酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Life of Horatio Lord Nelson-Part26_Robert Southey(1774-1843)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
smaller vessels, exclusive of guard-ships. The Swedes had 18 ships of



the line, 14 frigates and sloops, seventy-four galleys and smaller vessels,

besides gun-boats; and this force was in a far better state of equipment



than the Danish. The Russians had 82 sail of the line and 40 frigates.

Of these there were 47 sail of the line at Cronstadt, Revel,



Petersburgh, and Archangel; but the Russian fleet was ill-manned, ill-

officered, and ill-equipped. Such a combination under the influence of



France would soon have become formidable; and never did the British

Cabinet display more decision than in instantly preparing to crush it.



They erred, however, in permitting any petty consideration to prevent

them from appointing Nelson to the command. The public properly murmured



at seeing it intrusted to another; and he himself said to Earl St.

Vincent that, circumstanced as he was, this expedition would probably be



the last service that he should ever perform. The earl, in reply,

besought him, for God's sake, not to suffer himself to be carried away



by any sudden impulse.

The season happened to be unusually favourable; so mild a winter had



not been known in the Baltic for many years. When Nelson joined the

fleet at Yarmouth, he found the admiral "a little nervous about dark



nights and fields of ice." "But we must brace up," said he; "these are

not times for nervous systems. I hope we shall give our northern enemies



that hailstorm of bullets which gives our dear country the dominion of

the sea. We have it, and all the devils in the north cannot take it from



us, if our wooden walls have fair play." Before the fleet left Yarmouth,

it was sufficiently known that its destination was against Denmark. Some



Danes, who belonged to the AMAZON frigate, went to Captain Riou, and

telling him what they had heard, begged that he would get them exchanged



into a ship bound on some other destination. "They had no wish," they

said,"to quit the British service; but they entreated that they might



not be forced to fight against their own country." There was not in our

whole navy a man who had a higher and more chivalrous sense of duty than



Riou. Tears came into his eyes while the men were speaking. Without

making any reply, he instantly ordered his boat, and did not return to



the AMAZON till he could tell them that their wish was effected. The

fleet sailed on the 12th of March. Mr. Vansittart sailed in it; the



British Cabinet still hoping to attain its end by negotiation. It was

well for England that Sir Hyde Parker placed a fuller confidence in



Nelson than the government seems to have done at this most important

crisis. Her enemies might well have been astonished at learning that any



other man should for a moment have been thought of for the command. But

so little deference was paid, even at this time, to his intuitive and



all-commanding genius, that when the fleet had reached its first

rendezvous, at the entrance of the Cattegat, he had received no official



communication whatever of the intended operations. His own mind had been

made up upon them with its accustomed decision. "All I have gathered of



our first plans," said he, "I disapprove most exceedingly. Honour may

arise from them; good cannot. I hear we are likely to anchor outside of



Cronenburgh Castle, instead of Copenhagen, which would give weight to

our negotiation. A Danish minister would think twice before he would



put his name to war with England, when the next moment he would

probably see his master's fleet in flames, and his capital in ruins. The



Dane should see our flag every moment he lifted up his head."

Mr Vansittart left the fleet at the Scaw, and preceded it in a



frigate with a flag of truce. Precious time was lost by this delay,

which was to be purchased by the dearest blood of Britain and Denmark:



according to the Danes themselves, the intelligence that a British fleet

was seen off the Sound produced a much more general alarm in Copenhagen



than its actualarrival in the Roads; for the means of defence were at

that time in such a state that they could hardly hope to resist, still



less to repel an enemy. On the 21st Nelson had a long conference with




文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号