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ness been retrieved by the after-compliance of the Danes, the first precipitation of the Admiral, and his bold advisers would have been laid open to examination and censure, and the pretence of the Danish treachery would have vanished, whereon they were resolved to fix the miscarriage; although it is most apparent to all men, that had the earl been so happy as to have avoided any one of the afore-mentioned oversights, he could not, probably, have failed to carry his point; but either ambitious or covetous ends, or disobedience to his Majesty's orders, or breach of faith with the Danes, obstructed the success, and would not suffer the success to prosper.

Sir Gilbert Talbot upon his return into England, expected every day when his Majesty would require from him an Account of that Affair; but his Majesty was silent, and for him to have started it would have looked like a persecution and charge upon those persons whom his Majesty was pleased not only to acquit, but to hold in high esteem.

The Lord Chancellor, indeed, was pleased to ask Sir Gilbert one day what he thought to be the true reason of the miscarriage of the design of Berghen?

He told his Lordship it was easier for those to answer that question who were in the councils of the Sea Officers; as, for his own part, he was kept in ignorance of the complaint of their proceedings, except what he heard from the Danes, and the relation of Mr. Tolner who came some time after to Copenhagen. For not any one of the fleet took notice of him, to arm him with matter of complaint against the Danish Governor, or justification of their own proceedings.

Yet, if he might be allowed the liberty of conjecture, he had very good reason to believe that avarice and emulation were two main causes of it (as he hath already intimated).

The 1st, because if they took the prizes upon the Treaty, the Danes would inspect the bills of lading, and require a strict account of the whole cargoes, because the two Kings were to share equally, and there would then be no room for the Captains to plunder, whereas if they took it by storm they could give in what account they pleased.

The 2d, because if the fleet were to be delivered up to them upon the treaty of the Envoyé, they should lose the honor and reward of the service, which he apprehended some men thought too much for him to pretend to.

The Chancellor conceived that those words were aimed too close at his Lordship, for he was conscious to himself that he endeavoured more than once, upon other occasions, to put Sir Gilbert into his Majesty's ill opinion, and probably was not desirous to have him merit too much in this; for he made no reply, yet drew up the remonstrance against the Danish King, which was published without Sir Gilbert Talbot being so much as examined upon the particulars (very severely) charged upon the Danish King.

When the Earl of Sandwich, or those at least who advised that fatal assault at Berghen (wherein his Majesty suffered as great damage both in his ships and men as in any one single fight with the Dutch), had procured the publication of the remonstrance against the Danes, they thought their own innocence sufficiently cleared by that bold recrimination, and all further discourse of it was laid asleep till the Danish Embassador, Guldenlieu, came into England, who demanded private audience of the King to vindicate the reputation of his Master in the carriage of the design of Bergen, who lay under an obloquy by the English Remonstrance.

The King told him he was content to hear him upon that particular, provided that Sir Gilbert Talbot might be by, to controll his assertions if need were; a day and hour were accordingly appointed to the Ambassador, and Sir Gilbert was ordered to attend.

The Ambassador discoursed at large, and gave a just and full Account of all Circumstances from the 1st to the last projection and consultation of the design, to the unhappy miscarriage of it.

When the K. had heard him out he seemed to be much surprised at his relation, and asked Sir Gilbert what he could say to all that. Sir Gilbert answered that the best and safest Account that he could give was the notes which he had taken in writing from the 1st entrance into the dis

course of that matter betwixt the K. of Denmarke and himself, to the fatal end of it, for he durst not trust a matter of that consequence to memory, whatever should be the issue of it; since it was to pass through other hands, he thought fit to have his Notes for the justification of his care and conduct, and presented to his Majesty the preceeding narrative, which he commanded him to read.

When his Majesty had heard it, and found the Envoy's papers to agree in all circumstances with the account that the Ambassador had given of the whole business, he said, "I find that Tiddyman hath been very much to blame in this matter, and that I have wronged my brother of Denmark. But, by the grace of God, I will make him satisfaction."

It has been observed that the Danish King, in his serious Debates upon this affair, hath very much wondered what arguments were used (and by whom) that could have the proper power to induce His Majesty of England to assert the publication of so unkind a Remonstrance against him, since, in all probality, it must beget a reply, and such a one as must either, point blank, contradict the matter charged, or discover so much of the Design as might turn to the dishonour of both Kings.

If, said he, His Majesty's end was to excuse the violation of the Danish port, by showing to the world, that it was done with the King's privacy and consent, the matter might have been better palliated than by discovering the combination; for either the Earl of Sandwich acted expressly against His Majesty's orders, or Sir Thomas Tiddyman against his Lordship; or the one or the other had commission to proceed as they did. In the first case, their disobedience would have deserved the most severe punishment that could be inflicted; on the other hand, although His Majesty had directed the Earl to proceed as he did, or the Earl Sir Thomas Tiddyman, or either of them had a latitude left, to them at least to proceed; yet since they both were unsuccessful through rashness, or other ill conduct, His Majesty might fairly have

disavowed them, and have counterfeited a short displeasure against them which would have saved the Honour of both Kings. And no subject is too big to suffer (although undeserved) his Prince's seeming discountenance, when reason of State and good policy require it.

As to the loyalty of the Design, which some men have undertaken to censure, His Majesty of England was excusable before the whole World, if he made use of any politic means to humble his insolent and ungrateful enemies.

Peradventure, it may not be altogether so easy to justify the King of Denmark, although it may be argued to be a just retaliation of fraudulent design upon the encroaching Hollanders, who had (as hath been said) by wile, engaged that King in a War with the Crown of Sweden, and got the seizure of all his revenues in Norway and the Sound into their hands, (which are the chief, nay almost the sole branches of the Crown revenue,) for a security of what they had furnished him withal to maintain it. And so entirely were the Hollanders in possession of all this, that it depended almost upon their courtesy, whether or no they would be brought to any liquidation of accounts.

As for the Envoy's own excuse, for the first proposal of the matter, he hath this to say,

"Dolus an Virtus, quis in hoste requirat?"

Nothing could make it unlawful but want of success.

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VI. Observations upon four Mosaic Pavements discovered in the County of Hants; by Sir RICHARD COLT HOARE, Bart. F.R. S. and S. A. in a Letter to NICHOLAS CARLISLE, Esq. F.R. S. Secretary.

Read 15th February 1827.

Stourhead, January 1827.

DEAR SIR,

As every circumstance relating either to British or Roman Antiquities must be interesting to your Society, I beg leave to transmit to you some account of four Mosaic Pavements discovered in the county of Hants, and which, I believe, have not yet been described in the Archæologia.

It is well known, that such relics of the Romans in our Island have been too often; unfortunately destroyed immediately after their discovery but I have great satisfaction in saying, that four of these Pavements have been preserved by the proper care bestowed on them by their present proprietors. And to ensure their future memory, I have had very accurate drawings made of all of them.

But before I give a description of these Pavements, it is necessary that I should state the situations in which they are found.

After the long residence of the Romans in our Island, it is naturally to be supposed that, when domesticated with the Britons, they would have their places of country residence, and that they would fix them, as in modern days, at a short distance from the great Roman causeways, as we do from the modern turnpike roads; and in such situations we generally find them.

PAVEMENT AT THRUXTON,

The first I have to record, is the one at Thruxton in Hants, situate

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