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on board the fleet; I lost no time in laying those letters before their Lordships, and I have received their commands to acquaint you that they cannot but feel some regret that your endeavours to mark your respect for his Imperial Majesty should not have been attended with success, and to desire you will transmit to me a copy of your letter to the Swedish Admiral, to which you have referred in your first mentioned letter. I have their Lordships' further commands to acquaint your Lordship that vessels are now loaded, and will proceed into the Baltic immediately with a supply of ten weeks provisions for the fleet, in order that your Lordship may send such instructions to the Officer who may be entrusted with the protection of these vessels as may be necessary for his guidance in respect to his junction with you. I have the honour to be, my Lord,

"Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,
"EVAN NEPEAN."

On the 20th of May Lord Nelson fell in with Lord St. Helens in the Latona on his way to Russia, having been appointed Ambassador to the Court of St. Petersburgh. He had three hours conversation with him. On the preceding day Lord St. Helens had left copies of his dispatches for Lord Nelson, as appears from the following letter:

"My Lord,

"Latona, off Bornholm, May 19, 1801.

"Though I most sincerely hope and trust that I shall have the satisfaction of meeting your Lordship before I reach St. Petersburgh, I think it advisable to leave with Admiral Totty the inclosed duplicates of the dispatches which I am to deliver to your Lordship from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

"Admiral Totty has obligingly consented to allow the Courier cutter to accompany me to Cronstadt; and I shall not fail to dispatch her to your Lordship as soon as I shall be enabled to furnish you with any interesting intelligence. "I have the honour to be, with great truth and respect, "My Lord,

"Your Lordship's most faithful and obedient servant, "ST. HELENS,

"Right Honourable Lord Nelson,

&c. &c. &c."

"My dear Lord,

"Latona, at sea, 21st May, 1801.

"I return your Lordship, with my very sincerest thanks, the different papers that you have had the goodness to confide to me. I have taken copies of most of them, but have not sent any to the Secretary of State, presuming that your Lordship will forward the whole to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty with your next dispatches. Those, which I now inclose to you for Lord Hawkesbury, contain nothing of a very pressing nature; but I could wish that they may be sent as soon as convenient, as his Majesty's Ministers will naturally be well pleased to hear that I am advanced so far on my voyage to St. Petersburgh.

"I hope to re-dispatch the Courier cutter to your Lordship very soon with some satisfactory intelligence. In the mean time, pray believe me ever with the sincerest attachment and respect, and most cordial wishes for your speedy recovery, "My dear Lord,

"Your most faithful and obedient servant,

"ST. HELENS."

The following letters were addressed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence to Lord Nelson ::

"Dear Nelson,

"Bushy House, May 27th, 1801.

"I am to acknowledge yours of the 27th of April, and shall say nothing at present upon the recall of Sir Hyde Parker, but shall defer that and many other points till we meet. Knowing, as you do, my attachment to you, it cannot but be to me a matter of satisfaction that you succeed to the command of the fleet. I hope you will give them enough to do, and keep them in good discipline.

"I rejoice you feel satisfied with what I said in the House of Lords; it was, believe me, but your due, and I shall be happy to be able to say very shortly a great deal more in honour of the Hero of the Nile and of Copenhagen. Assure Sir Thomas Graves it afforded me great pleasure to inform the country of his services, and I am happy he is pleased with me.

"My best wishes attend you publicly and privately, and

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"I am to acknowledge yours of the 10th and 17th instant, and most cordially agree with you at the improper recall of Sir Hyde Parker. I really know nothing, and have not yet even seen him; but this I am certain of, that a certain person is not fit for where he now is. I believe the Armistice with Denmark, and the correspondence with Russia and Sweden, has given offence to our Ministry, in my opinion without any reason. I always considered the fleet being sent to the Baltic, in the situation this country was at that time, a very dangerous measure, and might have been very fatal. Your representation of the North is as I have considered it: and really, after eight years of expensive war, it seems strange for Government to wish to increase our enemies. I see no chance of peace with France, and am therefore the more anxious to have tranquillity restored where you are. I take the contrary sentiments in Ministers here to have recalled Sir Hyde Parker.

"I am truly concerned you complain of your health, and sincerely hope to see you very shortly in this country, not to drink asses milk, but to enjoy the company of your friends, amongst whom I hope you number him who was, is, and ever will be,

"Dear Nelson,

"Yours sincerely,

"WILLIAM H."

CHAPTER III.

1801.

WHILST in the Baltic Lord Nelson heard of the death of his elder brother, Maurice Nelson, Esq., of the Navy Office, who died on the 24th of April, after a few days illness of a brain fever, leaving Lord Nelson his executor, who, upon receiving intelligence of his death, immediately wrote to Mr. Davison to do "every thing which is right for his poor blind wife." He was ignorant of his brother's circumstances, or as to the manner in which he had provided for her, for she was not his wife. Her name was Ford; she had lived with him during many years, lost her sight, and become a cripple. Nelson felt that she was truly an object of compassion, and that was enough to direct him to take every care of her. He desires Mr. Davison to see that she has a proper and ample subsistence, and declares his willingness, if it be required, to make it up. Alluding to his deceased brother, he says, "It is the only true regard I can pay to his memory. He was always good and kind to me." The will printed below1 is a

1 "As the term of this life is at all times uncertain, and being at this time of sound mind and memory, and judging it unnecessary to employ an Attorney to make this my last Will and Testament, which I shall sign at the bottom of every page, should I have occasion to write more than one. Item, I give and bequeath the interest of all moneys whatever that I have now in the Funds or may hereafter have, together with all monies that may be due to me at the time of my decease from any person or persons, to Mrs. Susannah Ford (alias Nelson), with whom I have lived in the habits of the utmost friendship for many years, for the term of her natural life, which she is to enjoy without molestation from any one; and when it shall please God she shall depart this life, then my will is, that the sum of five hundred pounds, five per cents., be given to my brother Horatio Nelson, a Captain in the Royal Navy, as also the sum of five hundred pounds each to my two nieces, Susannah and Catharine Bolton, daughters of my sister, Susannah Bolton; but, if it should so happen that the aforesaid Mrs. Susannah Ford, alias Nelson, should die before my said nieces should arrive at the age of twenty-one years, then and in that case, I do request of my brother, Horatio Nelson, Esq. to take the said sums of

proof of the great affection Maurice Nelson entertained for his brother Horatio. William Nelson, it will be observed, is not mentioned in it.

On the 23rd of May Lord Nelson wrote to the widow thus :

"My dear Mrs. Nelson,

"St. George, May 23, 1801.

"You are, and ever shall be, considered by me as the honoured widow of my dear brother; and before I knew in what circumstances he had left you I had desired our good friend, Mr. Davison, to take care of you in every manner which could make you comfortable; and I can assure you that I consider myself as only a faithful steward, and that if any more income is wanted than the interest of my brother's little fortune, that I shall have great pleasure in supplying it, for he was too generous to be rich.

"And ever believe me,

"Your truly affectionate brother,
"NELSON AND BRONTÉ.

"Our excellent friend, Lady Hamilton, will be the interpreter of my sentiments, for she is as good as an angel."

He wrote also to Lady Hamilton :—

"St. George, off Rostock, May 24th, 1801. "My dearest Friend, "Yesterday, I joined Admiral Totty, where I found little Parker with your dear, kind, friendly letters. How can I

five hundred pounds above given to my nieces, Susannah and Catharine Bolton, in trust for them until they shall attain the age of twenty-one years, or until they are married, which I request may be left at his discretion: but if both, or either of my said nieces should die before they attain the age of twenty-one years, then and in that case I request of my brother, Horatio Nelson, to accept of the said legacies I have left them, as well as all other moneys I may die possessed of, for his sole use and benefit: and I likewise request that my said brother will have the goodness to see the intention of this my last Will and Testament fulfilled. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, as well to this as to the foregoing page, this sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five.

"Witness the above being interlined,

"MAURICE NELSON."

"ROBERT DAVIES.
"C. N. FORBES."

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