[166] Catherine, first wife of Thomas, second Viscount Hampden, and only daughter of General David Graeme. She died in 1804. Colonel Graeme was appointed Secretary to the Queen in 1761, and Controller of her household in 1765. These posts he held until 1774, when he left the Court and retired to Scotland. Jesse, on the authority of the Rev. A. Carlyle, states that he became too presumptuous and arrogant, and thereby forfeited the favour of the Queen. He became Major-General in 1763, General 1783, and died in 1797.
[167] Charles Martel’s defeat of the Saracens near Tours in 732 A.D.
[168] Jean Gresset (1709–1777), French poet and writer of plays. Educated by the Jesuits, he became well known for his satires against the priesthood. Later in life he gave up his literary work under the influence of the Bishop of Amiens, and retired to a monastery.
[169] Juan Andrès (1740–1817).
[170] Admiral Duncan had completely destroyed the Dutch fleet under Admiral de Winter on October 11, 1797, off the village of Camperdown. With sixteen ships of the line he captured eight Dutch ships of the line out of a total of fifteen. His task was rendered more difficult by the mutinous spirit which had affected many of his crews for some months previously.
Sir John Jervis’s victory had been gained on February 11 off Cape St. Vincent on the coast of Portugal. In his case the odds were greater with respect to the number of ships engaged, i.e. fifteen English to twenty-seven Spanish, but the ships of the latter were poorly manned, and in many cases the crews were incomplete. Indeed, it is probable that, had the English Admiral realised his superiority in this respect, he would have been able to destroy the whole Spanish fleet. As it was, four ships of the line were captured, and others destroyed.
[171] Antoine Joseph Santerre (1752–1809). Though a violent revolutionist, his influence seems to have been employed to obtain kindly usage for the Royal Family. The well-known story of his order to the drums to drown Louis XVI.’s speech to the populace when on the scaffold is open to doubt. Even if he gave the order, which is uncertain, he was only a subordinate, and the command would in all probability have emanated from General Burruyer, the commander of the troops. His campaign in 1793 against the insurgents of La Vendée was a complete failure, and he was arrested and imprisoned on the charge of disaffection towards the Republic. On his release he retired into private life.
[172] Robert Percy Smith (1770–1845), better known as ‘Bobus’ Smith. He was the eldest son of Robert Smith, and Maria Ollier, the daughter of a French refugee. He was at Eton with Lord Holland, and continued from that time in the closest friendship and intimacy with him. He was appointed Advocate-General of Bengal, by Lord Lansdown’s influence, in 1803, and remained seven years in India. He entered Parliament in 1812, but never took much part in the debates. The sprightliness and originality of his wit and conversation obtained for him a fame to which he could never have attained by his performances in public life.
[173] Miss Caroline Vernon was second daughter of Evelyn, first Countess of Upper Ossory, and Richard Vernon, whom she married after the death of her first husband. Her eldest sister, Henrietta, married George, Earl of Warwick, in 1776, and the youngest, Elizabeth, died unmarried in 1830. Robert Vernon Smith, the son of this marriage, married Emma Mary, a natural daughter of the second Earl of Upper Ossory, and was created Lord Lyveden in 1859.
[174] Lord Thurlow (1731–1806) was Lord Chancellor from 1778 till 1783. After the fall of the Coalition he resumed that office, and retained it until 1792, when he was compelled to resign on account of his opposition to Pitt.