shrewdly and earnestly to render it successful; and that the failure was
occasioned, not by adoption of his plans, but by their perversion or
rejection. If he erred, he erred only in expecting too much patriotism
and valour from the people whom he was doing his utmost to serve.

If anything further need be said in explanation and defence of Lord
Cochrane's position up to this time, it will be best done by quoting
part of a letter addressed to M. Eynard on the 27th of May, in which he
concisely repeated the whole story. "On my arrival in Greece," he wrote,
"I found that the authority was claimed by two factions, that nothing
like a navy existed, and that a number of individuals called an army
were collected to raise the siege of Athens,--but wholly deficient in
military talent on the part of the commanders, or in obedience and
discipline on the part of the troops. As soon as I had accepted my
commission, I commenced active exertions to save the Acropolis. I
advised Karaiskakes to embark and land to the southward and eastward of
the Phalerum, and, marching direct to the Acropolis, bring out the women
and children. But my counsel was in vain, as he had no idea of any
combined naval and military movement, nor indeed of any military plan,
except that of advancing by slow steps, after the manner of the Turks,
who construct little fortifications, called tambourias, at every few
hundred yards, which are again opposed by others of the adverse party;
and, as neither army attacks these forts by active force, the whole,
after a few hours, are brought to a stand, and the result of the contest
depends on who can the longest continue to furnish pay and provisions.
Such was the state of the military contest when General Church took the
command. The battle at Phalerum, though brilliant, was accidental, and,
not being followed up, was productive of no result. Karaiskakes fell,
and General Church embarked the troops in order to execute the movement
that ought to have taken place a month before. The moment was more
inauspicious than we were aware of; for the Turkish commander had that
very night been joined by a large body of cavalry and a number of
infantry from Negropont and elsewhere. This, however, would not have
proved decisive, had not General Church, with a view to conciliate the
officers under his command, and indeed in order to induce them to embark
at all upon the expedition, conformed to their absurd views of military
movement,