to the above delusion, which gradually brought on that fatal and highly wrought attachment which she formed for the hero of Aboukir; for it was the hero, and not the individual, which had captivated her glowing imagination. Its ardour, as it increased, overpowered the natural kindness of her disposition, and eventually involved her in an endless succession of private altercation and public disappointment.”

There is a singular circumstance connected with the execution of Caraccioli, which must not be omitted. Three days after the event, on the return of the king from Palermo, a fisherman came one morning to the Foudroyant, and assured the officers that Caraccioli had risen from the bottom of the sea, and was coming as fast as he could to Naples, swimming half out of the water. The story of the fisherman was reckoned an extravagant imposture, till the same day Nelson, indulging the king by standing out to sea, the ship had not proceeded far, before the officers of the watch beheld a body upright in the water, directing its course towards them. Captain Hardy soon discovered that this was actually the body of Caraccioli, which, notwithstanding the great weight attached to it, continued to float in that extraordinary position. According to an account given in Mr. Clarke's Life of Nelson, it was ascertained that the corpse had attached to it two double-headed Neapolitan shot, weighing two hundred and fifty pounds! A fact so marvellous filled with astonishment every mind, and the king gave orders for the body to be taken ashore and receive Christian burial.

The next step necessary for the recovery of Naples, and the enthronement of the king, was to dispossess the French of the castle of St. Elmo. To effect this, a large detachment of seamen and marines from the squadron were landed, under the command of Captain Trowbridge, of the Culloden, who were assisted for a while by Captain Ball, of the Alexander, but that gallant officer's services being required in the blockade of Malta, his place was supplied by Captain Hallowell, of the Swiftsure. A party of Russians and Portuguese joined Captain Trowbridge, and rendered essential service during the siege.

Captain Trowbridge landed on the 27th of June, and after embarking the garrisons of the castles of Uovo and Nuovo, composed principally of French, a garrison was put in each, and on the 29th possession was taken of a post against Fort St. Elmo, which was immediately summoned to surrender; but the commandant being resolved to stand a siege, a most tremendous battery was opened against him. The siege continued from the 3rd of July to the 12th, when the enemy's guns being mostly dismounted, and their works all but destroyed, a flag of truce was hoisted, and the castle capitulated.

By the surrender of St. Elmo, the king had once more the satisfaction of beholding his own flag wave over the capital, and all the forts by which it was defended. Capna and Gaieta only now remained in the hands of the French, and against the former, Trowbridge and Hallowell began to make preparations, by landing a thousand men from the ships, which, uniting with an army of about four thousand, marched shortly after the 14th to effect its reduction. At the moment of preparation, when every arrangement was made to march against Capna, an order arrived from Lord Keith, directing Nelson to detach from the island of Sicily the whole of his squadron, for the protection of Minorca. This order, however, Nelson thought proper to disobey, till the capture of Capna, an event which he contemplated would speedily take place. His expectations were realized, for on the 28th the garrison surrendered to Captain Trowbridge. The town and garrison of Gaieta, being under the same commander-in-chief as Capna, a surrender was immediately made, and on the 1st of August, 1799— the anniversary of the battle of the Nile-Nelson had the happiness of announcing to the king, the re-capture of Naples, and the extinction of French rule and authority in the kingdom. We find the following remarks on Nelson's

letter to Earl Spencer, which accompanied the dispatches to England. certainly, from having only a left hand, cannot enter into details which may explain the motives that actuate my conduct, and which may be necessary for a commanding officer who may wish to have every subject of duty detailed by those under his command. My principle, my dear lord, is to assist in driving the French to the devil, and in restoring peace and happiness to mankind. I feel that I am fitter to do the action than to describe it; therefore, briefly, all the French being forced to quit this kingdom, and some order restored, two more ships of the line are to sail this evening for Minorca, which I will take care of."

Having made every requisite arrangement for the welfare of the Neapolitan dominions, Nelson sailed for Palermo, leaving the command of the squadron in the bay and along the coast to Captain Trowbridge. On the 8th, Nelson, with the king and his attendants, Sir William and Lady Hamilton, arrived off Palermo, where the undaunted admiral received every mark of royal favour.

On the arrival of the Foudroyant at Palermo, the queen came on board, where she embraced Lady Hamilton, and at the same moment hung round her neck a chain of gold, to which was suspended a portrait of her majesty, supremely set with diamonds, bearing also this motto " Eterna Gratitudini !” Shortly after, while her ladyship remained at the palace, two coach loads of costly dresses were sent to the house of Sir W. Hamilton, with two pictures worth a thousand guineas each. It is supposed that the whole of these presents amounted to upwards of six thousand pounds.

Nelson was presented, by his majesty, with a sword magnificently enriched with diamonds of the value of six thousand ducats, and conferred on him also the title of the Duke of Bronte, with an estate producing three thousand pounds per annum. The title was somewhat appropriate, being in allusion to the thunders of the battle of the Nile: Bronte was fabulously said to be the forger of the thunders of Jove.

On the 3rd of September, a naval fête was given to their Sicilian Majesties at Palermo, by their youngest son, Prince Leopold, to celebrate the recovery of their kingdom under the auspices of the duke, who was present, with the admirals of the Russian and Turkish squadrons, their officers, and a few of the principal nobility of Naples and Palermo. Their majesties received the company, and the young prince, then nine years of age, and educated for the navy, did the honours of the evening in his midshipman's uniform. The three princesses, and the consort of the hereditary prince, each wore round her neck some ornament, having allusion to Nelson and the victories he had achieved. The entertainment began with a magnificent display of fire works in the garden of the palace, representing the English and French fleets at Aboukir, the ever memorable battle of the Nile, and the total defeat of the enemy's ships, concluding with the explosion of L'Orient, and the blowing up of the tri-coloured flag. After the fire-works, a cantata was performed, entitled "the happy concord." It expressed the public joy for the deliverance of the two kingdoms, loyal wishes for the prosperity of their majesties and the royal family, and for that of Lord Nelson.

Amid all these flattering demonstrations, Nelson gave his attention to the interests of his country. On the arrival of the Russian squadron at Naples, the admiral dispatched Commodore Trowbridge to blockade Ĉivata Vecchia, and to expel the French from the Roman territory; at the same time directing him to offer somewhat favourable conditions if they would evacuate that state forthwith. With these terms, the French general thought fit to comply, and they were accordingly signed on board the Culloden. On the 29th and 30th of September, a detachment of 200 seamen and marines were landed from the Minotaur

and Culloden, and took possession of Civita Vecchia, Corneto and Tolfa. General Bouchard and Captain Louis of the Minotaur, took possession of Rome, and thus was fulfilled a singular prophecy, originating in the zeal of Father M'Cormick, an Irish priest, who upon the triumphant arrival of Nelson at Naples, declared "that his lordship should take Rome with his ships!"

At the moment this convention was concluded all the rarest works of art in Rome were packed up by the French, and ready to be sent away. By the arrival of the English squadron, this design was frustrated: and the inhabitants of Rome, as a tribute of gratitude to Nelson, resolved to erect a superb monument to his honour in that city. On this occasion, Nelson writes to the agent to whom the conduct of the business was committed, thus-"Sir William Hamilton has been so kind to communicate to me the distinguished honour intended me by the inhabitants, by you, and other professors and admirers of the fine arts at Rome to erect a monument. I have not words sufficiently to express my feelings on hearing that my actions had contributed to preserve the works which form the school of fine arts in Italy, which the modern Goths wanted to carry off and destroy. That they may always remain in the only place worthy of them-Rome, are, and will be my fervent wishes."

Nelson remained at Palermo till the beginning of the year 1800, when Lord Keith, the commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, received intelligence that the French intended to make the attempt to throw succours in to Malta, which was at that time closely besieged. He therefore gave orders for Nelson to proceed to windward of the island to look out with three sail of the line, while he himself in the Queen Charlotte lay close in with the mouth of the harbour. On the 18th of February, Nelson had the satisfaction to fall in with one of his old enemies, the Genereux, who was less fortunate on this occasion than she had been in her former encounter with his lordship. His letter to Lord Keith gives the following account of the transaction :

"This morning, at day-light, being in company with the ships named in the margin (Northumberland, Audacious, and El Corso brig), I saw the Alexander in chase of a line of battle ship, three frigates, and a corvette. At about eight o'clock she fired several shot at one of the enemy's frigates, which struck her colours, and leaving her to be secured by the ships astern, continued the chase. I directed Captain Gould, of the Audacious, and the El Corso brig, to take charge of this prize.

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At half-past one, p. m., the frigates and corvette tacked to the westward; but the line of battle-ship not being able to tack without coming to action with the Alexander, bore up. The Success being to leeward, Captain Peard, with great judgment and gallantry, lay across his hawse and raked him with several broadsides ; in passing the French ship's broadside, several shot struck the Success, by which one man was killed, and the master and eight men wounded.

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At half-past four, the Foudroyant and Northumberland coming up, the former fired two ships, when the French ship fired her broadside, and struck her colours. She proved to be the Genereux, of seventy-four guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Perre, commander in chief of the French naval force in the Mediterranean, having a number of troops on board from Toulon, bound for the relief of Malta. I attribute our success to be principally owing to the extreme good management of Lieut. Wm. Harrington, who commands the Alexander in the absence of Captain Ball, and I am much pleased with the gallant behaviour of Captain Peard, of the Success, as also with the alacrity and good conduct of Captain Martin and Sir Edward Berry.

"I have sent Lieutenant Andrew Thompson, first lieutenant of the Foudroyant, to take charge of the Genereux, whom I beg leave to recommend

to your lordship for promotion; and have sent her, under care of the Northumberland and Alexander, to Syracuse, to wait your lordship's orders."

Soon after this event, his lordship was so seriously indisposed, that he was necessitated to retire to Palermo, leaving Sir Edward Berry in the command of the Foudroyant, who, during the absence of the admiral, had the peculiar gratification of capturing the Guillaume Tell, of eighty-six guns and one thousand men, and which was the only remaining ship composing the French fleet on the memorable 1st of August.

Captain Manly Dixon, being off Malta with a squadron of ships of war, he directed Captain Blackwood, of the Penelope, on the night of the 30th of March, to stand close in to La Valette, in order to observe the enemy's motions more narrowly. About midnight he discovered a large ship, and dispatched the Minorca to inform Captain Dixon of the circumstance; at the same time making the necessary signals, and giving chase himself. The ships of the squadron instantly cut, or slipped their cables, and went in pursuit, under a press of sail, guided only by the cannonading of the Penelope. At day-break Captain Dixon, in the Lion, had arrived within gun-shot of the chase. The Penelope, whose well-directed fire during the night, had carried away her main and mizen topmasts and main yard, was within musket shot raking her; the enemy appeared to be in great confusion, being reduced to his head-sails, going with the wind on the quarter. The Lion was run close alongside, the yard arms No. 9.

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of both ships just being clear: a destructive broadside of three round shot was poured in, luffing up across the bow, when the enemy's jib-boom passed between the main and mizen shrouds; after a short interval the boom was carried away, and the ships were disentangled. Captain Dixon's object was to prevent either being boarded, as the enemy's ship was full of men, or exposing himself to her powerful broadside; he therefore maintained his position across her bow, firing to great advantage; while she could only return with her bow chasers and musketry, the fire of which was, however, prodigious.

In this manner the action had continued about fifty minutes, when the Foudroyant came up with a press of canvas, and Sir Edward Berry laying her so close alongside the enemy, that her spare anchor was but just clear of his mizen chains, hailed the French commander, Admiral Dacres, and ordered him to strike. He answered by brandishing his sword over his head, and discharged a muşket at Sir Edward. This was followed by a broadside, which nearly unrigged the Foudroyant, whose guns, however, being prepared with three round shots in each, poured a most tremendous and effectual discharge, crashing through and through the enemy, forming a perfect chord of harmony in the ears of her gallant crew. The next broadside carried away the main and mizen masts of the Guillaume Tell; at the same time the Foudroyant's fore top mast, jib-boom, sprit-sail, main top sail yard, stay-sails, fore sail, and main-sail were all in tatters. In this situation it was difficult to make the ship fall off so as to maintain her position. The combatants therefore separated for a few minutes, when Sir Edward Berry called his men from the main-deck, and cutting away part of the wreck, once more got the ship under command, and again laid her close alongside her determined opponent, who nailed his colours to the stump of the mast, and displayed his flag on a pole above them. Sir Edward now commenced a tremendous and well-directed fire, his men having got into a system of firing every gun twice or three times in a minute, regularly going through the exercise. The Lion and Penelope were meanwhile doing great execution. At length, the fore-mast of the Guillaume Tell, being likewise shot away, she struck her colours. In this obstinate conflict, which lasted an hour and a half, the Foudroyant had 8 men killed and 61 wounded, among whom was Sir Edward Berry slightly; the Lion, 7 killed and 38 wounded; and the Penelope, 2 killed and 2 wounded. The Foudroyant expended 162 barrels of powder, 1200 thirty-two pound shot, 1240 twenty pound, 100 eighteen pound, and 200 twelve pound ditto. The slaughter on board the Guillaume Tell was very great, more than 200 of her crew being killed and wounded. On her arrival in England, her name was changed to the Malta.

On the arrival of Mr. Arthur Paget, who superseded Sir William Hamilton at the Neapolitan court, Nelson quitted Palermo for Malta, having also come to the determination to quit the station and proceed to England. For some time Nelson had been far from enjoying comfort and happiness-his mind was filled with anxious concern-and his infatuated attachment to Lady Hamilton served rather to augment it. Notwithstanding his earnest wishes for the possession of Malta, after remaining there a month concerting plans for its reduction, he left the island, fully assured, from the arrangements then made, it must speedily fall. A ship could not be spared to convey him to England; he was therefore obliged to travel overland, and on the 8th of June he quitted Palermo, embarking on board the Foudroyant, which immediately proceeded to Leghorn.