DEATH OF WILLIAM BERNARD 293 March 17.-. . . In the evening with Sir F. B., who came to town yesterday, at Lord Mansfield's and Lord Chancellor's. The latter gives no credit to the acct. of a salley made by Carleton, and his killing 200 of the rebels. Saw Lord Coventry the first time at the Chancellor's. Afterwards at Dr. Heberden's. Sir John Cope, at whose house in Hampshire I was with Mr. Ellis, was there. 22.-... At the King's Levée. . . . At the Levée Lord Barrington informed me of the loss of Sir F. Bernard's son Wm., a young lieutenant in the troops gone to Canada. He with one officer more, an ensign, and 30 men, were on board of one of the Transports or Provision ships bound to Quebec, in company with 7 sail more, off Charmouth in the Channel. The ship Bernard was in took fire; he and the other officers, and 5 or 6 soldiers, took to a boat, which overset, and they were all drowned. The rest of the soldiers and the ship's company were saved, and afterwards the ship blew up. Sir Francis is in town in poor health; was yesterday very anxious for this son, so as even to appear like a pressentiment. This account differs somewhat from Julia's record of the facts. She writes, after some praise of her brother: One most amiable youth, William, in the Army, perished at Portsmouth harbour, where he was waiting to repair to America with a company; the ship took fire-boats did not reach in time. It was a bitter grief to all. I was at school at Kensington at the time.' 1 Charmouth is a long way from Portsmouth-only three miles short of Lyme Regis; nor is it correctly described as in the Channel. It seems likely that the boats, coming late and hurriedly to the rescue, caused confusion and interfered with each other, and thus brought on the catastrophe. Julia wrote long after the event, but the facts must have been impressed on her memory; whereas Mr. Hutchinson merely took note of a passing communication, which he may not have fully understood. The discrepancy is perplexing, but both narratives agree as to the tragical result. Fanny Bernard commemorated her brother in some In her MS. Reminiscences.' 2 The Edinburgh Gazetteer, vol ii., 'Charmouth' (edition of 1822). lines written under the kind of portrait then called a ‘shade.' They are headed Written under the Shade of a Deceased Brother. 1776. Precious remembrance of that once loved face, breast! my 1 The death of William, sudden and tragical in its circumstances, was Fanny's first poignant grief. She had not known her brother Shute; she had not seen Francis after her early childhood; the death of good Mrs. Beresford was probably a gradual loosening of earthly ties, and, however affecting, could scarcely be termed a shock. There can be little doubt that the tragical fate of William Bernard, while it depressed the whole family for a time, proved the deathblow of Sir Francis and Lady Bernard, although the effect was not instantaneous. It is, however, impossible not to be struck by the quickness with which the younger members of the family rallied, and to all appearance recovered their enjoyment of existence. But for this buoyancy, indeed, they must have broken down prematurely amid the increasing gloom of their home life and prospects. The parents evidently encouraged their children to bear up in times of trial, and, when able, themselves entered cheerfully into society, well knowing, it would seem, that it was not for long. 1 From a MS. book of miscellaneous family writings lent by General and Miss Collinson. RECALL OF GENERAL GAGE 295 CHAPTER XXIX AYLESBURY LIFE AND EXCURSIONS Sir Francis Bernard Rallies and Visits London-The Inclosure of NettlehamLady Bernard Visits Margate for her Health-Life at Margate-Fanny Bernard at Worsbro'-Dr. Dodd and Lord Chesterfield-Lord HarcourtJames Aitken, or John the Painter '-Samuel Curwen-Death of Margaret Hutchinson-Death of Lord Harcourt. IN October 1775 General Gage had been recalled.1 His difficulties were great, but in the opinion of the British Government he had not shown sufficient energy or capacity to render success likely. He was succeeded as Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Massachusetts by General Sir William Howe. But affairs did not improve. Boston remained in a state of blockade throughout the winter, which was, of course, a season of much privation and sickness. Sir William is said to have endeavoured, by means of entertainments, to keep up the spirits of the troops and townspeople; and Nathaniel Hawthorne has made an effort of this kind the basis of one of his Legends of the Province House.' Whether anything occurred bearing a faint resemblance to the weird pageant he has described I know not, but the mythical festival is here noticed because of Sir Francis Bernard's supposed appearance psychically. The spectacle of this evening [writes Hawthorne], if the oldest members of the province might be believed, was the most gay and gorgeous affair that had occurred in the annals of the Government. The brilliantly lighted apartments were thronged with figures that seemed to have stepped from the dark canvas of historic portraits, or to have flitted forth from the magic pages of 'Lecky, Hist. of England in the Eighteenth Century, vol. iv. ch. xi., and other Histories of England and America. romance, or at least to have flown hither from one of the London theatres without a change of garments.1 Suddenly a strain of funereal music is heard, apparently from the street. Dighton, the drum-major, on being taken to task by Howe for sanctioning such a performance, asserts that his men are all in the rooms, and that he doubts if one of them could play that march, which he had never heard but at the funeral of George II. Then an unknown man, in an old-fashioned suit of black serge, such as had once been worn by superior servants, emerges from the motley crowd, throws open the doors of the principal entrance to the mansion, looking backwards towards the grand staircase, and a series of figures representing the former Governors of Massachusetts commences to descend from the highest point visible below in ghastly array. Some quotations have already been made in an earlier chapter of this work from the ensuing description of the Governors; here it is sufficient to say that when recent times have been approached The shapes, which now seemed hastening to join the mysterious procession, were recognised rather by striking peculiarities of dress or broad characteristics of manner than by any perceptible resemblance of features to their prototypes. Their faces, indeed, were invariably kept in deep shadow. But Doctor Byles and other gentlemen who had long been familiar with the successive rulers of the province were heard to whisper the names of Shirley, of Pownall, of Sir Francis Bernard, and of the well-remembered Hutchinson; thereby confessing that the actors, whoever they might be, in this spectral march of Governors had succeeded in putting on some distant portraiture of the real personages. As they vanished from the door, still did these shadows toss their arms into the gloom of the night with a dread expression of woe. Howe, being taunted because he seems to shrink from the phantom of his old comrade, Gage, confronts the next apparition-his own wraith-with drawn sword and summons 'Hawthorne (Nathaniel), Twice Told Tales: Legends of the Province House,' i.; Howe's Masquerade.' SURRENDER OF BOSTON 297 it to unmuffle, then, dropping his weapon, shrinks back in horror at the sight revealed; the figure vanishes at the threshold, stamping its foot and shaking its clenched fist with the self-same gestures of rage which Howe, it is asserted, used some few weeks later when he left the Province House for ever. Boston surrendered on March 17, 1776,1 and was entered by General Washington in triumph. Sir William Howe sailed to Halifax with over six thousand soldiers-the remnant of his forces-two thousand sailors and marines, and about fifteen hundred loyalists. On July 2 followed the Declaration of Independence. The provinces formally renounced their allegiance to England, but the question really had to be decided by the fortune of war. It is probably to this time of excitement, when a bitter feeling prevailed in England, that an anecdote preserved by the descendants of Fanny Bernard may be referred. She was one day seated at dinner next a gentleman who announced his opinion that Sir Francis Bernard ought to be hanged; but whether because he had done too much or too little does not appear; whereupon her host introduced her as the late Governor's daughter. From this epoch the Province House must have been consigned to that neglect which gradually ruined it. Hawthorne has celebrated its doom in the legend of Old Esther Dudley,' the supposed inmate of the mansion under a succession of Governors. To the annoyance of Sir William Howe, according to this narrative, she refused to accompany him to Halifax, and he ended by leaving her in charge of the building, with the key as her badge of office. Here Esther lived a lonely life, sometimes stealthily visited by the forlorn loyalists of Boston, and every night holding converse with deceased Governors and grandees, while she once startled the town by an illumination on the King's 1 Lecky, Hist. of England in the Eighteenth Century, vol. iv. ch. xiii. 2 Hawthorne, Twice Told Tales: 'Legends of the Province House,' iv.; 'Old Esther Dudley.' This tale has already been the subject of allusion in ch. xix. of this volume. |