by the highest sense of honour, by an enlarged intercourse with the world, and by that inartificial politeness which had been contracted in the highest society, his conduct uniformly displayed the innocence of a child, and the humility as well as the piety of a saint. His personal courage was equalled only by his kindness, and his general benevolence only by the warmth of his private friendships. As a son, a father, a brother, and a master, he stood unrivalled. Such were the excellencies by which his private station was adorned; nor was his professional life less admirable. It is difficult to say whether his prudence, his bravery, his humanity, his zeal for the service, or his discipline, were the most remarkable. This is the uniform account given by those who had the happiness to serve with him; for not a word ever fell from himself on these subjects. His virtues, if we may venture so to say, received their last polish from his perfect modesty. He was appointed a lieutenant in 1756; and, holding that station on board the Experiment in 1758, was wounded in a very gallant action with the Telemaque. He was appointed a master and commander in 1763; a post-captain 1768; in the American war commanded the Lowestoffe on the Jamaica station; and at that time had with him young Nelson, the future gallant Hero of the Nile, to whom he had the honour of being nautical tutor. In February 1793 (being then commodore at the Nore) he succeeded Captain James Ferguson as Lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital. He married Lucy, daughter of William Parry*, esq. by whom he left three sons and two daughters. Of the sons, 1. William, is a captain of a troop of dragoons; 2, John, Deputy

*This gentleman, after having passed through the various gradations of the Navy, from a midshipman in 1732, to the rank of Admiral of the Blue in 1778; and having very justly acquired the universal reputation of a good commander, as well as a truly honourable and worthy man, died, at his house at Addington-brook in Kent, where he had passed the evening of life in honourable and happy retirement, April 29, 1779.

Judge

Judge Advocate in the Island of Malta; and, 3. Edward, just now returned from the East Indies, where he has for some years been secretary to Sir Edward Pellew, our admiral on that station. The daughters are Lucy and Eliza, both of whom are unmarried.

This noble-hearted Officer died at Greenwich, Dec. 26, 1800, at the age of 70; and his funeral was attended by his sons, his noble pupil Lord Nelson, and two old private friends.

Bred as it were in the lap of literature, under the immediate superintendance of his father and of Mr. Stillingfleet, it is not at all surprizing that he imbibed an early attachment to literature, which he retained to the close of his life. A short specimen of it, and of his uniform inclination to confer favours, shall be given, from one of his familiar letters:

66 SIR, West Malling, Kent, July 9, 1783. "I have at last sent you the book I mentioned to you, of my late worthy uncle [Oratorios *], and the drawing of some Stones, much of the same kind as Stonehenge in Wiltshire. They are in the grounds of Mr. Bartholomew, an acquaintance of mine, at Addington Place, in the parish of Addington, in this neighbourhood. He says they have been examined two or three different times, but undetermined what they were. If you will favour me with a call, I will attend you there, or any where in this neighbourhood, with great pleasure. I did not recollect to tell you, that Mr. Stilling fleet had ordered all his papers to be destroyed at his death, possibly not choosing any thing of his might be published afterwards. I wrote to my brother to know if he could furnish with anecdotes of our worthy any

you

* A small volume of "Oratorios" by Mr. Stillingfleet, of which a very small number had been printed for private use, but which Mr. Locker was very desirous should be published. After the lapse of many years, they are now actually in the press; and will probably appear long before this Memoir, as part of a selection of the Works of Mr. Stillingfleet, with Notes and Illustrations, and Memoirs of that ingenious and unassuming Writer, by a Gentleman every way qualified to do justice to his memory.

By Serres, the celebrated Sea-painter,

father

father and uncle; but he does not recollect any worth the notice of the publick, but what you have mentioned. Yours, &c. W. LOCKER."

The Lieutenant-governor had a good collection of books and pictures; and, among the latter, particularly, a considerable number of portraits of naval officers, many of whom, with honest exultation, he generally styled "his younkers." A good portrait of him, from a painting by Abbott, was engraved soon after his death, by Heath, at the expence of the family, as a private plate, to be presented to his intimates, in lieu of the customary gift of mourning rings; an example worthy of imitation, and infinitely to be preferred in every case where the person deceased has acquired a right to be perpetuated.

66

He was indefatigable, not only as an active and gallant officer, but in his researches into whatever related to the history of his profession; and in 1792 we find him sanctioning the annexed advertisement: Captain William Locker, of the Royal Navy, resident at Kensington, having put various naval papers * for publication into the hands of Mr. Nicholson, of Red Lion-square; it is agreed that Mr. Nicholson shall select the most interesting and valuable, and publish the same on the ac

*These papers appear to have been the principal basis of the six volumes of "Biographia Navalis," published by the late John Charnock, esq.; who, after paying proper acknowledgments "to the British Museum and the College of Arms; the former, as a repository to which the munificence and liberality of the Nation affords admittance to us in common with the rest of our fellow-citizens, and the latter, to which we owe our admission to the private friendship and politeness of its individual members;" makes his acknowledgments to William Locker, esq. Lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital; who, by an indefatigable attention to the study of naval biography for many years, has collected from authentic documents, or private information not less respectable, the major part of those anecdotes which are here arranged collectively. We need only say of them, that they relate not only to the public conduct, but the private history also, of the principal number of those characters, who have contributed, under different sovereigns, to defend and aggrandize their native country.

count

count of Messrs. Faulder and Leigh and Sotheby, with such annotations as he shall think necessary: that Captain Locker will add his name to a prefatory advertisement in support of the authenticity of the papers to the purport of the annexed; and lastly, that the size shall be quarto, and the printing, &c. in every respect beautifully executed. "WM. NICHOLSON, WM. FAULDER, LEIGH and SOTHEBY,

}

Booksellers.

"The following authentic letters, journals, and other naval papers, were collected by Capt. William Locker of the Royal Navy. The chief motive for his giving them to be published was, tó rescue several worthy characters of sea-officers from the malevolent aspersions of different parties, as will appear by some of their instructions from the Crowns they served under. Another inducement was, to form a foundation for an authentic naval history, which this kingdom has hitherto been shamefully without. He has given them to the publishers only on the following conditions: In the first place, that nothing shall be admitted into this work but what is manifestly authentic; and in the next, that it shall be printed on a good paper, with a good letter; and that the publishers shall give him a number of copies, not exceeding twenty, for himself and friends who have supplied him with materials for the work. This being all the advantage the Captain derives from the publication, he therefore hopes those Families who are possessed of authentic naval papers will be induced, both from justice to their ancestors and the country, to send them to Mr. Nicholson, the editor; or the publishers, Mr. Faulder, bookseller in Bond-street; and Messrs. Leigh and Sotheby, Yorkstreet, Covent Garden.-Sir John Narbrough's papers, from Lady D'Aeth and Sir Narbrough D'Aeth of Kent; Sir Richard Haddock's, and Vice-admiral Haddock's, from their descendant Charles Haddock, esq. of Wrotham, Kent; Sir George Rooke's, from Robert Kingsmill, esq. Capt. R. N. of Sidemontone Place, Hants;

Sir

Sir John Norris's, from Mrs. Norris, his granddaughter, of Kent; Sir Cloudsley Shovell's, from Lord Romney, and the honourable Mrs. Marsham, of Kent; Sir Hovenden Walker's, from F. J. Hartwell, esq. Capt. R. N.; Vice-admiral Man's, from Robert Man, esq. Capt. R. N.; Lord Berkeley's, &c. from the honourable G. C. Berkeley, Capt. R. N."

CHARLES LYTTELTON, third son of Sir Thomas, and brother to George first Lord Lyttelton, was born at Hagley hall, in 1714; educated at Eton, went from University college, Oxford, to the Inner Temple, and became a barrister-at-law; but entering into holy orders, was collated by the venerable Bp. Hough to the rectory of Alvechurch, in Worcestershire, Aug. 13, 1742. He took the degree of LL. B. March 28, 1745; and LL.D. June 18, the same year.

In a letter to Mr. Neve, July 5, 1746, Mr. Johnson says, "I request you, Sir, to make my services acceptable to Dr. Charles Lyttelton. That learned, ingenious, and worthy gentleman does us great honour in permitting us to number him amongst our members, as approving of our institution and endeavours, whereby we shew our love to learning at least." Again, Feb. 11, 1746-7, "I request you to acquaint Dr. Lyttelton he was, according to our rules, proposed September 18, and elected upon ballot October the 2d last, of which I wish myself joy in being of two Societies with him."

And

March 30, 1750, "I pray make my services acceptable to Mr. Dean of Exeter, to whom I notified his being admitted a member of our Gentlemen's Society here (as he desired by you), but have not been favoured with an answer; and to Dr. Ernely Bertie, another of our members and good friend of mine, when you see them *."

In the same letter Mr. Johnson writes, "We keep up well, and have had a kind present, from another member, of a quarto MS, and his memoirs taken from memory at returning home from