Lord Viscount Nelson's transcendent and heroic services will, I am
persuaded, exist for ever in the recollection of my people; and,
while they tend to stimulate those who come after him, they will
prove a lasting source of strength, security, and glory, to my
dominions.
_The King's Answer to the City of London's Address on the Battle of
Trafalgar._
LONDON:
Printed at the Ranelagh Press,
BY STANHOPE AND TILLING;
FOR C. CHAPPLE, PALL MALL, AND SOUTHAMPTON ROW,
RUSSELL SQUARE.
1806.
THE LIFE
OF
_LORD NELSON_,
DUKE OF BRONTE, &c.
In tracing the history of a hero so active as Lord Nelson, the mind can
scarcely be allowed a moment's pause. His multifarious transactions,
indeed, frequently arise in such rapid successions, that they become far
too much involved with each other to admit of any precise chronological
arrangement. Operations are commenced, which cannot always be soon
brought to a conclusion: and, while these are transacting, an attention
to other occurrences, of more or less magnitude, becomes perpetually
requisite; which are, in their turn, subjected to similar
procrastinating delays and necessarily diverted attentions.
The cares of Lord Nelson can hardly be said to have one minute ceased,
even when he landed, in safety, at Palermo, the royal and illustrious
characters, and their immense treasure, which he had successfully
conveyed thither, amidst such alarming difficulties and dangers. His
anxious bosom, it is true, was now relieved from the apprehensions which
it had suffered during the storm; and felt, no doubt, as it ought, a
sympathetic sense of the grateful felicitations of beloved friends, on
the event of their happy arrival at a place of secure refuge. He could
not, indeed, fail to rejoice in their joy: but it was, with all of them,
a joy mingled with melancholy; and, with him, it was particularly so.
An intellectual tempest, at this apparently enviable period of our
hero's glory, was violently agitating the secret recesses of his too
susceptible heart. Justly jealous of honour, his soul ever kindled with
alarm at the most remote idea of aught that could, by any possibility of
implication, be considered as having the smallest tendency to sully or
impair a single particle of that celestial inheritance which he felt
conscious of having a legitimate right to possess in undiminished
lustre, If it should be thought, by the more calmly philosophical mind,
that he might sometimes too soon take the alarm; let it, at least, not
fail to be remembered, that the true votary of honour must never be,
even once, a single moment too late.
The reader who has attentively perused the preceding part of Lord
Nelson's history, will long since have discovered, that one grand trait
of character, in this exalted man, was a determined resolution of
accomplishing, to it's fullest possible extent, the business, whatever
it might be, which was once committed to his charge; and that, in every
expedition, it formed his chief pride, to effect even more than could
have been expected, by those who had, from the greatest possible
confidence in his skill and ability, selected him for the enterprise. It
was this invariable principle that, by prompting him to serve on shore,
at the batteries before Calvi, cost him the vision of an eye; and it was
to this same cause, that he owed the loss of his arm at Teneriffe.
Conformably to this grand characteristic, having so honourably received
the Earl of St. Vincent's orders to seek and to destroy the French
armament, which he had at length gloriously encountered at the mouth of
the Nile; he still internally regretted, that the wound on that occasion
received in his forehead, by rendering him almost wholly blind, had
proved the sole cause of a single French ship's escape. Not that this
undoubted conviction in his own bosom, that he should certainly have
captured or destroyed the whole fleet, conveys the smallest reflection
on any other officer for not having effected the same purpose: for, most
assuredly, though many captains in this noble squadron might boast of
equal bravery with himself, and of much skill too, Lord Nelson greatly
surpassed them all, and perhaps every other naval commander, in that
promptitude of vigorously winged imagination which instantaneously rises
to the exigency. The moment Captain Berry had, on first beholding the
position of the French fleet at anchor, fully comprehended the entire
scope of his adored admiral's design for the attack, he exclaimed, in an
extacy--"If we succeed, what will the world say?"--"There is no if in
the case," coolly replied the admiral: "that we shall succeed, is
certain; who may live to tell the story, is a very different question!"
So positive was this great man of success, even before the battle
commenced.
Though Lord Nelson had hitherto failed in taking the fugitive ships from
Egypt, and the transports were not yet destroyed at Alexandria; he never
relinquished the idea, that some of his "band of brothers," the heroic
captains of the Nile, might finally fall in with, and either take or
destroy, the two line of battle ships, and two frigates, which had alone
escaped, and thus complete the destruction of all the ships of war. Nor
had the comprehensive mind of our hero limited it's hope to these alone:
he trusted that some of his brave band would at least assist in
effecting the destruction of the transports; as well as in preventing
every remaining Frenchman, who had been landed in Egypt, from ever
returning to France. For this purpose, he had not only left Captain Hood
on the coast; but solicited, both at home, and of our allies, the
requisite bomb-vessels, &c. by repeated most urgent epistles.
At length, the necessary preparations had been made, and dispatched from
England, under the command of Sir William Sidney Smith, brother of the
English minister, Mr. Spencer Smith, at the Ottoman court. The high
character of Sir Sidney Smith--as he is usually called--for intrepid
gallantry, as well as for incomparable dexterity and address in that
species of naval exploit which may be denominated incendiary warfare,
seemed to justify sufficiently the judgment of the Admiralty in
selecting a character so respectably enterprising for this service, and
the measure was certainly extremely popular at home. Every thing,
indeed, was expected from Sir Sidney Smith's ability: and truth requires
the acknowledgment, that neither government, nor the people, were
finally disappointed; as the history of the siege of Acre, where he
commanded on shore, and fairly defeated Bonaparte, will for ever afford
a most satisfactory and substantial proof.
A very obvious consequence, however, attended this appointment; which,
strange as it may seem, undoubtedly escaped the attention of the
Admiralty, as well as of the country at large: the former of whom, it is
certain, would not have adopted, nor the latter have applauded, any act
which they had foreseen could be liable to hurt the feelings of their
chief favourite, the gallant hero of the Nile.
Not only did this measure introduce a new British hero to assist in the
full accomplishment of the business originally committed, by the Earl of
St. Vincent, to Admiral Nelson; appearing, to his lordship's exquisite
feelings, an implied defectiveness in his noble band of brothers for the
completion of the enterprise: but, by the circumstance of Sir Sidney
Smith's authorization to take under his command Captain Hood, and the
ships left with him in Egypt, Lord Nelson felt himself deprived of a
part of his squadron, in favour of a junior officer, who would
consequently be placed above his brave friends.
The day after leaving Naples, his lordship had received dispatches from
Sir Sidney Smith, then off Malta, in his way to Egypt, apprizing him of
these intentions; and, on the 27th, at Palermo, others from the Earl of
St. Vincent, who does not appear to have been previously consulted,
respecting the appointment of Sir Sidney Smith. It is probable,
therefore, that the noble earl might participate with his gallant friend
in the unpleasant feelings thus excited. Unfortunately, too, Sir Sidney
had written, about this period, to our hero's friend, Sir William
Hamilton; in terms, as it should seem, of insufficient caution;
originating, perhaps, merely in the ebullitions of an honest overflowing
heart, alive to it's own importance. Be this as it may, that of Lord
Nelson was fired with an indignation, which he thus vehemently expresses
to his commander in chief.
"Palermo, 31st Dec. 1798.
"MY DEAR LORD
"I do _feel, for I am man_, that it is impossible for me to serve
in those seas, with a squadron under a junior officer. Could I have
thought it; and, from Earl Spencer? Never, never was I so
astonished, as your letter made me. As soon as I can get hold of
Troubridge, I shall send him to Egypt, to endeavour to destroy the
ships in Alexandria. If it can be done, Troubridge will do it. The
Swedish knight writes Sir William Hamilton, that he shall go to
Egypt, and take Captain Hood, and his squadron, under his command.
The knight forgets the respect due to his superior officer. He has
no orders from you, to take my ships away from my command: but, it
is all of a piece. Is it to be borne? Pray, grant me your
permission to retire; and, I hope, the Vanguard will be allowed to
convey me, and my friends Sir William and Lady Hamilton, to
England. God bless you, my dear lord! and believe me, your
affectionate friend,
"Nelson."
"Earl of St. Vincent."
His lordship now, certainly, had it in contemplation to retire, as
expressed in the above letter. He even went so far, as to request the
Earl of St. Vincent's permission, that he might leave the command to his
gallant and most excellent second, Captain Troubridge, or some other of
his brave friends who so gloriously fought at the battle of the Nile--if
his health and uneasiness of mind should not be mended. In the mean
time, he resolved to send Captain Troubridge to Egypt, as he had before
intended, that he might endeavour to destroy the transports in
Alexandria; after which, he was now to deliver up the Levant Seas to
the care of Sir Sidney Smith.
Piqued as Lord Nelson evidently was, on this occasion, by what he felt
as the obtrusion of Sir Sidney Smith, to the exclusion of his favourite
band of brothers, he nevertheless wished him all possible success, and
readily yielded him every requisite assistance in his power. At the same
time, with abundant address, his lordship selected, from the dispatches
which had been transmitted to him, an extract from Lord Grenville's
instructions, which he transcribed into the following letter to Sir
Sidney Smith, as a gentle hint that this officer's authority was not
wholly without restriction.
"Palermo, Dec. 31, 1798.
"SIR,
"I have been honoured with your letter from off Malta, with it's
several inclosures: viz. An extract of a letter from Lord Grenville
to John Spencer Smith, Esq. &c.--"And his majesty has been
graciously pleased to direct, that your brother, Sir Sidney Smith,
shall proceed to Constantinople with the eighty-gun ship Le Tigre.
His instructions will enable him to take the command of such of his
majesty's ships as he may find in those seas--unless, by any
unforeseen accident, it should happen that there should be, among
them, any of his majesty's officers of superior rank; and he will
be directed to act with such force, in conjunction with the Russian
and Ottoman squadrons, for the defence of the Ottoman empire, and
for the annoyance of the enemy in that quarter:"--Also, an extract
of another letter, from Lord Grenville to yourself and brother--And
the Earl of St. Vincent having sent me an extract of a letter from
Earl Spencer to him; saying that, for certain circumstances, you
should be the officer selected for the command of a small squadron
in the Levant Seas: and, his lordship having also informed me, that
Captain Miller was the officer of your choice; and directing me to
give you a frigate, or a sloop of war, till Captain Miller's
arrival--You may rest assured, that I shall most strictly comply
with the instructions sent by Lord Grenville to your brother; also,
those of Earl Spencer, and the Earl of St. Vincent. For this
purpose, I must desire that you will lose no time in proceeding to
Alexandria, to take upon you the command of the blockade, &c. which
I shall direct to be delivered up to you; and, from my heart, I
wish you every success. The united squadrons of the Turks and
Russians, and of two sail of the line under your command, must be
sufficient for the two ships _armée en flute_, and three frigates;
which, thank God! are all the enemy have left in those seas.
"I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
"Nelson."
It is by no means improbable, that Lord Nelson, while coolly
transcribing the above passage from Lord Grenville's judiciously guarded
instructions, to convince Sir Sidney Smith, that he was not restrained,
had in some measure convinced himself that those instructions could not
possibly be intended to give him, or his gallant friends, the smallest
just cause of offence.
On this same day, the last of the glorious year 1798, his lordship also
wrote the following answer to a letter from John Julius Angerstein, Esq.
Chairman of the Committee at Lloyd's, which he had just received.
"Vanguard, Palermo,
31st Dec. 1798.
"SIR,
"I have had the honour of receiving your's of the 10th October,
inclosing a circular letter addressed to the commanders in the
squadron under my command, requesting them to favour the committee
with the lists of the killed and wounded on board their respective
ships at the battle of the Nile: and I beg leave to acquaint you,
that I have given the necessary directions to the captains of the
ships at present under my command to furnish the committee with
lists, agreeable to their wishes; and will write to the captains of
those ships which are gone down the Mediterranean with the prizes,
to do the same as soon as possible, in order to forward their
charitable intentions.
"I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, your most
obedient and humble servant,
"Nelson."
However, neither this nor any other pleasing employ, amidst his
lordship's numerous indispensible avocations, could hastily reconcile
him to the unpleasant circumstance of not being left to finish the
business which he had so nobly commenced, and so nearly closed. Even the
soothings of his amiable and illustrious friends were ineffectual; and,
on the next day, the first of the year 1799, he wrote to Earl Spencer
for permission to return to England. This fact will appear in the
following letter; though, happily, by the timely and judicious
interference of the Earl of St. Vincent, added to the earnest and united
requests of the King and Queen of Naples, and Sir William and Lady
Hamilton, he was induced finally to continue a command which the royal
sufferers felt so necessary for their protection.
"Palermo,
1st Jan. 1799.
"MY DEAR LORD,
"I have transmitted to Mr. Nepean, by way of Vienna, a duplicate of
my letter to the commander in chief: which, of course, will
likewise be sent you from him; and it will inform you of all which
has passed, from the determination of leaving Naples to our arrival
at Palermo.
"The day after I left Naples, I received a letter from Sir Sidney
Smith, with several inclosures. I send you my answer. Every thing
which the extracts sent me by Sir Sidney Smith point out to him,
has been fully talked over, and fully explained, by Kelim Effendi;
a person holding the office similar to our under-secretary of
state, who had been sent with my Order of Merit: for, by the form
of the investiture, that seems to me the properest name to call it.
"And now, my lord, having left the command of the two sail of the
line in the Levant Seas to Sir Sidney Smith--than whom, I dare say,
no one could be so proper--Commodore Duckworth will ably, I am
sure, watch Toulon; for I shall very soon, I hope, be able to send
him one or two sail of the line: and, Captain Troubridge, or some
other of my brave and excellent commanders, being left to guard the
One Sicily, and the coast of Italy; I trust, I shall not be thought
hasty, in asking permission to return to England for a few months,
to gather a little of that ease and quiet I have so long been a
stranger to.
"Captain Troubridge goes directly to Egypt, to deliver up to Sir
Sidney Smith the blockade of Alexandria, and the defence of the
Ottoman empire by sea; for, I should hope, that Sir Sidney Smith
will not take any ship from under my command, without my orders;
although Sir Sidney, rather hastily, in my opinion, writes Sir
William Hamilton, that Captain Hood naturally falls under his
orders. I am, probably, considered as having a great force; but I
always desire it to be understood, that I count the Portuguese as
nothing but trouble. Ever believe, my dear lord, your most obliged
"Nelson."
"January 2d. General Acton has just wrote me, that the French are
within thirty miles of Naples, on the 30th. Marquis De Niza is
prepared to burn the ships when the French get a little nearer.
Mack is at Capua, with a strong force, numbers not mentioned.
Dreadful weather! The great queen very ill: I fear for her.
"N."
Two causes, in a short time, particularly contributed, as it should
seem, to tranquillize the mind of our hero, with regard to what he could
not but consider as Sir Sidney Smith's too great assumption of
authority: one of these was, the hope that his friend Captain Troubridge
might effect the destruction of the transports at Alexandria before Sir
Sidney's arrival; and the other, immediate information from the Earl of
St. Vincent, that he was as little satisfied as Lord Nelson himself,
with the business which had so deeply affected his feelings, and had
therefore exerted his own power to prevent any such future occurrence.
"Sir Sidney Smith," says his lordship, writing this month to Captain
Ball, "from a letter he wrote the Earl of St. Vincent off Malta, has
given great offence; having said, that he presumed, all the ships in the
Levant being junior to him, he had a right to take them under his
command. His lordship has, in consequence, given him a broad hint, and
taken him handsomely down; and, to prevent any thing of the kind
happening in future, he has ordered Sir Sidney to put himself
_immediately_ under my command." These great men, however, though they
felt jealous of their own command, had minds superior to the retention
of any continued animosity; and, when they fully understood each other,
became very sincere friends. They were all equally anxious for the good
of the country; for the honour of the profession; and, for their own
individual reputation. Their differences consisted more in the manner
than in the form and substance of the thing; and, perhaps, on the whole,
Lord Nelson's excess of feeling may be regarded as having, for a time,
punished both himself and Sir Sidney with far more severity than the
necessity of the case, when coolly considered, could by any means render
requisite.
One of the first public measures taken by his Sicilian majesty, after
arriving at Palermo, was that of sending away, from the whole island of
Sicily, every Frenchman it contained, of whatever description. A
resolution which, if it did not originate with our hero, was too
consonant with his lordship's known inveterate Antigallicanism, not to
have received his hearty approbation.
The following notice, dated on board the Vanguard, 6th January 1799,
was accordingly issued by Lord Nelson.
"His Sicilian Majesty having directed, that all French, of whatever
description, should leave the Island of Sicily--A ship of six
hundred tons, an English transport, will be ready, by to-morrow
morning, to receive French emigrants; say, two hundred. She will
have put on board her biscuit, salt provisions, peas, oatmeal, and
the common wine of the country. As this will be an additional
gratuity, on the part of the King of Great Britain, the _emigrées_
will, if they chuse it, lay in such stock of fresh provisions, and
other comforts, as they please.
"All those pensioned by Great Britain, will be received by a note
from the British agent; and all those pensioned by his Sicilian
Majesty, by a note from the Neapolitan agent.
"A Neapolitan corvette to be attached to this ship, to convey her
to Trieste, and back again, and to receive on board such _emigrées_
as the court shall direct. The transports and corvette out to sail
as soon as possible. Their time of departure will depend on the
king's order."
On occasions of this sort, no doubt, there will always be some cases of
peculiar hardship; but the difficulty of discriminating between the
treacherous and the sincere, among a people so excessively insidious,
and the danger to be dreaded from deceit, by those who were so severely
suffering it's effects, maybe considered as sufficiently justifying the
measure.
Captain Troubridge, having arrived on the 5th, sailed on the 7th, with
the Culloden, Theseus, Bulldog, and victuallers, for Syracuse; with
orders to collect the bombs, and proceed with them and the Theseus to
Alexandria, for the purpose of making a vigorous attack on the shipping
in that harbour. In writing, on this subject, to the Earl of St.
Vincent, Lord Nelson says--"If the thing can be done, Troubridge will do
it."
Captain Louis, of the Minotaur, the present celebrated Admiral Louis,
ever one of his lordship's most deservedly favourite friends, had been
now ordered to command on the coast of Italy towards Leghorn: and
Commodore Mitchell, of the Portuguese squadron, was directed by Lord
Nelson, if he could not, by the rules of the Portuguese service--a
subject which, his lordship remarked, this was not the time to enter
on--put himself under that very old and respectable officer, Captain
Louis; at least, to co-operate with him in the service on which he was
ordered, and to remain on that service till farther orders from his
lordship, or Captain Louis's consent for leaving it. In a letter of this
day, to the Earl of St. Vincent, his lordship says--"Minotaur is gone to
Leghorn, to endeavour to do good; and Louis will act, I am sure, for the
best, as circumstances arise." This very letter, sent by Captain Hope,
he thus concludes--"I must refer you, my dear lord, to Hope, who is
very zealous and active." So warmly affectionate was the heart of this
great and good man to all his worthy officers; and, indeed, to every
deserving person under his authority.
On this day, Lord Nelson wrote no less than five public letters: that
already noticed, to the Earl of St. Vincent; another, to Earl Spencer;
two to Constantinople, one of them for Spencer Smith, Esq. and the other
for Francis Wherry, Esq. a fourth to Commodore Duckworth; and the fifth,
to the Honourable Lieutenant-General Stuart.
Besides what has been extracted from the letter to the Earl of St.
Vincent, it contains the following intelligence relative to the then
state of Naples--"On the 4th, the French were not at Naples; but were
only sixteen miles distant, negociating with the _nobles_ of Naples, for
the exclusion of the king. The French long to give them the fraternal
squeeze. Another party is for making the Duke of Parma's son, married to
the king of Spain's daughter, now at Madrid, king under French
protection. The lower class are the only loyal people; and they, we
know, may any moment take a wrong turn. Mack is at Capua; but, it was
determined, should retreat towards Salerno. On the 3d, at night, the
French attempted to force the lines of Capua. They did not succeed. What
occasioned their retreat, is difficult to guess; although the Neapolitan
army is twenty-five thousand, and the French not eight thousand. _Is
not this a dream! Can it be real_?"
The letter to Earl Spencer is as follows.
"Palermo, Jan. 7, 1799.
"MY DEAR LORD
"Our news from Naples has been daily from bad to worse. On the 4th,
the enemy was not at Naples. There are parties, in the capital, for
a republic; and another for making the Duke of Parma, who is at
Madrid, king: but, I believe, the fighting party is very small. The
events which have taken place in the kingdom of Naples have been so
rapid and extraordinary, that it appears a dream. The king, God
bless him, is a philosopher; but the great queen feels sensibly all
that has happened. She begs me not to quit Palermo; for that Sir
William and Lady Hamilton, and myself, are her only comforts. I
shall, as is my duty, do every thing in the best manner I am able,
for the honour of our country. General Stuart, from Minorca, calls
for me; Mr. Windham, from Florence, does the same; and the affairs
of Egypt and Malta are endeavouring to be brought to an issue.
Captain Ball has done wonders; and, I trust, will soon succeed. The
bombs, from Malta, go to Egypt, and are to make a vigorous attack
on the shipping at Alexandria. These two points successful, will
set us quite at our ease on the sea. With every sentiment of
respect, believe me, your lordship's most faithful servant,
"Nelson."
The letters to Spencer Smith, and Francis Wherry, Esqrs. contain little
more than a reference to Sir Sidney Smith, as the new defender, by sea,
of the Ottoman empire, and a polite termination of his lordship's public
correspondence with these gentlemen.
What his lordship wrote to Commodore now Admiral Duckworth, contains so
many interesting particulars, that it must necessarily be presented
entire.
"Palermo, 7th Jan. 1799.
"MY DEAR SIR,
"You will have heard, by Captain Richardson, who left Naples on the
22d of December, of what had happened, to the astonishment of all
Europe. It is incredible; but, such things are! I have received the
notification of the force expected from Brest; and, if they do get
into the Mediterranean, I am confident, they will first go to
Toulon: which, when you are apprized of, I submit to your
consideration, in concert with his Excellency General Stuart, the
propriety of uniting our forces, at what point will be best; but, I
shall be truly happy in coinciding with the general and yourself. I
am well aware of the small force of the general and yourself,
should an invasion of Minorca take place: but, I have a most
detestable opinion of the Spanish officers and troops, and the very
highest, from experience, of General Stuart; who, by his abilities,
would make a bad army a good one. From the situation of affairs
here, and having now got bomb-ships, I have determined to bring our
matters to issue, both at Alexandria and Malta, as expeditiously
as possible; for which purpose, Troubridge goes this day for Egypt,
with my orders to make a vigorous attack on the ships in
Alexandria. Captain Ball has, at this moment, I hope, finished with
Malta. He was using the bombs, by the last account; and intended,
about this time, storming the Bormola, the left side of the
harbour: by which all the shipping must fall, and the French be
close kept up in the town of La Vilette. I wish to send you two
sail of the line, and to request your look-out upon Toulon: I am
sure, it cannot be in better hands. But, our situation respecting
Italy every day alters from bad to worse, so that I cannot answer
for my present intentions. I have, under my command, four
Portuguese ships of the line; you are most heartily welcome to them
all, if you think they will be useful. I own, I consider them as
nothing; except trouble in writing orders, which are intolerably
executed. However, you may be assured of my ardent desire to do
every thing which can render your command pleasant; and, for the
security of the valuable acquisition of Minorca.
"Ever believe me, dear Sir, your faithful and obliged.
"Nelson."
In the letter to General Stuart is a recapitulation of the affairs of
Naples; with the observation that such things are, if he is not
dreaming! "The conduct of the Emperor," he writes, "is to me
extraordinary; the loss, at least, of his new Italian dominions, will be
the natural consequence. Tuscany must drop from his family; and, whether
a month sooner or later, is of little importance. You have seen the
movements of Austrian armies, so have I; and found, unhappily, all their
generals traders, making the most of their command, by oppressing the
poor soldiers. I feel, very much, my dear general, for your situation,
in the invaluable possession which your excellent judgment placed under
the dominion of his majesty; and, believe me, I shall have the greatest
pleasure in doing every thing you can wish me." After observing that his
force is merely nominal, and repeating his intentions, as expressed to
Commodore Duckworth, his lordship concludes--"The Vanguard is at
Palermo, their Sicilian Majesties desiring me not to leave them; but,
the moment you want me, I fly to your assistance."
The fact is, that Lord Nelson did not entertain apprehensions of any
serious attack on Minorca; and, therefore, without weakening more
essential service, prudently kept merely an eye to the remote
possibility of such an event; nor did his lordship's judgment, on this
occasion, prove to be less judicious than usual.
On the 8th, our hero received a most flattering encomium, indeed, from
England; which, certainly, could not fail fully to compensate for every
temporary mortification which he might have experienced. This was
nothing less than an elegant complimentary and congratulatory epistle,
written to his lordship by Earl Howe, expressive of that noble and
illustrious veteran's high admiration of the glorious victory off the
Nile. What his lordship may be supposed to have felt at the perusal of
this most acceptable testimonial to his transcendent merits, cannot be
more effectually impressed than by reading the following admirable
answer, which he appears to have instantly written, while his heart was
overflowing with gratitude.
"Palermo, 8th Jan. 1799.
"MY LORD,
"It was only this moment, that I had the invaluable approbation of
the great, the immortal, Earl Howe; an honour the most flattering a
sea-officer could receive, as it comes from the first and greatest
sea-officer the world has ever produced. I had the happiness to
command a band of brothers; therefore, night was to my advantage.
Each knew his duty; and, I was sure, each would feel for a French
ship. By attacking the enemy's van and centre, the wind blowing
directly along their line, I was enabled to throw what force I
pleased on a few ships. This plan my friends readily conceived, by
the signals--for which we are principally, if not entirely,
indebted to your lordship--and we always keep a superior force to
the enemy. At twenty-eight minutes past six, the sun in the
horizon, the firing commenced. At five minutes past ten, when
L'Orient blew up, having burnt seventy minutes, the six van ships
had surrendered. I then pressed forward, towards the rear; and, had
it pleased God, that I had not been wounded, and stone-blind, there
cannot be a doubt but that every ship would how have been in our
possession. But, here, let it not be supposed, that any officer is
to blame. No; on my honour, I am satisfied each did his very best!
I have never, before, my lord, detailed the action to any one; but
I should have thought it wrong, to have kept it from one who is our
great master in naval tactics and bravery. May I presume to present
my very best respects to Lady Howe, and to Lady Mary; and to beg
that your lordship will believe me, ever, your most obliged
"Nelson."
This was a rich repayment to the venerable and illustrious earl, of the
exalted praise which he had so liberally transmitted our hero: praise
which, however excessive, could scarcely be, on either side, too much.
On the following day, the 9th, an opportunity occurs to exhibit our
incomparable hero in a new and most amiable light; the irresistible
Christian advocate of humanity, pleading for the emancipation of
Mahometan captives from slavery.
The ambassador, and his suite, from the Grand Signior, who had arrived
at Naples, and were now at Palermo, were about to take their departure;
having long since fulfilled, as was formerly described, the object of
their mission, by investing our hero with the Ottoman dignities. Their
return appears to have been delayed by the affairs of Naples, which
would not sooner admit of a ship's being spared for their conveyance to
Constantinople. The Bonne Citoyenne, however, commanded by Captain
Nisbet, his lordship's son-in-law, had now the honour of that service.
Accordingly, as Kelim Effendi, the Turkish ambassador, was passing, in a
boat, to go on board the Bonne Citoyenne, near the Portuguese man of
war, the Principe Real, then laying in the mole, several Moors and Turks
called to him, from that ship, where they were confined as slaves. The
ambassador immediately sent to Lord Nelson, requesting his interference
in procuring their liberty; and his lordship, with all that amiable
humanity which so highly distinguished his character, immediately wrote
as follows to the Marquis De Niza.
"Palermo, Jan. 9th, 1799.
"MY DEAR MARQUIS,
"You have some Turkish slaves on board. I beg, as a friend--as an
English admiral--as a favour to me, as a favour to my country--that
you will give me the slaves. In doing this, you will oblige your
faithful friend,
"Nelson."
The marquis very handsomely gave up, instantly, all the Moors and Turks
he had oh board, twenty-five in number; and they were sent, by his
lordship, to the Turkish ambassador, Secretary Kelim, who took them with
him to Constantinople, blessing their noble benefactor.
On the 11th, intelligence was received at Palermo, that Commodore
Campbell had prematurely burned all the Neapolitan ships of war; though
the French were not then at Naples, or near it: "for," says his
lordship, "while an army was covering Naples, the enemy could not be
considered as near taking it." Of this conduct, Lord Nelson expressed
his entire disapprobation; and his Sicilian majesty was, as he had just
reason to be, greatly displeased on the occasion. The commodore,
however, who had evidently acted too precipitately, yet with the best
intentions, being under a Portuguese commander, happily escaped the
enquiry of a court-martial; to which he would undoubtedly have been
subjected, had he served in the British fleet. The King and Queen of
Naples, indeed, satisfied of Commodore Campbell's upright, though
unadvised conduct, graciously condescended to intercede in his behalf;
and Lord Nelson, shortly afterwards, though he had at first been
exceedingly angry, convinced the worthy commodore that he retained not
the smallest animosity, by employing him on a confidential expedition to
the Bey of Tripoli.
The fate of Naples was, in truth, at this time fast approaching. The
Prince General Pignatelli had signed an armistice with the French, in
which the name of the King of Naples was omitted to be mentioned, who
could not but entirely disapprove of such a proceeding; and the French,
who were in possession of Capua, now visited Naples as a friendly place.
In this situation of affairs, his lordship, though very unwell, offered
to go to the Bay of Naples; but both the king and queen so earnestly
pressed him not to move, that he was unable to withstand their
intreaties: they were, they freely acknowledged, full of apprehensions,
and had confidence in him only for their safety.
What the abilities of a Nelson might have effected, had it been possible
for him to have headed, at land, the loyal Lazzaroni of Naples, is
incapable of being ascertained; but no skill or valour could alone have
long preserved a nation so corrupt and pusillanimous from the
destruction which, by their meanness, the generality of the upper and
middling classes were inviting. There wanted, only, what their subtle
invaders well knew was never far distant, some plausible artifice
suddenly to prevail over the simplicity of the honest but credulous
vulgar, which could not fail to divert that powerful torrent, into
whatever channel should most rapidly lead them to the gulph of
perdition.
Without entering into the history of this war, which is neither
practicable, nor requisite, on the present occasion, it may be briefly
remarked--that Championet, the French general, is well known to have
informed the Directory at Paris that, by means of a correspondence with
the disaffected party, he should be master of Naples by the time they
received the news of the capitulation of Capua--that this treachery soon
becoming suspected by the Lazzaroni, who were in the royal interest,
they seized all the arms; parading the streets, and vociferating the
names of the king and their tutelary St. Januarius--that General Mack
was regarded as a traitor; and the remains of the army which he had
commanded were considered as jacobins whom French gold had
corrupted--that Mack, not very unfavourably to the suspicions of the
Lazzaroni, fled from them to Championet, who gave him a passport and
escort to Milan; where, however, with true French protection, he was
seized as a prisoner of war, by order of the Directory--that the
Neapolitan army, equally terrified with their general at the menaces of
the numerous Lazzaroni, deserted, to that of the French, and was in two
days quite disorganized and annihilated--that the Lazzaroni, urged to
fury by the escape of their prey, attacked and drove in the advanced
posts of the French, and penetrated even to the line--that Prince
Molliterno, who had been chosen their general, did not escape their
menaces, when they found that he was entering into a negociation with
Championet--that they now every where plundered and massacred the
objects of their suspicions, however well or ill founded--that Prince
Molliterno, and his friends, seizing on the forts, called the French to
their assistance--and that, after numerous severe struggles, in which
vast numbers of the French, as well as of the Lazzaroni, were slain, the
latter were only finally subdued by stratagem.
In the momentary cessations from mutual slaughter, Championet offered
his protection to several of the terrified inhabitants. He professed a
most profound veneration for St. Januarius; and gravely invoked the
all-powerful saint, for the preservation of human lives, and the
restoration of peace, in the suffering city of Naples. A French guard of
honour was stationed at the church of the tutelary apostle: and "Respect
for Januarius," adopted as the consign of their army. The report of such
sincere devotion to their favourite saint, flew with the celerity of
lightning along the ranks of the Lazzaroni. "_Vivent les
Français!_--_Vive la republique!"_--"Long live the French!--Long live
the republic!"--soon followed, in thundering applauses, through the
lines. In short, without pursuing the various scenes of the wretched
farce by which these miserable devotees of superstition were betrayed
into an opinion that Championet possessed nearly as much sanctity as St.
Januarius himself, and was scarcely less entitled to the adoration which
many of the simple souls were now weak enough to pay him; the shouts of
admiration, and of joy, universally succeeded to the shrieks of anguish,
and the fearful cries of desperation; the contest was immediately
brought to a close, and peace everywhere loudly proclaimed. Wonders were
not wanting on the occasion--The blood of St. Januarius miraculously
flowed this very evening, at the intercession of the venerable
archbishop, and his pious clergy; whose devotion to the saint, appears
to have far surpassed their loyalty to their sovereign: and, though a
fiery eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which had been tranquil for the
preceding five years, was actually seen to burst forth on the very day,
the 24th of January 1799, even that ancient proof of the anger of the
saint was, in the madness of the moment, considered as an additional
token of his holiness's approbation! Such is the inconsistency of
untutored folly, and the fate of misinstructed superstition; the power
of superior cunning, and the effect of unprincipled deceit.
The concern of the good King and Queen of Naples, at the calamitous
effects of these successful stratagems on the deluded people, could not
fail to be excessive; and that of our indignant hero, and his estimable
friends, were little inferior. The despicable frauds, by which the
miserable vulgar had been ensnared, were to them abundantly manifest;
but they well knew that, had they even been present, and assured the
credulous creatures, that the liquification of St. Januarius's blood,
and even the blaze of Mount Vesuvius--which was unaccompanied by any
natural overflow of the lava--were both easily effected by a simple
chemical process, and a few kindled faggots and barrels of gunpowder
thrown into the crater, they would most probably have been instantly
massacred for what the priests must have necessarily pronounced, for
their own safety, the most blasphemous of all possible impieties.
In writing, on the 28th of January, to the Honourable Mr. Windham, at
Leghorn, Lord Nelson thus foretells the fate of Tuscany, and of all the
Emperor of Germany's Italian dominions. "Alas!" says his lordship, "the
fancied neutrality of Tuscany will be it's downfall. You see it, and it
cannot fail soon to happen. Tuscany does not, or cannot, support it's
neutrality for us or Naples; only to protect the French, is this name
prostituted. Seratti, who is a man of sound sense, must see it. When the
emperor loses Tuscany and Naples--which, I am bold to say, the conduct
of his ministry conduces to do more than the arms of the French--his
newly-acquired dominions will not keep to him. Active, not passive;
actions, are the only weapons to meet these scoundrels with. We can, as
your excellency knows, have no desire to distress the Grand Duke by our
conduct; on the contrary, it is our duty to support his royal highness
against the tyranny of the French. Your excellency will be so good as to
say, for me, to his royal highness, that an English ship of war shall,
as long as he pleases, remain at Leghorn, ready to receive his person
and family; for, unless the emperor acts speedily, the British flag will
be his only security. Tuscany has the choice, to act like men, and take
the chance of war; or, in a few weeks, to become another conquest of the
French, and to form a new republic." Speaking of Naples, he, says--"We
have heard nothing since the 19th; and, from those accounts, it is
difficult to say, what turn the mob will take; at that time, they were
certainly loyal. The nobility, to a man, Jacobins. Mack has disappeared,
and no one knows the route he has taken." Such, it appears, was the
uncertainty of the royal family of Naples, with regard to it's fate, on
the 28th, at Palermo; though, in reality, it had then been already
determined.
In fact, on the 25th, the following curious advertisement, for a grand
Te Deum, in consequence of this desirable event, was actually published
at Naples; and the archbishop, with the rest of the clergy, solemnly
assured the people, that great faith, and extraordinary prayers, had
induced their saint to testify his entire approbation of the measure.
"All the faithful citizens of Naples are invited to be present this
day, (Friday, the 25th of January 1799,) at two in the afternoon,
at the celebration of Te Deum; which the archbishop, accompanied by
the chapter, the clergy, the general in chief and staff of the army
of Naples, will sing in the cathedral church, to thank the Most
High for the glorious entry of the French troops into this city;
and who, protected in a peculiar manner by Providence, have
regenerated this people, and are come to establish and consolidate
our happiness. St. Januarius, our protector, rejoices in their
arrival. His blood miraculously liquified on the very evening of
the entry of the republican troops."
Lord Nelson, in the letter last mentioned, thus speaks of the state of
Sicily--"As to this island, I cannot take upon me to say much: that they
all hate the French, is certain; but, still, they feel themselves an
oppressed people. On the 20th, at Augusta, a French vessel, with a
hundred and forty officers and soldiers, arrived from Egypt. The boat
people, and those of the town, attacked them. Eighty-seven were killed;
the remainder escaped on board a Neapolitan frigate, who protected them.
Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and I may add myself, are all unwell. The
great queen is far from well. The king is the best of the party. As the
queen is very anxious to hear of the fate of Tuscany, I shall direct
Captain Louis--who, I was sure, your excellency would like--to send
either Terpsichore, or this brig, back to Palermo."
In a letter of the same date to Captain now Admiral Louis, his lordship
says, observing that all in the house had been ill, and were still far
from well--"The air of Palermo is very bad, in my opinion." His
confidence in Captain Louis, as well as in Mr. Windham, is thus strongly
expressed--"You will, I am sure, my dear Sir, act in that way, which
will always meet my wishes and do credit to our country. Whenever Mr.
Windham tells you, that his Royal Highness the Grand Duke his no
occasion for his majesty's ships, I shall be very glad to see you here;
but consult with Mr. Windham, and you cannot err."
On the last day of January, Lord Nelson received, from England, official
communications of the votes which had been passed by the House of Peers,
the House of Commons, and the Irish House of Commons, conveying their
thanks, by their respective speakers, to his lordship, his officers, and
men, who fought in the battle off the Nile; which he instantly
acknowledged, by most respectful answers to Lord Loughborough, the Right
Honourable Henry Addington, and the Honourable John Foster.
On the same day, he also received letters from the Lord Mayor of London,
the Clerk of the Drapers Company, and the Mayor of Liverpool; to which
he immediately wrote, respectively, the following answers.
"Vanguard, Palermo, 31st Jan. 1799.
"SIR,
"I have only this day received the honour of your letter (when Lord
Mayor) of the 16th October; and I beg that you will convey to the
Court of Common Council my sincere gratitude for all their goodness
to me; and assure them, it shall be the business of my life, to act
in the manner most conducive to the prosperity of the city of
London, on which depends that of our country.
"I am truly sensible of your politeness, in desiring me to say what
particular devices I should wish on the sword which is to be
presented to me by the city of London; but, I beg to leave that to
the better judgment of my fellow-citizens. Believe me, when I
assure you, that I feel myself your most faithful and obliged
servant,"
Nelson.
"Sir William Anderson, Bart late Lord-Mayor of London.
"Vanguard, Palermo,
31st Jan. 1799.
"SIR,
"I have this day received your letter, conveying to me the great
honour conferred upon me by the worshipful Company of Drapers of
London, by presenting me with the freedom of their company. I beg
you will, Sir, have the goodness to convey to the worshipful
Company, how much I feel honoured by their kind notice of my
services; and assure them, that it shall be the study of my life,
to preserve their good opinion. Allow me, also, to thank you, for
the very flattering manner in which you have executed the orders of
the company. Believe me, Sir, with great respect, your much obliged
and most obedient servant,"
"Nelson."
Henry Smith, Esq. Clerk of the Drapers Company.
"Vanguard, Palermo,
31st Jan. 1799.
"SIR,
"I am this day favoured with your letter, conveying to me the
unanimous resolution of the Common Council of Liverpool, to honour
me with their thanks, and also the freedom of their town. I beg you
will assure those whom, from this moment, I am to call my brother
freemen, that my future exertions shall never be wanting, to
approve myself worthy of the high honour conferred upon me by the
representative body of the second sea-port in the kingdom; and
believe me, with the highest respect, your much obliged and
obedient servant,
"Nelson."
"Thomas Leyland, Esq. Mayor of Liverpool."
The transactions of this busy day were of a nature which could not fail
highly to gratify the feelings of our hero. He also received, either on
this day or the following, a most kind, friendly, and highly
satisfactory epistle, from the Earl of St. Vincent; the purport of which
is sufficiently obvious from this answer, dated on board the
Bellerophon, to which he had now shifted his flag.
"Bellerophon, Palermo, 1st Feb. 1799.
"MY LORD,
"I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th of
January, inclosing a copy of one from Sir Sidney Smith, off Malta,
with your answer; as, also, your lordship's order to take him under
my command. I consider myself highly honoured by your lordship's
letter, and flattered by your attention; and will order Sir Sidney
Smith to put himself under my command the very first opportunity. I
am, with the highest respect, my lord, your most obedient and
faithful servant,
"Nelson."
The Vanguard, and La Minerve, had just been sent to Malta; and the
Bellerophon wanting a little repair, his lordship had now shifted his
flag on board that ship till the Vanguard's return. He was not without
hope, that Malta would soon fall; and chose rather to let Captain Ball
have the credit of driving the French out, after having, as he observed,
gone through "all the hard fag," than permit the Portuguese squadron,
now at Messina, to participate the glory, who had been unwilling to
encounter the fatigue, which his lordship had originally wished them to
partake. In mentioning the Portuguese officers to the Earl of St.
Vincent, he says--"As for the great commodores, their rank is as much a
plague to them as it is to me. Niza is a good-tempered man. We are,
apparently, the very best friends; nor have I, nor will I do an unkind
thing by him." But, he had torn himself away from Malta, at the
commencement, and his lordship was determined not to send him at the
close.
Three letters were this day written by Lord Nelson to the Earl of St.
Vincent; one of them has a conclusion so forcibly interesting, on
several accounts, that it must on no account be omitted. What a picture
it affords, of a contrariety of contending passions, struggling, at the
same moment, in the bosom of this wonderful man; ever, as it should
seem, feeling with too much energy, for the stability of it's own
prolonged peace!
"All in this house have been ill, and are still. Our great queen,
who truly admires you; our dear, invaluable Lady Hamilton; our good
Sir William; and give me leave to add myself, to this excellent
groupe; have but one opinion about you: viz. that you are every
thing which is great and good. Let me say so, about Sir Sidney
Smith! I thank you, most truly. My health is indeed, very
indifferent; but, whilst I live, if the queen desire it, I remain
for her security. No consideration of my own health shall make me
abandon my honourable post, in which you have placed me. A
parliament is called here: the queen has her doubts about their
temper; and I have promised, under my hand, not to leave her;
unless by her desire. Let me thank you, for your goodness to
Captain Nisbet. I _wish_ he may deserve it; the thought half kills
me! My dear lord, there is no true happiness in this life; and, in
my present state, I could quit it with a smile. May God Almighty
bless you with health, happiness, and long life! is the fervent
prayer of your affectionate friend,
"Nelson."
To the intelligent reader, here is ample scope for reflection, in a very
short compass. Felt gratitude, warmly expressed, to the Earl of St.
Vincent, for his kind and generous attentions; lofty eulogiums of his
lordship's royal and illustrious friends on the conduct of the noble
earl; severe mention of his friend Sir Sidney; complaint of ill health;
firm attachment to the royal family at Palermo; fearful apprehensions
for a beloved son-in-law, whom he had brought tenderly up with all the
anticipatory hopes of the fondest paternal affection, and for whose
future conduct he seems, by some untoward circumstances, to have been
now filled with all a feeling father's anxieties and alarms; and,
lastly, as the consequence of defeated expectations, a desponding
willingness to relinquish even life, from an experienced conviction that
it affords no permanent or perfect felicity.
On the 3d, his lordship received, through the Earl of St Vincent, the
thanks of the House of Peers of Ireland, to himself, and the captains,
officers, seamen, and marines, of the detached squadron under his
command at the battle off the Nile, and immediately returned a
respectful answer by the same channel. He also wrote the following true
sailor's letter to the earl, respecting Malta.
"Palermo, Feb. 3, 1799.
"MY DEAR LORD,
"The Incendiary is just come from
Ball, off Malta; and has brought me information,
that the attempt to storm the city of Valette had
failed, from--(I am afraid, I must call it)--cowardice.
They were over the first ditch, and retired,
_damn them_! But, I trust, the zeal, judgment, and
bravery, of my friend Ball, and his gallant party,
will overcome all difficulty. The cutter just going
off prevents my being more particular. Ever your
most faithful,
"Nelson."
"Naples is declared a republic, and the French
flag flying. We are low in spirits, but all in
this house love you."
His lordship should have considered, before he pronounced the above
naval anathema against the Maltese, for pusillanimity, the wretched
starving state of the poor fellows carcases; of this he could not be
ignorant, since he had, this very day, written to Sir John Acton in
their behalf. "If," says he, "six thousand salms of corn are not sent
directly to Malta, the inhabitants are in that state of want, that the
worst consequences for the interest of his Sicilian Majesty may be
apprehended. All these poor people want is, that the king should give
them six months credit; when they could make their payments, in money or
cotton. The case is important, and demands instant compliance.
"The inhabitants have not seven days bread." He wrote, the day
following, to his friend Captain Ball, and inclosed him a satisfactory
answer just received from General Acton on the subject: adding--"This
evening I saw the king; and he is exceedingly angry, to think that his
faithful Maltese subjects should want for any comforts or necessaries
which it is in his power to bestow." He addressed, at the same time, a
seasonable letter to the deputies of the Maltese people; containing,
also, a copy of General Acton's letter, with assurances of Captain
Ball's protection, and his own determination to afford them every
assistance in his power. In short, though his lordship execrated all
appearances of cowardice, he compassionated every species of distress.
Lord Nelson, in a letter, dated the beginning of this month, addressed
to Admiral then Commodore Duckworth, thus regrets the difficulty which
he experiences, in consequence of having lost his right arm, with regard
to writing--"I thank you, most truly, for your several very interesting
letters, and beg that I may be favoured with your correspondence
whenever opportunity offers. You will, I am sure, make allowance for a
left-handed man; but, my inclination to write longer letters is great. I
can get but slowly over the paper." This, added to the numerous
avocations necessarily arising from so widely extended a command as that
in which he was now engaged, will sufficiently account for any seeming
neglect of continued correspondence with old friends; whom, however, he
was not the man ever to forget. The truth of this observation more
particularly manifests itself in the following letter written to that
esteemed veteran, Captain Locker; who had sensibly felt the effect of
this difficulty, though not the last to congratulate his honoured pupil
on the success of his most splendid victory. This excellent letter has
been repeatedly published, but it well merits to be again printed.
"Palermo, 9th Feb. 1799.
"MY DEAR FRIEND,
"I well know, your own goodness of heart will make all due
allowances for my present situation; in which, truly, I have not
the time, or power, to answer all the letters I receive, at the
moment. But you, my old friend, after twenty-seven years
acquaintance, know that nothing can alter my attachment and
gratitude to you. I have been your scholar. It was you who taught
me to board a Frenchman, by your conduct when in the Experiment. It
is you who always hold--"Lay a Frenchman close, and you will beat
him!" And my only merit in my profession is, being a good scholar.
Our friendship will never end, but with my life: but, you have
always been too partial to me.
"Pray tell Kingsmill, that it was impossible I could attend to his
recommendation. Indeed, I had, not being a commander in chief, no
power to name an agent. Remember me kindly to him.
"The Vesuvian republic being fixed, I have now to look out for
Sicily: but revolutionary principles are so prevalent in the world,
that no monarchical government is safe, or sure of lasting ten
years.
"I beg you will make my kindest remembrances to Miss Locker, and
all your good sons; and believe me, ever, your faithful and
affectionate friend,
"Nelson."
"Lieutenant-Governor Locker,
Royal Hospital, Greenwich."
As the Vesuvian republic had been now formed on the ruins of the
Neapolitan monarchy, under the protection of the French, and was
consequently at war with Great Britain, Lord Nelson gave directions for
the property of all persons who had not left this new state to be seized
as lawful prize. Application was again made to the emperor; a survey
taken of the island, for the purpose of ascertaining it's strength and
security; and every endeavour used to obtain, during the war, a truce
with Tunis and Tripoli. The opinion of Lord Nelson, with regard to the
safety of Sicily, is conveyed in the following letter to Sir John Acton,
Bart, expressly on that subject.
"Palermo, Feb. 11, 1799.
"MY DEAR SIR,
"I have to thank your excellency for the honour of your letter; and
for sending, for my perusal, the report of various officers on the
situation of this island, and of it's means of defence. Respecting
an invasion of the French, _in propriâ personâ_, I own, I have no
alarms; for, if this island is true to itself, no harm can happen:
but, I own my fears, that revolutionary principles may be sown
here; and, the seasons being propitious to the growth, will produce
fruit. If the emperor will not move, and save--(himself, for his
throne must fall if the late measures of his councils are persisted
in)--the good King, Queen, and Family of Naples, in the possession
of their kingdoms; we may lament, but what must follow is certain.
Having thus openly declared my general opinion, it is perfectly
proper, no doubt, to be prepared for defence; and, if Calabria is
occupied by the French, the first object is the preservation of
Messina and the Torre del Faro. As to the other ports of the
island, if the inhabitants are loyal, the French may be defied;
they will not venture their carcases. But, indeed, my dear Sir, it
is on the fidelity of the islanders we must depend for it's
defence. When Captain Troubridge returns from Egypt, I shall have
the power of having more ships on the east coast: as to Palermo, it
shall never be without a proper defence in shipping from all
attacks by sea; that is, from what the French have at present in
the Mediterranean. In all other things, I beg that your excellency
will have the goodness to assure his Sicilian Majesty, that nothing
shall be wanting, on my part, for the defence of his kingdoms, and
whatever can administer to his comforts; and I beg your excellency
will believe with what great respect I am your most faithful and
obedient servant,
"Nelson."
The safety of Messina appearing to be the first object for the
preservation of Sicily from the French, five hundred troops were
immediately ordered thither by the Portuguese ships; and his lordship
also urged his Excellency, the Vice-Admiral Theodore Uschakoff, who
commanded the Russian fleet then before Corfu, to send as many ships and
troops as possible to Messina, for the promotion of the common cause,
and the good of his Sicilian Majesty in particular.
On the same day, February 15, his lordship wrote also to his Excellency
Abdul Cadir Bek, Vice-Admiral of the Turkish fleet, likewise at Corfu,
with a similar request for ships and troops. "Your excellency, without
doubt," writes his lordship, "has heard of the melancholy news from
Naples. The French, not content with having, by perfidy, declared Naples
a republic, have forced a great part of Calabria to erect a Tree of
_Terror_, which these unbelievers call of _Liberty_; and their
emissaries are sowing the seeds of anarchy into this island,
particularly at Messina." His lordship adds, that as he has several
ships in Egypt, for the Grand Signior, he earnestly requests such
Turkish ships and troops as can be spared, to prevent Messina's falling
into the hands of the French.
On the 24th of February, Lord Nelson had the satisfaction to distribute
the following sums of money, given by his Sicilian Majesty, among the
several persons who assisted in conveying the Royal Family from Naples:
one thousand ounces of silver to the officers, seamen, and marines, of
his Britannic Majesty's ship the Vanguard, as a mark of the king's
approbation of their conduct during the time he was on board; one
hundred ounces to each of the two barges crews who brought off the royal
family from the palace; one hundred ounces to the admiral's servants;
and one hundred ounces to the barge's crew of the Alcmene. The thousand
ounces for the several persons on board the Vanguard were thus
apportioned, by his lordship's directions--The wardroom, one hundred
ounces; twenty-seven gentlemen of the quarter-deck, and
warrant-officers, four ounces each; five hundred and seventy-nine seamen
and marines, one and one-third of an ounce each; twenty-six boys, half
an ounce each; and a surplus of seven ounces, to be expended for general
use.
While Lord Nelson was busily exerting himself for the security of
Messina, as the key to the island of Sicily, the masters of English
merchant vessels at Palermo were impatient for convoy, that they might
convey their cargoes to Leghorn. On the hazard of visiting a place so
critically situated, he felt it his duty strongly to remonstrate; and,
aware how often danger is disregarded, where the loss is to fall on
underwriters, he even suggested the impropriety of thus incurring risks
which could not possibly be in the contemplation of the parties at the
time of effecting the insurances, before he gave his reluctant consent
for their departure.