mised relief to the islanders, relying upon the queen's promise to him. He had distributed the whole of his private stock,— there was plenty of grain at Palermo, and in its neighbourhood, and yet none was sent him: the enemy, he complained, had more interest there than the king; and the distress for bread, which he witnessed, was such, he said, that it would move even a Frenchman to pity.

Nelson's mind was not in a happier state respecting public affairs. "As to politics," said he, "at this time they are my abomi"nation: the ministers of kings and princes 66 are as great scoundrels as ever lived. The "brother of the emperor is just going to 66 marry the great Something of Russia, and "it is more than expected that a kingdom "is to be found for him in Italy, and that "the King of Naples will be sacrificed." Had there been a wise and manly spirit in the Italian states, or had the conduct of Austria been directed by any thing like a principle of honour, a more favourable opportunity could not have been desired, for

restoring order and prosperity in Europe, than the misconduct of the French directory at this time afforded. But Nelson saw selfishness and knavery wherever he looked; and even the pleasure of seeing a cause prosper, in which he was so zealously engaged, was poisoned by his sense of the rascality of those with whom he was compelled to act. At this juncture intelligence arrived that the French fleet had escaped from Brest, under cover of a fog, passed Cadiz unseen by Lord Keith's squadron, in hazy weather, and entered the Mediterranean. It was said to consist of 24 sail of the line, six frigates, and three sloops. The object of the French was to liberate the Spanish fleet, form a junction with them, act against Minorca and Sicily, and overpower our naval force in the Mediterranean, by falling in with detached squadrons, and thus destroying it in detail. When they arrived off Carthagena, they requested the Spanish ship to make sail and join; but the Spaniards replied, they had not men to man them. To this it was answered, that

the French had men enough on board for that purpose. But the Spaniards seem to have been apprehensive of delivering up their ships thus entirely into the power of such allies, and refused to come out. The fleet from Cadiz, however, consisting of from 17 to 20 sail of the line, got out, under Masaredo, a man who then bore an honourable name, which he has since rendered infamous by betraying his country. They met with a violent storm off the coast of Oran, which dismasted many of their ships, and so effectually disabled them, as to prevent the junction, and frustrate a wellplanned expedition.

Before this occurred, and while the junction was as probable as it would have been formidable, Nelson was in a state of the greatest anxiety. "What a state am I "in!" said he to Earl St. Vincent. "If I

'go, I risk, and more than risk, Sicily: "for we know, from experience, that more 66 depends upon opinion than upon acts "themselves: and as I stay, my heart is

66

breaking." His first business was to

summon Troubridge to join him, with all the ships of the line under his command, and a frigate, if possible. Then hearing that the French had entered the Mediterranean, and expecting them at Palermo, where he had only his own ship;—with that single ship he prepared to make all the resistance possible. Troubridge having joined him, he left Capt. E. J. Foote, of the Seahorse, to command the smaller vessels in the bay of Naples, and sailed with six ships; one a Portugueze, and a Portugueze corvette; telling Earl St. Vincent that the squadron should never fall into the hands of the enemy: "And before we "are destroyed," said he, "I have little "doubt but they will have their wings so 66 completely clipped, that they may be "easily overtaken." It was just at this time that he received from Capt. Hallowell the present of the coffin. Such a present was regarded by the men with natural astonishment: one of his old shipmates in the Agamemnon said—" We shall "have hot work of it indeed! You see "the admiral intends to fight till he is

"killed; and there he is to be buried." Nelson placed it upright against the bulkhead of his cabin, behind his chair, where he sat at dinner. The gift suited him at this time. It is said that he was disappointed in the son-in-law, whom he had loved so dearly from his childhood, and who had saved his life at Teneriffe: and it is certain that he had now formed an infatuated attachment for Lady Hamilton, which totally weaned his affections from his wife. Farther than this, there is no reason to believe that this most unfortunate attachment was criminal: but this was criminality enough, and it brought with it its punishment. Nelson was dissatisfied with himself; and, therefore, weary of the world. This feeling he now frequently expressed. "There is no true happiness in this life,” said he ;" and in my present state I could

quit it with a smile." And in a letter to his old friend Davison, he said: "Believc 66 me, my only wish is to sink with honour "into the grave; and when that shall "please God, I shall meet death with a