The Life of George Lord Anson (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1839. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... The life of George lord Anson John Barrow (sir, bart.) PREFACE. The Life of Lord Anson, though wholly spent in the civil and military services of the navy, is certainly less generally known than that of such an officer ought to he, who, by character and conduct, worked his way to the very top of his profession, to the head of the naval administration, and to a peerage; and to whom was intrusted the principal direction of the fleets of Great Britain, during the two French and Spanish wars which occurred in the reign of George II. Every body has heard of, and multitudes have read, "Anson's Voyage round the World;" many are acquainted with the fact of his having been, for a long time, First Lord of the Admiralty, and many in the profession may also know, that he fought a great action, took six ships of war, and defeated two important expeditions; but it may be doubted whether the great majority of readers, even those in the naval service, know much more about him than these few particulars. The recollection of His late Majesty even (than whom few were better read in naval history, or better acquainted with the characters of naval officers, or whose memory was more retentive), failed him on one remarkable occasion with regard to Anson. the omission of whose name, in the eulogy he bestowed on other officers, drew from him an expression of regret, and at the same time of the high opinion he entertained of Anson.* It is true, as the King said, Anson was not a brilliant character: he was not one who had the faculty of shining in conversation or in writing, nor can his biographer give a detail of heroic deeds, such as the life of a Nelson or a Wellington affords, but no man's moral courage was put to a more severe tes...