Robert Napier

“ He became an admiral on 6 March 1858, and died on 6 Nov. 1860.
The angry and often unseemly quarrels of his later days gave an impression of Napier as much below his real merits as that previously entertained was above them. As a man of action, within a perhaps limited scope, his conduct was often brilliant; but his insolence and ingratitude to Sir Robert Stopford, his selfish insubordination, and his arrogant representation of himself as the hero of the hour, left very bitter memories in the minds of his colleagues. ”

“ Having taken offense because a request that English workmen and machinery be sent him was not promptly complied with, Theodore seized the British consul, Captain C. D. Cameron, his suite, and two other men, and imprisoned them at Magdala. Lieutenant-General Robert Napier was sent to rescue the prisoners. For his services in this expedition Napier received the thanks of Parliament, a pension, and a peerage, with the title First Baron Napier of Magdala.
Discussion. 1. Who are citizens of this country? 2. What is the duty of a citizen to his country? ”

“ When Napier published the Canonis Descriptio England had taken no part in the advance of science, and there is no British author of the time except Napier whose name can be placed in the same rank as those of Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, or Stevinus. In England, Robert Recorde had indeed published his mathematical treatises, but they were of trifiing importance and without influence on the history of science. Scotland had produced nothing, and was perhaps the last country in Europe from which a great mathematical discovery would have been expected. ”

“ An English fleet was accordingly sent out to the Mediterranean under the command of Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, who was joined by some Austrian and Turkish ships, and the ports of Syria and Egypt were blockaded. Captain Charles Napier was appointed to the Powerful, as commodore, with the Ganges, Thunderer, Edinburgh, Castor, and Gorgon under his command. On fitting out the Powerful at Portsmouth, he had the following characteristic announcement placarded on the walls: “Wanted active seamen for the Powerful, Captain Napier. ”

“ A select committee was appointed, largely owing to his action, to inquire into the state of the Irish poor law, and of this committee he was a member. Upon the issue of the report of the committee Lord John Russell introduced the Rate in Aid Bill. Napier opposed the resolution, denying the justice of making the solvent unions bear the defalcations of the insolvent, and censured the government for its persistence in temporary expedients. The speech won a high eulogy from Sir Robert Peel. In 1849 he revised and criticised the various acts to facilitate the sale of encumbered estates in Ireland. ”

“ In 1844, speaking of the Sind campaign in the House of Lords, he said: 'My Lords, I must say that, after giving the fullest consideration to these operations, I have never known any instance of an officer who has shown in a higher degree that he possesses all the qualities and qualifications necessary to enable him to conduct great operations.' In the House of Commons at the same time Sir Robert Peel—the ablest administrative statesman of that generation, who had read for himself some of Napier's masterly dispatches—said: 'No one ever doubted Sir Charles Napier's military powers ”

“ Art. II.—Commodore Napier will place a steamer at the disposal of the Egyptian Government, which will convey to Syria the officer charged 283by his Highness to carry to the Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian array the order to evacuate Syria. The Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, Sir Robert Stopford, will on his side appoint an officer to watch over the execution of this measure.
“Art. III.—In consideration of what precedes, Commodore Napier engages to suspend hostilities on the part of the British forces against Alexandria, or any other portion of the Egyptian territory. ”

“ Sir Robert Stopford went on board the Phoenix to superintend the attack. Napier led the way in the Powerful to the northward, closely followed by the Princess Charlotte, Thunderer, Bellerophon, and Pique, while Captain Collier, of the Castor, commanded on the south. The Powerful, followed by the other ships, having got round a shoal which lies off the city, bore up and ran along shore towards the north angle, anchoring about 700 yards distant from the sea wall, considerably inside the buoys which had been laid down to assist the ships in taking up their stations. ”

“ It is certainly true that the Porte has never hitherto received an official communication of the advice which the Allied Powers thought it their duty to tender to it, but the Porte is perfectly aware 59of the nature and tendency of the instructions of the 15th of October, which have acquired European publicity; it is equally acquainted with the measures determined upon on the 14th of November in London, and with the step which Sir Robert Stopford was instructed to take, and the only object of which was to secure the execution of the preceding instructions. ”

“ I fear we have too many irons in the fire, we must begin to concentrate. Captain Boxer thinks that Tyre is very preferable to Sidon for permanent holding for winter; I send him to you that you may 104compare your opinions and decide which is best, and by degrees the stores from hence may be removed. I must soon embark the marines to have the ships efficient.
“Revenge must go off to Acre with the Pique to cut off communications. If the Turks cannot defend themselves they must also embark. I will not agree to any further operations.
“Yours, &c.,
“Robert Stopford.”
“To Commodore Napier.” ”

“ We have 500 prisoners, but they still keep coming in; the enemy’s troops are dispersed in all directions. Ibrahim took himself off in double quick, and I suppose is now with Souliman.”
“The Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.” The following is my official report to the Admiral of the action of the 10th of October, penned, as will be seen, after my return to my ship:—
“Sir,
“Powerful, D’Jounie Bay,
October 13, 1840. “After the great advantages gained by the Emir Bechir over Osman Pacha, at Merouba, it became necessary to move on Souliman Pacha, defeat him, and obtain possession of Beyrout ”

“ Cultivation and commerce would then revive; a field would be opened to British enterprise, and we might recover the influence we had in the mountains, and which has been lost, in consequence of the inhabitants believing that we have not made use of our power to obtain from the Porte all that was so liberally promised them when we were in want of their assistance.
297I cannot close this work without returning my best thanks to all the officers and men who served in the squadron that Sir Robert Stopford did me the honour of putting under my command. ”

“ A new edition of the great military history of Sir William Napier, printed in the approved luxurious style which the good examples of the Cambridge University Press have made a necessity with all intelligent book-purchasers, calls at the present time for a special word of recognition. Of the merits and character of the work itself it is scarcely required that we should speak. An observer of, and participant in, the deeds which he describes, cautious, deliberate, keen-sighted, candid, and unsparing, General Napier's book has qualities seldom united in a single production. ”

“ But above and beyond all this there was another spring in Charles Napier's mind, more potent than any picture, more powerful than any prompting. Above everything else he was a soldier. The clash of arms was dear to him as music to the ear of an Italian. No lover ever longed for mistress more than did this man long for fighting. Was he bloodthirsty? Not in the least. His heart was tender as a child's, his sympathies were far-reaching as a woman's; but for all that every fibre of his nature vibrated to the magic touch of military glory, and his earthly paradise was the front rank of battle. ”

“ The policeman, piloting Lady Grant, led the way out of the crowd within a yard of Napier. The girl turned to him.
"Gavan!"
"Where shall you be?" Napier made a motion to join her.
"She'll be with us, naturally," said Julian's father, his eyes resting an instant on Napier. "And you—soon you'll come—" he didn't try to finish. That "soon" had said enough. The old man could not at the moment bear even Gavan near his grief. The look in his eyes brought tears to Napier's as, forlornly, he watched the little group disappear in the crowd.
What a world! Would people ever be happy again? ”

“ Napier's right hand tightened on the bar of his crutch. He leaned an instant against the shoulder of his servant, feeling the dreaded onset of that dizzy sickness which comes back upon men who have had a touch of gas. Still, he was master enough of himself to notice that the captain moved a little as he put up his hand in recognition of some one on the wharf. Then Napier saw her—or was it Nan? ”

“ Napier appears, in the fragmentary records that have survived, as a man both just in his dealings with his neighbours and firmly resolved to obtain like justice from them. In his disputes with his father, his step-brothers, the Grahams of Boquhopple, and the magistrates of Edinburgh, he seems invariably to have carried his point. He was a strict Calvinist, and a resolute opponent of papal aggression. His powerful intellect and determined will are best indicated in his prolonged and successful efforts to facilitate numerical calculation which resulted in his discovery of logarithms. ”

“ To meet the field army the British force was a mere handful, and counted but 2600 men all told, with 12 guns, and with but one European regiment, the 22nd, to stiffen the rest. Against him, in position at Meanee, were 30,000 infantry, 5000 cavalry, and 15 guns, well posted behind the Fulaillee river, and with the flanks resting on woods. But Napier knew the value of the initiative, and trusted to drill and discipline against numbers, and his confidence was fully justified. The enemy fought with the utmost stubbornness. ”

“ That is one of the many things Napier and I have to talk out in the solitudes, why all we men and women are born. There must be a reason. Across the fields this way is Sutton Marle, where Napier was born. We used to play beneath this tree, Gerald, Boy, Napier and I. Boy was older than us, and bossed us. So there was a revolt, and then we made two camps, Boy and Gerald, Napier and I. Sometimes Aunt Eve, who took care of Gerald and me when mother died, would take us all up to London, and we would have tea at Harrod’s. Napier and I loved Harrod’s because we at once got lost there. ”

“ Is descended from John Napier, “to whom” says Hume, the historian, “the title of Great Man is more justly due, than to any other whom his country ever produced.” He was the inventor of the Logarithms and Robdologice, commonly called “Napier’s Bones;” and likewise author of a “Treatise on the Revelation of St. John.” These works will remain lasting monuments of his sublime judgment, knowledge, and penetration. His only son by his first wife was created a Scotch peer, by the title of Baron Napier, May 4, 1627. ”

“ This is the true key to solve the now perplexing question of the antagonism encountered by Charles Napier from the moment of his success at Meanee to the end of his life. The pride of aristocratic privilege in high place is a dangerous thing to touch; but the pride of the plutocratic Solomon in his right to reap the labour of those who toil and spin is a thousand times a more venturesome thing to trench upon. ”

“ After some delays due to the political disturbances in which Napier's father was involved, a royal charter, on 8 Oct. 1572, granted to Napier and his future wife, in conjunct fee, the lands of Edenbellie, Gartnes, while Napier also received 'the lands of Merchiston with its tower and the Pultrielands; half the lands of Ardewnan, &c., half the lands of Rusky, Thorn, &c., with the house of Barnisdale; the third of the lands of Calziemuck ; and the lands of Auchinlesh.' The life-rent of all the lands save those in conjunct fee was reserved to Sir Archibald and his wife. ”

“ Napier is described by Wishart as ‘a man of most innocent life and happy parts; a truly noble gentleman, and chief of an ancient family; one who equalled his father and grandfather, Napiers—philosophers and mathematicians famous through all the world—in other things, but far excelled them in his dexterity in civil business’ (Wishart, Memoirs of Montrose) . ”

“ Napier, prior to his complete retirement into private life, had no time to devote to municipal or imperial politics. He was, however, even while most engrossed with his own affairs, an indefatigable promoter and supporter of all movements tending to the well-being of the city. In the local institutions of engineers and shipbuilders he has always taken a peculiar interest, and his sympathy and co-operation were never invoked for a deserving object in vain. ”

“ NAPIER or NEPER, JOHN (1550–1617) , laird of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms, was the eldest son of Sir Archibald Napier (1534–1608) [q. v.] , by his first wife, Janet Bothwell. He was born in 1550, before his father had completed his sixteenth year, at Merchiston Castle, near Edinburgh. There he resided during his childhood with his youthful father and mother, a younger brother Francis, and a sister Janet. The only brother of his mother, Adam Bothwell [q. v.] , elected bishop of Orkney in 1559, wrote to his father on 5 Dec. ”

“ Twice Napier had his fingers almost on the trigger, and twice his hand was wrenched away. The last time a thick voice whispered, "Drop it! Don't you know you're a dead man if you make a sound?" The voice of Bloom, Sir William's chauffeur! He had got Napier down again; the full weight of the assailant's body was on Napier's head; his left arm pinned under him. In that strangling darkness Napier told himself the end had come. He was dead already. ”