respect due to his rank. All he asked, he urged, was
that he might be allowed to leave Greece at once, if with such show of
honour from the people whom he had done his best to serve, as would free
him from insult and the Government from disgrace. "I assure your
excellency," he wrote to the President, "that I regret the occurrence of
any circumstance that occasions uneasiness to you; but I believe that,
on reflection, you will clearly perceive that all which has occurred has
been the work of others, whose acts I could neither control nor foresee.
I waive my right to insist at present on any explicit recognition of my
authority, and, though there is ample justification for my seeking more
than I desire, all that I demand of your excellency is, for the sake of
Greece, not to suffer, not to sanction your ministers in an endeavour to
force me on to public explanations, by persevering in the scandalous
line of conduct which they pursue. Surely your excellency cannot be
aware of the importance which naval men attach to the continuance of the
insignia of office, whilst actually embarked within the limits of their
station, or you would not for an instant tolerate the attempt made to
degrade me in the estimation of the high authorities and numerous
officers here present in the port of Poros. I respectfully await your
excellency's official commands and warrant to strike my flag; not
founded on reasonings or on assumptions, which may prove fallacious or
incorrect; but dictated in explicit terms, such as an officer can, such
as he ought to obey."

That Lord Cochrane was not fighting with a shadow, appears from a letter
addressed to Dr. Gosse, on the 15th of December, by Count Heyden, then
commanding the _Azoff_, as representative of Russia in the bay of Poros.
"As the affairs of etiquette are delicate," he said, "I beg that you
will inform me whether his lordship is still serving as First Admiral of
Greece, or whether he has received his _conge_. If he is still in her
service and employ, I shall rejoice to render him all the honours due to
his rank. In the other case, I will pay him all the honours, except the
salute of cannon. I beg that you will favour me with an answer, in order
that I may show his lordship all the honour that is due to him."

Dr. Gosse's answer, though longer than Admiral Heyden expected, claims
to be here quoted, as it furnished an important tribute to Lord
Cochrane's worth, and was all the more valuable in tha