CAPTAIN BURNEY AND MR. WINDHAM.
May 11.—This morning my royal mistress had previously arranged for me that I should go to the trial, and had given me a ticket for my little Sarah[331] to accompany me; and late last night, I believe after twelve o’clock, she most graciously gave me another for James. Just at this time she could not more have gratified me than by a condescension to my dear brother. Poor Columb was sent with the intelligence, and directions for our meeting at seven o’clock this morning, to Norton-street.
Sarah came early; but James was so late we were obliged to leave word for him to follow us. He did,—two hours afterwards! by way of being our esquire; and then told me he knew it would be in good time, and so he had stopped to breakfast at Sir Joseph Banks’s. I suppose the truth is, it saved him a fresh puff of powder for some other day.
We talked over all affairs, naval and national, very comfortably. The trial is my only place for long dialogues! I gave him a new and earnest charge that he would not speak home concerning the prosecution to Mr. Winndham, should he join us. He made me a less reluctant promise than heretofore, for when last with Charlotte at Aylsham he had frequently visited Mr. Windham, and had several battles at draughts or backgammon with him; and there is no Such good security against giving offence as seeing ourselves that our opponents are worth pleasing. Here, too, as I told James, however we might think all the managers in the wrong, they were at least open enemies, and acting a public part, and therefore they must fight it out, as he would do with the Spaniards, if, after all negotiation, they came to battle.
He allowed this; and promised to leave him to the attacks of the little privateer, without falling foul of him with a broadside.
Soon after the trial began Mr. Windham came up to us, and after a few minutes’ chat with me addressed himself to James about the approaching war. “Are you preparing,” he cried, “for a campaign?”
“Not such one,” cried James, “as we had last summer at Aylsham!”
“But what officers you are!” he cried, “you men of Captain Cook; you rise upon us in every trial! This Captain Bligh,—what feats, what wonders he has performed! What difficulties got through! What dangers defied! And with such cool, manly skill!”
They talked the narrative over as far as Mr. Windham had in Manuscript seen its sketch; but as I had not read it, I could not enter into its detail.