of the coun- Pichgrues, the Melases, and the Destry to the admiration and imitation saixes offer themselves to our notice, of others. It has been said, with our wonder, and our grief. The respect to pourtraying the life measures of one of our reputed great of those who are no more, "De men have awakened a belligerent mortuis nil nisi bonum;" with the spirit in our enemy, which might substitution of the word verum for long have lain quiet. These mea bonum, the maxim would be more sures, while they flattered the pride consonant to the object and views of and exalted the fortunes of a few, history and such a reserve adhered have brought a danger on the whole. to in the depicting of contemporary In watching the fortune of an empire, characters would render their histories, whether short or long, less fulsome, as being less adulatory and more useful, as having the good of the country and not the praise of the individual for the motive. Men eminent in the arts and sciences, whether wielding a spear or holding a pencil, are entitled to the notice of the country for saving or adorning it. Such persons, indeed, have no occasion, no more than they have the desire, to write their own lives. The eye of fame will discover them, and will raise the trumpet to its mouth; nor ought the diffidence of the parties themselves, nor the gross flattery we sometimes see poured on the presumptuous and undeserving, stop its commendable and wide spreading sound.

whether in its progression to splendour or to decay, we cannot but notice how much the devotion or ambi❤ tion of a few persons contributes to its prosperity or ruin. Never was this truth so illustrated as in our own country, Even after the wound occasioned by the American war and the pertinacity of Lord North to his mischievous opinions, the nation_re covered a vigour beyond any thing ever witnessed by its oldest inhabi tant. The trade flourished by its extension; the stocks rose by their credit, insomuch that an eloquent minis ster promised the listening senate to bring the three per cents, to par in a short time; and to place the commercial and political glory of Great Britain on a basis never to be shaken, In a very little while after this flatterWar is considered as the first of ing boast, the affairs of a neighbourarts. It is by war that countries are ing state gave rise to questions and often gained; and, we fear, it is by considerations at home, which afthis cruel art that we are called upon fected the personal pride and feelings to preserve our own. The warrior of this modern Cicero, more than then by the course of things, or, as they concerned the honour and safety many insist upon it, by the conduct of his country, and which under his of a few men, is necessarily made a eloquence and influence kindled a prominent character in the history of war which, by its continuance, has at UNIVERSAL MAG. VOL, VIII, 2 B

length involved the prosperity and destined to guide the helm of the safety of the empire. state, let them be told that a great It is here, however, both useless crisis awakens new energies; that and unseasonable to discuss the ne- great events bring new and great men cessity or expediency of the war, to notice; that the substitution of a either in its commencement in 1793, system of economy in the room of a or in the renewal of it in 1803. The baneful extravagance will be loudly enemy flushed with successive victo- called for, and that the sums which ries threatens us with extinction of have been lavished on the less deseryliberty. The genius of Britain re- ing will be applied to a better purpresents to its sons the value of the pose.

object to be defended, and the extent Let us then not conceal the diffi of the power to be resisted in its pre- culty of our situation. The solema servation. The regular military are declaration that the country is in dan› powerfully arrayed, the citizens at ger will be enough to make the large ready to arin for the important hardy warrior leave those Capuan reoccasion: but, before all, the Navy pasts with which our country abounds, of England, high in discipline, and and which the venal and me serv animated by its wonted courage and ing prints announce and expatiate unexampled success, is ever on the upon with more pomp and compla alert to frustrate the design of the cency than would be required in 'deenemy before he approaches our tailing a signal victory. shores, thereby depriving him of that chance in the conflict wherein Bellona has so remarkably favoured him.

The hero of this short memoir is neither indolent nor epicurean. Like Cyrus, he can quit without reluc It has been the fashion to say, that tance, at his country's call, the com France has long threatened us with forts he is entitled to on land for the invasion, but not having executed her privations he must necessarily endure purpose hitherto, we have nothing to when at sea The admiral is defear. The sense, however, which the scended from the Earls of Warenne, government entertains of our danger who traced their origin up to the is manifested by its recent conduct to- Plantagenets. The family in Chewards a neutral power, being con- shire is of the same stock, being of strained to declare that the plea of Norman extraction. His more imjustice must yield to that of policy mediate ancestor was John Burlacy, and necessity. We must then pre- of St Newbrine, in Cornwall, being pare for a struggle, a terrible strug- one branch of the Burlacys. Another gle! The contest is for the unlimited was Dr. Borlase, the historian of that Sovereignty of Europe on the one county; while a third included hand, on the other for obtaining se- Humphrey Borlase, created Lord curity by considerable cessions or sa- Borlase by King James II. after his crifices. The whole world appears abdication. The one we allude interested in the result. Our appeal to removed into Buckinghamshire, is not made to the civilians of Europe. where it obtained considerable estates. It does not rest with the Grotiuses, Sir William Borlase founded a chathe Puffendorfs, and the Vattels, we rity school for boys at Great Marlow, have carried it beyond their jurisdic- in consideration of his son being tion Neither the code of the Jus elected the representative of that Gentium, nor the practice founded place. The trustees for this charity upon the opinions of mankind are here consulted, but the resolution is formed of resorting to every expe dient which self preservation can de

vise

Our defenders want no stimulus, they stand not in need of such examples. If they doubt of the skill or strength of the hands which may be

are the inhabitants of Marlow, subject to the approval of the head of the Warren family. Great Marlow sends twenty boys, Little Marlow and Medmanham two each. This last mentioned place has beeen rendered remarkable for containing the abbey, in which the late celebrated John Wilkes and Lord le Despencer weig

two of its pious monks. Sir John de- From this amusement he turned to rives the name of Borlase from his one less dangerous, and more compa great grandmother, who was the tible with the profession he had daughter and heiress of Sir John adopted. He fitted up a yacht on the Borlase Warren, Bart. of Bockmore, Severn, and purchased Lundy Island lieutenant-colonel of Lord Vere's re- in that river, for the convenience of giment, so famous in the war of the a port and refreshments for his crew. palatinate for the protection of the Having mentioned the foible to King of Bohemia, and which after- which, like many other young men wards served under the Prince of of fashion, he had inclined, it is inOrange in the Low Countries. cumbent on us to relate two noble acWe are told that Sir John can shew tions which have particularly distin-, the boots and spurs of his ancestor guished him for his munificence. the first Earl of Warenne, as well as Meeting with Frederick, grandson of his sword, upon the hilt of which, he Theodore, King of Corsica, in comis said to have put his hand on being pany with Mr. Turner, afterwards interrogated by his jealous sovereign Sir John Dryden, then an officer in how he acquired his large estate? the guards, and learning that he was "By this I acquired it," answered he, as destitute of the fortune as of the "and by this I will maintain it." other attributes of a royal descendAn ancestor of our hero was distin- ant, he purchased a commission for guished in his time by the appellation him in a marching regiment, and obof Beau Warren. He was a man of tained him a recommendation to the eccentric taste in his table as well as commander in chief in America, where in his dress. he fell in action, a lieutenant. On

Sir John was put to school by his the urgent necessity for encreasing uncle, the Rev. Mr. Warren, of Strat- our force during the war- with the ton Audley, to Mr. Princeps, at Bi- colonies, Sir John visited the Fleet cester, in Oxfordshire, from whom and King's-bench prisons, where he he was removed to Winchester, released, by his own fortune alone, where he had been but a short time all the navy officers confined for debt. matriculated when he testified so Sir John sat for Marlow twice; strong a passion for the sea, that his and, upon his first election, had but friends did not think it wise to en- six votes against him, in such popular deavour further to restrain it. Lord esteem was he held at that place. Ferrers, upon being made acquainted While he was a member of the house with young Warren's determination, of commons, his zeal for the service carried him on board the Alderney occasioned him to go on board the loop of war, Captain, O'Hara. In Venus, then Captain (afterwards this ship he made his first voyage to admiral) Williams. He next served the North Seas, for the protection of in the Apollo, Captain Pownall, and the fisheries. Thence he was ap- in this ship completed his service, pointed to the Marlborough, under and was appointed fourth lieutenant the immediate patronage of Lord of the Nonsuch, 04 guns, CommoHowe. After about four years ser- dore Griffith, and was in the engagevice, he was urged by his friends to ment with Lord Howe against resume those studies which he had Comte D'Estaing.

prematurely abandoned. He was Early in the year 1779, lieutenant entered of Emanuel College, Cam- Warren was appointed first of the bridge; and, having taken his degree Victory, with Sir Charles Hardy's of Master of Arts, left the university flag on board, as commander in chief to make a tour on the continent. of the western squadron, and in this Upon his succeeding to the estates situation he had the favour and inof Little Marlow and Medmanham, struction of that excellent seaman he returned home, and entered into Admiral Kempenfelt. In the same the fashionable dissipation of the year, he was advanced to the rank of times. His fortune, we believe was commander, and had the Heena hurt, but not materially, by play, sloop of war, lately captured from the

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