the life of horatio lord nelson-第53节

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ret　I　am　not　acquainted　with。　Our　weather…beaten　ships；　I　have　no　fear；　will　make　their　sides　like　a　plum…pudding。〃　〃Yesterday；〃　he　says；　on　another　occasion；　〃a　rear…admiral　and　seven　sail　of　ships　put　their　nose　outside　the　harbour。　If　they　go　on　playing　this　game；　some　day　we　shall　lay　salt　on　their　tails。〃

Hostilities　at　length　commenced　between　Great　Britain　and　Spain。　That　country；　whose　miserable　government　made　her　subservient　to　France；　was　once　more　destined　to　lavish　her　resources　and　her　blood　in　furtherance　of　the　designs　of　a　perfidious　ally。　The　immediate　occasion　of　the　war　was　the　seizure　of　four　treasure…ships　by　the　English。　The　act　was　perfectly　justifiable；　for　those　treasures　were　intended　to　furnish　means　for　France；　but　the　circumstances　which　attended　it　were　as　unhappy　as　they　were　unforeseen。　Four　frigates　had　been　despatched　to　intercept　them。　They　met　with　an　equal　force。　Resistance；　therefore；　became　a　point　of　honour　on　the　part　of　the　Spaniards；　and　one　of　their　ships　soon　blew　up　with　all　on　board。　Had　a　stronger　squadron　been　sent；　this　deplorable　catastrophe　might　have　been　spared：　a　catastrophe　which　excited　not　more　indignation　in　Spain　than　it　did　grief　in　those　who　were　its　unwilling　instruments；　in　the　English　government；　and　in　the　English　people。　On　the　5th　of　October　this　unhappy　affair　occurred；　and　Nelson　was　not　apprised　of　it　till　the　twelfth　of　the　ensuing　month。　He　had；　indeed；　sufficient　mortification　at　the　breaking　out　of　this　Spanish　war；　an　event　which；　it　might　reasonably　have　been　supposed；　would　amply　enrich　the　officers　of　the　Mediterranean　fleet；　and　repay　them　for　the　severe　and　unremitting　duty　on　which　they　had　been　so　long　employed。　But　of　this　harvest　they　were　deprived；　for　Sir　John　Orde　was　sent　with　a　small　squadron；　and　a　separate　command；　to　Cadiz。　Nelson's　feelings　were　never　wounded　so　deeply　as　now。　〃I　had　thought；〃　said　he；　writing　in　the　first　flow　and　freshness　of　indignation；　〃Fanciedbut　nay；　it　must　have　been　a　dream；　an　idle　dream；　yet　I　confess　it；　I　DID　fancy　that　I　had　done　my　country　service；　and　thus　they　use　me！　And　under　what　circumstances；　and　with　what　pointed　aggravation？　Yet；　if　I　know　my　own　thoughts；　it　is　not　for　myself；　or　on　my　own　account　chiefly；　that　I　feel　the　sting　and　the　disappointment。　No！　it　is　for　my　brave　officers：　for　my　noble　minded　friends　and　comrades。　Such　a　gallant　set　of　fellows！　Such　a　band　of　brothers！　My　heart　swells　at　the　thought　of　them。〃

War　between　Spain　and　England　was　now　declared；　and　on　the　eighteenth　of　January；　the　Toulon　fleet；　having　the　Spaniards　to　co…operate　with　them；　put　to　sea。　Nelson　was　at　anchor　off　the　coast　of　Sardinia；　where　the　Madelena　islands　form　one　of　the　finest　harbours　in　the　world；　when；　at　three　in　the　afternoon　of　the　nineteenth；　the　ACTIVE　and　SEAHORSE　frigates　brought　this　long…hoped…for　intelligence。　They　had　been　close　to　the　enemy　at　ten　on　the　preceding　night；　but　lost　sight　of　them　in　about　four　hours。　The　fleet　immediately　unmoored　and　weighed；　and　at　six　in　the　evening　ran　through　the　strait　between　Biche　and　Sardinia：　a　passage　so　narrow　that　the　ships　could　only　pass　one　at　a　time；　each　following　the　stern…lights　of　its　leader。　From　the　position　of　the　enemy；　when　they　were　last　seen；　it　was　inferred　that　they　must　be　bound　round　the　southern　end　of　Sardinia。　Signal　was　made　the　next　morning　to　prepare　for　battle。　Bad　weather　came　on；　baffling　the　one　fleet　in　its　object；　and　the　other　in　its　pursuit。　Nelson　beat　about　the　Sicilian　seas　for　ten　days；　without　obtaining　any　other　information　of　the　enemy　than　that　one　of　their　ships　had　put　into　Ajaccio；　dismasted；　and　having　seen　that　Sardinia；　Naples；　and　Sicily　were　safe；　believing　Egypt　to　be　their　destination；　for　Egypt　he　ran。　The　disappointment　and　distress　which　he　had　experienced　in　his　former　pursuits　of　the　French　through　the　same　seas　were　now　renewed；　but　Nelson；　while　he　endured　these　anxious　and　unhappy　feelings；　was　still　consoled　by　the　same　confidence　as　on　the　former　occasionthat；　though　his　judgment　might　be　erroneous；　under　all　circumstances　he　was　right　in　having　formed　it。　〃I　have　consulted　no　man；〃　said　he　to　the　Admiralty；　〃therefore　the　whole　blame　of　ignorance　in　forming　my　judgment　must　rest　with　me。　I　would　allow　no　man　to　take　from　me　an　atom　of　my　glory　had　I　fallen　in　with　the　French　fleet；　nor　do　I　desire　any　man　to　partake　any　of　the　responsibility。　All　is　mine；　right　or　wrong。〃　Then　stating　the　grounds　upon　which　he　had　proceeded；　he　added；　〃At　this　moment　of　sorrow；　I　still　feel　that　I　have　acted　right。〃　In　the　same　spirit　he　said　to　Sir　Alexander　Ball：　〃When　I　call　to　remembrance　all　the　circumstances；　I　approve；　if　nobody　else　does；　of　my　own　conduct。〃

Baffled　thus；　he　bore　up　for　Malta；　and　met　intelligence　from　Naples　that　the　French；　having　been　dispersed　in　a　gale；　had　put　back　to　Toulon。　From　the　same　quarter　he　learned　that　a　great　number　of　saddles　and　muskets　had　been　embarked；　and　this　confirmed　him　in　his　opinion　that　Egypt　was　their　destination。　That　they　should　have　put　him　back　in　consequence　of　storms　which　he　had　weathered；　gave　him　a　consoling　sense　of　British　superiority。　〃These　gentlemen；〃　said　he；　〃are　not　accustomed　to　a　Gulf　of　Lyons　gale：　we　have　buffeted　them　for　one…and…twenty　months；　and　not　carried　away　a　spar。〃　He；　however；　who　had　so　often　braved　these　gales；　was　now；　though　not　mastered　by　them；　vexatiously　thwarted　and　impeded；　and　on　February　27th　he　was　compelled　to　anchor　in　Pula　Bay　in　the　Gulf　of　Cagliari。　From　the　21st　of　January　the　fleet　had　remained　ready　for　battle；　without　a　bulk…head　up　night　or　day。　He　anchored　here　that　he　might　not　be　driven　to　leeward。　As　soon　as　the　weather　moderated　he　put　to　sea　again；　and　after　again　beating　about　against　contrary　winds；　another　gale　drove　him　to　anchor　in　the　Gulf　of　Palma　on　the　8th　of　March。　This　he　made　his　rendezvous：　he　knew　that　the　French　troops　still　remained　embarked；　and　wishing　to　lead　them　into　a　belief　that　he　was　stationed　upon　the　Spanish　coast；　he　made　his　appearance　off　Barcelona　with　that　intent。　About　the　end　of　the　month　he　began　to　fear　that　the　plan　of　the　expedition　was　abandoned；　and　sailing　once　more　towards　his　old　station　off　Toulon　on　the　4th　of　April；　he　met　the　PHOEBE；　with　news　that　Villeneuve　had　put　to　sea　on　the　last　of　March；　with　eleven　ships　of　the　line；　seven　frigates；　and　two　brigs。　When　last　seen　they　were　steering　towards　the　coast　of　Africa。　Nelson　first　covered　the　channel　between　Sardinia　and　Barbary；　so　as　to　satisfy　himself　that　Villeneuve　was　not　taking　the　same　route　for　Egypt　which　Gantheaume　had　taken　before　him；　when　he　attempted　to　carry　reinforcements　thither。　Certain　of　this；　he　bore　up　on　the　7th　for　Palermo；　lest　the　French　should　pass　to　the　north　of　Corsica；　and　he　despatched　cruisers　in　all　directions。　On　the　11th　he　felt　assured　that　they　were　not　gone　down　the　Mediterranean；　and　sending　off　frigates　to　Gibraltar；　to　Lisbon；　and　to　Admiral　Cornwallis；　who　commanded　the　squadron　off　Brest；　he　endeavoured　to　get　to　the　westward；　beating　against　westerly　winds。　After　five　days　a　neutral　gave　intelligence　that　the　French　had　been　seen　off　Cape　de　Gatte　on　the　7th。　It　was　soon　after　ascertained　that　they　had　passed　the　Straits　of　Gibraltar　on　the　day　following；　and　Nelson；　knowing　that　they　might　already　be　half　way　to　Ireland　or　to　Jamaica；　exclaimed　that　he　was　miserable。　One　gleam　of　comfort　only　came　across　him　in　the　reflection；　that　his　vigilance　had　rendered　it　impossible　for　them　to　undertake　any　expedition　in　the　Mediterranean。

Eight　days　after　this　certain　intelligence　had　been　obtained；　he　described　his　state　of　mind　thus　forcibly　in　writing　to　the　governor　of　Malta：　〃My　good　fortune；　my　dear　Ball；　seems　flown　away。　I　cannot　get　a　fair　wind；　or　even　a　side…wind。　Dead　foul！Dead　foul！　But　my　mind　is　fully　made　up　what　to　do　when　I　leave　the　supposing　there　is　no　certain　account　of　the　enemy's　destination。　I　believe　this　ill…luck　will　go　near　to　kill　me；　but　as　these　are　times　for　exertion；　I　must　not　be　cast　down；　whatever　I　may　feel。〃　In　spite　of　every　exertion　which　could　be　made　by　all　the　zeal　and　all　the　skill　of　British　seamen；　he　did　not　get　in　sight　of　Gibraltar　till　the　30th　of　April；　and　the　wind　was　then　so　adverse　that　it　was　impossible　to　pass　the　Gut。　He　anchored　in　Mazari　Bay；　on　the　Barbary　shore；　obtained　supplies　from　Tetuan；　and　when；　on　the　5th；　a　breeze　from　the　eastward　sprang　up　at　last；　sailed　once　more；　hoping　to　hear　of　the　enemy　from　Sir　John　Orde；　who　commanded　off　Cadiz；　or　from　Lisbon。　〃If　nothing　is　heard　of　them；〃　said　he　to　the　Admiralty；　〃I　shall　probably　think　the　rumours　which　have　been　spread　are　true；　that　their　object　is　the　West　Indies；　and；　in　that　case；　I　think　it　my　duty　to　follow　themor　to　the　Antipodes；　should　I　believe　that　to　be　their　destination。〃　At　the　time　when　this　resolution　was　taken；　the　physician　of　the　fleet　had　ordered　him　to　return　to　England　before　the　hot　months。

Nelson　had　formed　his　judgment　of　their　destination；　and　made　up　his　mind　accordingly；　when　Donald　Campbell；　at　that　time　an　admiral　in　the　Portuguese　service；　the　same　person　who　had　given　important　tidings　to　Ear