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, "Believe me,
my only wish is to sink with honour into the grave; and when that shall

please God, I shall meet death with a smile. Not that I am insensible to
the honours and riches my king and country have heaped upon me--so much

more than any officer could deserve; yet am I ready to quit this world
of trouble, and envy none but those of the estate six feet by two."

Well had it been for Nelson if he had made no other sacrifices to
this unhappyattachment than his peace of mind; but it led to the only

blot upon his public character. While he sailed from Palermo, with the
intention of collecting his whole force, and keeping off Maretimo,

either to receive reinforcements there if the French were bound upwards,
or to hasten to Minorca if that should be their destination, Captain

Foote, in the Sea-horse, with the Neapolitan frigates, and some small
vessels, under his command, was left to act with a land force consisting

of a few regular troops, of four different nations, and with the armed
rabble which Cardinal Ruffo called the Christian army. His directions

were to co-operate to the utmost of his power with the royalists, at
whose head Ruffo had been placed, and he had no other instructions

whatever. Ruffo advancing without any plan, but relying upon the
enemy's want of numbers, which prevented them from attempting to act

upon the offensive, and ready to take advantage of any accident which
might occur, approached Naples. Fort St. Elmo, which commands the town,

was whollygarrisoned by the French troops; the castles of Uovo and
Nuovo, which commanded the anchorage, were chiefly defended by

Neapolitan revolutionists, the powerful men among them having taken
shelter there. If these castles were taken, the reduction of Fort St.

Elmo would be greatly expedited. They were strong places, and there was
reason to apprehend that the French fleet might arrive to relieve them.

Ruffo proposed to the garrison to capitulate, on condition that their
persons and property should be guaranteed, and that they should, at

their own option, either be sent to Toulon or remain at Naples, without
being molested either in their persons or families. This capitulation

was accepted: it was signed by the cardinal, and the Russian and Turkish
commanders; and lastly, by Captain Foote, as commander of the British

force. About six-and-thirty hours afterwards Nelson arrived in the bay
with a force which had joined him during his cruise, consisting of

seventeen sail of the line, with 1700 troops on board, and the Prince
Royal of Naples in the admiral's ship. A flag of truce was flying on the

castles, and on board the SEAHORSE. Nelson made a signal to annul the
treaty; declaring that he would grant rebels no other terms than those

of unconditional submission. The cardinal objected to this: nor could
all the arguments of Nelson, Sir W. Hamilton, and Lady Hamilton, who

took an active part in the conference, convince him that a treaty of
such a nature, solemnly concluded, could honourably be set aside. He

retired at last, silenced by Nelson's authority, but not convinced.
Captain Foote was sent out of the bay; and the garrisons, taken out of

the castles under pretence of carrying the treaty into effect, were
delivered over as rebels to the vengeance of the Sicilian court. A

deplorable transaction! a stain upon the memory of Nelson and the honour
of England! To palliate it would be in vain; to justify it would be

wicked: there is no alternative, for one who will not make himself a
participator in guilt, but to record the disgraceful" target="_blank" title="a.可耻的；不光彩的">disgraceful story with sorrow

and with shame.
Prince Francesco Caraccioli, a younger branch of one of the noblest

Neapolitan families, escaped from one of these castles before it
capitulated. He was at the head of the marine, and was nearly seventy

years of age, bearing a high character, both for professional and
personal merit. He had accompanied the court to Sicily; but when the

revolutionary government, or Parthenopean Republic, as it was called,
issued an edict, ordering all absent Neapolitans to return on pain of

confiscation of their property, he solicited and obtained permission of
the king to return, his estates being very great. It is said that the

king, when he granted him this permission, warned him not to take any
part in politics; expressing at the same time his own persuasion that he

should recover his kingdom. But neither the king, nor he himself, ought
to have imagined that, in such times, a man of such reputation would be

permitted to remain inactive; and it soon appeared that Caraccioli was
again in command of the navy, and serving under the republic against his

late sovereign. The sailors reported that he was forced to act thus; and
this was believed, till it was seen that he directed ably the offensive

operations of the revolutionists, and did not avail himself of
opportunities for escaping when they offered. When the recovery of

Naples was evidently near, he applied to Cardinal Ruffo, and to the Duke
of Calvirrano, for protection; expressing his hope that the few days

during which he had been forced to obey the French would not outweigh
forty years of faithful services; but perhaps not receiving such

assurances as he wished, and knowing too well the temper of the Sicilian
court, he endeavoured to secrete himself, and a price was set upon his

head. More unfortunately for others than for himself, he was brought in
alive, having been discovered in the disguise of a peasant, and carried

one morning on board Lord Nelson's ship, with his hands tied behind him.
Caraccioli was well known to the British officers, and had been ever

highly esteemed by all who knew him. Captain Hardy ordered him immedi-
ately to be unbound, and to be treated with all those attentions which

he felt due to a man who, when last on board the FOUDROYANT, had been
received as an admiral and a prince. Sir William and Lady Hamilton were

in the ship; but Nelson, it is affirmed, saw no one except his own
officers during the tragedy which ensued. His own determination was

made; and he issued an order to the Neapolitan commodore, Count Thurn,
to assemble a court-martial of Neapolitan officers, on board the British

flag-ship, proceed immediately to try the prisoner, and report to him,
if the charges were proved, what punishment he ought to suffer. These

proceedings were as rapid as possible; Caraccioli was brought on board
at nine in the forenoon, and the trial began at ten. It lasted two

hours: he averred in his defence that he had acted under compulsion,
having been compelled to serve as a common soldier, till he consented to

take command of the fleet. This, the apologists of Lord Nelson say, he
failed in proving. They forget that the possibility of proving it was

not allowed him, for he was brought to trial within an hour after he was
legally in arrest; and how, in that time, was he to collect his

witnesses? He was found guilty, and sentenced to death; and Nelson gave
orders that the sentence should be carried into effect that evening, at

five o'clock, on board the Sicilian frigate, LA MINERVA, by hanging him
at the fore-yard-arm till sunset; when the body was to be cut down and

thrown into the sea. Caraccioli requested Lieut. Parkinson, under whose
custody he was placed, to intercede with Lord Nelson for a second

trial--for this, among other reasons, that Count Thurn, who presided at
the court-martial, was notoriously his personal enemy. Nelson made

answer, that the prisoner had been fairly tried by the officers of his
own country, and he could not interfere; forgetting that, if he felt

himself justified in ordering the trial and the execution, no human
being could ever have questioned the propriety of his interfering on the

side of mercy. Caraccioli then entreated that he might be shot. "I am
an old man, sir," said he: "I leave no family to lament me, and

therefore cannot be supposed to be very anxious about prolonging my
life; but the disgrace of being hanged is dreadful to me." When this was

repeated to Nelson, he only told the lieutenant, with much agitation, to
go and attend his duty. As a last hope, Caraccioli asked the lieutenant

if he thought an application to Lady Hamilton would be beneficial?
Parkinson went to seek her; she was not to be seen on this occasion;

but she was present at the execution. She had the most devoted
attachment to the Neapolitan court; and the hatred which she felt

against those whom she regarded as its enemies, made her at this time
forget what was due to the character of her sex as well as of her

country. Here, also, a faithfulhistorian is called upon to pronounce a
severe and unqualified condemnation of Nelson's conduct. Had he the

authority of his Sicilian majesty for proceeding as he did? If so, why
was not that authority produced? If not, why were the proceedings

hurried on without it? Why was the trial precipitated, so that it was
impossible for the prisoner, if he had been innocent, to provide the

witnesses, who might have proved him so? Why was a second trial refused,
when the known animosity of the president of the court against the

prisoner was considered? Why was the executionhastened, so as to
preclude any appeal for mercy, and render the prerogative of mercy

useless? Doubtless, the British Admiral seemed to himself to be acting
under a rigid sense of justice; but to all other persons it was obvious

that he was influenced by an infatuated attachment--a baneful passion,
which destroyed his domestic happiness, and now, in a second instance,

stained ineffaceably his public character.
The body was carried out to a considerable distance, and sunk in the

bay, with three double-headed shot, weighing 250 lbs., tied to its legs.
Between two or three weeks afterward, when the king was on board the