bed. I will have all the English shipping and property restored, but I will do nothing violently. As the business will be settled in a fortnight, I must entreat that some person may come out to take this command." Writing to Mr. Addington, who had stated that, under "all the circumstances, his Majesty had approved of the armistice," Nelson objected to such a conditional approval. "I own myself of opinion," said he, " that every part of the all was to the advantage of our king and country. We knew not of the death of Paul, or a change of sentiments in the court of Russia... My health is gone, and although I should be happy to try and hold out a month or six weeks longer, yet death is no respecter of persons. I own, at present, I should not wish to die a natural death."

On the 12th of May the fleet entered Revel roads; but the Russians had left it three days previously, and had proceeded to Cronstadt. Having anchored, Lord Nelson sent on shore to the Governor-General Sacken, to inquire whether a salute would be fired, in which case he promised to return it. After a delay of a day, salutes were given and returned; and Nelson went on shore, at noon, on the 13th, and was received by the governor with military honours, and with great cordiality by the populace, by whom Paul had been universally detested. His visit was returned on the 14th, when General Sacken was accompanied by the Russian minister's son, and several Cossack officers. In the meanwhile, a letter he had written to the emperor had been received, and Alexander's ministers, in reply, expressed their surprise at the arrival of a British fleet in a Russian port, and a wish that it should depart. The most friendly professions were made; but Lord Nelson's offer to visit the Russian court was declined, unless he proceeded to St. Petersburg in a single ship. The answer to his letter, and the suspicion thereby implied, roused Nelson's indignation; and he stated that such an insinuation would not have been made had the Russian fleet been then at Revel. He wrote an immediate rejoinder, and told the court of Petersburg, that "the word of a British admiral, when given in explanation of any part of his conduct, was as sacred as that of any sovereign in Europe." It was Lord Nelson's opinion that, had it been necessary to attack the Russian fleet at Revel, they might easily have been destroyed by setting fire to

the wooden mole, under which they were lying. A threedecker moored across the mouth of the harbour would have raked every ship in the dock.

The fleet was kept constantly on the alert, and Nelson took care to obtain plentiful supplies of fresh water and provisions for the crews of his ships. Colonel Stewart thus mentions Nelson's habits at this period:-" His hour of rising was four or five o'clock, and of going to rest about ten; breakfast was never later than six; and generally nearer to five o'clock. A midshipman or two were always of the party; and I have known him send, during the middle watch, to invite the little fellows to breakfast with him when relieved. At table with them he would enter into their boyish jokes, and be the most youthful of the party. At dinner he had every officer of the ship in turn, and was both a polite and hospitable host. The whole ordinary business of the fleet was invariably despatched, as it had been by Lord St. Vincent, by eight o'clock. The great command of time which Lord Nelson thus gave himself, and the alertness which this example imparted throughout the fleet, can be only understood by those who witnessed it, or who know the value of early hours."

The Russian frigate Venus, having Admiral Tchitchagoff on board, joined the fleet off Bornholm, to which place Nelson had returned on the 19th. The Venus had been in search of the fleet for some time, with the answer to certain pacific overtures made by Sir Hyde Parker. "At Rostock," writes Colonel Stewart," the greatest veneration was shown to the name of Nelson, and some distant inland towns of Mecklenburg sent deputations with their public books of record to have his name written in them by himself. Boats were constantly rowing round the St. George with persons of respectability in them, anxious to catch a sight of this illustrious man. He did not again land whilst in the Baltic: his health was not good, and his mind was not at ease: with him mind and health invariably sympathised." The St. George made the last cruize with Lord Nelson's flag between the 9th and 13th of June, on which latter day dispatches from England arrived. In a few days the Eolus frigate, having Admiral Sir Charles Morice Pole on board, arrived, to whom, on the 19th of June, Lord Nelson relinquished the command.

Earl St. Vincent's letter on the occasion was very gratifying. He wrote:-" I have the deepest concern at learning from Lieutenant-Colonel Hutchinson that your health has suffered in so material a degree. To find a proper successor is no easy task; for I never saw the man in our profession, excepting yourself and Troubridge, who possessed the magic art of infusing the same spirit into others which inspired their own actions, exclusive of other talents and habits of business not common to naval characters. . All agree there is but one Nelson." On quitting the St. George, Lord Nelson embarked on board the Kite brig, Captain Digby, in which he arrived at Yarmouth on the 1st of July. His resignation of the command was attended with general regret throughout the fleet.

There can be no question that the dissolution of the northern confederacy was chiefly due to Nelson's indefatigable zeal and to his successes at Copenhagen. The death of the Czar Paul contributed to the event; but had not the Danes been overawed by the victory of the 2nd of April, French power would have been openly dominant. The death of Paul and the perseverance of Nelson occasioned some respect to be paid to the armistice, but it was evident opportunity only was wanted to cause its repudiation.

CHAPTER VII.

1801-1803.

DEFEATED in his designs upon the east a refugee from Egypt-his schemes overthrown chiefly by the vigilance and exertions of the British navy-Bonaparte's rage may be imagined. Like a wounded snake writhing under the blows of its assailant, he knew that an effort must be made in another direction. In the summer of 1801, Bonaparte, now first consul, collected an immense flotilla, and drew together a large army, with which he hoped to strike a blow at England's vitals. Exertions were not wanted on our part to resist the threatened invasion. Earl St. Vincent's plan was a good one, which was to place the whole of the force assembled for the purpose of averting the meditated attack under the command of some distinguished flag-officer, and no one seemed so eligible as Nelson.

At this time Admiral Skeffington Lutwidge, Nelson's former captain, was commander-in-chief of the Downs station, with whom the new appointment was not to interfere. On the 27th of July, in accordance with the above recommendation, Nelson was ordered to hoist his flag on board the Unité frigate at Sheerness. Two days before hoisting his flag, Nelson wrote a most able paper, entitled "Observations on the Defence of the Thames," which proved that he was keenly alive to the task he was about to undertake. It seems highly probable that had the flotillas sailed on their intended service, their destruction would have ensued ere they had got half channel over; and this Bonaparte foresaw. The defeat of divisions of the force by the British frigates and brigs stationed off Boulogne, under Captain Edward Owen, convinced him that a fleet of line of battle ships was necessary to escort the flotillas across, and hence his temporary abandonment of the design.

But Nelson, urged in part by his indomitable spirit, and in part by the great wish of the Admiralty to destroy the

flotillas in their own port, undertook to act upon the offensive. Frequent bombardments took place off Calais, Boulogne, and Gravelines. In the meanwhile Nelson was organising the sea fencibles and volunteer corps upon our coasts, arming river craft, and making every possible preparation for meeting an enemy, from whatever quarter coming. In a letter, dated August 11, to Earl St. Vincent, he wrote:-"Our active force is perfect, and possesses so much zeal, that I only wish to catch that Bonaparte on the water, either with the Amazon or Medusabut himself he would never trust. He would say, ‘ Allez vous en,' and not Allons, mes amis.' I hope these French, if they mean to come this year, will come before the 14th of September, beyond which I fear the season will be too much for me." And then, in allusion probably to some suggested attack, he adds:-" I know not at this moment where I had best strike a blow-which I wish to

be a very hard_one. You have well guessed the place, Flushing; but I must be careful and not cripple our gunbrigs. At Ostend we cannot get at them, therefore I am anxious for our howitzer-boats-but they will not keep pace with my wishes. No person knows of my ideas except Captain Owen, who has long been stationed here, and Captains Bedford and Parker.'

In subsequent letters Nelson wrote dubiously as to the propriety of an attack:-"I now come to consider of an attack-Flushing is my grand object; but so many obstacles are in the way, and the risk is so great_of the loss of some vessels, that under all circumstances I could hardly venture 'without a consultation with you, and an arranged plan with the Board's orders. . . . I purpose, if it can be done, to take all the gun-vessels outside the pier of Boulogne-I should like your approbation. This boat warfare is not exactly congenial to my feelings," &c. All these expressions sound strange when coming from Nelson, and it is clear his judgment was averse to the operation. It was, however, at length decided upon that an attack with the boats should be made on the Boulogne flotilla. The French were well prepared-their vessels, which were crowded with troops, were admirably_calculated for defence, and a successful attempt upon them was scarcely within the reach of possibility.

A few of the devoted officers and noble assailants returned