Augmentations to Nelson's Armorial Ensigns.

tary letter written with his own hand, accompanied with a portrait of his imperial majesty, most superbly set in brilliants; from the King of Sardinia a letter and a box set with diamonds; and from the inhabitants of the island of Zante, a gold-headed sword and cane, as an acknowledgment that, but for the battle of the Nile, they should not have been liberated from French domination. His own sovereign was pleased to grant these honourable augmentations to his armorial ensigns a chief undulated, argent, thereon waves of the sea; from which a palm-tree issuant, between a disabled ship on the dexter and a ruinous battery on the sinister, all proper; and for his crest, on a naval crown, or, chelengk or plume of triumph, presented to him by the Grand Signor, with the motto, "Palmam qui meruit ferat:" and to his supporters, being a sailor on the dexter and a lion on the sinister, the honourable augmentations following

in the hand of the sailor a palm-branch, and another in the paw of the lion, both proper, with the addition of a tri-coloured flag and staff in the mouth of the latter.

It may well be doubted if any of these presents and distinctions gave him more sincere satisfaction than that which he must have experienced from the congratulations of a brother seaman on his glorious victory. "I know not," wrote Admiral Goodall, "where to place the preference in my praises; whether in the boldness of the attempt, or in the skill with which it was conducted, unrivalled in our annals. I had often been obliged to stand in the breach against the senseless criticisms of the noble and ignoble of this country: you know them to be governed by the tide of swollen and immediate success. How often have I been questioned, 'What is your favourite hero about? The French fleet has passed under his nose,' &c., &c. To all of which I uniformly answered,

Letter from Admiral Goodall.

'I know him well; if Fortune has not crowned his labour and anxiety in the event, yet something capital will be done. I know him and most of his gallant companions who are to support him in the day of battle. You will not hear from him until

he has thundered in the storm, and directed the whirlwind that will overwhelm the enemy.' My opinion

has been entirely confirmed. Your gallantry, my dear friend, has silenced both jealousy and censure, and raised a name which will exist as long as history or monumental tablets are preserved."

State of Naples on Nelson's Return from Egypt.

CHAPTER VIII.

FROM 1798 TO 1800.

SITUATION OF NAPLES-PREPARATIONS FOR ITS DEFENCEBLOCKADE OF MALTA-ROUT OF THE NEAPOLITAN ARMYREMOVAL OF THE ROYAL FAMILY TO PALERMO-SIR SIDNEY SMITH APPOINTED TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE TURKS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN-NAPLES TAKEN BY THE FRENCH-NELSON'S ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEFENCE OF SICILY-REDUCTION OF THE ISLANDS IN THE BAY OF NAPLES-REMARKABLE PRESENT MADE TO NELSON-EVACUATION OF NAPLES BY THE FRENCH-NELSON RETURNS TO THE BAY OF NAPLESTRIAL AND EXECUTION OF PRINCE CARACCIOLI-REDUCTION OF THE CASTLE OF ST. ELMO, CAPUA, AND GAETA-THE KING OF NAPLES CONFERS ON NELSON THE DUKEDOM AND ESTATE OF BRONTE-OPERATIONS AGAINST THE FRENCH IN THE ROMAN STATES-NELSON SAILS TO MINORCA, AND RETURNS TO PALERMO-OPERATIONS AGAINST MALTA-NELSON TAKES LE GENEREUX-CAPTURE OF THE GUILLAUME TELL -NELSON RETURNS TO ENGLAND.

THE situation of Naples, at the time of Nelson's arrival from Egypt, was precarious in the extreme. Bonaparte, before he quitted the Italian army, had dictated to the emperor of Germany a peace, which left the French in unmolested possession of northern and central Italy, by binding up the hands of the Pope and the petty princes who were still suffered to retain a shadow of independence. They were now augmenting their force in the Peninsula, with the avowed purpose of overturning the Neapolitan monarchy, and erecting a republic in its stead.

The rulers of Naples were not equal to this emergency. The king, Ferdinand, belonged to the family of the Spanish Bourbons, and, like the other princes of that house, was so passionately attached to the sports of the field, as to relinquish the cares of go

P

State of Naples on Nelson's Return from Egypt. vernment to the queen and the ministers. The queen, a princess of haughty and vindictive disposition, had so estranged the affections of a great portion even of the principal nobility and gentry by her measures, that they were ready to promote any change which seemed to hold out a promise of deliverance from the prevailing system of misrule. A more striking picture of its profligacy cannot be given than that which is presented by the admiral himself, in a letter to Earl Spencer. 'I see," said he, "the finest country in the world, full of resources, yet without enough to supply the public wants: all are plundering who can get at public money or stores. In my own line I can speak. A Neapolitan ship of the line would cost more than ten English ships fitting out. Five sail of the line must ruin the country. Every thing else is, I have no doubt, going on in the same system of thieving: I could give your lordship so many instances of the greatest mal-conduct of persons in office, and of those very people being rewarded. If money could be placed in the public chest at this moment, I believe it would be well used: for the sad thing in this country is that, although much is raised, yet very little reaches the public chest. I will give you a fact. When the Order of Jesuits was suppressed in this country and Sicily, they possessed very large estates: although these, with every other part of their property, were seized by the crown, yet, to this moment, not one farthing has reached the public chest. On the contrary, some years the pretended expence of management was more than the produce. Taxes have been sold for sums of money, which now are five times more than when sold. This, it is true, was done by viceroys, to please their distant masters."

It is not to be supposed, that the persons selected to administer the government were a whit better

Preparations for Repelling a French Invasion.

66

than the rest. Of the prime minister, the Marquis de Gallo, the admiral says: This marquis I detest. ... he admires his ribbon, ring, and snuff-box, so much, that an excellent petit-maître was spoiled when he was made a minister." On another occasion, he observes, As for this minister, I do not understand him. We are different men. He has been bred in a court, and I in a rough element.” Such were some of the persons to whom the destinies of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies were committed, when Nelson, by his energetic appeals to the royal family, decided the court to take the field, for the defence of the throne. "I ventured," he says, "to tell their majesties that one of the following things must happen to the king, and he had his choice' either advance, trusting to God for his blessing on a just cause, to die l'épée à la main, or remain quiet, and be kicked out of your kingdom."" Of General Mack, who was appointed to the command of the army, which the king intended to join in person, and whom Nelson was invited to meet at dinner by their majesties, he pithily observes : General Mack

cannot move without five carriages. I have formed my opinion—I heartily pray, I may be mistaken." It was determined that 30,000 men should march, as soon as they could be equipped, to cover the kingdom from the threatened invasion; and that 15,000 should be ready on the frontier, to support the first army for the garrison of Rome, and to keep open the communication with Naples, if the Romans should retract their offer of joining in the expulsion of the French from their territory.

While these preparations were going forward, Nelson, who had sent Captain Ball, in the Alexander, to commence the blockade of Malta, followed himself, on the 15th of September, with the Vanguard, Minotaur, Audacious, Goliath, and Mutine, having pre