the life of horatio lord nelson-第7章

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erybody　is　so　afraid；　playing　in　the　next　room；　under　the　dining…　table；　with　Mrs。　Nisbet's　child！〃　A　few　days　afterwards　Mrs。　Nisbet　herself　was　first　introduced　to　him；　and　thanked　him　for　the　partiality　which　he　had　shown　to　her　little　boy。　Her　manners　were　mild　and　winning；　and　the　captain；　whose　heart　was　easily　susceptible　of　attachment；　found　no　such　imperious　necessity　for　subduing　his　inclinations　as　had　twice　before　withheld　him　from　marrying。　They　were　married　on　March　11；　1787：　Prince　William　Henry；　who　had　come　out　to　the　West　Indies　the　preceding　winter；　being　present；　by　his　own　desire；　to　give　away　the　bride。　Mr。　Herbert；　her　uncle；　was　at　this　time　so　much　displeased　with　his　only　daughter；　that　he　had　resolved　to　disinherit　her；　and　leave　his　whole　fortune；　which　was　very　great；　to　his　niece。　But　Nelson；　whose　nature　was　too　noble　to　let　him　profit　by　an　act　of　injustice；　interfered；　and　succeeded　in　reconciling　the　president　to　his　child。

〃Yesterday；〃　said　one　of　his　naval　friends　the　day　after　the　wedding；　〃the　navy　lost　one　of　its　greatest　ornaments　by　Nelson's　marriage。　It　is　a　national　loss　that　such　an　officer　should　marry：　had　it　not　been　for　this；　Nelson　would　have　become　the　greatest　man　in　the　service。〃　The　man　was　rightly　estimated；　but　he　who　delivered　this　opinion　did　not　understand　the　effect　of　domestic　love　and　duty　upon　a　mind　of　the　true　heroic　stamp。

〃We　are　often　separate；〃　said　Nelson；　in　a　letter　to　Mrs。　Nisbet　a　few　months　before　their　marriage；　〃but　our　affections　are　not　by　any　means　on　that　account　diminished。　Our　country　has　the　first　demand　for　our　services；　and　private　convenience　or　happiness　must　ever　give　way　to　the　public　good。　Duty　is　the　great　business　of　a　sea　officer：　all　private　considerations　must　give　way　to　it；　however　painful。〃　〃Have　you　not　often　heard；〃　says　he　in　another　letter；　〃that　salt　water　and　absence　always　wash　away　love　？　Now　I　am　such　a　heretic　as　not　to　believe　that　article；　for；　behold；　every　morning　I　have　had　six　pails　of　salt　water　poured　upon　my　head；　and　instead　of　finding　what　seamen　say　to　be　true；　it　goes　on　so　contrary　to　the　prescription；　that　you　may；　perhaps；　see　me　before　the　fixed　time。〃　More　frequently　his　correspondence　breathed　a　deeper　strain。　〃To　write　letters　to　you；〃　says　he；〃is　the　next　greatest　pleasure　I　feel　to　receiving　them　from　you。　What　I　experience　when　I　read　such　as　I　am　sure　are　the　pure　sentiments　of　your　heart；　my　poor　pen　cannot　express；　nor；　indeed；　would　I　give　much　for　any　pen　or　head　which　could　express　feelings　of　that　kind。　Absent　from　you；　I　feel　no　pleasure：　it　is　you　who　are　everything　to　me。　Without　you；　I　care　not　for　this　world；　for　I　have　found；　lately；　nothing　in　it　but　vexation　and　trouble。　These　are　my　present　sentiments。　God　Almighty　grant　they　may　never　change！　Nor　do　I　think　they　will。　Indeed　there　is；　as　far　as　human　knowledge　can　judge；　a　moral　certainty　that　they　cannot；　for　it　must　be　real　affection　that　brings　us　together；　not　interest　or　compulsion。〃　Such　were　the　feelings；　and　such　the　sense　of　duty；　with　which　Nelson　became　a　husband。

During　his　stay　upon　this　station　he　had　ample　opportunity　of　observing　the　scandalous　practices　of　the　contractors；　prize…agents；　and　other　persons　in　the　West　Indies　connected　with　the　naval　service。　When　he　was　first　left　with　the　command；　and　bills　were　brought　him　to　sign　for　money　which　was　owing　for　goods　purchased　for　the　navy；　he　required　the　original　voucher；　that　he　might　examine　whether　those　goods　had　been　really　purchased　at　the　market　price；　but　to　produce　vouchers　would　not　have　been　convenient；　and　therefore　was　not　the　custom。　Upon　this　Nelson　wrote　to　Sir　Charles　Middleton；　then　Comptroller　of　the　Navy；　representing　the　abuses　which　were　likely　to　be　practised　in　this　manner。　The　answer　which　he　received　seemed　to　imply　that　the　old　forms　were　thought　sufficient；　and　thus；　having　no　alternative；　he　was　compelled；　with　his　eyes　open；　to　submit　to　a　practice　originating　in　fraudulent　intentions。　Soon　afterwards　two　Antigua　merchants　informed　him　that　they　were　privy　to　great　frauds　which　had　been　committed　upon　government　in　various　departments；　at　Antigua；　to　the　amount　of　nearly　L500；000；　at　Lucie；　L300；000；　at　Barbadoes；　L250；000；　at　Jamaica；　upwards　of　a　million。　The　informers　were　both　shrewd　sensible　men　of　business；　they　did　not　affect　to　be　actuated　by　a　sense　of　justice；　but　required　a　per…centage　upon　so　much　as　government　should　actually　recover　through　their　means。　Nelson　examined　the　books　and　papers　which　they　produced；　and　was　convinced　that　government　had　been　most　infamously　plundered。　Vouchers；　he　found；　in　that　country；　were　no　check　whatever：　the　principle　was；　that　〃a　thing　was　always　worth　what　it　would　bring；〃　and　the　merchants　were　in　the　habit　of　signing　vouchers　for　each　other；　without　even　the　appearance　of　looking　at　the　articles。　These　accounts　he　sent　home　to　the　different　departments　which　had　been　defrauded；　but　the　peculators　were　too　powerful；　and　they　succeeded　not　merely　in　impeding　inquiry；　but　even　in　raising　prejudices　against　Nelson　at　the　Board　of　Admiralty；　which　it　was　many　years　before　he　could　subdue。

Owing　probably；　to　these　prejudices；　and　the　influence　of　the　peculators；　he　was　treated；　on　his　return　to　England；　in　a　manner　which　had　nearly　driven　him　from　the　service。　During　the　three　years　that　the　BOREAS　had　remained　upon　a　station　which　is　usually　so　fatal；　not　a　single　officer　or　man　of　her　whole　complement　had　died。　This　almost　unexampled　instance　of　good　health；　though　mostly；　no　doubt；　imputable　to　a　healthy　season；　must　in　some　measure；　also；　be　ascribed　to　the　wise　conduct　of　the　captain。　He　never　suffered　the　ships　to　remain　more　than　three　or　four　weeks　at　a　time　at　any　of　the　islands；　and　when　the　hurricane　months　confined　him　to　English　Harbour；　he　encouraged　all　kinds　of　useful　amusementsmusic；　dancing；　and　cudgelling　among　the　men；　theatricals　among　the　officers；　anything　which　could　employ　their　attention；　and　keep　their　spirits　cheerful。　The　BOREAS　arrived　in　England　in　June。　Nelson；　who　had　many　times　been　supposed　to　be　consumptive　when　in　the　West　Indies；　and　perhaps　was　saved　from　consumption　by　that　climate；　was　still　in　a　precarious　state　of　health；　and　the　raw　wet　weather　of　one　of　our　ungenial　summers　brought　on　cold；　and　sore　throat；　and　fever；　yet　his　vessel　was　kept　at　the　Nore　from　the　end　of　June　till　the　end　of　November；　serving　as　a　slop　and　receiving　ship。　This　unworthy　treatment；　which　more　probably　proceeded　from　inattention　than　from　neglect；　excited　in　Nelson　the　strongest　indignation。　During　the　whole　five　months　he　seldom　or　never　quitted　the　ship；　but　carried　on　the　duty　with　strict　and　sullen　attention。　On　the　morning　when　orders　were　received　to　prepare　the　BOREAS　for　being　paid　off；　he　expressed　his　joy　to　the　senior　officer　in　the　Medway；　saying；　〃It　will　release　me　for　ever　from　an　ungrateful　service；　for　it　is　my　firm　and　unalterable　determination　never　again　to　set　my　foot　on　board　a　king's　ship。　Immediately　after　my　arrival　in　town　I　shall　wait　on　the　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty；　and　resign　my　commission。〃　The　officer　to　whom　he　thus　communicated　his　intentions　behaved　in　the　wisest　and　most　friendly　manner；　for　finding　it　in　vain　to　dissuade　him　in　his　present　state　of　feeling；　he　secretly　interfered　with　the　First　Lord　to　save　him　from　a　step　so　injurious　to　himself；　little　foreseeing　how　deeply　the　welfare　and　honour　of　England　were　at　that　moment　at　stake。　This　interference　produced　a　letter　from　Lord　Howe　the　day　before　the　ship　was　paid　off；　intimating　a　wish　to　see　Captain　Nelson　as　soon　as　he　arrived　in　town；　when；　being　pleased　with　his　convers…　ation；　and　perfectly　convinced；　by　what　was　then　explained　to　him；　of　the　propriety　of　his　conduct；　he　desired　that　he　might　present　him　to　the　king　on　the　first　levee…day；　and　the　gracious　manner　in　which　Nelson　was　then　received　effectually　removed　his　resentment。

Prejudices　had　been；　in　like　manner；　excited　against　his　friend；　Prince　William　Henry。　〃Nothing　is　wanting；　sir；〃　said　Nelson；　in　one　of　his　letters；　〃to　make　you　the　darling　of　the　English　nation　but　truth。　Sorry　am　I　to　say；　much　to　the　contrary　has　been　dispersed。〃　This　was　not　flattery；　for　Nelson　was　no　flatterer。　The　letter　in　which　this　passage　occurs　shows　in　how　wise　and　noble　a　manner　he　dealt　with　the　prince。　One　of　his　royal　highness's　officers　had　applied　for　a　court…martial　upon　a　point　in　which　he　was　unquestionably　wrong。　His　royal　highness；　however；　while　he　supported　his　own　character　and　authority；　prevented　the　trial；　which　must　have　been　injurious　to　a　brave　and　deserving　man。　〃Now　that　you　are　parted；〃　said　Nelson；　〃pardon　me；　my　prince；　when　I　presume　to　recommend　that　he　may　stand　in　your　royal　favour　as　if　he　had　never　sailed　with　you；　and　that　at　some　future　day　you　will　serve　him。　There　only　wants　this　to　place　your　conduct　in　the　highest　point　of　view。　None　of　us　are　without　failingshis　was　being　rather　too　hasty；　but　that；　put　in　competition　with　his　being　a　good　officer；　will　not；　I　am　bold　to　say；　be　taken　in　the　scale　against　him。　More　able　friends　than　myself　your　royal　highness　may　easily　find；　and　of　more　consequence　in　the　state；　but　one　more　attached　and　affectionate　is　not　so　easily　met　with：　Princes　seldom；　very　seldom；　find　a　disinterested　person　to　communicate　their　thoughts　to：　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　that　person；　but　of　this　be　assured；　by　a　man　who；　I　trust；　never　did　a　dishonourable　act；　that　I　am　interested　only　that　your　royal　highness　should　be　the　greatest　and　best　man　this　country　ever　produced。〃

Encouraged　by　the　conduct　of　Lord　Howe；　and　by　his　reception　at　court；　Nelson　renewed　his　attack　upon　the　peculators　with　fresh　spirit。　He　had　interviews　with　Mr。　Rose；　Mr。　Pitt；　and　Sir　Charles　Middleton；　to　all　of　whom　he　satisfactorily　proved　his　charges。　In　consequence；　if　is　said；　these　very　extensive　public　frauds　were　at　length　put　in　a　proper　train　to　be　provided　against　in　future；　his　representations　were　attended　to；　and　every　step　which　he　recommended　was　adopted；　the　investigation　was　put　into　a　proper　course；　which　ended　in　the　detection　and　punishment　of　some　of　the　culprits；　an　immense　saving　was　made　to　government；　and　thus　its　attention　was　directed　to　similar　peculations　in　other　arts　of　the　colonies。　But　it　is　said　also　that　no　mark　of　commendation　seems　to　have　been　bestowed　upon　Nelson　for　his　exertion。　It　has　been　justly　remarked　that　the　spirit　of　the　navy　cannot　be　preserved　so　effectually　by　the　liberal　honours　bestowed　on　officers　when　they　are　worn　out　in　the　service；　as　by　an　attention　to　those　who；　like　Nelson　at　this　part　of　his　life；　have　only　their　integrity　and　zeal　to　bring　them　into　notice。　A　junior　officer；　who　had　been　left　with　the　command　at　Jamaica；　received　an　additional　allowance；　for　which　Nelson　had　applied　in　vain。　Double　pay　was　allowed　to　every　artificer　and　seaman　employed　in　the　naval　yard：　Nelson　had　superintended　the　whole　business　of　that　yard　with　the　most　rigid　exactness；　and　he　complained　that　he　was　neglected。　〃It　was　most　true；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　trouble　which　he　took　to　detect　the　fraudulent　practices　then　carried　on　was　no　more　than　his　dut