moulder away in the few dock-yards at that time prepared for its reception; but soon after the Restoration the art of ship-building began to assume a scientific aspect.

"It was not, however, until the Revolution that the fleet of England was considered as the chief source of our greatness; nor was it until the present and preceding reign that it attained its due importance. Even so recently as the American war, the combined navics of France and Spain appeared, for a few weeks, triumphant in the Channel;* but the memorable defeat of De Grasse, towards the conclusion of that contest, restored our wonted superiority.

It was, however, during the war which arose out of the French revolution, that Britain developed her naval energies, and exhibited a spectacle unknown both to ancient and modern times. We then beheld ourselves in possession of upwards of one hundred lineof-battle ships, while our thunder was heard in the remotest quarters of the globe, and our pennants were flying triumphant in every sea. All the enemies ports in Europe were blocked up during the greater part of the year, and our squadrons, reaching from the Texel to Gibraltar, seemed to hold Holland, France, and Spain in a state of siege. Our youth were

It is well known that it was deemed prudent, on this occasion, to retreat into the Bristol Channel; and the author of this article has heard from an officer of distinction, that a British sailor on board the Royal George, unacquainted with the policy of the measure, but highly indignant at the supposed disgrace, threw a hammock over the head of his Sovereign, observing at the same time, "That his Majesty should never witness the flight of an English fleet!"

brought

brought from all parts of the united kingdoms on purpose to embark on the ocean, while a multitude of men, of the first fortunes and families, preferred all the hardships of a seafaring life to those pleasures, and that ease, which they might have enjoyed with impunity on shore.

Sir John Borlase Warren, the subject of this memoir, is descended from the family of Borlase, Burlace, or Burlacy, in the west of England. His immediate ancestor, John Burlacy, of St. Newbrine, in Cornwall, forms one branch; while Dr. Borlace, the historian of that county, springs from another; and the late Humphry Borlace, created Lord Borlacc by James II. after his abdication, deduced his pedigree from a third.

That to which we now more immediately allude, removed into Buckinghamshire, where it obtained considerable estates. This family (says Langley, in his county history) were very anciently situated in Cornwall; but after the purchase of Little Marlow and Medmenham manors, made Bockmer-house their residence, where by their hospitality they became very popular, and were at different times sheriffs (of the county), and members for the adjoining boroughs of Wycombe and Marlow, as from the pedigree particu larly appears.'

It is evident that the Borlaces, like their neighbours the Grenvilles, with whom they intermarried, took part during one period of the civil wars with the long parliament, for we find the name of "William Burlase" along with those of Ingolsby, Martin, and Scott, among

B 2

among the justices of the peace in the county of Bucks, which was then one of the most zealous in the kingdom, in behalf of the republicans, the appoint. ment being dated "6 Martii, 1646." They also served many times as burgesses for Great Marlow, particularly in the parliament 15th and 16th Charles I. in the rolls of which we discover the name of " John Borlase."

During the long parliament, already alluded to, the celebrated Bulstrode Whitlocke, together with Peregrine Hobby, were returned for the borough of Great Marlow; but on the Restoration, "William Borlase" served during the 12th and 13th of Charles II. and "John Borlase" in the 31st and 32d of the same reign. In the first parliament of James II. we also discover "John Borlase, Bart." as well as in the time of William and Mary.

The male line of this family became extinct at the death of Sir John Borlase, Bart. August 8, 1688, who, in consequence of attaching himself to the royal cause, bad not only been voted a delinquent, but prosecuted and secured the composition paid by him, amounting to 24001. was chiefly appropriated to the support of the garrison of Abingdon.* On his demise, his manors and estates devolved to an only daughter Anne, married to Arthur Warren, of Stapleford, in Nottinghamshire, by whom he had issue Borlase Warren, whose grandson is the subject of the present article.

*Whitlocke's Mem.

Young

Young Warren, on attaining that age when boys are brought from the nursery, and the management of women gives place to the superintendence of men, was sent to Bicester, in Oxfordshire, where he received the rudiments of his education, under the Rev. Mr. Princeps, whence he was removed to Winchester school, in the county of Hants, where so many able men have been brought up. But he was scarcely matriculated in this very respectable seminary, when a passion for a naval life, nearly coeval with his existence, and which perhaps will accompany him to his grave, proved so strong and impetuous, that he is said. to have walked one fine summer's morning to the seaside and actually entered himself as a volunteer.

It will be easily anticipated that his relations immediately, on learning the place of his destination, applied to the proper quarter, and procured liberty for him to walk on the quarter-deck, on board the Alderney, a sloop of war then commanded by Captain O'Hara. After spending some time in the North Sea, the climate of which, notwithstanding its coldness, did not in the least abate his ardour, Mr. Warren returned to England, and in consequence of the united representations of all his friends, resumed those studies which he had for some time abandoned. Accordingly he in a short time was entered on the register of Emanuel College, Cambridge, on which occasion Mr., since Regius Professor, Martyn, celebrated on account of his botanical attainments, became his tutor. This gentleman then resided at Taplow, a small village in the neighbourhood of the university,

and was accustomed to receive four or five young men of fortune under his care. His attention upon this occasion was afterwards rewarded with a valuable living, where he resided for some time.

After a short tour on the continent, Mr. Warren returned to England, and having now come into possession of the manors of Medmenham and Little Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, he entered somewhat into the dissipation of the times. His pleasures, however, were characterised by professional attachments, for even then he kept a pleasure-yacht in the Severn sea, and actually purchased the island of Lundy, partly by way of a place of refreshment for himself and crew, and partly on account of the harbour, where he could occasionally lay up his vessel: nor ought a generous trait in his character to be omitted upon this occasion. Happening to see a genteel young man, of the name of Frederick, in company with the late Sir John Dryden, Bart. then an officer in the guards, and learning that he was the grandson of Theodore King of Corsica, and, like that unfortunate monarch, entirely des titute of the usual attributes of royalty, he immediately purchased a commission for him in a marching regiment, and obtained a powerful recommendation for him to the commander in chief of our army in America, where he died fighting as a lieutenant for the British cause.

Having considerable interest in the county of Bucks, in consequence of certain burgage tenures,

*Little Marlow.

Mr.