the life of horatio lord nelson-第20章

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The　first　news　of　the　enemy's　armament　was　that　it　had　surprised　Malta；　Nelson　formed　a　plan　for　attacking　it　while　at　anchor　at　Gozo；　but　on　the　22nd　of　June　intelligence　reached　him　that　the　French　had　left　that　island　on　the　16th；　the　day　after　their　arrival。　It　was　clear　that　their　destination　was　eastwardhe　thought　for　Egyptand　for　Egypt；　therefore；　he　made　all　sail。　Had　the　frigates　been　with　him；　he　could　scarcely　have　failed　to　gain　information　of　the　enemy；　for　want　of　them；　he　only　spoke　three　vessels　on　the　way：　two　came　from　Alexandria；　one　from　the　Archipelago；　and　neither　of　them　had　seen　anything　of　the　French。　He　arrived　off　Alexandria　on　the　28th；　and　the　enemy　were　not　there；　neither　was　there　any　account　of　them；　but　the　governor　was　endeavouring　to　put　the　city　in　a　state　of　defence；　having　received　advice　from　Leghorn　that　the　French　expedition　was　intended　against　Egypt；　after　it　had　taken　Malta。　Nelson　then　shaped　his　course　to　the　northward　for　Caramania；　and　steered　from　thence　along　the　southern　side　of　Candia；　carrying　a　press　of　sail　both　night　and　day；　with　a　contrary　wind。　It　would　have　been　his　delight；　he　said；　to　have　tried　Bonaparte　on　a　wind。　It　would　have　been　the　delight　of　Europe；　too；　and　the　blessing　of　the　world；　if　that　fleet　had　been　overtaken　with　its　general　on　board。　But　of　the　myriads　and　millions　of　human　beings　who　would　have　been　preserved　by　that　day's　victory；　there　is　not　one　to　whom　such　essential　benefit　would　have　resulted　as　to　Bonaparte　himself。　It　would　have　spared　him　his　defeat　at　Acrehis　only　disgrace；　for　to　have　been　defeated　by　Nelson　upon　the　seas　would　not　have　been　disgraceful；　it　would　have　spared　him　all　his　after　enormities。　Hitherto　his　career　had　been　glorious；　the　baneful　principles　of　his　heart　had　never　yet　passed　his　lips；　history　would　have　represented　him　as　a　soldier　of　fortune；　who　had　faithfully　served　the　cause　in　which　he　engaged；　and　whose　career　had　been　distinguished　by　a　series　of　successes　unexampled　in　modern　times。　A　romantic　obscurity　would　have　hung　over　the　expedition　to　Egypt；　and　he　would　have　escaped　the　perpetration　of　those　crimes　which　have　incarnadined　his　soul　with　a　deeper　dye　than　that　of　the　purple　for　which　he　committed　themthose　acts　of　perfidy；　midnight　murder；　usurpation；　and　remorseless　tyranny；　which　have　consigned　his　name　to　universal　execration；　now　and　for　ever。

Conceiving　that　when　an　officer　is　not　successful　in　his　plans　it　is　absolutely　necessary　that　he　should　explain　the　motives　upon　which　they　were　founded；　Nelson　wrote　at　this　time　an　account　and　vindication　of　his　conduct　for　having　carried　the　fleet　to　Egypt。　The　objection　which　he　anticipated　was　that　he　ought　not　to　have　made　so　long　a　voyage　without　more　certain　information。　〃My　answer；〃　said　he；　〃is　ready。　Who　was　I　to　get　it　from？　The　governments　of　Naples　and　Sicily　either　knew　not；　or　chose　to　keep　me　in　ignorance。　Was　I　to　wait　patiently　until　I　heard　certain　accounts？　If　Egypt　were　their　object；　before　I　could　hear　of　them　they　would　have　been　in　India。　To　do　nothing　was　disgraceful；　therefore　I　made　use　of　my　understanding。　I　am　before　your　lordships'　judgment；　and　if；　under　all　circumstances；　it　is　decided　that　I　am　wrong；　I　ought；　for　the　sake　of　our　country；　to　be　superseded；　for　at　this　moment；　when　I　know　the　French　are　not　in　Alexandria；　I　hold　the　same　opinion　as　off　Cape　Passarothat；　under　all　circumstances；　I　was　right　in　steering　for　Alexandria；　and　by　that　opinion　I　must　stand　or　fall。〃　Captain　Ball；　to　whom　he　showed　this　paper；　told　him　he　should　recommend　a　friend　never　to　begin　a　defence　of　his　conduct　before　he　was　accused　of　error：　he　might　give　the　fullest　reasons　for　what　he　had　done；　expressed　in　such　terms　as　would　evince　that　he　had　acted　from　the　strongest　conviction　of　being　right；　and　of　course　he　must　expect　that　the　public　would　view　it　in　the　same　light。　Captain　Ball　judged　rightly　of　the　public；　whose　first　impulses；　though；　from　want　of　sufficient　information；　they　must　frequently　be　erroneous；　are　generally　founded　upon　just　feelings。　But　the　public　are　easily　misled；　and　there　are　always　persons　ready　to　mislead　them。　Nelson　had　not　yet　attained　that　fame　which　compels　envy　to　be　silent；　and　when　it　was　known　in　England　that　he　had　returned　after　an　unsuccessful　pursuit；　it　was　said　that　he　deserved　impeachment；　and　Earl　St。　Vincent　was　severely　censured　for　having　sent　so　young　an　officer　upon　so　important　a　service。

Baffled　in　his　pursuit；　he　returned　to　Sicily。　The　Neapolitan　ministry　had　determined　to　give　his　squadron　no　assistance；　being　resolved　to　do　nothing　which　could　possibly　endanger　their　peace　with　the　French　Directory；　by　means；　however；　of　Lady　Hamilton's　influence　at　court；　he　procured　secret　orders　to　the　Sicilian　governors；　and　under　those　orders　obtained　everything　which　he　wanted　at　Syracusea　timely　supply；　without　which；　he　always　said；　he　could　not　have　recommenced　his　pursuit　with　any　hope　of　success。　〃It　is　an　old　saying；〃　said　he　in　his　letter；　〃that　the　devil's　children　have　the　devil's　luck。　I　cannot　to　this　moment　learn；　beyond　vague　conjecture；　where　the　French　fleet　have　gone　to；　and　having　gone　a　round　of　600　leagues；　at　this　season　of　the　year；　with　an　expedition　incredible；　here　I　am；　as　ignorant　of　the　situation　of　the　enemy　as　I　was　twenty…seven　days　ago。　Every　moment　I　have　to　regret　the　frigates　having　left　me；　had　one…half　of　them　been　with　me；　I　could　not　have　wanted　information。　Should　the　French　be　so　strongly　secured　in　port　that　I　cannot　get　at　them；　I　shall　immediately　shift　my　flag　into　some　other　ship；　and　send　the　VANGUARD　to　Naples　to　be　refitted；　for　hardly　any　person　but　myself　would　have　continued　on　service　so　long　in　such　a　wretched　state。〃　Vexed；　however；　and　disappointed　as　he　was；　Nelson；　with　the　true　spirit　of　a　hero；　was　still　full　of　hope。　〃Thanks　to　your　exertions；〃　said　he；　writing　to　Sir。　William　and　Lady　Hamilton；　〃we　have　victualled　and　watered；　and　surely　watering　at　the　fountain　of　Arethusa；　we　must　have　victory。　We　shall　sail　with　the　first　breeze；　and　be　assured　I　will　return　either　crowned　with　laurel　or　covered　with　cypress。〃　Earl　St。　Vincent　he　assured；　that　if　the　French　were　above　water　he　would　find　them　out：　he　still　held　his　opinion　that　they　were　bound　for　Egypt：　〃but；〃　said　he　to　the　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty；　〃be　they　bound　to　the　Antipodes；　your　lordship　may　rely　that　I　will　not　lose　a　moment　in　bringing　them　to　action。〃

On　the　25th　of　July　he　sailed　from　Syracuse　for　the　Morea。　Anxious　beyond　measure；　and　irritated　that　the　enemy　should　so　long　have　eluded　him；　the　tediousness　of　the　nights　made　him　impatient；　and　the　officer　of　the　watch　was　repeatedly　called　on　to　let　him　know　the　hour；　and　convince　him；　who　measured　time　by　his　own　eagerness；　that　it　was　not　yet　daybreak。　The　squadron　made　the　Gulf　of　Coron　on　the　28th。　Troubridge　entered　the　port；　and　returned　with　intelligence　that　the　French　fleet　had　been　seen　about　four　weeks　before　steering　to　the　S。E。　from　Candia。　Nelson　then　determined　immediately　to　return　to　Alexandria；　and　the　British　fleet　accordingly；　with　every　sail　set；　stood　once　more　for　the　coast　of　Egypt。　On　the　1st　of　August；　about　10　in　the　morning；　they　came　in　sight　of　Alexandria：　the　port　had　been　vacant　and　solitary　when　they　saw　it　last；　it　was　now　crowded　with　ships；　and　they　perceived　with　exultation　that　the　tri…coloured　flag　was　flying　upon　the　walls。　At　four　in　the　afternoon；　Captain　Hood；　in　the　ZEALOUS；　made　the　signal　for　the　enemy's　fleet。　For　many　preceding　days　Nelson　had　hardly　taken　either　sleep　or　food：　he　now　ordered　his　dinner　to　be　served；　while　preparations　were　making　for　battle；　and　when　his　officers　rose　from　table；　and　went　to　their　separate　　stations；　he　said　to　them；　〃Before　this　time　to…morrow　I　shall　have　gained　a　peerage　or　Westminster　Abbey。〃

The　French；　steering　direct　for　Candia；　had　made　an　angular　passage　for　Alexandria；　whereas　Nelson；　in　pursuit　of　them；　made　straight　for　that　place；　and　thus　materially　shortened　the　distance。　The　comparative　smallness　of　his　force　made　it　necessary　to　sail　in　close　order；　and　it　covered　a　less　space　than　it　would　have　done　if　the　frigates　had　been　with　him：　the　weather　also　was　constantly　hazy。　These　circumstances　prevented　the　English　from　discovering　the　enemy　on　the　way　to　Egypt；　though　it　appeared；　upon　examining　the　journals　of　the　French　officers　taken　in　the　action；　that　the　two　fleets　must　actually　have　crossed　on　the　night　of　the　22nd　of　June。　During　the　return　to　Syracuse；　the　chances　of　falling　in　with　them　were　become　fewer。

Why　Buonaparte；　having　effected　his　landing；　should　not　have　suffered　the　fleet　to　return；　has　never　yet　been　explained。　This　much　is　certain；　that　it　was　detained　by　his　command；　though；　with　his　accustomed　falsehood；　he　accused　Admiral　Brueys；　after　that　officer's　death；　of　having　lingered　on　the　coast　contrary　to　orders。　The　French　fleet　arrived　at　Alexandria　on　the　1st　of　July；　and　Brueys；　not　being　able　to　enter　the　port；　which　time　and　neglect　had　ruined；　moored　his　ships　in　Aboukir　Bay；　in　a　strong　and　compact　line　of　battle；　the　headmost　vessel；　according　to　his　own　account；　being　as　close　as　possible　to　a　shoal　on　the　N。W。；　and　the　rest　of　the　fleet　forming　a　kind　of　curve　along　the　line　of　deep　water；　so　as　not　to　be　turned　by　any　means　in　the　S。W。　By　Buonaparte's　desire　he　had　offered　a　reward　of　10；000　livres　to　any　pilot　of　the　country　who　would　carry　the　squadron　in；　but　none　could　be　found　who　would　venture　to　take　charge　of　a　single　vessel　drawing　more　than　twenty　feet。　He　had　therefore　made　the　best　of　his　situation；　and　chosen　the　strongest　position　which　he　could　possibly　take　in　an　open　road。　The　　commissary　of　the　fleet　said　they　were　moored　in　such　a　manner　as　to　bid　defiance　to　a　force　more　than　double　their　own。　This　presumption　could　not　then　be　thought　unreasonable。　Admiral　Barrington；　when　moored　in　a　similar　manner　off　St。　Lucia；　in　the　year　1778；　beat　off　the　Comte　d'Estaign　in　three　several　attacks；　though　his　force　was　inferior　by　almost　one…third　to　that　which　assailed　it。　Here；　the　advantage　in　numbers；　both　in　ships；　guns；　and　men；　was　in　favour　of　the　French。　They　had　thirteen　ships　of　the　line　and　four　frigates；　carrying　1196　guns　and　11；230　men。　The　English　had　the　same　number　of　ships　of　the　line　and　one　fifty…gun　ship；　carrying　1012　guns　and　8068　men。　The　English　ships　were　all　seventy…fours；　the　French　had　three　eighty…gun　ships；　and　one　three…decker　of　one　hundred　and　twenty。

During　the　whole　pursuit　it　had　been　Nelson's　practice；　whenever　circumstances　would　permit；　to　have　his　captains　on　board　the　VANGUARD；　and　explain　to　them　his　own　ideas　of　the　different　and　best　modes　of　attack；　and　such　plans　as　he　proposed　to　execute　on　falling　in　with　the　enemy；　whatever　their　situation　might　be。　There　is　no　possible　position；　it　is　said；　which　he　did　not　take　into　calculation。　His　officers　were　thus　fully　acquainted　with　his　principles　of　tactics；　and　such　was　his　confidence　in　their　abilities　that　the　only　thing　determined　upon；　in　case　they　should　find　the　French　at　anchor；　was　for　the　ships　to　form　as　most　convenient　for　their　mutual　support；　and　to　anchor　by　the