justice done her by the government, as he knew what she had done for her
country. He left him her portrait in enamel, calling him his dearest

friend; the most virtuous, loyal, and truly brave character he had ever
known. The codicil, containing this bequest, concluded with these words,

"God bless him, and shame fall on those who do not say amen." Sir
William's pension of L1200 a year ceased with his death. Nelson applied

to Mr. Addington in Lady Hamilton's behalf, stating the important
service which she had rendered to the fleet at Syracuse; and Mr.

Addington, it is said, acknowledged that she had a just claim upon the
gratitude of the country. This barrenacknowledgment was all that was

obtained; but a sum, equal to the pension which her husband had enjoyed,
was settled on her by Nelson, and paid in monthly payments during his

life. A few weeks after this event, the war was renewed; and the day
after his Majesty's message to Parliament, Nelson departed to take the

command of the Mediterranean fleet. The war he thought, could not be
long; just enough to make him independent in pecuniary matters.

He took his station immediately off Toulon; and there, with incessant
vigilance, waited for the coming out of the enemy. The expectation of

acquiring a competent fortune did not last long. "Somehow," he says,"my
mind is not sharp enough for prize-money. Lord Keith would have made

L20,000, and I have not made L6000." More than once he says that the
prizes taken in the Mediterranean had not paid his expenses; and once he

expresses himself as if it were a consolation to think that some ball
might soon close all his accounts with this world of care and vexation.

At this time the widow of his brother, being then blind and advanced in
years, was distressed for money, and about to sell her plate; he wrote

to Lady Hamilton, requesting of her to find out what her debts were, and
saying that, if the amount was within his power, he would certainly pay

it, and rather pinch himself than that she should want. Before he had
finished the letter, an account arrived that a sum was payable to him

for some neutral taken four years before, which enabled him to do this
without being the poorer; and he seems to have felt at the moment that

what was thus disposed of by a cheerful giver, shall be paid to him
again. One from whom he had looked for very different conduct, had

compared his own wealth, in no becoming manner, with Nelson's limited
means. "I know," said he to Lady Hamilton, "the full extent of the

obligation I owe him, and he may be useful to me again; but I can never
forget his unkindness to you. But, I guess many reasons influenced his

conduct in bragging of his riches and my honourablepoverty; but, as I
have often said, and with honest pride, what I have is my own: it never

cost the widow a tear, or the nation a farthing. I got what I have with
my pure blood, from the enemies of my country. Our house, my own Emma,

is built upon a solid foundation; and will last to us, when his houses
and lands may belong to others than his children."

His hope was that peace might soon be made, or that he should be
relieved from his command, and retire to Merton, where at that distance

he was planning and directing improvements. On his birthday he writes,
"This day, my dearest Emma, I consider as more fortunate than common

days, as by my coming into this world it has brought me so intimately
acquainted with you. I well know that you will keep it, and have my dear

Horatio to drink my health. Forty-six years of toil and trouble! How few
more the common lot of mankind leads us to expect! and therefore it is

almost time to think of spending the few last years in peace and
quietness." It is painful to think that this language was not addressed

to his wife, but to one with whom he promised himself "many many happy
years, when that impediment," as he calls her, "shall be removed, if God

pleased; and they might be surrounded by their children's children."
When he had been fourteen months off Toulon, he received a vote of

thanks from the city of London for his skill and perseverance in
blockading that port, so as to prevent the French from putting to sea.

Nelson had not forgotten the wrong which the city had done to the Baltic
fleet by their omission, and did not lose the opportunity which this

vote afforded of recurring to that point. "I do assure your lordship,"
said he, in his answer to the lord mayor, "that there is not that man

breathing who sets a higher value upon the thanks of his fellow-citizens
of London than myself; but I should feel as much ashamed to receive them

for a particular service marked in the resolution, if I felt that I did
not come within that line of service, as I should feel hurt at having a

great victory passed over without notice. I beg to inform your lordship,
that the port of Toulon has never been blockaded by me; quite the

reverse. Every opportunity has been offered the enemy to put to sea;
for it is there that we hope to realise the hopes and expectations of

our country." Nelson then remarked that the junior flag-officers of his
fleet had been omitted in this vote of thanks; and his surprise at the

omission was expressed with more asperity, perhaps, than an offence so
entirely and manifestly unintentional deserved; but it arose from that

generous regard for the feelings as well as the interests of all who
were under his command, which made him as much beloved in the fleets of

Britain as he was dreaded in those of the enemy.
Never was any commander more beloved. He governed men by their reason

and their affections; they knew that he was incapable of caprice or
tyranny and they obeyed him with alacrity and joy, because he possessed

their confidence as well as their love. "Our Nel," they used to say, "is
as brave as a lion and as gentle as a lamb." Severe discipline he

detested, though he had been bred in a severe school. He never inflicted
corporal punishment if it were possible to avoid it; and when compelled

to enforce it, he, who was familiar with wounds and death, suffered like
a woman. In his whole life, Nelson was never known to act unkindly

towards an officer. If he was asked to prosecute one for ill behaviour,
he used to answer, "That there was no occasion for him to ruin a poor

devil who was sufficiently his own enemy to ruin himself." But in
Nelson there was more than the easiness and humanity of a happy nature:

he did not merely abstain from injury; his was an active and watchful
benevolence, ever desirous not only to render justice, but to do good.

During the peace he had spoken in parliament upon the abuses respecting
prize-money, and had submitted plans to government for more easily

manning the navy, and preventing desertion from it, by bettering the
condition of the seamen. He proposed that their certificates should be

registered, and that every man who had served, with a good character,
five years in war, should receive a bounty of two guineas annually after

that time, and of four guineas after eight years. "This," he said,
"might, at first sight, appear an enormous sum for the state to pay; but

the average life of seamen is, from hard service, finished at forty-
five. He cannot, therefore, enjoy the annuity many years, and the

interest of the money saved by their not deserting would go far to pay
the whole expense."

To his midshipmen he ever showed the most winning kindness,
encouraging the diffident, tempering the hasty, counselling and

befriending both. "Recollect," he used to say, "that you must be a
seaman to be an officer; and also that you cannot be a good officer

without being a gentleman." A lieutenant wrote to him to say that he was
dissatisfied with his captain. Nelson's answer was in that spirit of

perfect wisdom and perfect goodness which regulated his whole conduct
towards those who were under his command. "I have just received your

letter, and am truly sorry that any difference should arise between your
captain, who has the reputation of being one of the bright officers of

the service, and yourself, a very young man, and a very young officer,
who must naturally have much to learn; therefore the chance is that you

are perfectly wrong in the disagreement. However, as your present
situation must be very disagreeable, I will certainly take an early

opportunity of removing you, provided your conduct to your present
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 everything 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
young man must write such a letter of contrition as would be an

acknowledgment of his great fault; and with a sincere promise, if his
captain will intercede to prevent the impending court-martial, never to

so misbehave again. On his captain's enclosing me such a letter, with a
request to cancel the order for the trial, I might be induced to do it;