Captain Brenton, as to the particular cause of his own unexpected release from captivity, gives in his private memoranda the following account. “A nephew of Marshal Massena, Captain L’Infernet, had been taken in the battle of Trafalgar, in the command of the French ship of the line, L’Intrepide. Massena had been making great efforts to procure his exchange; but the Admiralty, whilst they expressed their readiness to accede to this exchange, stated their determination to accept of no other officer but myself, whom they considered from the priority of my capture, to be unjustifiably detained in France, whilst other officers had been liberated, and that without any reason having been assigned for it. Buonaparte having no reason to believe that our government would relax from this determination, ordered my passport to be sent to me. It soon appeared by letters from France, that I had had a very narrow escape of being detained even at Morlaix. A small package containing copies of official correspondence, which I had with me in the carriage, and which was kept uppermost in order to prevent any suspicion, that they were intended to be concealed; was by accident either dropped from the carriage, or left at some inn on the road. It was found and forwarded to the Capital of the Department; where the principal authority, as a provisional measure, sent off an express to Morlaix to detain me; whilst the papers were forwarded to the Bureau de la guerre at Paris, where the order for detention was confirmed. We had however got beyond the Castle of Morlaix before the order arrived, and had no sooner passed it, than we felt ourselves safe within the limits of the British Empire.”
This period of the narrative then which includes his captivity in France is thus closed, and if some details which seem irrelevant, and some particulars which seem trivial have been introduced, the Editor still feels that their insertion is justified by the degree in which they exhibit the character of the subject of the memoir, or unfold the process by which that character was formed. There can be no doubt, that both to mind and body, this period of detention was eminently useful; and this recollection may have a tendency to reconcile others, who, in the course of war, may be exposed to a similar calamity, to the present privations of their lot, by considering its general consequences, and its final effects. In the case of Sir Jahleel Brenton it is but too probable, that if this long interval of forced repose had not occurred, his constitution would never have recovered from the effects of the accident he suffered, while fitting out the Minerve; and that the excitement of active service would have destroyed a system so shattered as his was. It is still more probable, that active employment in his profession, whether successful or unsuccessful, would have prevented much of that moral improvement, that growth in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, which we have seen going on silently and gradually in the retirement of his captivity.
That he would have been under other circumstances, a man whom the world would have admired, a noble minded, liberal, benevolent and gallant officer, is certain; but that he would have grown into the reality of the Christian character, that he would have learnt the state of his own heart, and his need of a Saviour; that he would have felt the real value of the Gospel, and known it to be the power of God unto salvation in them that believe, is more than questionable. We may therefore admit, that God in mercy withdrew him from labours for which he was unfit, and from delusions which could not have been resisted; and placed him for a time in a situation, where body and mind were to regain their healthy tone; and where the means for more extensive usefulness were to be acquired.
But captivity is a bitter trial to an ardent and ambitious spirit; and we cannot doubt that there were moments, when the iron entered into his soul, and the necessity of submitting to a lot which extinguished all his hopes, was a severe burden to a faith as yet but imperfectly developed. In many instances likewise we have seen that the bitterness of captivity was aggravated by the treatment the prisoners were exposed to, and the oppression they suffered; and each of these cases must have provoked the indignant feelings of officers, who were conscious of deserving the respect even of their enemies.
There were however bright exceptions, and these exceptions deserve the more notice as they occurred in decided opposition to the spirit of the government, and probably would have provoked the displeasure of the Emperor, if he had become acquainted with them; and his displeasure generally found prompt and ample means for exhibiting itself.
Among the individuals to be named with respect on this account is M. Decrés, the Minister of Marine. Intimately associated as he was with the government, he always seems to have attended to the representations made by Captain Brenton, and to have made every exertion in his favour that could have been expected. M. Decrés at the moment probably yielded to the sympathy which one brave man has for another, and gladly alleviated, according to his opportunities, the sufferings of an officer whose gallantry entitled him to respect; but he did not foresee that the kindness he shewed to a British officer, was to be the occasion of multiplied kindnesses to his own countrymen; and that many a French heart was to be gladdened by the consolations he procured for a single English one.
The Editor therefore feels great pleasure in inserting here extracts from some familiar letters written at a later period, which shew how the circumstances of this captivity were remembered, and the way in which the courtesies of M. Decrés were requited.
“Spartan, off Toulon, Nov. 3, 1807.
“… You may remember how determined I was to wreak my vengeance upon the whole nation. At Malta I was senior officer, and I found a number of French prisoners. I did not exactly order them to the Appel twice a day, as used to be the case with us at Verdun. A colonel had been taken with all his family a few days before, and had lost his wife at sea, leaving him with three dear little infants. You may stare, but I gave him leave to return to France with his family and his physician. This I meant as a small token of remembrance to M. Decrés, but firmly resolved that all the others should remain until all our friends at Verdun were liberated; but like other good resolutions this was not a lasting one. A deputation of captive ladies waited upon me. ‘Messieurs les Anglais, sont des gens pleins d’honneur, qui ne font jamais la guerre aux femmes ni aux enfans.’ ‘Eh de grace, Mesdames retournez dens votre patrie, je ne vous empêche pas.’ ‘Hélas, mon Commandant, sans mon Mari? Le deserterai je dans le malheur? Que deviendrai’ je, s’il succombe sous le poids de l’adversité? Sa Santé est chancelante, et Monsieur n’ignore pas la douceur d’être dans le sein de sa famille.’ ‘Madame, je me rends, a vos raisons, partez vous et votre mari.’ ‘Et le mien aussi Monsieur? Vite, vite; allez, allez!’ In this manner I was coaxed out of a dozen; they all set out vowing eternal gratitude,” &c.
“Spartan, off Toulon, August 8.