the life of horatio lord nelson-第31章

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ting　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was　satisfied　with　their　professions；　instead　of　insisting　that　the　restrictions　upon　the　exportation　of　corn　should　be　withdrawn。　The　anxiety；　however；　which　he　endured；　affected　him　so　deeply　that　he　said　it　had　broken　his　spirit　for　ever。　Happily；　all　that　Troubridge　with　so　much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　numbers　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。　The　Neapolitan　government　complained　to　the　English　ambassador；　and　the　complaint　was　communicated　to　Nelson；　who；　in　return；　requested　Sir　William　Hamilton　would　fully　and　plainly　state；　that　the　act　ought　not　to　be　considered　as　any　intended　disrespect　to　his　Sicilian　Majesty；　but　as　of　the　most　absolute　and　imperious　necessity；　the　alternative　being　either　of　abandoning　Malta　to　the　French；　or　of　anticipating　the　king's　orders　for　carrying　the　corn　in　those　vessels　to　Malta。　〃I　trust；〃　he　added；　〃that　the　government　of　the　country　will　never　again　force　any　of　our　royal　master's　servants　to　so　unpleasant　an　alternative。〃　Thus　ended　the　complaint　of　the　Neapolitan　court。　〃The　sole　result　was；〃　says　Mr。　Coleridge；　〃that　the　governor　of　Malta　became　an　especial　object　of　its　hatred；　its　fears；　and　its　respect。〃

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　GENEREUX　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　was　now　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　GENEREUX　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　Buonaparte　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　happi…　ness；　to　have　the　Nile　fleet　all　taken；　under　my　orders　and　regul…　ations！〃　The　two　frigates　still　remained　in　La　Valette；　before　its　sur…　render　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。　Troubridge　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　Sidney　Smith　had　been　sent　to　Egypt　with　orders　to　take　under　his　command　the　squadron　which　Nelson　had　left　there。　Sir　Sidney　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　heart…burnings；　however；　still　remained；　and　some　incautious　expressions　of　Sir　Sidney'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　Sidney　as　to　the　policy　which　ought　to　be　pursued　toward　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　Troubridge　on　one　side　and　Captain　Barre　on　the　other；　that　none　of　them　should　serve　until　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　Buonaparte；〃　said　he；　〃are　entirely　destitute　of　every　principle　of　honour：　they　have　always　acted　like　licentious　thieves。〃　Buonaparte'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　sumand；　poor　as　I　am；　I　were　never　to　see　prize…money。〃

A　ship　could　not　be　spared　to　convey　him　to　England；　he　therefore　travelled　through　Germany　to　Hamburgh；　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　ascendancy　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　magnificencea　hundred　grenadiers；　each　six　feet　in　height；　constantly　waiting　at　table。　At　Madgeburgh；　the　master　of　the　hotel　where　he　was　entertained　contrived　to　show　him　for　moneyadmitting　the　curious　to　mount　a　ladder；　and　peep　at　him　through　a　small　window。　A　wine　merchant　at　Hamburgh；　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　Hamburgh　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

1800　…　1801

Nelson　separates　himself　from　his　WifeNorthern　Confederacy　He