Sir Erasmus Gower is the eldest son of Abel Gower, Esq. of Glandoven, in the county of Pembroke, South Wales, and Lætitia Lewes Gower, only daughter to the Rev. Erasmus Gower, D. D. William Gower, the grandfather to Mr. Abel Gower, was representative in Parliament for the borough of Ludlow, in the county of Salop, during an uninterrupted period of twenty-six years. Sir Erasmus having been destined by his father for a naval life, was sent to sea at a very early age, under the protection of Captain John Donkley, his uncle; he served after the death of his relative, under a variety of other commanders, on the North America, the home or channel station, in the Irish, and the North Seas. And during the time he continued, according to the rules of the service, in the subordinate stations of midshipman and mate, acquired the universal love and esteem of all those under whose orders he chanced to be placed. In the month of August 1762, being then very young, he passed through the necessary examination to qualify him for the rank of Lieutenant, and was soon afterwards selected as one of the officers whom it was deemed expedient to send into the Portuguese service.

It has been ever the custom in all ages among the various inhabitants who are scattered over the face of the globe, however widely their manners differ in other respects, to agree in honouring the memory of those who have fallen in battle with peculiar marks of distinction. The mythology of our Scandinavian ancestors admitted those only who were slain in fight to an honourable seat in the heaven of Woden. The distant shores of Africa which have so recently witnessed the triumphant exertions of Britannia's sons, groan beneath the weight of massy pyramids, that bidding defiance to the efforts of time, have long outlived the memory of those persons whose fame they were intended to perpetuate.

It was a memorable part of Egyptian wisdom, never to determine on the characters of men, exclusively of the Tomb. While life remains, the fallibility of our nature baffles the final decision of truth; the vices of to-day may be lost in the virtues of to-morrow; and a long series of honourable years has, sometimes, been known to terminate in crime and dishonour.

The truth of that very trite remark which we have before quoted, “the Preface, though actually preceding the book itself, is almost without exception, the part last written,” is from necessity far more conspicuous in every periodical publication than it is in one of any other description. It serves as a brief concise index to the whole, and certainly saves the impatient reader, who is content with slightly skimming the surface of Literature, no inconsiderable portion of trouble.

All Authors must be supposed to have one of two objects in view whenever they are hardy enough to submit their labours to the fiery ordeal of public criticism: the self-satisfaction of affording either information or amusement; a miscellaneous collection of papers, notwithstanding the subject of them is confined to one particular science or art, stands peculiarly well adapted to afford both, and the general judgment with regard to the propriety or futility of the selection will tend to increase the vanity or mortify the pride of the Editor and his Correspondents.

With respect to the latter, their liberal and ingenious contributions speak fully for themselves. The former bends with submission, and with no inconsiderable degree of anxiety, before that tribunal whose praise forms the pinnacle of literary gratification. Against the choice or selection of the noble and illustrious persons whose memoirs will be found in this volume, it is presumed with confidence, that no objection whatever will even be whispered, and it is with scarcely less presumption, that the truth, as to the profession of studied impartiality and want of flattery, will be readily admitted.

It is difficult to pourtray with truth the characters of living persons. They may be compared to pictures drawn from the life, in which every feature must be somewhat heightened to obtain the reputation of similitude. The exaggeration of beauties and of deformities are, it is true, equally and alternately censured by friends and enemies; but if the likeness were exactly correct, it would be admired by none. The artist prefers, therefore, the approbation of half the world to the censure, or at least the cold neglect, of the whole; and sacrifices the fidelity of his portrait to the incorrigible passions and inveterate prejudices of partial spectators. Time, however, the great corrector of all faults, softens down those asperities which the pencil had left, spreads a sober tint over the brilliant lights, and mellows the shadows to a milder hue. A cool recollection of the original, and the comparison with other representations of the same object, aid us still further in the discovery of the truth, and the whole is at length exhibited to posterity with a degree of correctness which is almost always denied to contemporaries.

Sir Thomas Pasley is the descendant of an ancient and honourable family in North Britain; and having from his earliest youth entertained a strong predilection for the naval service, he entered in 1752, as a midshipman, on board the Garland, a small frigate, at that time commanded by the late Captain Saltern Willet. He removed very soon afterward into the Weazle sloop of war, a vessel at that time under orders for the Jamaica station; and in which he served progressively under the Captains Cockburn, Webber, and Digby. The latter being in a short time raised to the rank of Post Captain, and appointed to the Biddeford frigate, took with him Mr. Pasley, for whom he had conceived a strong attachment, and promoted him to the rank of acting lieutenant. The frigate was almost immediately afterward ordered to England, having on board 300,000l. in bullion. As soon as the vessel arrived at Portsmouth, Mr. Pasley was dispatched to London with the treasure, having a serjeant and twelve marines assigned him for his guard. His valuable charge being lodged in the bank, he returned back to Portsmouth without delay, and embarked on board the Dunkirk, to which Captain Digby had been appointed during his absence, on the successless exepedition in the month of September 1757.

To mingle bravery with prudence, and to add to the latter qualification as much spirit and activity in the hour of difficulty or danger, as shall be completely competent to the task of surmounting them, are the necessary characteristics of a great and good Officer. Few men have had more trying and urgent occasions of displaying those qualifications than the subject of the present memoirs, and none, perhaps, have had the satisfaction of passing through such trying scenes with greater real credit to themselves, although few have been so unhappy as to experience such ill fortune.

The moment of distress and danger overspreading and threatening to overwhelm a myriad beyond ourselves, becomes from that very circumstance peculiarly awful and oppressive. The miserable state of others, our companions, involved in the same fate, frequently paralyzes the efforts of the mind, and the man who in such an hour of extremity is not so far affected by the awful scene which surrounds him as to be completely enervated, merits not only the love and admiration of his companions, but their veneration of him as an hero.

Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis. The brave and virtuous man is debased not by his offspring, he views with silent pleasure the noble spirit which he himself inherited from his ancestors, rising with redoubled vigour in his descendants, and gazes in ecstacy, mixed with an honest pride, on their youthful virtues. The long, the gallant services, and the supposed untimely death of the brave but unfortunate parent, are too strongly impressed on the gratitude of Britons not to create the liveliest sensations of regard and affection for the son; the former are too recent and the latter too melancholy, to render any recapitulation of either, necessary in this place.

Sir Hyde being destined by his father for the Navy, as well from the strong inclination, which in the earliest youth he manifested towards a maritime life, as the natural predilection possessed by his parent in favour of a service on which he undoubtedly reflected so much honour, was entered when extremely young on board the Lively frigate, a ship at that time commanded by Capt. Parker, under whom he afterwards served in 1757, in the capacity of midshipman or mate on board the Squirrel.