274 THE PAKT TO BE TAKEN CHAP. Without being led astray by any ill-founded ro- • ])ort, without being cauglit by a fallacy, Avith- out being met and confounded by the darkness which shrouds the future, they still were so beset b}^ circumstances that, knowingly and with open eyes, they consented to engage the fleets in an ill-designed plan of action. The Generals commanding the French and English armies found themselves invested — the one by e-xpress commission, and the other by cir- cumstance — with an all but complete power to enforce the concurrence of the llcets in their medi- tated undertaking, and having that power they thought fit to use it. Lord !Raglan's appeal to the navy was one of such irresistible urgency that virtually, as 1 think, he would have made himself answerable in an equal degree with General Can- robert for summoning the fleets to take part in the attack, if it were not for tliis all-important difference — namely, that Canrobert, in ordering the French fleet to attack, was following appar- ently his own judgment, without accepting much light from the mind of the Admiral serving under him ; whilst Lord Eaglan, on the other hand, when lie made his appeal to Dundas, was writing, so to speak, with liear-Adniiral Lyons at his side, — was writing, in short, with all the sanction which could be given by the opinion of a naval commander deeply trusted by the Government at home.*
- See the fontnoto, ank, p. 207. Lyons, as we saw, was at
Palaclavii in the most friendly and constant communication with Lord Raglan.
