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The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson-Part22_Robert Southey(1774-1843)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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politics," said he, "at this time they are my abomination: the ministers

of kings and princes are as great scoundrels as ever lived. The brother



of the emperor is just going to 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 anything 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 perceived 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



twenty-four 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 ships 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 seventeen to twenty 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 well-planned 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 depends upon opinion than upon acts themselves; and, as I stay, my

heart is 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 Captain E. J. Foote, of the SEAHORSE, to

command the smaller vessels in the bay of Naples, and sailed with six



ships--one a Portuguese, and a Portuguese 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 completely clipped that they may be easily



overtaken." It was just at this time that he received from Captain

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 step-son 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 unfortunateattachment was criminal;



but this was criminality enough, and it brought with it its punishment.




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