In the following letter, addressed to Lady Hamilton, Earl St. Vincent, among other matters, gives his opinion of Sir Sidney Smith:

"My dear Lady Hamilton,

"Your Ladyship's diverting description of S. S. S. is very just. I remember him exactly the figure you have so ingeniously delineated. It was unfortunate for him that our foolish young women in England did not feel like your Ladyship, for they really ran after him and turned his head. This, with the very unaccountable influence he has continued to obtain over Messrs. Pitt, Dundas, the Lords Spencer and Grenville, of whom he has taken entire possession, insomuch that they put unlimited confidence in all he utters, however extravagant and incredible, has made him the important figure he now exhibits. Talents, he certainly possesses, with a sufficient degree of enterprise; but his military merits appear to me rather problematical, and I must resort to a French phrase, soi-disant, to designate his character. I trust, your Admiral, who is in every sense of the word, a hero, will laugh at this modern Mahomet, taking care to put a strong hand on him when necessary.

"Spain has cut us off from all communication with her, as your Ladyship will see by the inclosed Pratique Report. This I impute to the domineering and intriguing conduct of the French Admiral Le Crosse, his suite, and the French Consul at Cadiz, who, to do him justice, is a clever, though wicked devil. The Spanish troops are in motion towards the castern frontier, under the ostensible pretext of attempting to recover the island of Minorca; but, I believe, the real object is, to secure the strong port of Figuera, and other important ones, on that frontier.

"General O'Hara has prepared apartments for your Ladyship and Sir William Hamilton, by building two additional rooms, and you are sure to receive the most hearty welcome and respectful attention from every individual of the garrison and fleet whenever you are released from the trying situation your unexampled loyalty for their Sicilian Majesties has so long detained you in; that you may experience smooth seas

and pleasant gales during your sejour on our element is the fervent wish of your Ladyship's

"Truly affectionate humble servant,

"Rosia House, Gibraltar,

"30th April, 1799."

"ST. VINCENT.

Lord Nelson, however, was not insensible to the merits of Sir Sidney Smith as a sea officer, nor was he backward in acknowledging his boldness and gallantry. On the 24th July, 1799, he writes to him: "Yesterday brought us letters from your worthy brother; and we had the great pleasure of hearing that your truly meritorious and wonderful exertions were in a fair train for the extirpation of that horde of thieves who went to Egypt with that arch thief Buonaparte.” On the 25th, he writes to J. Spencer Smith, Esq.: "I thank you truly for your letter of June 9th, containing an extract of one from your brother, who has done so much at Acre. It is like his former conduct; and I can assure you, no one admires his gallantry and judgment more than myself." The siege of Acre was raised the 21st of May, Buonaparte leaving all his cannon and sick behind. Lord Nelson wrote to Sir Sidney Smith from Palermo, August 20th: "I have received with the truest satisfaction all your very interesting letters to July 16th. The immense fatigue you have had in defending Acre against such a chosen army of French villains, headed by that archvillain Buonaparte, has never been exceeded, and the bravery shewn by you and your brave companions is such as to merit every encomium which all the civilized world can bestow. As an individual, and as an Admiral, will you accept of my feeble tribute of praise and admiration, and make them acceptable to all those under your command." Again: “ Be assured, my dear Sir Sidney, of my perfect esteem and regard, and do not let any one persuade you to the contrary. But my character is, that I will not suffer the smallest tittle of my command to be taken from me; but with pleasure I give way to my friends, among whom I beg you will allow me to consider you, and that I am, with the truest esteem and affection, your faithful humble servant, NELSON." To his brother, Nelson wrote, October 30th: "Being now the Com

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manding Officer of the Mediterranean fleet, your brother has already experienced, and will continue to do so, every mark of my affectionate regard, both as an officer and a friend."

On the 9th of January, 1799, Lord Nelson had the high gratification of procuring the liberation of some Mahometan captives from slavery. After presenting to Lord Nelson the tokens of regard from the Grand Signior, and thus having fulfilled the object of their mission, Kelim Effendi and his attendant officers were prevented from returning immediately by the state of affairs in Naples, which would not permit of the departure of a proper conveyance for them to Constantinople. At length, the Bonne Citoyenne was appropriated to this service, and Captain Nisbet was directed to take charge of the vessel. As the Ambassador and his suite were proceeding in a boat to go on board, they passed a Portuguese vessel, the Principe Reale, in which were confined twentyfive Moors and Turks, as slaves. They appealed to the Ambassador for their liberation, and he applied to Lord Nelson, who immediately wrote to the Portuguese Admiral, the Marquis de Niza, and begged as a friend-as an Admiral -as a favour to him, that he would give him the slaves. The request was complied with, and their liberty thus procured. The Ambassador received them, and they were taken to Constantinople.

It would appear from the letters of Mr. Magra,1 that a spirit of dissatisfaction prevailed among the Tunisians, which probably induced Lord Nelson, in March, 1799, to offer himself as a mediator between the Bey of Tunis, the Bashaw of Tripoli, his Sicilian Majesty, and the Queen of Portugal.

On the 30th of May, Lord Nelson arrived at Palermo, and finding that the Bey of Tunis had stopped several vessels having his Lordship's passport, he again wrote to the British Consul, and also to the Bey, in very spirited terms upon the subject, at the same time renewing his offers of acting as mediator between the Bey, his Sicilian Majesty, and the Portuguese. Nelson was successful in his application to the Bey, being ably supported by the Consul. He was no less successful with the Bashaw of Tripoli, aided by Commodore Campbell.

See Appendix, No. III.

Lord Nelson had frequent occasion to become mediator and pacificator during these troublous times. The Turkish Commander-in-chief was much esteemed by Nelson, and he failed not to retain a lively sense of the Admiral's kindness, as is shewn by several letters anxiously inquiring after his health. About September, 1799, an affray took place between some Turkish troops and some Sicilians, at a tavern at Palermo, on which occasion several lives were lost, and a general mutiny threatened. Nelson interfered, and arranged the dispute. One man, Patrona Bey, was most active in his endeavours to supplant Cadir Bey, and at length made himself so obnoxious, that the men rose upon him, and literally cut him to pieces. Lord Nelson wrote to the Grand Signior his opinion of Cadir Bey, and his approval of his conduct, a testimony of no little moment to the Turkish Commander in his situation. In his letter to the Grand Signior, Lord Nelson says, "Cadir Bey is with me every day; and a better man does not live in the world, or a better officer. He is my brother."

The affairs of Naples became worse and worse; the nobles endeavoured to negotiate a truce, or peace with the French, and went so far as to offer to exclude the King from his throne, and constitute Naples a Republic, under the protection of the French. Prince Pignatelli subsequently signed an armistice with the French, without the King's name, which called for the powerful censure of his Majesty. "I have been (says the King) more surprised that you have acted in this unwarrantable manner, as you had no power from me for such negotiations. The instructions left with you were very different. In concluding such a treaty, you may either have forgotten you have a master, or have remembered it only for the purpose of imposing on him the most scandalous and disgraceful terms. You may suppose how much I am incensed at finding the trust I had given you betrayed in such a manner, and how indignant I feel against your unworthy advisers."1

Prince Francesco Pignatelli was the Vicario-capitangenerale, and entrusted with the government of Naples during the King's absence. He appointed General Mack 1 Clarke and McArthur, Vol. ii. p. 143.

head of the military department, while the duties of the civil were to be conducted by deputies elected by the city. The people had no confidence in Pignatelli, and organized a band of militia to maintain public order, naming them the Civic Guard. They did not acknowledge Pignatelli's power, inasmuch as the statutes of the kingdom declared that, in the absence of the King, the royal power devolved to the two bodies representing the nobility and the people, and not in a Vicario-Generale. The Prince was, after many attempts, obliged to render up his unconstitutional power; and upon his flight into Sicily, the Prince of Moliterno, and the Duke of Roccaromana1 (one of Cardinal Ruffo's generals), were nominated Colonels; and these appointments were agreeable to, and adopted by the municipal body. Pépé says, these officers endeavoured as much as possible to restrain the fury of the populace, and for some time kept them within certain bounds; and that their exertions would have been more effectual but for the conduct of a small knot of wily priests and malignant monks, satellites of the fallen regal government, who, seeing the municipal authorities issuing orders without the King's name being subscribed to them, mingled amongst the lower orders, awaking within their bosom hatred and frenzy towards the representatives elected by the city, against whom they excited them to revolt. These emissaries, Pépé adds, taxed all the nobility of the realm with Jacobinism, and even succeeded in throwing suspicion upon Moliterno and Roccaromana.

The following letter, from the Queen of Naples to Lady Hamilton, refers to this period:

"I am more dead than alive. The reports made to Luigi, by Pignatelli, the attitude taken by this vile nobility, prove

Nelson had a very bad opinion of this man. In a letter to Captain Troubridge, he says, "There is a person who has been a notorious rebel; but now pretends to serve his King faithfully. If he should attempt to come even into your presence, I earnestly request, that you will never voluntarily admit him to your sight, much less speak to him; for honour and loyalty, which you possess, never ought to be contaminated with infamy and rebellion. His name is said to be Roccaromana."