"captain be such, that another may not "refuse to receive you." The gentleness and benignity of his disposition never made him forget what was due to discipline. Being on one occasion applied to, to save a young officer from a court-martial, which he had provoked by his misconduct, his reply was, "That he would do every thing "in his power to oblige so gallant and good "an officer as Sir John Warren," in whose name the intercession had been made :"But what," he added, "would he do if "he were here?-Exactly what I have ❝done, and am still willing to do. The 66 young man must write such a letter of "contrition as would be an acknowledg"ment of his great fault; and, with a sincere promise, if his captain will intercede to "prevent the impending court-martial, ne"ver to so misbehave again. On his cap"tain's enclosing me such a letter, with a

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request to cancel the order for the trial, "I might be induced to do it: but the let"ters and reprimand will be given in the "public order-book of the fleet, and read

"to all the officers. The young man has "pushed himself forward to notice, and he "must take the consequence.-It was upon "the quarter-deck, in the face of the ship's company, that he treated his captain "with contempt; and I am in duty bound "to support the authority and consequence "of every officer under my command. A "poor ignorant seamen is for ever punish"ed for contempt to his superiors."

A dispute occurred in the fleet, while it was off Toulon, which called forth Nelson's zeal for the rights and interest of the navy. Some young artillery officers, serving on board the bomb vessels, refused to let their men perform any other duty but what related to the mortars. They wished to have it established, that their corps was not subject to the captain's authority. The same pretensions were made in the channel fleet about the same time; and the artillery rested their claims to separate and independent authority on board, upon a clause in the act, which they interpreted in their favour. Nelson took up the subject

with all the earnestness which its importance deserved.-"There is no real hap66 piness in this world," said he, writing to Earl St. Vincent, as first lord. "With all "content, and smiles around me, up start "these artillery boys, (I understand they "are not beyond that age) and set us at "defiance; speaking in the most disre"spectful manner of the navy, and its com"manders. I know you, my dear lord, so "well, that, with your quickness, the "matter would have been settled, and per66 haps some of them been broke. I am, "perhaps, more patient; but I do assure

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you, not less resolved, if my plan of con"ciliation is not attended to. You and I "are on the eve of quitting the theatre of "our exploits; but we hold it due to our "successors, never, whilst we have a tongue "to speak, or a hand to write, to allow "the navy to be, in the smallest degree, ❝injured in its discipline by our conduct.” To Troubridge he wrote in the same spirit.

"It is the old history, trying to do away "the act of parliament: but I trust they

"will never succeed; for, when they do, "farewell to our naval superiority. We "should be prettily commanded! Let

"them once gain the step of being inde"pendent of the navy on board a ship, and "they will soon have the other, and com"mand us.-But, thank God! my dear "Troubridge, the king himself cannot do

away the act of parliament. Although << my career is nearly run, yet it would "embitter my future days, and expiring "moments, to hear of our navy being sa"crificed to the army." As the surest way of preventing such disputes, he suggested that the navy should have its own corps of artillery; and a corps of marine artillery was accordingly established.

Instead of lessening the power of the commander, Nelson would have wished to see it increased: it was absolutely necessary, he thought, that merit should be rewarded at the moment, and that the officers of the fleet should look up to the com mander-in-chief for their reward. He himself was never more happy than when he

could promote those who were deserving of promotion. Many were the services which he thus rendered, unsolicited: and frequently the officer, in whose behalf he had interested himself with the admiralty, did not know to whose friendly interference he was indebted for his good fortune.-He used to say, "I wish it to appear as a God-send." The love which he bore the navy made him promote the interests, and honour the memory, of all who had added to its glories. "The near relations of brother officers," he said, "he considered

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as legacies to the service." Upon mention being made to him of a son of Rodney, by the Duke of Clarence, his reply was: "I agree with your royal highness most "entirely, that the son of a Rodney ought "to be the protegé of every person in the "kingdom, and particularly of the sea "officers. Had I known that there had "been this claimant, some of my own lieu"tenants must have given way to such a 66 name, and he should have been placed "in the Victory: she is full, and I have