not for all the world rob you of one particle of your wellearned laurels. Thank kindly for me all my brave friends in the Foudroyant; and whatever fate awaits me, my attachment to them will never cease but with my life. I am very anxious to get the official account, and I keep the Perseus to send it off to Lord Keith. But your letter with Dixon's to Troubridge, and Troubridge's, I sent by post to the Admiralty in two hours after my reception. I hope the Foudroyant will be able to come here to carry us first to Malta, and from thence, taking the Queen of Naples to Leghorn, proceed with us at least to Gibraltar, if not to England. My task is done, my health is lost, and the orders of the great Earl of St. Vincent are completely fulfilled-thanks, ten thousand thanks, to my brave friends! Ever, my dear Berry, your sincere and affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO VICE-ADMIRAL LORD KEITH, K.B. [Letter-Book.] My Lord, Palermo, 6th April, 1800. I had the honour of receiving your Lordship's letter of 2nd, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 28th, and 29th of March, by the Speedy, who arrived here last night, which I beg leave to answer according to their dates. The secret orders of the Admiralty have long since been furnished to the Ships of the Squadron under my command. By my application to your Lordship for leave to go to England, you will perceive that my health is very indifferent. The Northumberland has got men from the Culloden, and is now off Valetta. I will take care to distribute the notifications, accompanying your Lordship's letter of the 23rd March. I enclose your Lordship copies of the Admiralty orders respecting Egypt and Malta, which are the only orders respecting the command in my possession. The Signal-books are on board the Foudroyant. As soon as I can get them, they shall be sent to your Lordship by the first opportunity. I received with the deepest sorrow your Lordship's list of those who were lost in the Queen Charlotte, and condole with your Lordship, and our Country, on that melancholy accident, and the loss of so many good and brave Officers and Men. The secret order accompanying your Lordship's letter of 29th March, I will take care to distribute to the Squadron without loss of time. I received Captain Beaver's' letter of 27th March, and shall circulate the Memorandum accompanying it. I have the honour to be, &c., BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE HON. LIEUTENANT-GENERAL FOX. Sir, [Letter-Book.] Palermo, 6th April, 1800. Andrea Perandello of this place, who has, on many occasions, been very useful to such of our Ships as resorted here, having acquainted me that his son, Pietro Perandello, is going to Mahon for the purpose of purchasing a Vessel, and is desirous of obtaining a Minorcan Pass to prevent his being seized by the Algerines, I beg leave to recommend him as a person deserving the protection of the English Government. I have the honour to be, &c., BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD MINTO. [Autograph, in the Minto Papers.] My dear Lord and Friend, Palermo, April 6th, 1800. A ten times better title, and to me invaluable-I find Lords who are not my friends. Our dear great Earl of St. Vincent's orders to me were to follow the French Mediterranean fleet, 'Captain Philip Beaver, of the Aurora. This gallant Officer, who was distinguished alike for his professional and literary attainments, died at the Cape of Good Hope, in command of H.M. Ship Nisus, on the 10th of April, 1813. His Life has been written by Captain William Henry Smyth, R.N. and to annihilate them: it has been done, thanks to the zeal and bravery of my gallant friends! My task is done, my health lost, and I have wrote to Lord Keith for my retreat. May all orders be as punctually obeyed, but never again an Officer at the close, of what I must, without being thought vain, (for such I am represented by my enemies,) call a glorious career, be so treated! I go with our dear friends Sir William and Lady Hamilton; but whether by water or land depends on the will of Lord Keith. May God bless you, in which joins Sir William and Lady Hamilton with your affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE CAPITAN PACHA. [Letter-Book.] Palermo, April 6th, 1800. Having answered your Excellency's letters, as far as is in my power, I have only to again assure you of my earnest desire on all occasions to prove myself deserving of the favour of the Sublime Porte, and the friendship of your Excellency. The happy capture of the William Tell is the finish to the whole French fleet, which my Royal Master desired me to destroy. Having, by the bravery of the Officers and Men under my command, accomplished my task, I am going to England for the benefit of my health; but I can assure you, and beg of your Excellency to assure the Grand Signior of the same, that should the Enemy again send a Naval force.to attack his Dominions, I shall hold myself ready to come forth again for their destruction. Wishing your Excellency the blessing of health, and that success may ever crown your services against all the enemies of his Imperial Majesty, I remain, with the greatest attachment, your faithful friend, BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. I was honoured, four days past, with your Excellency's letter, dated January the 30th, and feel most sincerely your kind expressions towards me, and must be highly flattered at the opinion the Sublime Porte has testified of my zeal in the execution of my Royal Master's orders. It was my orders, in May 1798, to destroy the French Mediterranean fleet. By the happy capture of the Généreux and William Tell, (the last on the 30th March,) thanks to the Almighty, and the bravery of the Officers and Men under my command, all, all, are taken, burnt, or sunk. Of the thirteen Sail of the Line, not one remains; and I trust that very soon the same may be told of their Army, who dared to land on the Territory of the Sublime Porte. Perish all the enemies of his Imperial Majesty the Grand Signior! Having completely obeyed my orders, with great injury to my health, I am going to England for the benefit of it; but should the Enemy (which I do not believe) dare to send another Fleet to menace the Dominions of his Imperial Majesty, I shall hold myself ready, if I am thought fit for such a service, to come forth, and be the instrument of God's vengeance on such miscreant infernal scoundrels. That the Almighty may prosper all your endeavours for the honour and glory of the Sublime Porte, is the constant prayer of your Excellency's most obliged Servant, BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO COMMODORE SIR THOMAS TROUBRIDGE, BART. My dear Troubridge, [Letter-Book.] 7th April, 1800. The two Venetian Ships, with the Egyptian, and another Frigate, are sailed from Toulon; therefore till we know something about them, would it be eligible to trust the William Tell to Minorca, with any force we could send with her? Therefore would it not be well to get her into Marsa Sirocco, for she will be plundered at Syracuse, till we can send a proper force to insure her safe arrival? I am still very unwell, but mean to come to take my farewell. I am anxiously waiting for the official account of the capture of the William Tell. God bless you, my dear Troubridge, and believe me ever your affectionate friend, BRONTE NELSON OF THE NILE. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL SPENCER, K.G. My dear Lord, [Letter-Book.] Palermo, 8th April, 1800. 2 I send you Sir Edward Berry's letter, and am sure your Lordship will not be sparing of promotion to the deserving. My friends wished me to be present. I have no such wish; for a something might have been given me, which now cannot. Not for all the world would I rob any man of a sprig of laurel -much less my children of the Foudroyant! I love her as a fond father, a darling child, and glory in her deeds. I am vain enough to feel the effects of my school. Lord Keith sending me nothing, I have not, of course, a free communication. I have wrote to him for permission to return to England, when you will see a broken-hearted man. My spirit cannot submit patiently. My complaint, which is principally a 2 Describing the capture of the Guillaume Tell, now in the Nelson Papers. 3 On the 25th of April, 1800, Lord Spencer wrote to Lord Nelson, acknowledging the receipt of his letters of the 14th of December, 1799, and of the 20th of February and 10th of March, 1800, none of which have been found. Their contents may, however, be understood from Lord Spencer's answer:-" To the first [of those letters] it does not occur to me that I have anything to say at present, the circumstances having very materially changed since the date of it. To the second, I think I should feel disposed to say a great deal, if I were not, at the same time, so strongly impressed with a conviction that, on mature reflection, you will see in a very different light the circumstances of your situation from that in which you seemed then disposed to represent them, that any observation I might think it necessary to make, might perhaps appear very much displaced at the moment when it reached you. "With respect to Lieutenant Bolton, it will be impossible to give him promotion immediately, because if the circumstance of the capture of the Généreux had been |