Part 26

By indulging these reflections, there is no other object in contemplation, than that of assisting to afford an accurate view of the ability which was exerted in this unfortunate enterprise; and thus demonstrating, by a new example, the force of the old observation--that success is not always acquirable, even where it is most merited.

About the middle of September 1797, Sir Horatio Nelson having arrived safely in London, had apartments engaged in Bond Street; where he was attended by Dr. Moseley, the late celebrated Surgeon Cruikshanks, and other gentlemen of the faculty.

It appears that, in consequence of a nerve having been improperly included in one of the ligatures employed for securing a bleeding artery, at the time of the operation--which ligature, according to the customary practice of the French surgeons, was of silk instead of waxed thread--a constant irritation, and perpetual discharge, were kept up; and, the ends of the ligature, hanging out of the wound, being daily pulled, in order to effect their separation, occasioned the severest agony to the heroic sufferer, who had scarcely any intermission of pain, either by night or day. His excellent spirits, however, never deserted him: and, in fact, he had not felt the slightest degree of fever on the occasion; a very unusual circumstance, after the loss of a limb.

His deserved popularity had already acquired such a height, that the nation might be said to participate in his sufferings; and he received the most consoling civilities from the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Clarence, and other illustrious and noble characters. Friends flocked around him. His worthy relatives hastened to attend and console him, from the country; and Mr. Bolton, in particular, was his constant companion.

Besides the order of the Bath, and the gold medal, which he had received from his sovereign, in consequence of his important share in the victory of the 14th of February, he had also been presented with the freedom of the city of London in a gold box; and, in the month of October 1797, it was generously resolved, by his majesty, to recompence his services, and ameliorate his sufferings, by granting him a pension of one thousand pounds a year.

The indispensable custom of presenting a memorial to the sovereign, before any such grant can be issued, stating the nature of the services for which it is intended, gave rise to the following very singular recapitulation.

"To the King's Most Excellent Majesty.

"The Memorial of Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B. and a Rear-Admiral in Your Majesty's Fleet,

"Sheweth--

"That, during the present war, your memorialist has been in four actions with the fleets of the enemy: viz. on the 13th and 14th of March 1795; on the 13th of July 1795; and, on the 14th of February 1797. In three actions in boats, employed in cutting out of harbours; in destroying vessels; and, in taking three towns. Your memorialist has also served on shore, with the army, four months; and commanded the batteries at the sieges of Bastia and Calvi. That, during the war, he has assisted at the capture of seven sail of the line, six frigates, four corvettes, and eleven privateers of different sizes; and taken and destroyed near fifty sail of merchant vessels: and, your memorialist has actually been engaged against the enemy upwards of one hundred and twenty times. In which service, your memorialist has lost his right eye and arm, and been severely wounded and bruised in his body; all of which services, and wounds, your memorialist most humbly submits to your majesty's most gracious consideration.

"Horatio Nelson."

The pension thus granted proved highly acceptable: but his wound continued to torment him with unabated violence, till about the latter end of November; when, having one night experienced the unusual refreshment of a sound and lasting sleep, he was, on awaking, astonished to find, that his wound felt nearly free from pain. Impatient to have it examined, he sent for his surgeon; and, to their mutual surprise, the silk instantly came away, at a single touch, without the smallest difficulty. From this hour, the wound began to heal; and, with all that characteristic piety of disposition, and that sincere gratitude to Providence for signal deliverances, which he never failed to profess, he gave the late Reverend Mr. Greville, of St. George's, Hanover Square, the following form of thanksgiving, to be read at that church during the time of divine service--

"An officer desires to return thanks to Almighty God, for his perfect recovery from a severe wound; and, also, for the many mercies bestowed on him."

"December 8th 1797; for next Sunday."

The original of the above thanksgiving, in his own hand-writing, is still carefully preserved by the present Reverend Mr. Greville, son and successor of the venerable clergyman to whom it was delivered by Sir Horatio Nelson.

On the 13th of December, having been pronounced fit for service, by his surgeons, he made his appearance at court; and his majesty received him in the most gracious and tender manner: expressing, with peculiar marks of sensibility, his excessive sorrow for the loss which Sir Horatio had suffered, and the regret which he felt at beholding him in a state of health apparently so far reduced as to deprive the country of his future services. The brave admiral, however, immediately replied to his sovereign, with the most respectful but dignified tone of expression, in the following energetic and affectionate speech--"May it please your majesty, I can never think that a loss, which the performance of my duty has occasioned; and, while I have a foot to stand on, I will combat for my king and country!"

His majesty appeared deeply affected by this manly and loyal answer; and, in consequence, on the 19th, only six days after, Sir Horatio Nelson received orders to hoist his flag on board the Vanguard, and again proceed to the Mediterranean, as soon as that ship could be properly equipped for the voyage.

Not having been before in England since he lost, at Calvi, the sight of his right eye, it was about this period that he went, accompanied by Mr. Bolton, to receive a year's pay, as smart-money; that being the customary allowance, in the navy, on losing an eye or a limb: but could not obtain payment, for want of the formality of a certificate from the faculty, to testify that the sight was actually extinguished. Vexed, for a moment, at what he considered as a superfluous and almost impertinent requisition, it's loss being sufficiently notorious, though by no means apparent, he not only immediately procured the desired certificate; but, from whimsical pleasantry, humorously requested, and actually obtained, at the same time, a certificate from his surgeons of the loss of his arm, which was sufficiently obvious: asserting--with much propriety, in his particular instance, at least--that one might just as well be doubted as the other. On going, afterwards, to receive the sum, which was the annual pay of a captain only, that being his rank when he sustained the loss, the clerk observed that he thought it had been more. "Oh, no!" jocosely replied the hero, "this is only for an eye: in a few days, I shall come for an arm; and, in a little time longer, God knows, most probably, for a leg!"

Accordingly, he soon after went again to the office, accompanied by the same gentleman as before; and, with perfect good-humour, exhibited the supererogatory certification of the loss of his arm.

In January 1798, Sir Horatio Nelson having presented to the city of Norwich the sword of the Spanish admiral, delivered to him on the memorable 14th of February 1797, an ingenious device, executed by Mr. Windham of that city, was erected in the council-chamber of the town-hall, to commemorate this event, and the consequent gift, which has been thus described--To the ring of an anchor, is suspended a yard and sail, supposed to be torn in action: on which is inscribed--"The Sword of the Spanish Admiral, Don Xavier Winthuysen, who died of the wounds he received in an engagement with the British fleet, under the command of Admiral Earl St. Vincent, 13th of February 1797, which ended in the most brilliant victory ever obtained by this country over the enemy at sea; wherein the heroic valour, and cool determined courage, of Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B. had ample scope for their display. He, being a native of Norfolk, has honoured the city, by presenting this sword, surrendered to him in that action." From the flukes of the anchor, the sword is suspended. Underneath, is the coat of arms of Sir Horatio Nelson, which was given to him by the king. The crest is the stern of a man of war; the supporters, are a sailor bearing a British lion, trampling on the Spanish colours. The motto is--"Faith and works."

Sir Horatio appears to have spent his preceding Christmas, and commencement of the present year, with his venerable father, and the esteemed husband of his amiable younger sister, Mrs. Matcham, at Bath; where, also, he might be desirous to recruit his health and vigour for his approaching voyage. Certain it is, that he quitted Bond Street in December, and was at Bath the beginning of February.

It was not till the 1st of April 1798, that the convoy which he had in charge for Lisbon was completely ready; and, though he sailed with it, on that day, from Spithead, the wind, at the back of the Isle of Wight, coming to the westward, he was constrained to return to St. Helen's.

After waiting till the 9th, he proceeded to Lisbon with the convoy; and, on the 29th of April, joined the Earl of St. Vincent, off Cadiz.

Not a moment was lost by these great men, in proceeding to co-operate for the glory of their country. The crisis was peculiarly portentous. Bonaparte, baffled in his views of invading England, or even Ireland---after the last and most serious disaffection, recently extinguished, in the mutiny of the home fleet, produced an almost general unanimity of the country--had been engaged in preparing an expedition, on a scale of imposing grandeur, for some object which was endeavoured to be carefully concealed, till it should be manifested by it's tremendous effects. The armament destined for this grand secret expedition, which was collecting at Toulon, under Bonaparte, consisted of thirteen ships of the line, and seven forty-gun frigates, with twenty-four smaller vessels of war, and nearly two hundred transports; the latter filled with troops, horses, artillery, provisions, and military stores. In this fleet, it was said, were also to embark artists and scientific men of every description, with ancient and modern linguists, and all sorts of useful and curious instruments and machinery, calculated to promote knowledge, and extend improvement, in the intended country which they were about thus to seize and newly colonize.

It was immediately agreed, by the Earl of St. St. Vincent, and Sir Horatio Nelson, that the latter should the next morning sail, with the Vanguard, Orion, and Alexander, of seventy-four guns each, the Emerald and Terpsichore frigates, and La Bonne Citoyenne sloop of war, to watch the motions of this formidable French armament. The Earl of St. Vincent was at no loss to know who was the senior officer under his command, and what was the customary etiquette; but he knew, at the same time, that he had, as commander in chief, a discretionary power; and carrying, in his own bosom, a dread responsibility to his country, he had not an instant to hesitate on whom it was his duty to depend. To the noble earl's magnanimity, therefore, is the country to be eternally considered as indebted for affording our favourite hero the opportunity of demonstrating his unequalled powers. By other commanders, as he formerly most feelingly remarked, he had been always praised, but never promoted; he was now promoted by his commander, and praised by all the world, while his commander generously declared that no praise could do justice to his actions. The confidence of the fleet, and of the nation too, were with the Earl of St. Vincent; and, though a few mean and malignant characters, envious of superior merit, Mould occasionally suggest their base insinuations, that Sir Horatio Nelson might not be equal to the management of a large fleet, the commander in chief, one of the first naval tacticians any country ever produced, had early seen who had the readiest and clearest conceptions of his own numerous plans, and well knew that Nelson's genius would keep full pace with any augmentation of command which it was possible he should ever obtain.

Sir Horatio, with the squadron abovementioned, sailed from Gibraltar on the 9th of May; and, on the 17th, having captured a small corvette, which came out of Toulon the preceding night, gained some little intelligence respecting the fleet, but none to be relied on as to their destination. His letter to the Earl of St. Vincent, mentioning this circumstance, concludes with these words--"You may rely, my lord, that I shall act as occasion may offer, to the best of my abilities, in following up your ideas, for the honour of his majesty's crown, and the advantage of our country." A sufficient proof of the concurrence of sentiment in these two heroic commanders, which led to so glorious a result.

On the 22d, being in the Gulph of Lyons, at two in the morning, a most violent squall of wind took the Vanguard, which carried away all the topmasts; and, at last, the foremast. The other ships also experienced, though in a less degree, the ill effects of this severe gale. To add to the disaster, the line of battle ships lost sight of their three frigates on this eventful day; which proved to be that on which the French armament had, at length, taken it's departure from Toulon, and was then actually passing within a few leagues of the unconscious sufferers employed to watch it's motions.

The little squadron now bore up for Sardinia; the Alexander taking the Vanguard in tow, and the Orion looking out ahead for a pilot to conduct them into St. Pierre's Road. This anchorage they happily reached on the 24th; and expected to have met with that friendly reception which their distresses demanded, from a power professing neutrality. The governor of St. Pierre, however, had received orders from the French, not to admit any British ship; but no dread of hostilities could prevent the brave admiral from resolutely anchoring in the road.