TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR THOMAS TRIGGE, K.B. [Letter-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 7th August, 1804. Sir, I beg leave to enclose a copy of a letter from Mr. Secretary Marsden, dated the 9th April last, together with a copy of the one therein-mentioned, from the Spanish Minister at our Court to Lord Hawkesbury, respecting the conduct of the Commander of Les Deux Frères, Privateer, in capturing a Spanish Vessel, as therein stated. It is not necessary for me to point out the disgraceful conduct of the Gibraltar Privateers in these seas, as so many circumstances must long ago have satisfied you with this truth. I shall, therefore, say no more on the subject; and only beg to express a hope that the most exemplary punishment may be inflicted upon the delinquents, when the enormity of their crimes can be proved to conviction, in order to deter them from future depredations. I am, &c. Nelson and Bronte. TO CAPTAIN SIR EDWARD BERRY. [From a Copy in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Sir Edward, Victory, August 8th, 1804. You must think that I took your offer of not answering your kind letter of March, (which I take to mean March 1st,) but I only received it by the Ambuscade, which only arrived ten days ago. I sincerely hope now a change has taken place, that you will get a Ship. I attribute none of the tyrannical conduct of the late Board to Lord St. Vincent. For the Earl I have a sincere regard, but he was dreadfully ill-advised, and I fear the Service has suffered much from their conduct. Mrs. Faddy' has the impudence of the devil: however, I have made her son a Lieutenant. He seems a smart young man, and is full-grown. I do assure you, my dear Sir Edward, that your letters always give me much pleasure; and I have no great Vide vol. iii. pp. 7, 8, 127, and vol. iv. p. 463. cause for anxiety, for I certainly command as fine a portion of Ships as are in the Service. Hardy is very well and desires his kind remembrances. Sutton is stationed at Gibraltar: I have not seen him for a year past. I am ever, my dear Sir Edward, your much obliged friend, NELSON AND Bronte. TO THE REVEREND DR. NELSON. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Victory, August 8th, 1804. Mr. C. B. Yonge had joined the Victory long before your letter was wrote, and he is a very good, deserving young man, and when he has served his time, I shall take the earliest opportunity of putting him into a good vacancy; but that will not be until October, the very finish, I expect, of my remaining here, for my health has suffered much since I left England, and if the Admiralty do not allow me to get at asses' milk and rest, you will be a Lord before I intend you should. I am glad the wine was good and acceptable. I have been expecting Monsieur La Touche to give me the meeting every day for this year past, and only hope he will come out before I go hence. Remember me kindly to Mrs. Nelson and believe me ever, your most affectionate brother, NELSON AND BRONTE. You must excuse a short letter. You will have seen Monsieur La Touche's letter' of how he chased me and how I ran. I keep it; and, by God, if I take him, he shall Eat it! Captain Samuel Sutton, of the Amphion. 'Mr. Charles B. Yonge, a distant relation of Mrs. (afterwards Countess) Nelson: he was appointed Acting Lieutenant of the Seahorse, on the 12th of October following, and appears to have died between 1806 and 1809. Vide p. 131, note, ante. TO ALEXANDER DAVISON, ESQ. [Autograph, in the possession of Colonel Davison.] My dear Davison, Victory, August 9th, 1804. What can be the reason that since the Leviathan, I have never received a scrap of a pen from you; but as I know that I have a box missing sent me by dear Lady Hamilton, I hope that there are some letters from you in it; for I should, my dear friend, be sorry, could I either think that you take to heart your present uncomfortable situation beyond what a man must naturally feel, or that you could forget for a moment the sincerest of your friends. We all know, that if it was brought forth, that I am sure all the House of Commons, and I dare say, every Freeholder in the United Kingdom, would be with you; for directly or indirectly, every man has his price.' So said Sir Robert Walpole. Never mind. Do not take it to heart. It will soon pass away, and I shall come and see you in the Christmas holidays, and we shall laugh at the event. I have on former occasions wrote to you all about my Merton improvements, that I am sure you will order everything to be paid. If the new building is finished, I shall have a very comfortable house; and I hope the Architect has made the passage from the kitchen to the servants' hall. I would not have one farthing taken from the hundred pounds a month3 for any of these improvements; and, as I before wrote you, I wish to have them in a separate account, that I may know the cost. I am expecting Monsieur La Touche (as he has wrote a letter that I ran away) to come out of his nest. The whole history was too contemptible for my notice, but I have thought it right, not upon my own account, but for the satisfaction of the Admiralty, &c. &c., to send a copy of the Victory's Log: for if my character for not running away, is not fixed by this time, it is not worth my trouble to put the world right at my time of life; and if any Englishman has believed for one moment the story, I may, to my friend, say, without fear of being thought arrogant, that they do not deserve to have me serve them; but I have kept Monsieur La Touche's letter; and if 2 Vide vol. v. p. 143. His allowance to Lady Hamilton. I take him, I shall either never see him, or, if I do, make him Eat his letter-perhaps, sovereign contempt is the best. This conveyance will carry my letter for returning, for the re-establishment of my health, for a few months. I expect that the Admiralty will give this Command to some other Officer, and not allow of my return, if I am able, in the Spring. But I may say, as the famous De Witt said, my life I will freely risk for my Country, but my health I must take care of.' If the mind is not strong from good health, depend on it the other faculties are in unison with it. months rest may do much for me. believe me for ever, at all times, affectionate friend, Asses' milk and a few But, my dear Davison, your most sincere and NELSON AND BRONTE. TO JAMES SYKES, ESQ.* [Autograph, in the possession of Rear-Admiral Sykes. "Friday, 10th August. At 11 A.M., weighed and made sail. At 5:45 P.M., anchored. Saturday, 11th August. At 5 A.M., weighed and made sail."-Victory's Log.] Dear Sir, Victory, August 9th, 1804. I am favoured with your letter of May 18th, regarding your nephew; it was hardly possible for a young man to come to a worse station for promotion than the Mediterranean, for we have no deaths. If the French Fleet come out during my stay, we may have a chance for promotion, when I will do my best for your nephew, if our success is equal to the wishes of, dear Sir, your very obedient Servant, NELSON AND BRONTE. Mr. Sykes was a respectable Navy Agent, whose business devolved upon Messrs. Stilwell and Son, of 22, Arundel Street, Strand, to whose professional ability, integrity, and personal worth the Editor has sincere pleasure in bearing testimony. Mr. Sykes' nephew is the present Rear-Admiral Sykes, mentioned in the Preface. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty, and autograph draughts in the possession of the Rev. Henry Girdlestone, and of James Young, Esq., of Wells.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 12th August, 1804. Although I most certainly never thought of writing a line upon Monsieur La Touche's having cut a caper a few miles outside of Toulon, on the 14th of June, where he well knew I could not get at him without placing the Ships under the batteries which surround that Port, and that, had I attacked him in that position, he could retire into his secure nest whenever he pleased, yet as that gentleman has thought proper to write a letter stating that the Fleet under my command ran away, and that he pursued it, perhaps it may be thought necessary for me to say something. But I do assure you, Sir, that I know not what to say, except by a flat contradiction; for if my character is not established by this time for not being apt to run away, it is not worth my time to attempt to put the world right. It is not, therefore, I do assure their Lordships, with any such intention that I stain my paper with a vaunting man's name, and, therefore, I shall only state, that the Fleet I have the honour and happiness to command is in the highest state of discipline, good order, good humour, and good health, and that the united wishes of all are, I am sure, to meet Monsieur La Touche at sea: then I ought not to doubt that I should be able to write a letter equally satisfactory to my King, my Country, and myself. I send you a copy of the Ship's Log.' I observe that even the return of Monsieur La Touche into Toulon is not noticed-so little must have been thought of the French returning into Port that day, more than any other. I send • Lord Nelson originally wrote "coxcomb's," but altered the word to "man's." "Which I have never seen till this day. I observe that so little was thought of Monsieur La Touche's return to Toulon harbour more than any other time, that it is not even noticed, although, by the bearings at Noon, and latitude, that we were but four miles outside the Port, where he was snug at anchor, and that at one o'clock we attempted to get at the Swiftsure, which was the only Ship outside the harbour."-Autograph draught. |