In the beginning of February, Nelson sailed from Palermo for Malta, and on his way was fortunate in capturing a French squadron. The following letter details the circumstances:

"You, my dear friend," said he, writing to Lord Minto, "will rejoice to hear that it has been my extraordinary good fortune to capture the Généreux, 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Perrée, and a very large store-ship, with 2,000 troops, and provisions and stores for the relief of La Valette. I came off Malta with my commanderin-chief-with Lord Keith; we parted company in bad weather the same day. Having information that such a squadron had sailed from Toulon, Lord K. remained off Malta; but my knowledge, of their track (rather my knowledge of this country from seven years' experience) I went towards the coast of Barbary, where three days afterwards I fell in with the gentleman. Those ships which fell in with me after our separation from the commanderin-chief, attached themselves to my fortune. We took them after a long chase, four miles only from Sicily, and a few leagues from Cape Passaro. Perée was killed by a shot from the Success frigate, Captain Peard. His ship struck, when the Foudroyant fired only two shots. This, my dear lord, makes nineteen sail of the line and four admirals I have been present at the capture of this war. Ought I to trust Dame Fortune any more? Her daughter happy; by so handsome a present (a)—a1£500 each-Bolton's more especially, he has occasion for all. The boy George is got so gay; I hope a happy omen. There is another boy, whom I have desired to be kept at school another two years longer, and then brought forward I have hoped he may get to the East Indies. This was intended for a very long letter, but I must curtail it; the courier is going off directly. Our hopes of seeing you are one day revived and another destroyed; all I can say, you know best, and in the end will do what is right. If honour is your object, all men say you have enough; if riches, you are too generous to heap up many; if amor patriæ, you have shown it. If your dearest friends are to be gratified, they are no doubt very much so, by hearing of your health and prosperity, which pleasure can be increased only by seeing you. Memento-your father is seventy-seven years of age, December 15, 1799. God bless you! EDM. NELSON."

(a) Owing to an objection raised by Lady Nelson to this liberality on the part of her husband, the father declined receiving his son's proffered kindness.-See Dispatches, vol. 7, cxci.

may step in and tear the mother from me. I have in truth serious thoughts of giving up the active service Greenwich Hospital seems a fit retreat for me, after being evidently thought unfit to command the Mediterranean.'

Lord Keith had now returned and resumed the command, much to Nelson's chagrin. In another letter he wrote," We of the Nile are not equal to Lord Keith in his estimation, and ought to think it an honour to serve under such a clever man." And subsequently,-" As to my health, I believe I am almost finished. Many things, (some) of which you have felt in your time, contribute towards it. I am now on my route to my friends at Palermo. I shall there rest quiet for two weeks, and then judge by my feelings whether I am able to serve well, and with comfort to myself. It is said the combined fleet is coming this road, confiding it can escape as it did last year, but the pitcher never goes often to the well but it comes home broken at last."

One more Nile ship remained-the Guillaume Tell, which was at this time closely watched in the harbour of Valetta. After a daring attempt to escape, she surrendered to the Foudroyant, Lion, and Penelope frigate, and thus made a glorious finish to the Mediterranean fleet. Nelson was not present at her capture, and rejoiced that he had not taken a sprig from their laurels. They are, and I glory in them," he wrote to Lord St. Vincent, "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 a happiness, to have the Nile fleet all taken under my orders and regulations !

66

There

were yet two frigates of that fleet in Valetta; one eventually got free, the other was captured. Such was the fate of the Nile fleet. Malta did not surrender until the 5th of September.

CHAPTER VI.

1800-1801.

On the 2nd June, Lord Nelson was appointed a knight grand cross of the order of St. Ferdinand and Merit of the Two Sicilies. On the 28th he shifted his flag from the Foudroyant to the Alexander, and on the 13th of July, struck it, and left Leghorn on his way to England. He reached Florence on the 19th and Ancona on the 24th, where he embarked on board a Russian frigate for Trieste, and arrived there on the 9th of August. He remained a short time at Vienna, which he left on the 26th of September. He was obliged to adopt this route, as no ship could be spared from the fleet to take him direct home. He passed through Prague to Magdeburgh and Hamburgh, with his now inseparable friends, Sir William and Lady Hamilton. The most gratifying testimonials of esteem and admiration awaited him at every step. The Prince of Esterhazy entertained him in a style of Hungarian magnificence a hundred grenadiers, each six feet in height, waiting at table. At Magdeburgh the master of the hotel gratified his friends and benefited himself by exhibiting the hero of the Nile for money, admitting the curious to 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, when he acquainted her ladyship that 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 presented itself was far beyond any he could have expected. He earnestly requested her assistance to prevail upon his lordship to accept six dozen of this incomparable wine; part of it would then have the honour to flow into the heart's blood of the hero, and this thought would make him happy during the remainder of his life. Nelson was delighted at the kindness of the old wine merchant, and entering the room where he was,

shook him affectionately by the hand, and consented to receive six bottles of his wine provided he would promise to be his guest at dinner next day. The invitation was joyfully accepted, and twelve bottles were sent, six of which Nelson promised to put by to celebrate the half dozen more victories he meant to gain. A German pastor, nearly eighty years of age, travelled forty miles with the bible of his parish church to request Nelson's autograph on the first leaf, for he considered him the saviour of the Christian world.

The travellers landed at Yarmouth on the 6th of November, and this being Nelson's first appearance in England since the Nile action, he was enthusiastically received. The populace assembled in crowds to greet him, and taking the horses from his carriage, drew him to Wrestlers' Inn, amid tumultuous applause. The mayor and corporation lost no time in waiting upon his lordship, and took the opportunity of presenting him with the freedom of the town, which had some time previously been voted him, as an acknowledgement of his eminent services. The infantry quartered in the town paraded before the inn at which he lodged with their band, the soldiers fired feux-de-joie, and firing of musketry and ordnance continued till midnight.

On the next day, the corporation in procession, together with the officers of the navy residing near at hand, accompanied him to church with his friends, and joined in a thanksgiving for his preservation. On leaving the town, a corps of cavalry met him, drew up, saluted, and then escorted the carriage to the boundary of the county. On reaching Ipswich, similar honours awaited him. In London, he was entertained on Lord Mayor's day by the civic authorities, on which occasion his carriage was drawn by the populace from Ludgate Hill to Guildhall. Here he received the thanks of the court of common council and the golden hilted sword, studded with diamonds, which had been voted him immediately after the news of the victory reached England. On the 20th he took his seat in the House of Lords. Everywhere he was congratulated and treated as a successful hero, until he arrived at that spot, in which is commonly centred the happiness of every good man-his home.

It was, perhaps, but too apparent, that Lord Nelson's

affection had been impaired by his last absence;_ and although we do not wish to cast any slur upon Lady Nelson, there seems good reason for believing that efforts were not made by her ladyship to regain by affectionate means the ascendancy she once possessed. As we cannot with safety pronounce Lord Nelson to be wholly wrong, nor his wife wholly right, we think it better to abstain from offering any further opinion of our own. It is enough to state, that a final separation took place two months after Nelson's arrival in England.* Previously to this, some difference had occurred between his lordship and his step-son, Captain Nisbet.

One of Nelson's first acts on reaching England was to

The following letter in Lord Nelson's despatches, addressed to Sir Harris Nicolas by Mr. Haslewood, may throw some light on the subject:

"Kemp Town, Brighton, April 13, 1846. "DEAR SIR,—I was no less surprised than grieved when you told me of a prevailing opinion that Lord Nelson of his own motion withdrew from the society of his wife, and took up his residence altogether with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and that you have never received from any member of his family an intimation to the contrary. His father, his brother, Dr. Nelson (afterwards Earl Nelson), his sisters, Mrs. Bolton and Mrs. Matcham, and their husbands, well knew that the separation was unavoidable on Lord Nelson's part, and as I happened to be present when the unhappy rupture took place, I have often talked over with all of them-but more especially with Mr. and Mrs. Matcham-the particulars which I proceed to relate, in justice to the memory of my illustrious friend, and in the hope of removing an erroneous impression from your mind. In the winter of 1800-1, I was breakfasting with Lord and Lady Nelson, at their lodgings in Arlington-street, and a cheerful conversation was passing on indifferent subjects, when Lord Nelson spoke of something which had been done or said by dear Lady Hamilton,' upon which Lady Nelson rose from her chair, and exclaimed with much vehemence, 'I am sick of hearing of dear Lady Hamilton, and am resolved that you shall either give up her or me.' Lord Nelson, with perfect calmness, said, 'Take care, Fanny, what' you say. I love you sincerely; but I cannot forget my obligations to Lady Hamilton, or speak of her otherwise than with affection and admiration.' Without one soothing word or gesture, but muttering something about her mind being made up, Lady Nelson left the room, and shortly after drove from the house. They never lived together afterwards. I believe that Lord Nelson took a formal leave of her ladyship before joining the fleet under Sir Hyde Parker, but that to the day of her husband's glorious death she never made any apology for her abrupt and ungentle conduct above related, or any overture towards a reconciliation."