being witnesses of their distress. I curse the day I ever served the Neapolitan Government. We have characters, my lord, to lose these people have none. Do not suffer their infamous conduct to fall on us. Our country is just, but severe. Such is the fever of my brain this minute, that I assure you, on my honour, if the Palermo traitors were here, I would shoot them first, and then myself. Girgenti is full of corn; the money is ready to pay for it-we do not ask it as a gift. Oh! could you see the horrid distress I daily experience, something would be done. Some engine is at work against us at Naples, and I believe I hit on the proper person. If you complain, he will be immediately promoted, agreeably to the Neapolitan custom. All I write to you is known at the queen's. For my own part, I look upon the Neapolitans as the worst of intriguing enemies: every hour shows me their infamy and duplicity. I pray your lordship, be cautious: your honest, open manner of acting will be made a handle of. When I see you and tell of their infamous tricks, you will be as much surprised as I am. whole will fall on you."

The

Nelson was not, and could not be, insensible to the distress which his friend so earnestly represented. He begged-almost on his knees, he said-small supplies of money and corn to keep the Maltese from starving. And when the Court granted a small supply, protesting their poverty, he believed their protestations and was satisfied with their professions, instead of insisting that the restrictions upon the exportation of corn should be withdrawn. The anxiety, however, which he endured affected him so deeply that he said it had broken his spirit for ever. Happily, all that Trowbridge with so much reason foreboded, did not come to pass; for Captain Ball, with more decision than Nelson himself would have shown at that time and upon that occasion, ventured upon a resolute measure, for which his name would deserve always to be held in veneration by the Maltese, even if it had no other claims to the love and reverence of a grateful people. Finding it hopeless longer to look for succour or common humanity from the deceitful and infatuated Court of Sicily, which persisted in prohibiting by sanguinary edicts the exportation of supplies, at his own risk he sent his first lieutenant to the port of Girgenti with orders to seize and bring with him to Malta the ships which were there lying laden with corn, of the number of which he had received accurate information. These orders were executed, to the great delight and advantage of the shipowners and proprietors: the necessity of raising the siege was removed, and Captain Ball waited in calmness for the consequences to himself. "But," said Mr. Coleridge, "the sole result was that the Governor of Malta became an especial object of the hatred, fear, and respect of the Court of Naples." Nelson himself, at the beginning of February, sailed for that island. On the way he fell in with a French squadron bound

for its relief, and consisting of the Généreux, seventy-four, three frigates, and a corvette. One of these frigates and the line-of-battle ship were taken; the others escaped, but failed in their purpose of reaching La Valette. This success was peculiarly gratifying to Nelson for many reasons. During some months he had acted as commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean while Lord Keith was in England. Lord Keith returned; and Nelson had, upon his own plan and at his own risk, left him, to sail for Malta, "for which," said he, "if I had not succeeded, I might have been broke; and if I had not acted thus, the Généreux never would have been taken." This ship was one of those which had escaped from Aboukir. Two frigates and the Guillaume Tell, eighty-six, were all that now remained of the fleet which Bonaparte had conducted to Egypt. The Guillaume Tell was at this time closely watched in the harbour of La Valette; and shortly afterwards, attempting to make her escape from thence, was taken, after an action in which greater skill was never displayed by British ships, nor greater gallantry by an enemy. She was taken by the Foudroyant, Lion, and Penelope frigate. Nelson, rejoicing at what he called this glorious finish to the whole French Mediterranean fleet, rejoiced also that he was not present to have taken a sprig of these brave men's laurels. "They are," said he, "and I glory in them, my children; they served in my school; and all of us caught our professional zeal and fire from the great and good Earl St. Vincent. What a pleasure, what happiness, to have the Nile fleet all taken, under my orders and regulations! The two frigates still remained in La Valette; before its surrender they stole out; one was taken in the attempt; the other was the only ship of the whole fleet which escaped capture or destruction.

Letters were found on board the Guillaume Tell showing that the French were now become hopeless of preserving the conquest which they had so foully acquired. Trowbridge and his brother-officers were anxious that Nelson should have the honour of signing the capitulation. They told him that they absolutely, as far as they dared, insisted on his staying to do this; but their earnest and affectionate entreaties were vain. Sir William Hamilton had just been superseded; Nelson had no feeling of cordiality towards Lord Keith; and thinking that, after Earl St. Vincent, no man had so good a claim to the command in the Mediterranean as himself, he applied for permission to return to England, telling the first Lord of the Admiralty that his spirit could not submit patiently, and that he was a broken-hearted man. From the time of his return from Egypt, amid all the honours which were showered upon him, he had suffered many mortifications. Sir Sydney Smith had been sent to Egypt with orders to take under his command the squadron which Nelson had left there. Sir Sydney appears to have thought that this command was to be

independent of Nelson; and Nelson himself, thinking so, determined to return, saying to Earl St. Vincent, "I do feel-for I am a man-that it is impossible for me to serve in these seas with a squadron under a junior officer." Earl St. Vincent seems to have dissuaded him from this resolution: some heartburnings, however, still remained, and some incautious expressions of Sir Sydney's were noticed by him in terms of evident displeasure. But this did not continue long, as no man bore more willing testimony than Nelson to the admirable defence of Acre.

He differed from Sir Sydney as to the policy which ought to be pursued towards the French in Egypt, and strictly commanded him, in the strongest language, not on any pretence to permit a single Frenchman to leave the country, saying that he considered it nothing short of madness to permit that band of thieves to return to Europe. "No," said he, "to Egypt they went with their own consent, and there they shall remain while Nelson commands this squadron; for never, never will he consent to the return of one ship or Frenchman. I wish them to perish in Egypt, and give an awful lesson to the world of the justice of the Almighty." If Nelson had not thoroughly understood the character of the enemy against whom he was engaged, their conduct in Egypt would have disclosed it. After the battle of the Nile he had landed all his prisoners, upon a solemn engagement, made between Trowbridge on one side and Captain Barre on the other, that none of them should serve till regularly exchanged. They were no sooner on shore than part of them were drafted into the different regiments, and the remainder formed into a corps called the Nautic Legion. This occasioned Captain Hallowell to say that the French had forfeited all claim to respect from us. "The army of Bonaparte," said he, " 'are entirely destitute of every principle of honour: they have always acted like licentious thieves." Bonaparte's escape was the more regretted by Nelson because, if he had had sufficient force, he thought it would certainly have been prevented. He wished to keep ships upon the watch, to intercept anything coming from Egypt; but the Admiralty calculated upon the assistance of the Russian fleet, which failed when it was most wanted. The ships which should have been thus employed were then required for more pressing services; and the bloody Corsican was thus enabled to reach Europe in safety, there to become the guilty instrument of a wider-spreading destruction than any with which the world had ever before been visited.

Nelson had other causes of chagrin. Earl St. Vincent, for whom he felt such high respect, and whom Sir John Orde had challenged for having nominated Nelson instead of himself to the command of the Nile squadron, laid claim to prize-money as commander-in-chief, after he had quitted the station. The point was contested, and decided against him. Nelson perhaps felt this the more because his own feelings with regard to money were so different. An opinion had been given by Dr.

Lawrence which would have excluded the junior flag officers from prize-money. When this was made known to him, his reply was in these words: "Notwithstanding Dr. Lawrence's opinion, I do not believe I have any right to exclude the junior flag officers, and if I have, I desire that no such claim may be made-no, not if it were sixty times the sum, and poor as I am, I were never to see prize-money.'

Á ship could not be spared to convey him to England; he therefore travelled through Germany to Hamburg, in company with his inseparable friends, Sir William and Lady Hamilton. The Queen of Naples went with them to Vienna. While they were at Leghorn, upon a report that the French were approaching (for through the folly of weak Courts and the treachery of venal Cabinets they had now recovered their ascendency in Italy), the people rose tumultuously, and would fain have persuaded Nelson to lead them against the enemy. Public honours and yet more gratifying testimonials of public admiration awaited Nelson wherever he went. The Prince of Esterhazy entertained him in a style of Hungarian magnificence -a hundred grenadiers, each six feet in height, constantly waiting at table. At Magdeburg the master of the hotel where he was entertained contrived to show him for money, admitting the curious to mount a ladder and peep at him through a small window. A wine merchant at Hamburg, who was above seventy years of age, requested to speak with Lady Hamilton, and told her he had some Rhenish wine of the vintage of 1625, which had been in his own possession more than half a century; he had preserved it for some extraordinary occasion, and that which had now arrived was far beyond any that he could ever have expected. His request was, that her ladyship would prevail upon Lord Nelson to accept six dozen of this incomparable wine; part of it would then have the honour to flow into the heart's blood of that immortal hero, and this thought would make him happy during the remainder of his life. Nelson, when this singular request was reported to him, went into the room, and taking the worthy old gentleman kindly by the hand, consented to receive six bottles, provided the donor would dine with him next day. Twelve were sent, and Nelson, saying that he hoped yet to win half a dozen more great victories, promised to lay by six bottles of his Hamburg friend's wine for the purpose of drinking one after each. A German pastor, between seventy and eighty years of age, travelled forty miles, with the Bible of his parish church, to request that Nelson would write his name on the first leaf of it. He called him the saviour of the Christian world. The old man's hope deceived him. There was no Nelson upon shore, or Europe would have been saved; but in his foresight of the horrors with which all Germany and all Christendom were threatened by France, the pastor could not possibly have apprehended more than has actually taken place.

CHAPTER VII.

Enthusiastic reception of Nelson in England-Separates from Lady Nelson-Is sent to the Baltic under Sir Hyde Parker-The Expedition against Copenhagen-Plans of attack-Difficulties in passing the Sound-The Fleet off Cronenburg Castle-Battle of Copenhagen-Sir Hyde makes the signal to cease action, which is disobeyed by Nelson-Success of the British-Nelson's letter to the Crown Prince-Cessation of hostilities-Extent of the casualties-Negotiations for an armistice-Nelson's interviews with the Crown Prince -Disposal of the prizes-The Danish Commodore's account of the battle and Nelson's reply-Is made a Viscount.

NELSON was welcomed in England with every mark of popular honour. At Yarmouth, where he landed, every ship in the harbour hoisted her colours. The mayor and corporation waited upon him with the freedom of the town, and accompanied him in procession to church, with all the naval officers on shore and the principal inhabitants. Bonfires and illuminations concluded the day; and on the morrow the volunteer cavalry drew up and saluted him as he departed, and followed the carriage to the borders of the county. At Ipswich the people came out to meet him, drew him a mile into the town and three miles out. When he was in the Agamemnon, he wished to represent this place in Parliament, and some of his friends had consulted the leading men of the corporation; the result was not successful, and Nelson, observing that he would endeavour to find out a preferable path into Parliament, said there might come a time when the people of Ipswich would think it an honour to have had him for their representative. In London he was feasted by the City, drawn by the populace from Ludgate Hill to Guildhall, and received the thanks of the Common Council for his great victory, and a golden-hilted sword studded with diamonds. Nelson had every earthly blessing except domestic happiness-he had forfeited that for ever. Before he had been three months in England he separated from Lady Nelson. Some of his last words to her were: "I call God to witness there is nothing in you or your conduct that I wish otherwise." This was the consequence of his infatuated attachment to Lady Hamilton. It had before caused a quarrel with his son-in-law, and occasioned remonstrances from his truest friends, which produced no other effect than that of making him displeased with them and more dissatified with himself.

The Addington Administration was just at this time formed, and Nelson, who had solicited employment, and been made vice-admiral of the blue, was sent to the Baltic, as second in command under Sir Hyde Parker, by Earl St. Vincent, the new First Lord of the Admiralty. The three northern Courts had formed a confederacy for making England resign her naval rights. Of these Courts, Russia was guided by the passions of its emperor, Paul, a man not without fits of