Dame Wilson (to P. C. Fisher):—“Oh, Constable! Don’t hurt him. I’m sure he won’t murder anyone else!”
Admiral Sampson brought his Squadron of the United States Navy to visit me at Bermuda. I was then the Admiral in North America. At the banquet I gave in his honour I proposed his health, and that of the United States. He never said a word. Presently one of his Officers went up and whispered something in his ear. I sent the wine round, and the Admiral then got up, and made the best speech I ever heard. All he said was: “It was a d—d fine old hen that hatched the American Eagle!” His chaplain, after dinner, complimented me on the Officers of my Flagship, the “Renown.” He said: “He had not heard a single ‘swear’ from ‘Soup to Pea-nuts’”!
Lord Fisher on John Bright
(From “Bright’s House Journal”)
At a dinner held in London the other day to Mr. Josephus Daniels, Secretary to the United States Navy, Lord Fisher made the following speech in which he referred to a speech by Mr. John Bright:—
“Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, who was called upon also to respond, was received with cheers, the whole company standing up and drinking his health. He said he had no doubt it would be pleasing to them if he spoke about America. He was there one week. Mr. Daniels had been here about one week. He was in America one week because his only son was married there to the only daughter of a great Philadelphian.
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“‘King Edward who was a kind friend to me—in fact he was my only friend at one time’—remarked Lord Fisher,’ said to me, “You are the best hated man in the British Empire,” and I replied, “Yes, perhaps I am.” The King then said, “Do you know I am the only friend you have?” I said, “Perhaps your Majesty is right, but you have backed the winner.” Afterwards I came out on top when I said, “Do you remember you backed the winner and now everyone is saying what a sagacious King you are? The betting was a thousand to one.”’
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“But he was going to tell them about America, and some of them would hear things they had never before heard about their own country. When he was at Bermuda a deputation of American citizens waited upon him on July 4th. To tell the honest truth he had forgotten about it. He told the deputation he knew what they had come there for. ‘You know,’ he said to them, ‘the greatest Englishman that ever lived was George Washington. He taught us how to rule our Colonies. He told us that freedom was the thing to give them. Why, if it had not been for George Washington America might have been Ireland.’ ‘I shook hands with them,’ continued Lord Fisher, ‘and they went away and said nothing they had come to say....