66-616: Sir Salusbury Pryce Humphreys KCH CB (24 November 1778 – 17 November 1845), later called Salusbury Pryce Davenport , was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 , rising to the rank of rear admiral . He entered the navy during the Spanish armament in 1790 and served aboard a number of ships, starting at
132-566: A cutting out expedition off the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog , narrowly escaping death when a ship he tried and failed to board suddenly exploded. After again supporting land operations, this time in Holland, he was promoted to commander though he had to then wait two years for a command. Promotion to post captain soon followed, and he went to North America to command the flagship of the admiral in command there. Desertion from Royal Navy ships had become
198-782: A death of glory." He was buried on St John's Bastion within Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta , Malta . The British military renamed it Abercrombie's Bastion in his honour. The adjacent curtain wall linking this bastion to the fortifications of Valletta , originally called Santa Ubaldesca Curtain, was also renamed Abercrombie's Curtain . By a vote of the House of Commons, a monument was erected in Abercromby's honour in St Paul's Cathedral in London . His widow
264-517: A diversion on the opposite side. Knox was able to cut off communications with the Vigie, whilst Dickens ousted the nearby Caribs to complete the encirclement. The black French commander, Marinier, signed terms of surrender on 11 June and the Caribs did 4 days later. The British took around 200 prisoners, with another 200 escaping into the jungle. Although some of the Caribs would remain in resistance until October,
330-688: A joint army. Before he could leave for Portugal to inspect their defences and army, the resignation of General Charles Stuart in the Mediterranean in April led to a change of plans. The Austrian plan was that Abercromby could create a distraction from the activities of General Michael von Melas in North Italy by landing at various points on the Italian coast. Abercromby received instruction from London to send 2,500–3,000 men to take French-occupied Malta. Thereafter, he
396-481: A large Dutch schooner , named Vengeance , anchored under the protection of a battery on the island, Mackenzie sent Humphreys and another lieutenant to capture some schuyts on 12 August. They captured two, burning one and sailing the other back to the British flotilla. Mackenzie armed the captured schuyt with 12-pounder carronades and named her Undaunted , placing Humphreys in command. Mackenzie launched his attack on
462-443: A lawyer and descendant of the Abercromby family of Birkenbog, Aberdeenshire and Mary Dundas (died 1767), daughter of Ralph Dundas of Manour, Perthshire . His younger brothers include the advocate Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby and General Robert Abercromby . The family had acquired Menstrie Castle in 1719 but their main family house was the nearby Tullibody House which they had built around 1700. Much of Ralph's childhood
528-419: A lieutenant across to request permission to search her. Chesapeake ' s commander, Commodore James Barron , refused to allow this and ordered his men to prepare for an action. Faced with Barron's refusal, Humphreys bore up and opened fire on her, hitting her with several broadsides. The unprepared Chesapeake fired a single shot in reply, and then struck her colours . Humphreys sent a party across to search
594-519: A musket-ball in the thigh; but not until the battle had been won and he saw the enemy retreating did he allow himself to be relieved of command so he could receive medical aid. He was eventually borne from the field in a hammock, cheered by the blessings of the soldiers as he passed, and conveyed on board the flag-ship HMS Foudroyant which was moored in the harbour. The ball could not be extracted; mortification ensued, and seven days later, on 28 March 1801, he died. Abercromby's old friend and commander,
660-608: A posting to the 32-gun HMS Juno , also in the North Sea, under the command of Captain George Dundas. In August 1798 Humphreys was sent with some of Juno ' s men to support a cutting out expedition led by Captain Adam Mackenzie of HMS Pylades off the island of Schiermonnikoog . In an action on 11 August British boats succeeded in attacking and capturing the gunboat Crash , and preparing an operation to capture
726-496: A pressing issue and Humphreys, by then in command of the 50-gun HMS Leopard , was ordered to intercept the USS ; Chesapeake , which was suspected to have several deserters as part of her crew. Humphreys did so, and requested permission to search her. Chesapeake ' s captain refused, so Humphreys fired upon her, the poorly prepared American ship surrendered and Humphreys took off several British deserters. The backlash from
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#1732858977747792-422: A rope and jumped into the sea, hoping to be able to swim to the ship, board her and attach a rope. Once in the water he found that he could make little headway against the tide, and had to be hauled back on board. He had just regained the deck of Undaunted when Vengeance exploded, her crew having set a fuse to the ship's magazine before they abandoned her. Meanwhile, the rest of the flotilla successfully stormed
858-623: A short period the office of commander-in-chief in Scotland , Abercromby was again called to command under the Duke of York in the 1799 Anglo-Russian expedition against the Napoleonic Dutch Republic . Abercromby conducted a textbook amphibious landing at Callantsoog establishing a beachhead and driving the Franco-Dutch army inland at Krabbendam . The high watermark of British success came when
924-557: A squadron of the Dutch fleet then surrendered and the Anglo-Russian army advanced through North Holland capturing the cities of Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Medemblik. However, with the Duke of York now in overall command Anglo-Russian fortunes turned sour following the reverse at Castricum . The expected Orangist uprising in the North Holland peninsula never materialized and allies withdrew to their original positions. The expedition ended with
990-637: The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair , as it became known as, was severe. A political crisis was precipitated between the governments of Britain and the United States, and to mollify the Americans, Humphreys was given no further commands. He was already wealthy, having married an heiress, and settling at the estates of Bramall Hall . He was promoted to rear admiral in 1837, and then restored on the active lists, having changed his surname to Davenport in 1838 on
1056-510: The 3rd Dragoon Guards . He served with his regiment in the Seven Years' War , and thus, the opportunity afforded him of studying the methods of Frederick the Great , which moulded his military character and formed his tactical ideas. Abercromby rose through the intermediate grades to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the regiment (1773) and brevet colonel in 1780, and in 1781, he became colonel of
1122-640: The British Army , was appointed Governor of Trinidad , served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland , and was noted for his services during the French Revolutionary Wars , ultimately in the Egyptian campaign . His strategies are ranked amongst the most daring and brilliant exploits of the British army. Ralph Abercromby was born on 7 October 1734 at Menstrie Castle , Clackmannanshire . He was the second (but eldest surviving) son of George Abercromby (1705-1800),
1188-587: The Waal . In 1795 he commissioned a townhouse at 66 Queen Street, Edinburgh . In July 1795, Abercromby was nominated by Secretary of State for War Henry Dundas to lead an expedition to the West Indies. Under instructions from Dundas, Abercromby's predecessor, Sir Adam Williamson, the lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, had signed an agreement with representatives of the French colonists of Saint Domingue that promised to restore
1254-646: The ancien regime , slavery and discrimination against mixed-race colonists, a move that drew criticism from abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson . That same month he had been made a Knight of the Bath and in August Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Wight – a reward for his services but also possibly an incentive to lead the army in the Caribbean. The appointment of Abercromby as Commander-in-Chief of
1320-599: The bomb vessel HMS Prospero at Portsmouth in January 1804. His time in command was short, as on 8 May he was promoted to post captain . He married Jane Elizabeth Morin in March 1805, the couple having one son together. Humphreys went out to Halifax the following year to take command of the 50-gun HMS Leander , the flagship of the station commander Vice-Admiral George Berkeley . He assumed command on his arrival in May, but it
1386-620: The 14-gun HMS Fury under Captain Henry Evans in April 1796. Humphreys was next in action supporting the army under Sir Ralph Abercromby at the siege of Saint Lucia , and afterwards convoyed the despatches concerning the attack on Porto Rico back to Britain. His promotion to lieutenant came on 17 January 1797, together with an appointment to the armed ship Sally , serving in the North Sea under Captain George Wolfe. In 1798 he received
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#17328589777471452-403: The 28th Foot were simultaneously engaged to both their front and rear. During the attack of Roize's second line, Abercromby was briefly captured by French dragoons , but quickly rescued by a highlander of the 42nd. About this time he received a bullet wound to the thigh which would eventually prove fatal, though he remained on the field and in command to the end. Rampon's renewed infantry attack on
1518-521: The British outposts. Moving forward rapidly with great gallantry from the left, Lanusse launched the attack with Valentin's brigade in column along the seashore, and to their right Silly's brigade against the British entrenchments around the roman ruins. The brunt of the attack fell upon Moore's command, and in particular upon the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot . The British repulsed this first assault, during which both Silly and Lanusse were hit. “General Lanusse saw that General Valentin had left
1584-625: The Davenport estates at Bramall in 1838, and was restored to the active list on 17 August 1840. He settled at Bramall and had become widely respected in the Stockport area prior to his wife's inheritance, but following his succession to the estate there were disputes from other members of the Davenport family who claimed a right to the property. He moved with Maria to Cheltenham in 1841, most likely because living at Bramall had become expensive or because of health concerns. He died there on 17 November 1845 at
1650-403: The Duke of York, paid tribute to Abercromby's memory in general orders: "His steady observance of discipline, his ever-watchful attention to the health and wants of his troops, the persevering and unconquerable spirit which marked his military career, the splendour of his actions in the field and the heroism of his death, are worthy the imitation of all who desire, like him, a life of heroism and
1716-614: The Dutch battery and spiked its guns. None of the attacking force was killed or wounded in the operation. After the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in August 1799 Humphreys left Juno and moved to the 50-gun HMS Isis , which was then the flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Mitchell with the Channel Fleet . He followed Mitchell to HMS Babet , serving on the Zuiderzee during
1782-473: The Dutch schooner and battery the following day, 13 August. Crash was supposed to have covered Humphreys in Undaunted , but she ran aground. Undaunted, Humphreys pushed on, coming alongside the Dutch schooner just as she was abandoned by her crew. The strong tide meant that he could not maintain his station alongside the Dutch vessel, and the roundness of her sides prevented him from leaping aboard. Instead he took
1848-409: The French columns, and by a heavy naval gun which was placed in battery near the position of 28 March. The Battle was won and was a great victory, with Menou forced to retreat to the city of Alexandria. On 17 August, British forces laid siege to Alexandria and later captured the city which effectively ended French control of Egypt and Syria. During the action of the battle Abercromby was struck by
1914-625: The Leeward and Windward Islands was officially announced on 5 August. On 17 March 1796 Abercromby arrived in Carlisle Bay, Barbados on the Arethusa . A third of the 6,000 troops that had arrived on the island before him had already been sent on to Saint Vincent and Grenada , leaving the general with 3,700 soldiers at his disposal. Control of much of Saint Vincent had been lost to rebelling French planters and native Caribs since early 1795, while Grenada
1980-452: The age of sixty-six and was buried in Leckhampton . a. Crash was a former British ship, which had run aground off Vlieland on 26 August 1797 and was captured by the Dutch. b. Among the ships Berkeley reported that men had run from were the 74-gun ships HMS Bellona , HMS Belleisle and HMS Triumph , the store-ship HMS Chichester ,
2046-419: The beginning of June. Abercromby arrived on Saint Vincent 7 June with a force of just over 4,000. He marched his troops near to the insurgent base at Vigie Ridge and camped nearby as the British started to execute an encircling movement: Quartermaster General John Knox manoeuvred his men on the seaward side in order to prevent the enemy retreating north, and Lieutenant Colonel Dickens used the 34th Regiment as
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2112-458: The care worthy of a great general and an enlightened and beneficent statesman. When he was appointed to the command in Ireland, an invasion of that country by the French was confidently anticipated by the British government. He used his utmost efforts to restore the discipline of an army that was utterly disorganized; and, as a first step, he anxiously endeavoured to protect the people by re-establishing
2178-506: The centre was engaged, and despite disorientation in the dark, penetrated between the front and rear wing of the 42nd Regiment of Foot . A confused fight ensued in the ruins, in which the French troops were all either killed or captured with the 42nd taking their colour . Other British regiments engaged were the 23rd Regiment of Foot , 40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot and 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot , together with Stuart's Minorca Regiment . The front and rear ranks of
2244-450: The centre was repulsed by the Guards brigade, supported by Coote's brigade, and the left wing maintained its position with ease, but the French cavalry for the second time came to close quarters with the reserve. The 42nd, twice charged by cavalry, had but 13 men wounded by the sabre . Part of the French losses were caused by the gunboats which lay close inshore and cannonaded the left flank of
2310-526: The colonists. When France declared war against Great Britain in 1793, Abercromby resumed his duties. He was appointed commander of a brigade under the Duke of York for service in the Netherlands , where he commanded the advanced guard in the action at Le Cateau . During the 1794 withdrawal to Holland, he commanded the allied forces in the action at Boxtel and was wounded directing operations at Fort St Andries on
2376-598: The crew of the heavy frigate USS Chesapeake , and on 1 June 1807 he issued an order that Chesapeake be stopped at sea and searched for deserters. Apprehending them in town proved impossible as the men were under the protection of the magistrates. Berkeley directed that in return, the American captain was permitted to search British vessels for American deserters. Sent to enforce Berkeley's order, Captain Humphreys located Chesapeake off Norfolk, Virginia on 22 June and sent
2442-401: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.236 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 385642923 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:42:57 GMT Ralph Abercromby Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby , KB (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in
2508-426: The following day and establishing a beachhead. The French were soon repelled and retreated to the fort at Morne Fortune , which Abercromby decided to besiege. The garrison under General Goyrand surrendered to the British army 26 May. The island had been retaken at the cost of 566 men. A force of around 4,000 was left to hold Saint Lucia under the command of Colonel John Moore before Abercromby left for Saint Vincent at
2574-528: The level of able seaman and rising through the ranks, having reached midshipman on the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. A lieutenancy followed while serving in the Caribbean, where he acted in support of army operations against enemy colonies and islands, before his return to Britain. He was afterwards employed in the English Channel and North Sea , where he distinguished himself on
2640-476: The newly raised King's Irish infantry . When that regiment was disbanded in 1783, he retired on half pay . He also entered Parliament as MP for Clackmannanshire (1774–1780). In 1791 he commissioned a large townhouse at 66 Queen Street, Edinburgh . Abercromby was a strong supporter of the American cause in the American Revolutionary War , and remained in Ireland to avoid having to fight against
2706-518: The occasion of his wife's inheritance. He died in 1845. Salusbury Pryce Humphreys was born at Clungunford Rectory , Shropshire , on 24 November 1778, the third son of Reverend Evan Humphreys and his wife Mary. He entered the navy on 1 July 1790, during the Spanish Armament , serving as a volunteer aboard the 64-gun HMS Ardent , which was then under the command of Captain James Vashon . He
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2772-588: The operations in Holland, and was then aboard HMS Stag , assigned to a squadron under Captain Henry Inman of HMS Andromeda , which carried out an attack on 7 July 1800 against four French frigates anchored at Dunkirk . Humphreys moved again with Mitchell to the 90-gun HMS Windsor Castle in 1800, and while serving aboard her, received a promotion to commander, on 29 April 1802. Despite his promotion, Humphreys had to wait nearly two years before receiving his own command, until finally appointed to
2838-550: The rebellion had effectively been put down at the cost of 17 officers and 168 men killed or wounded. In 1797, the General Abercromby launched the invasion of Trinidad . His squadron sailed through the Bocas and anchored off the coast of Chaguaramas . The Spanish Governor Chacón decided to capitulate without fighting. Trinidad thus became a British crown colony , with a French-speaking population and Spanish laws. British rule
2904-451: The seashore, and was within the re-entering angle of the redoubt and the Roman camp, where the cross fire of the enemy held him back. General Lanusse marched to this spot, encouraged the men, and made them advance. The worthy general was hit in the thigh by a ball from a gun-boat; four grenadiers tried to carry him off, but a second ball killed two of these brave fellows”. Soon Rampon's command in
2970-464: The ship, and found four deserters, Daniel Martin, John Strachan, and William Ware, run from HMS Melampus ; and Jenkin Ratford, run from HMS Halifax . They were taken aboard Leopard , which then departed, Humphreys having refused to accept Barron's offer to consider Chesapeake a prize. Chesapeake had three men killed, eight men badly wounded, and ten slightly wounded. Though his conduct
3036-478: The signing of the Convention of Alkmaar in which the Anglo-Russian force was allowed to withdraw. After spending time with Dundas over Christmas, Abercromby was summoned to London 21 January 1800. The Portuguese, concerned that they were under threat from Spain, requested British support and wanted Abercromby to lead their army. However, Abercromby refused to serve under a foreign ruler and would only take command of
3102-575: The sloop HMS Halifax and the cutter HMS Zenobia . c. Ratford, the only British citizen of the four, was executed. The remaining three were American citizens and were sentenced to 500 lashes each, though this was later commuted. Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
3168-473: The supremacy of the civil power, and not allowing the military to be called out, except when it was indispensably necessary for the enforcement of the law and the maintenance of order. Finding that (he) received no adequate support from the head of the Irish government and that all his efforts were opposed and thwarted by those who presided in the councils of Ireland, he resigned the command. His departure from Ireland
3234-453: The time that Abercromby reached Minorca 22 June. In 1801, Abercromby was sent with an army to recover Egypt from France . His experience in the Netherlands and the West Indies particularly fitted him for this new command, as was proved when he carried his army in health, in spirits, and with the requisite supplies to the destined scene of action despite great difficulties. The debarkation of
3300-514: The title of rear admiral in 1837. Humphreys spent the remainder of the war ashore on half-pay, finding occupation in civil duties, serving as a Justice of the Peace for Buckingham , Chester and Lancaster . His wife Jane died in September 1808, and Humphreys remarried on 31 May 1810, to Maria Davenport, of Bramall Hall . The couple had five sons and two daughters together. After the wars had ended he
3366-425: The troops at Aboukir , in the face of strenuous opposition, is justly ranked among the most daring and brilliant exploits of the British army. Abercromby commanded the expedition to the Mediterranean in 1800, and after successfully landing the army at Aboukir and driving the French inland, defeated an attempted French counter-attack at Alexandria, 21 March 1801. Jacques-François Menou had arrived from Cairo and
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#17328589777473432-436: The unusual step of publicly criticising the command of his predecessor, The 2nd Earl of Carhampton , for bequeathing an army "in a state of licentiousness, which must render it formidable to everyone but the enemy". To quote the biographic entry in the 1888 Encyclopædia Britannica, "[H]e laboured to maintain the discipline of the army, to suppress the rising rebellion , and to protect the people from military oppression, with
3498-513: Was also made Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Wight , Governor of Fort George and Fort Augustus in the Scottish Highlands, and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-general. He again entered Parliament as the member for Clackmannanshire from 1796 to 1798. In 1798, Abercromby was made Commander-in-Chief of the forces in Ireland , then in rebellion and anticipating French intervention. He took
3564-449: Was approved of by Berkeley, it caused outrage amongst the Americans and became a major political incident. Anxious to appease the Americans, an Order in Council was issued, banning the use of force against foreign warships, Berkeley was recalled and Humphreys too found himself a victim of political movements. He returned to Britain in 1808 and was not offered any further commands. He was given
3630-676: Was created Baroness Abercromby of Tullibody and Aboukir Bay, and a pension of £2,000 a year was settled on her and her two successors in the title. Abercromby Place in Edinburgh's New Town and Abercromby Square in Liverpool are named in his honour. On 17 November 1767, Abercromby married Mary Anne , daughter of John Menzies and Ann, daughter of Patrick Campbell. They had seven children. Of four sons, all four entered Parliament, and two saw military service. Numerous works have been written about Abercromby. A public house in central Manchester ,
3696-412: Was deeply lamented by the reflecting portion of the people, and was speedily followed by those disastrous results which he had anticipated, and which he so ardently desired and had so wisely endeavoured to prevent." Abercromby was replaced in Ireland by Gerrard Lake who favoured an aggressive approach in putting down the rebellion, as opposed to Abercromby's attempts at conciliation. After holding for
3762-458: Was determined to defeat the British advance. On 20 March, the British forces extended across the isthmus , the right wing resting upon the ruins of Nicopolis and the sea, the left on the lake of Abukir. The line faced generally south-west towards the city, the reserve division under Major-General Sir John Moore . Abercromby anticipated a night attack, so the British slept in position under arms. At 3:30 a.m. French forces attacked and drove in
3828-558: Was formalized under the Treaty of Amiens (1802). Afterwards, Abercromby secured possession of the settlements of Demerara and Essequibo in South America. A major assault on the port of San Juan , Puerto Rico , in April 1797 failed after fierce fighting where both sides suffered heavy losses. Abercromby returned to Europe and, in reward for his services, was appointed colonel of the 2nd (Royal North British) Regiment of Dragoons . He
3894-453: Was in the midst of an insurrection led by Julien Fédon . The reinforcements to Grenada allowed General Nicolls to attack enemy posts south of Port Royal on 25 March, preventing further French reinforcements from Guadeloupe. Three months later Abercromby arrived with further reinforcements and attacked Fédon's camp on 19 June, routing the insurgents and ending the rebellion. The British fleet sailed on 25 April 1796 for Saint Lucia , landing
3960-686: Was next aboard the 50-gun HMS Trusty , the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir John Laforey in the Leeward Islands , followed by a posting to the 32-gun HMS Solebay , commanded by Captain Matthew Squire. He was rated as able seaman during this last posting, after which he was moved to the 14-gun HMS Fairy , commanded by Captain Francis Laforey . His next ship was the 50-gun HMS Severn , under Captain Paul Minchin, where he
4026-545: Was put on the list of superannuated captains, but achieved some recompense when he was made a Companion of the Bath on 26 September 1831, on the occasion of King William IV 's Coronation Honours . He received a further honour when he was nominated a Knight Commander of the Guelphic Order of Hanover in February 1834, and was promoted to rear admiral on 10 January 1837. He assumed the surname of Davenport when his wife inherited
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#17328589777474092-486: Was rated as midshipman some time before the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France in February 1793. Severn conveyed the Governor General of Canada , Lord Dorchester , and his family and suite, to Quebec , returning to Britain in 1794. Humphreys followed Minchin to his next command, the 38-gun HMS Hebe , and went out to the West Indies. While serving there, Humphreys was ordered to act as lieutenant of
4158-460: Was regarded by his professors as sound rather than brilliant. He completed his studies at Leipzig University in Germany from autumn 1754, taking more detailed studies in civil law with a view to a career as an advocate . On returning from the continent, Abercromby expressed a strong preference for the military profession, and a cornet 's commission was accordingly obtained for him (March 1756) in
4224-529: Was spent in the latter. Abercromby's education was begun by a private tutor, then continued at the school of Mr Moir in Alloa , then considered one of the best in Scotland despite its Jacobite leanings. Ralph attended Rugby School from 12 June 1748, where he remained until he was 18. Between 1752 and 1753, he was a student at the University of Edinburgh . There he studied moral and natural philosophy and civil law, and
4290-471: Was then decided to send Leander back to Britain, and Humphreys was instead transferred to the 50-gun HMS Leopard in October. Berkeley preferred to live onshore, meaning that for much of the time Leopard acted as a private ship . The Royal Navy had been having significant problems with men deserting their ships whilst in American ports, and then joining ships of the US Navy . Berkeley had been made aware of deserters from several ships who had joined
4356-422: Was to receive a further 6,000 men to assist the Austrians. General Charles O'Hara in Gibraltar was pleased with the appointment, for while Stuart had been hot-tempered and difficult to work with, Abercromby was "a reasonable, considerate good soldier, and listens with temper and patience to every proposal made to him". However, delays caused by the weather meant that the situation in Italy had changed drastically by
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