The sea being our proper element, admirals have always had the lion’s share of the popular admiration, and their fame appears more firmly rooted than that of generals. Signs of ADMIRAL DRAKE, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, or the DRAKE ARMS, so common at the water-side in our seaports, shew that the nation has not yet forgotten the bold navigator of good _Queen Bess_. SIR WALTER RALEIGH has not been quite so fortunate; for though he also came in for a great share of signboard honour, yet it was less owing to his qualities as a commander, than to his reputation of having introduced tobacco into England, whence he became a favourite tobacconist’s sign; and in that quality, we find him on several of the shop-bills in the Banks Collection. Signs being frequently used in the last century for political pasquinades, advantage was taken of a tobacconist’s sign for the following sharp hit at Lord North:-- “To the Printer of the _General Advertiser_:-- “SIR,--Being a smoaker, I take particular notice of the devices used by different dealers in tobacco, by way of ornament to the papers in which that valuable plant is enclosed for sale; and that used by the worthy Alderman in Ludgate Street, has often given me much pleasure, it having the head of Sir Walter Raleigh, and the following motto round it:-- ‘Great Britain to great Raleigh owes This plant and country where it grows.’ “To which I offer the following lines by way of contrast; the truth thereof no one can doubt:-- ‘To Rubicon and North, old England owes The loss of country where tobacco grows.’ “I suppose no dealer will chuse to adopt so unfortunate a subject for their insignia; but perhaps, when you have a spare corner in your _General Advertiser_, it may not be inadmissible, which will oblige.--Yours, &c., “A SMOAKER. “Feb. 1, 1783. _General Advertiser_, March 13, 1784.” Brave old ADMIRAL BENBOW, who held up the honour of the British flag in the reign of William III., is still far from uncommon. ADMIRAL DUNCAN, HOWE, and JERVIS still preside over the sale of many a hogshead of beer or spirits; whilst ADMIRAL VERNON seems to have secured himself an everlasting place on the front of the alehouse, by reason of his dashing capture of PORTOBELLO; the name of that town, or sometimes the PORTOBELLO ARMS, being also frequently adopted, instead of the admiral’s name. ADMIRAL KEPPEL is another great favourite. There is a public-house with that sign, on the Fulham Road, where, some years ago, the portrait of the admiral used to court the custom of the passing traveller, by a poetical appeal to both man and beast:-- “Stop, brave boys, and quench your thirst; If you won’t drink, your horses murst.”