the life of horatio lord nelson-第42章

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ncere　promise；　if　his　captain　will　intercede　to　prevent　the　impending　court…martial；　never　to　so　misbehave　again。　On　his　captain's　enclosing　me　such　a　letter；　with　a　request　to　cancel　the　order　for　the　trial；　I　might　be　induced　to　do　it；　but　the　letters　and　reprimand　will　be　given　in　the　public　order…book　of　the　fleet；　and　read　to　all　the　officers。　The　young　man　has　pushed　himself　forward　to　notice；　and　he　must　take　the　consequence。　It　was　upon　the　quarter…deck；　in　the　face　of　the　ship's　company；　that　he　treated　his　captain　with　contempt；　and　I　am　in　duty　bound　to　support　the　authority　and　consequence　of　every　officer　under　my　command。　A　poor　ignorant　seaman　is　for　ever　punished　for　contempt　to　HIS　superiors。〃

A　dispute　occurred　in　the　fleet　while　it　was　off　Toulon；　which　called　forth　Nelson's　zeal　for　the　rights　and　interests　of　the　navy。　Some　young　artillery　officers；　serving　on　board　the　bomb　vessels；　refused　to　let　their　men　perform　any　other　duty　but　what　related　to　the　mortars。　They　wished　to　have　it　established　that　their　corps　was　not　subject　to　the　captain's　authority。　The　same　pretensions　were　made　in　the　Channel　fleet　about　the　same　time；　and　the　artillery　rested　their　claims　to　separate　and　independent　authority　on　board；　upon　a　clause　in　the　act；　which　they　interpreted　in　their　favour。　Nelson　took　up　the　subject　with　all　the　earnestness　which　its　importance　deserved。　〃There　is　no　real　happiness　in　this　world；〃　said　he；　writing　to　Earl　St。　Vincent；　as　first　lord。　〃With　all　content　and　smiles　around　me；　up　start　these　artillery　boys　（I　understand　they　are　not　beyond　that　age）；　and　set　us　at　defiance；　speaking　in　the　most　disrespectful　manner　of　the　navy　and　its　commanders。　I　know　you；　my　dear　lord；　so　well；　that　with　your　quickness　the　matter　would　have　been　settled；　and　perhaps　some　of　them　been　broke。　I　am　perhaps　more　patient；　but　I　do　assure　you　not　less　resolved；　if　my　plan　of　conciliation　is　not　attended　to。　You　and　I　are　on　the　eve　of　quitting　the　theatre　of　our　exploits；　but　we　hold　it　due　to　our　successors　never；　whilst　we　have　a　tongue　to　speak　or　a　hand　to　write；　to　allow　the　navy　to　be　in　the　smallest　degree　injured　in　its　discipline　by　our　conduct。〃　To　Troubridge　he　wrote　in　the　same　spirit：　〃It　is　the　old　history；　trying　to　do　away　the　act　of　parliament；　but　I　trust　they　will　never　succeed；　for　when　they　do；　farewell　to　our　naval　superiority。　We　should　be　prettily　　commanded！　Let　them　once　gain　the　step　of　being　independent　of　the　navy　on　board　a　ship；　and　they　will　soon　have　the　other；　and　command　us。　But；　thank　God！　my　dear　Troubridge；　the　king　himself　cannot　do　away　the　act　of　parliament。　Although　my　career　is　nearly　run；　yet　it　would　embitter　my　future　days；　and　expiring　moments；　to　hear　of　our　navy　being　sacrificed　to　the　army。〃　As　the　surest　way　of　preventing　such　disputes；　he　suggested　that　the　navy　should　have　it's　own　corps　of　artillery；　and　a　corps　of　marine　artillery　was　accordingly　established。

Instead　of　lessening　the　power　of　the　commander；　Nelson　would　have　wished　to　see　it　increased：　it　was　absolutely　necessary；　he　thought；　that　merit　should　be　rewarded　at　the　moment；　and　that　the　officers　of　the　fleet　should　look　up　to　the　commander…in…chief　for　their　reward。　He　himself　was　never　more　happy　than　when　he　could　promote　those　who　were　deserving　of　promotion。　Many　were　the　services　which　he　thus　rendered　unsolicited；　and　frequently　the　officer；　in　whose　behalf　he　had　interested　himself　with　the　Admiralty；　did　not　know　to　whose　friendly　interference　he　was　indebted　for　his　good　fortune。　He　used　to　say；　〃I　wish　it　to　appear　as　a　God…send。〃　The　love　which　he　bore　the　navy　made　him　promote　the　interests；　and　honour　the　memory；　of　all　who　had　added　to　its　glories。　〃The　near　relations　of　brother　officers；〃　he　said；　〃he　considered　as　legacies　to　the　service。〃　Upon　mention　being　made　to　him　of　a　son　of　Rodney；　by　the　Duke　of　Clarence；　his　reply　was：　〃I　agree　with　your　Royal　Highness　most　entirely；　that　the　son　of　a　Rodney　ought　to　be　the　PROTEGE　of　every　person　in　the　kingdom；　and　particularly　of　the　　sea…officers。　Had　I　known　that　there　had　been　this　claimant；　some　of　my　own　lieutenants　must　have　given　way　to　such　a　name；　and　he　should　have　been　placed　in　the　VICTORY：　she　is　full；　and　I　have　twenty　on　my　list；　but；　whatever　numbers　I　have；　the　name　of　Rodney　must　cut　many　of　them　out。〃　Such　was　the　proper　sense　which　Nelson　felt　of　what　was　due　to　splendid　services　and　illustrious　names。　His　feelings　toward　the　brave　men　who　had　served　with　him　are　shown　by　a　note　in　his　diary；　which　was　probably　not　intended　for　any　other　eye　than　his　own：　〃Nov。　7。　I　had　the　comfort　of　making　an　old　AGAMEMNON；　George　Jones；　a　gunner　into　the　CHAMELEON　brig。〃

When　Nelson　took　the　command；　it　was　expected　that　the　　Mediterranean　would　be　an　active　scene。　Nelson　well　understood　the　character　of　the　perfidious　Corsican；　who　was　now　sole　tyrant　of　France；　and　knowing　that　he　was　as　ready　to　attack　his　friends　as　his　enemies；　knew；　therefore；　that　nothing　could　be　more　uncertain　than　the　direction　of　the　fleet　from　Toulon；　whenever　it　should　put　to　sea。　〃It　had　as　many　destinations；〃　he　said；　〃as　there　were　countries。〃　The　momentous　revolutions　of　the　last　ten　years　had　given　him　ample　matter　for　reflection；　as　well　as　opportunities　for　observation：　the　film　was　cleared　from　his　eyes；　and　now；　when　the　French　no　longer　went　abroad　with　the　cry　of　liberty　and　equality；　he　saw　that　the　oppression　and　misrule　of　the　powers　which　had　been　opposed　to　them；　had　been　the　main　causes　of　their　success；　and　that　those　causes　would　still　prepare　the　way　before　them。　Even　in　Sicily；　where；　if　it　had　been　possible　longer　to　blind　himself；　Nelson　would　willingly　have　seen　no　evil；　he　perceived　that　the　people　wished　for　a　change；　and　acknowledged　that　they　had　reason　to　wish　for　it。　In　Sardinia　the　same　burden　of　misgovernment　was　felt；　and　the　people；　like　the　Sicilians；　were　impoverished　by　a　government　so　utterly　incompetent　to　perform　its　first　and　most　essential　duties　that　it　did　not　protect　its　own　coasts　from　the　Barbary　pirates。　He　would　fain　have　had　us　purchase　this　island　（the　finest　in　the　Mediterranean）　from　its　sovereign；　who　did　not　receive　L5000　a　year　from　it　after　its　wretched　establishment　was　paid。　There　was　reason　to　think　that　France　was　preparing　to　possess　herself　of　this　important　point；　which　afforded　our　fleet　facilities　for　watching　Toulon；　not　to　be　obtained　elsewhere。　An　expedition　was　preparing　at　Corsica　for　the　purpose；　and　all　the　Sardes；　who　had　taken　part　with　revolutionary　France；　were　ordered　to　assemble　there。　It　was　certain　that　if　the　attack　were　made　it　would　succeed。　Nelson　thought　that　the　only　means　to　prevent　Sardinia　from　becoming　French　was　to　make　it　English；　and　that　half　a　million　would　give　the　king　a　rich　price；　and　England　a　cheap　purchase。　A　better；　and　therefore　a　wiser　policy；　would　have　been　to　exert　our　influence　in　removing　the　abuses　of　the　government；　for　foreign　dominion　is　always；　in　some　degree；　an　evil　and　allegiance　neither　can　nor　ought　to　be　made　a　thing　of　bargain　and　sale。　Sardinia；　like　Sicily　and　Corsica；　is　large　enough　to　form　a　separate　state。　Let　us　hope　that　these　islands　may　one　day　be　made　free　and　independent。　Freedom　and　independence　will　bring　with　them　industry　and　prosperity；and　wherever　these　are　found；　arts　and　letters　will　flourish；　and　the　improvement　of　the　human　race　proceed。

The　proposed　attack　was　postponed。　Views　of　wider　ambition　were　opening　upon　Buonaparte；　who　now　almost　undisguisedldy　aspired　to　make　himself　master　of　the　continent　of　Europe；　and　Austria　was　preparing　for　another　struggle；　to　be　conducted　as　weakly　and　terminated　as　miserably　as　the　former。　Spain；　too；　was　once　more　to　be　involved　in　war　by　the　policy　of　France：　that　perfidious　government　having　in　view　the　double　object　of　employing　the　Spanish　resources　against　England；　and　exhausting　them　in　order　to　render　Spain　herself　finally　its　prey。　Nelson；　who　knew　that　England　and　the　Peninsula　ought　to　be　in　alliance；　for　the　common　interest　of　both；　frequently　expressed　his　hopes　that　Spain　might　resume　her　natural　rank　among　the　nations。　〃We　ought；〃　he　said；　〃by　mutual　consent；　to　be　the　very　best　friends；　and　both　to　be　ever　hostile　to　France。〃　But　he　saw　that　Buonaparte　was　meditating　the　destruction　of　Spain；　and　that；　while　the　wretched　court　of　Madrid　professed　to　remain　neutral；　the　appearances　of　neutrality　were　scarcely　preserved；　An　order　of　the　year　1771；　excluding　British　ships　of　war　from　the　Spanish　ports；　was　revived；　and　put　in　force：　while　French　privateers；　from　these　very　ports；　annoyed　the　British　trade；　carried　their　prizes　in；　and　sold　them　even　at　Barcelona。　Nelson　complained　of　this　to　the　captain…general　of　Catalonia；　informing　him　that　he　claimed；　for　every　British　ship　or　squadron；　the　right　of　lying；　as　long　as　it　pleased；　in　the　ports　of　Spain；　while　that　right　was　allowed　to　other　powers。　To　the　British　Ambassador　he　said：　〃I　am　ready　to　make　large　allowances　for　the　miserable　situation　Spain　has　placed　herself　in；　but　there　is　a　certain　line；　beyond　which　I　cannot　submit　to　be　treated　with　disrespect。　We　have　given　up　French　vessels　taken　within　gunshot　of　the　Spanish　shore；　and　yet　French　vessels　are　permitted　to　attack　our　ships　from　the　Spanish　shore。　Your　excellency　may　assure　the　Spanish　government　that；　in　whatever　place　the　Spaniards　allow　the　French　to　attack　us；　in　that　place　I　shall　order　the　French　to　be　attacked。〃

During　this　state　of　things；　to　which　the　weakness　of　Spain；　and　not　her　will；　consented；　the　enemy's　fleet　did　not　venture　to　put　to　sea。　Nelson　watched　it　with　unremitting　and　almost　unexampled　perseverance。　The　station　off　Toulon　he　called　his　home。　〃We　are　in　the　right　fighting　trim；〃　said　he：　〃let　them　come　as　soon　as　they　please。　I　never　saw　a　fleet　altogether　so　well　officered　and　manned；　would　to　God　the　ships　were　half　as　good！　The　finest　ones　in　the　service　would　soon　be　destroyed　by　such　terrible　weather。　I　know　well　enough　that　if　I　were　to　go　into　Malta　I　should　save　the　ships　during　this　bad　season；　but　if　I　am　to　watch　the　French　I　must　be　at　sea；　and　if　at　sea；　must　have　bad　weather；　and　if　the　ships　are　not　fit　to　stand　bad　weather；　they　are　useless。〃　Then　only　he　was　satisfied　and　at　ease　when　he　had　the　enemy　in　view。　Mr。　Elliot；　our　minister　at　Naples；　seems　at　this　time　to　have　proposed　to　send　a　confidential　Frenchman　to　him　with　information。　〃I　should　be　very　happy；〃　he　replied；　〃to　receive　authentic　intelligence　of　the　destination　of　the　French　squadron；　their　route；　and　time　of　sailing。　Anything　short　of　this　is　useless；　and　I　assure　your　excellency；　that　I　would　not　upon　any　consideration　have　a　Frenchman　in　the　fleet；　except　as　a　prisoner。　I　put　no　confidence　in　them。　You　think　yours　good；　the　queen　thinks　the　same；　I　believe　they　are　all　alike。　Whatever　information　you　can　get　me　I　shall　be　very　thankful　for；　but　not　a　Frenchman　comes　here。　Forgive　me；　but　my　mother　hated　the　French。〃

M。　Latouche　Treville；　who　had　commanded　at　Boulogne；　commanded　now　at　Toulon。　〃He　was　sent　for　on　purpose；〃　said　Nelson；　〃as　he　BEAT　ME　at　Boulogne；　to　beat　me　again；　but　he　seems　very　loath　to　try。〃　One　day；　whi