Sylvia's Lovers

Since the termination of the American war, there had been nothing to

call for any unusual energy in manning the navy; and the grants

required by Government for this purpose diminished with every year

of peace. In 1792 this grant touched its minimum for many years. In

1793 the proceedings of the French had set Europe on fire, and the

English were raging with anti-Gallican excitement, fomented into

action by every expedient of the Crown and its Ministers. We had our

ships; but where were our men? The Admiralty had, however, a ready

remedy at hand, with ample precedent for its use, and with common

(if not statute) law to sanction its application. They issued 'press

warrants,' calling upon the civil power throughout the country to

support their officers in the discharge of their duty. The sea-coast

was divided into districts, under the charge of a captain in the

navy, who again delegated sub-districts to lieutenants; and in this

manner all homeward-bound vessels were watched and waited for, all

ports were under supervision; and in a day, if need were, a large

number of men could be added to the forces of his Majesty's navy.

But if the Admiralty became urgent in their demands, they were also

willing to be unscrupulous. Landsmen, if able-bodied, might soon be

trained into good sailors; and once in the hold of the tender, which

always awaited the success of the operations of the press-gang, it

was difficult for such prisoners to bring evidence of the nature of

their former occupations, especially when none had leisure to listen

to such evidence, or were willing to believe it if they did listen,

or would act upon it for the release of the captive if they had by

possibility both listened and believed. Men were kidnapped,

literally disappeared, and nothing was ever heard of them again. The

street of a busy town was not safe from such press-gang captures, as

Lord Thurlow could have told, after a certain walk he took about

this time on Tower Hill, when he, the attorney-general of England,

was impressed, when the Admiralty had its own peculiar ways of

getting rid of tiresome besiegers and petitioners. Nor yet were

lonely inland dwellers more secure; many a rustic went to a statute

fair or 'mop,' and never came home to tell of his hiring; many a

stout young farmer vanished from his place by the hearth of his

father, and was no more heard of by mother or lover; so great was

the press for men to serve in the navy during the early years of the

war with France, and after every great naval victory of that war.