their positions; one never arrived at all; the fifth appeared when daylight disclosed the failure of the attempt. The diminished force moved gallantly to the attack, surmounted many of the enemy's defences, and seized several of their gun-boats. But here the success was at an end. Unable to separate them, our men prepared to burn the captured boats, when the enemy, utterly regardless of their own wounded and prisoners, turned their own guns on their boats, and soon drove out our men from their hardly-gained prizes.

Convinced of the failure of the attempt, Nelson recalled the boats, bitterly regretting that he had not led the attack in person, and either prevented its failure by the dispersion of the boats, or shared the danger with his gallant comrades. More than 170 poor fellows suffered in this unhappy attempt, consoled, indeed, with the open assertion of Nelson, that they had done all that men could do, that they had committed no error, and never displayed more courage, and ready to agree with him, that had the force arrived as he had planned, "not all the chains in France could have prevented them from bringing off the whole of the vessels." The repulse bore heavily on Nelson's mind, and he returned with dejected spirits to his anchorage off Yarmouth to give his personal attention to the wounded, and to pay the last tribute of respect to those officers who had fallen in the attack. Every day he visited the sick bed of Captain Parker, who had led one of the divisions, and suffered the loss of a leg, and for weeks supported him through the long suffering which eventually terminated his career. He had found him in distress, he knew that on his exertions depended an aged father, and he ever regarded him as his own son; and when at length, after many a fluctuation and temporary hope, poor Parker died, Nelson wept over his untimely fate. It was only on the 24th of September that he wrote to Dr. Baird, to whose unremitting attention the wounded had been committed, and buoyed up by hope, had solicited to be allowed to see his son, dear Parker, on the Sunday." Within two days his 66 friend was gone. young Although the contents of your letter," he then wrote to Dr. Baird, "were not unexpected, yet I am sure you will judge of my feelings. I

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God's will be

feel all has been done that was possible. done. I beg that his hair may be cut off and given to me; it shall remain and be buried with me. What must the poor father feel?" And again on the next day he wrote: I should be a wretch if I did not feel sensible of all your kindness to my poor dear Parker. We have the melancholy consolation to think that everything was done which professional skill and the kindest friendship could dictate. God's will be done; but if I was to say I was content, I should lie -; but I shall endeavour to submit with all the fortitude I am able. Poor Mr. Parker! what a son has he lost!" To that professional skill and kind friendship Nelson paid a more enduring respect than mere words. A silver vase marked his esteem for Dr. Baird's humane attention to the gallant officers and men who suffered at Boulogne. To the dead Nelson paid the last honour. He accompanied the bodies of the two midshipmen that had fallen, and the tears stood in his eyes as their coffins were lowered into the grave.

Nelson had now no desire for any longer service in the channel. His country had bestowed on him a confidence he could not but repay, by endeavouring to support her in any station, however distasteful to his feelings. But now that the blockading and protecting fleet was raised to the desired force, and in spite of the failure at Boulogne the confidence of the people was restored, he desired his recal, and freely stated that he did not consider that the station required the services of so high an officer. Within a few days after the attack on the flotilla, Nelson had received a letter from one Mr. Hill, demanding 1007. if he would prevent some severe strictures on that affair from appearing in the public papers. This threat he treated with disdain, defying his accuser, and sending his letter to the admiralty, that they might endeavour to arrest the man who should call at the Post-office for the expected reply from Lord Nelson. The attempted calumniator escaped: a mere porter called for the answer, and though closely questioned, denied any knowledge of his principal.

Nelson's demand of his recall would, in all probability,

• To Dr. Baird, Sept. 24, 1801; id. Sept. 26, 1801; id. Sept. 27, 1801.

have been neglected, had not the preliminaries for the peace of Amiens been commenced just at this time. This prospect of peace gave Nelson additional hope of being released from active duty. "From my heart do I congratulate you," he wrote at this time to Mr. Addington, "in having been able to allow the wishes of the country to be complied with, in the near approach of peace, by the signing preliminary articles. I trust it will answer the expectations of the country; but I am aware of the necessity of all good. men guarding against the influx of Frenchmen and their detestable principles into this happy country. Without a compliment, and desiring only still to be considered by you as doing my duty to my king and country, you may rely upon my full support in the senate, as I have strove to support your honest principles in the field; being convinced that whatever you propose is intended for the honour of our king and country. I have served, my dear Sir, until the thread of my life is almost worn out, and Lord St. Vincent wishes me to remain at my post until all is settled. I have every inclination to do what he wishes, but I fear I am not able, if the negotiation gets into the winter, to continue afloat; therefore I beg your favourable opinion of me, if I should be forced to come on shore."* Still the government refused to let Nelson's flag be struck, though every assistance that could relieve him from active duties was granted; and permission to reside on shore conceded to him. "I owe it to my regard for your Lordship," wrote the prime minister, and to my public duty, to declare it to be my opinion that it is of the utmost importance to your own high character, and the interests of the country, that your flag should be flying till the definitive treaty has been signed. You will then have seen the ship safe into port, and may close, with honour, a career of unexampled success and glory."

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On the 22nd of October he reached the small place at Merton which he had purchased, where his friends, Sir William and Lady Hamilton resided, and on the 29th took his seat in the House of Lords as Viscount Nelson. A new barony of Nelson of Hilborough had been created for him in August, in which the title was specially entailed + Ibid.

*Life of Lord Sidmouth, i. 444.

on his father's descendants, in order that the name of Nelson might not fail, in consequence of his own childless state, and the little expectation of any descendants, since his unfortunate separation from Lady Nelson.

During the continuance of the negotiations for the peace, Nelson remained on leave on shore, and took an active part in the duties of the House of Peers. On the day after his taking his seat, the vote of thanks to his old comrade, Sir J. Saumarez, came on in the house, and Nelson gladly seized the opportunity of seconding the vote for his gallant conduct in the bay of Algesiras. Again, when the news arrived of the successful issue of Lord Keith's expedition to Egypt, and of the total destruction of that design which he himself had first ruined in the bay of Aboukir, he eagerly supported the vote of thanks which the ministry proposed to the successful commanders. The preliminaries of the peace were quite to his mind. Much as he was hurt at the foolish joy with which the populace dragged the carriage of the French envoy in triumph, “and felt," for this act, ashamed of his country;" he added his voice in defence of the conditions, and supported his old master, Lord St. Vincent, in opposition to the cavillings of the opposition peers. At last the peace was signed, and on the 10th of April, 1802, Nelson's flag was struck.

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CHAPTER IX.

NELSON ON SHORE.

1802, 1803.

Nelson's Income and Liberality. - Peace of Amiens. Tour through Wales.-Nelson in the House of Lords.--Condition of the Navy.— Despard's Trial.-Prospect of War.

DURING rather more than twelve months Nelson remained on shore on half-pay, residing with the Hamiltons at his house at Merton, and occupying his time in country amusements, without neglecting his duties as a peer, or the best interests of those by whom he had been enabled to achieve his great actions. With the money which he had obtained for his victory at the Nile, Nelson had some years before purchased a small, but pretty, house and grounds at Merton in Surrey, where he had placed his aged and infirm friend, Sir William Hamilton, and over the domestic arrangements of which he had given charge to the exambassadress of Naples. From the commencement of his career Nelson had been a poor man; and when fortune ever brought him an additional gift, the innate liberality of his nature soon reduced his finances to their former condition. In all his services his object had never been prize money, but always the destruction of the enemy. mind like his," he truly said of himself, "was not formed to take the road to wealth." He preferred a close blockade of a fleet of war, or such manœuvres as would tempt an equal or superior enemy to come out, and try his strength, to lingering on the track of merchantmen, and making a harvest of prizes.

"A

"I have never yet had any money to think about," he wrote to his friend and agent; "and should be surprised if I troubled my head about it. In my state, of what conse