edition.

Sir James had finished his three years in the Baltic, the time
generally prescribed for an Admiral commanding-in-chief to remain on
one station, and it was now his turn to have a command in the
Mediterranean, which was considered more lucrative; but his conduct
during his command in the Baltic had so completely gained the
confidence and good-will of the Swedes, and it had now become of such
importance to keep them, with such a general as Bernadotte at their
head, on good terms, that he was requested to continue on that most
important command, as the only chance of accomplishing the desirable
object of a Northern coalition. Nothing could be more delicate or more
difficult than the situation in which Sir James was now placed, for
while it required firmness to uphold the dignity of the empire which
he represented, as the only diplomatic functionary as well as
commander-in-chief in the North, tact, wisdom, and forbearance were
equally indispensable. These qualities Sir James possessed in a
superlative degree, and the Author, who from his knowledge of the
Swedish language was employed confidentially on all the communications
which subsequently took place, can testify that it is to the wise
policy of the Admiral that the nation owes the success of these
negociations. It is the opinion of Swedish and Russian diplomatists
that had Sir James not been employed, the Northern Coalition, which
was so fatal to the ambitious views of Buonaparte, never would have
taken place; and for such a service no reward which it was in the
power of Government to bestow on him would have been too great. There
can be no doubt, had the lamented Perceval not met with an untimely
end by the hand of an assassin, that he would at the close of 1812
have been rewarded by the Peerage which was so long unaccountably
withheld.

Sir James was still in London when he received the statement of the
discomfiture of the Danish attack on Anholt, a particular account of
which may be seen in James's Naval History.

The following letters on this gallant affair, which have not yet been
published, will be perused with interest.

London, 10th April 1811.

MY DEAR SIR,

I most heartily congratulate you on the brilliant success of
the brave garrison under your command in having repulsed an
attack of the enemy's select troops, consisting of as many
thousands as the whole band opposed to them amounted to
hundreds, and by