the life of horatio lord nelson-第28章

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Prince　Royal　of　Naples　in　the　admiral's　ship。　A　flag　of　truce　was　flying　on　the　castles；　and　on　board　the　SEAHORSE。　Nelson　made　a　signal　to　annul　the　treaty；　declaring　that　he　would　grant　rebels　no　other　terms　than　those　of　unconditional　submission。　The　cardinal　objected　to　this：　nor　could　all　the　arguments　of　Nelson；　Sir　W。　Hamilton；　and　Lady　Hamilton；　who　took　an　active　part　in　the　conference；　convince　him　that　a　treaty　of　such　a　nature；　solemnly　concluded；　could　honourably　be　set　aside。　He　retired　at　last；　silenced　by　Nelson's　authority；　but　not　convinced。　Captain　Foote　was　sent　out　of　the　bay；　and　the　garrisons；　taken　out　of　the　castles　under　pretence　of　carrying　the　treaty　into　effect；　were　delivered　over　as　rebels　to　the　vengeance　of　the　Sicilian　court。　A　deplorable　transaction！　a　stain　upon　the　memory　of　Nelson　and　the　honour　of　England！　To　palliate　it　would　be　in　vain；　to　justify　it　would　be　wicked：　there　is　no　alternative；　for　one　who　will　not　make　himself　a　participator　in　guilt；　but　to　record　the　disgraceful　story　with　sorrow　and　with　shame。

Prince　Francesco　Caraccioli；　a　younger　branch　of　one　of　the　noblest　Neapolitan　families；　escaped　from　one　of　these　castles　before　it　capitulated。　He　was　at　the　head　of　the　marine；　and　was　nearly　seventy　years　of　age；　bearing　a　high　character；　both　for　professional　and　personal　merit。　He　had　accompanied　the　court　to　Sicily；　but　when　the　revolutionary　government；　or　Parthenopean　Republic；　as　it　was　called；　issued　an　edict；　ordering　all　absent　Neapolitans　to　return　on　pain　of　confiscation　of　their　property；　he　solicited　and　obtained　permission　of　the　king　to　return；　his　estates　being　very　great。　It　is　said　that　the　king；　when　he　granted　him　this　permission；　warned　him　not　to　take　any　part　in　politics；　expressing　at　the　same　time　his　own　persuasion　that　he　should　recover　his　kingdom。　But　neither　the　king；　nor　he　himself；　ought　to　have　imagined　that；　in　such　times；　a　man　of　such　reputation　would　be　permitted　to　remain　inactive；　and　it　soon　appeared　that　Caraccioli　was　again　in　command　of　the　navy；　and　serving　under　the　republic　against　his　late　sovereign。　The　sailors　reported　that　he　was　forced　to　act　thus；　and　this　was　believed；　till　it　was　seen　that　he　directed　ably　the　offensive　operations　of　the　revolutionists；　and　did　not　avail　himself　of　opportunities　for　escaping　when　they　offered。　When　the　recovery　of　Naples　was　evidently　near；　he　applied　to　Cardinal　Ruffo；　and　to　the　Duke　of　Calvirrano；　for　protection；　expressing　his　hope　that　the　few　days　during　which　he　had　been　forced　to　obey　the　French　would　not　outweigh　forty　years　of　faithful　services；　but　perhaps　not　receiving　such　assurances　as　he　wished；　and　knowing　too　well　the　temper　of　the　Sicilian　court；　he　endeavoured　to　secrete　himself；　and　a　price　was　set　upon　his　head。　More　unfortunately　for　others　than　for　himself；　he　was　brought　in　alive；　having　been　discovered　in　the　disguise　of　a　peasant；　and　carried　one　morning　on　board　Lord　Nelson's　ship；　with　his　hands　tied　behind　him。

Caraccioli　was　well　known　to　the　British　officers；　and　had　been　ever　highly　esteemed　by　all　who　knew　him。　Captain　Hardy　ordered　him　immedi…　ately　to　be　unbound；　and　to　be　treated　with　all　those　attentions　which　he　felt　due　to　a　man　who；　when　last　on　board　the　FOUDROYANT；　had　been　received　as　an　admiral　and　a　prince。　Sir　William　and　Lady　Hamilton　were　in　the　ship；　but　Nelson；　it　is　affirmed；　saw　no　one　except　his　own　officers　during　the　tragedy　which　ensued。　His　own　determination　was　made；　and　he　issued　an　order　to　the　Neapolitan　commodore；　Count　Thurn；　to　assemble　a　court…martial　of　Neapolitan　officers；　on　board　the　British　flag…ship；　proceed　immediately　to　try　the　prisoner；　and　report　to　him；　if　the　charges　were　proved；　what　punishment　he　ought　to　suffer。　These　proceedings　were　as　rapid　as　possible；　Caraccioli　was　brought　on　board　at　nine　in　the　forenoon；　and　the　trial　began　at　ten。　It　lasted　two　hours：　he　averred　in　his　defence　that　he　had　acted　under　compulsion；　having　been　compelled　to　serve　as　a　common　soldier；　till　he　consented　to　take　command　of　the　fleet。　This；　the　apologists　of　Lord　Nelson　say；　he　failed　in　proving。　They　forget　that　the　possibility　of　proving　it　was　not　allowed　him；　for　he　was　brought　to　trial　within　an　hour　after　he　was　legally　in　arrest；　and　how；　in　that　time；　was　he　to　collect　his　witnesses？　He　was　found　guilty；　and　sentenced　to　death；　and　Nelson　gave　orders　that　the　sentence　should　be　carried　into　effect　that　evening；　at　five　o'clock；　on　board　the　Sicilian　frigate；　LA　MINERVA；　by　hanging　him　at　the　fore…yard…arm　till　sunset；　when　the　body　was　to　be　cut　down　and　thrown　into　the　sea。　Caraccioli　requested　Lieut。　Parkinson；　under　whose　custody　he　was　placed；　to　intercede　with　Lord　Nelson　for　a　second　trialfor　this；　among　other　reasons；　that　Count　Thurn；　who　presided　at　the　court…martial；　was　notoriously　his　personal　enemy。　Nelson　made　answer；　that　the　prisoner　had　been　fairly　tried　by　the　officers　of　his　own　country；　and　he　could　not　interfere；　forgetting　that；　if　he　felt　himself　justified　in　ordering　the　trial　and　the　execution；　no　human　being　could　ever　have　questioned　the　propriety　of　his　interfering　on　the　side　of　mercy。　Caraccioli　then　entreated　that　he　might　be　shot。　〃I　am　an　old　man；　sir；〃　said　he：　〃I　leave　no　family　to　lament　me；　and　therefore　cannot　be　supposed　to　be　very　anxious　about　prolonging　my　life；　but　the　disgrace　of　being　hanged　is　dreadful　to　me。〃　When　this　was　repeated　to　Nelson；　he　only　told　the　lieutenant；　with　much　agitation；　to　go　and　attend　his　duty。　As　a　last　hope；　Caraccioli　asked　the　lieutenant　if　he　thought　an　application　to　Lady　Hamilton　would　be　beneficial？　Parkinson　went　to　seek　her；　she　was　not　to　be　seen　on　this　occasion；　but　she　was　present　at　the　execution。　She　had　the　most　devoted　attachment　to　the　Neapolitan　court；　and　the　hatred　which　she　felt　against　those　whom　she　regarded　as　its　enemies；　made　her　at　this　time　forget　what　was　due　to　the　character　of　her　sex　as　well　as　of　her　country。　Here；　also；　a　faithful　historian　is　called　upon　to　pronounce　a　severe　and　unqualified　condemnation　of　Nelson's　conduct。　Had　he　the　authority　of　his　Sicilian　majesty　for　proceeding　as　he　did？　If　so；　why　was　not　that　authority　produced？　If　not；　why　were　the　proceedings　hurried　on　without　it？　Why　was　the　trial　precipitated；　so　that　it　was　impossible　for　the　prisoner；　if　he　had　been　innocent；　to　provide　the　witnesses；　who　might　have　proved　him　so？　Why　was　a　second　trial　refused；　when　the　known　animosity　of　the　president　of　the　court　against　the　prisoner　was　considered？　Why　was　the　execution　hastened；　so　as　to　preclude　any　appeal　for　mercy；　and　render　the　prerogative　of　mercy　useless？　Doubtless；　the　British　Admiral　seemed　to　himself　to　be　acting　under　a　rigid　sense　of　justice；　but　to　all　other　persons　it　was　obvious　that　he　was　influenced　by　an　　infatuated　attachmenta　baneful　passion；　which　destroyed　his　domestic　happiness；　and　now；　in　a　second　instance；　stained　ineffaceably　his　public　character。

The　body　was　carried　out　to　a　considerable　distance；　and　sunk　in　the　bay；　with　three　double…headed　shot；　weighing　250　lbs。；　tied　to　its　legs。　Between　two　or　three　weeks　afterward；　when　the　king　was　on　board　the　FOUDROYANT；　a　Neapolitan　fisherman　came　to　the　ship；　and　solemnly　declared　that　Caraccioli　had　risen　from　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　and　was　coming　as　fast　as　he　could　to　Naples；　swimming　half　out　of　the　water。　Such　an　account　was　listened　to　like　a　tale　of　idle　credulity。　The　day　being　fair；　Nelson；　to　please　the　king；　stood　out　to　sea；　but　the　ship　had　not　proceeded　far　before　a　body　was　distinctly　seen；　upright　in　the　water；　and　approaching　them。　It　was　soon　recognised　to　be　indeed　the　corpse　of　Caraccioli；　which　had　risen　and　floated；　while　the　great　weights　attached　to　the　legs　kept　the　body　in　a　position　like　that　of　a　living　man。　A　fact　so　　extraordinary　astonished　the　king；　and　perhaps　excited　some　feeling　of　superstitious　fear；　akin　to　regret。　He　gave　permission　for　the　body　to　be　taken　on　shore　and　receive　Christian　burial。　It　produced　no　better　effect。　Naples　exhibited　more　dreadful　scenes　than　it　had　witnessed　in　the　days　of　Massaniello。　After　the　mob　had　had　their　fill　of　blood　and　plunder；　the　reins　were　given　to　justiceif　that　can　be　called　justice　which　annuls　its　own　stipulations；　looks　to　the　naked　facts　alone；　disregarding　all　motives　and　all　circumstances；　and　without　considering　character；　or　science；　or　sex；　or　youth；　sacrifices　its　victims；　not　for　the　public　weal；　but　for　the　gratification　of　greedy　vengeance。

The　castles　of　St。　Elmo；　Gaieta；　and　Capua　remained　to　be　subdued。　On　the　land　side　there　was　no　danger　that　the　French　in　these　garrisons　should　be　relieved；　for　Suvarof　was　now　beginning　to　drive　the　enemy　before　him；　but　Nelson　thought　his　presence　necessary　in　the　bay　of　Naples：　and　when　Lord　Keith；　having　received　intelligence　that　the　French　and　Spanish　fleets　had　formed　a　junction；　and　sailed　for　Carthagena；　ordered　him　to　repair　to　Minorca　with　the　whole　or　the　greater　part　of　his　force；　he　sent　Admiral　Duckworth　with　a　small　part　only。　This　was　a　dilemma　which　he　had　foreseen。　〃Should　such　an　order　come　at　this　moment；〃　he　said；　in　a　letter　previously　written　to　the　Admiralty；　〃it　would　be　a　case　for　some　consideration；　whether　Minorca　is　to　be　risked；　or　the　two　kingdoms　of　Naples　and　Sicily；　I　rather　think　my　decision　would　be　to　risk　the　former。〃　And　after　he　had　acted　upon　this　opinion；　he　wrote　in　these　terms　to　the　Duke　of　Clarence；　with　whose　high　notions　of　obedience　he　was　well　acquainted：　〃I　am　well　aware　of　the　consequences　of　disobeying　my　orders；　but　as　I　have　often　before　risked　my　life　for　the　good　cause；　so　I　with　cheerfulness　did　my　commission；　for　although　a　military　tribunal　may　think　me　criminal；　the　world　will　approve　of　my　conduct；　and　I　regard　not　my　own　safety　when　the　honour　of　my　king　is　at　stake。〃

Nelson　was　right　in　his　judgment：　no　attempt　was　made　on　Minorca：　and　the　expulsion　of　the　French　from　Naples　may　rather　be　said　to　have　been　effected　than　accelerated　by　the　English　and　Portuguese　of　the　allied　fleet；　acting　upon　shore；　under　Troubridge。　The　French　commandant　at　St。　Elmo；　relying　upon　the　strength　of　the　place；　and　the　nature　of　the　force　which　attacked　it；　had　insulted　Captain　Foote　in　the　grossest　terms；　but　CITOYEN　Mejan　was　soon　taught　better　manners；　when　Trou…　bridge；　in　spite　of　every　obstacle；　opened　five　batteries　upon　the　fort。　He　was　informed　that　none　of　his　letters；　with　the　insolent　printed　words　at　the　top；　LIBERTE　EQALITE；　GUERRE　AUX　TYRANS；　&c。　would　be　received；　but　that　if　he　wrote　like　a　soldier　and　a　gentleman　he　would　be　answered　in　the　same　style。　The　Frenchman　then　began　to　flatter　his　antagonist　upon　the　BIENFAISANCE　and　HUMANITE　which；　he　said；　were　the　least　of　the　many　virtues　which　distinguished　Monsieur　Troubridge。　Monsieur　Troubridge's　BIENFAISANCE　was　at　this　time　thinking　of　mining　the　fort。　〃If　we　can　accomplish　that；〃　said　he；〃I　am　a　strong　advocate　to　send　them；　hostages　and　all；　to　Old　Nick；　and　surprise　him　with　a　group　of　nobility　and　republicans。　Meantime；〃　he　added；〃it　was　some　satisfaction　to　perceive　that　the　shells　fell　well；　and　broke　some　of　their　shins。〃　Finally；　to　complete　his　character；　Mejan　offer