the life of horatio lord nelson-第52节

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d　his　hopes　that　Spain　might　resume　her　natural　rank　among　the　nations。　〃We　ought；〃　he　said；　〃by　mutual　consent；　to　be　the　very　best　friends；　and　both　to　be　ever　hostile　to　France。〃　But　he　saw　that　Buonaparte　was　meditating　the　destruction　of　Spain；　and　that；　while　the　wretched　court　of　Madrid　professed　to　remain　neutral；　the　appearances　of　neutrality　were　scarcely　preserved；　An　order　of　the　year　1771；　excluding　British　ships　of　war　from　the　Spanish　ports；　was　revived；　and　put　in　force：　while　French　privateers；　from　these　very　ports；　annoyed　the　British　trade；　carried　their　prizes　in；　and　sold　them　even　at　Barcelona。　Nelson　complained　of　this　to　the　captain…general　of　Catalonia；　informing　him　that　he　claimed；　for　every　British　ship　or　squadron；　the　right　of　lying；　as　long　as　it　pleased；　in　the　ports　of　Spain；　while　that　right　was　allowed　to　other　powers。　To　the　British　Ambassador　he　said：　〃I　am　ready　to　make　large　allowances　for　the　miserable　situation　Spain　has　placed　herself　in；　but　there　is　a　certain　line；　beyond　which　I　cannot　submit　to　be　treated　with　disrespect。　We　have　given　up　French　vessels　taken　within　gunshot　of　the　Spanish　shore；　and　yet　French　vessels　are　permitted　to　attack　our　ships　from　the　Spanish　shore。　Your　excellency　may　assure　the　Spanish　government　that；　in　whatever　place　the　Spaniards　allow　the　French　to　attack　us；　in　that　place　I　shall　order　the　French　to　be　attacked。〃

During　this　state　of　things；　to　which　the　weakness　of　Spain；　and　not　her　will；　consented；　the　enemy's　fleet　did　not　venture　to　put　to　sea。　Nelson　watched　it　with　unremitting　and　almost　unexampled　perseverance。　The　station　off　Toulon　he　called　his　home。　〃We　are　in　the　right　fighting　trim；〃　said　he：　〃let　them　come　as　soon　as　they　please。　I　never　saw　a　fleet　altogether　so　well　officered　and　manned；　would　to　God　the　ships　were　half　as　good！　The　finest　ones　in　the　service　would　soon　be　destroyed　by　such　terrible　weather。　I　know　well　enough　that　if　I　were　to　go　into　Malta　I　should　save　the　ships　during　this　bad　season；　but　if　I　am　to　watch　the　French　I　must　be　at　sea；　and　if　at　sea；　must　have　bad　weather；　and　if　the　ships　are　not　fit　to　stand　bad　weather；　they　are　useless。〃　Then　only　he　was　satisfied　and　at　ease　when　he　had　the　enemy　in　view。　Mr。　Elliot；　our　minister　at　Naples；　seems　at　this　time　to　have　proposed　to　send　a　confidential　Frenchman　to　him　with　information。　〃I　should　be　very　happy；〃　he　replied；　〃to　receive　authentic　intelligence　of　the　destination　of　the　French　squadron；　their　route；　and　time　of　sailing。　Anything　short　of　this　is　useless；　and　I　assure　your　excellency；　that　I　would　not　upon　any　consideration　have　a　Frenchman　in　the　fleet；　except　as　a　prisoner。　I　put　no　confidence　in　them。　You　think　yours　good；　the　queen　thinks　the　same；　I　believe　they　are　all　alike。　Whatever　information　you　can　get　me　I　shall　be　very　thankful　for；　but　not　a　Frenchman　comes　here。　Forgive　me；　but　my　mother　hated　the　French。〃

M。　Latouche　Treville；　who　had　commanded　at　Boulogne；　commanded　now　at　Toulon。　〃He　was　sent　for　on　purpose；〃　said　Nelson；　〃as　he　BEAT　ME　at　Boulogne；　to　beat　me　again；　but　he　seems　very　loath　to　try。〃　One　day；　while　the　main　body　of　our　fleet　was　out　of　sight　of　land；　Rear…Admiral　Campbell；　reconnoitring　with　the　CANOPUS；　DONEGAL；　and　AMAZON；　stood　in　close　to　the　port；　and　M。　Latouche；　taking　advantage　of　a　breeze　which　sprung　up；　pushed　out　with　four　ships　of　the　line　and　three　heavy　frigates；　and　chased　him　about　four　leagues。　The　Frenchman；　delighted　at　having　found　himself　in　so　novel　a　situation；　published　a　boastful　account；　affirming　that　he　had　given　chase　to　the　whole　British　fleet；　and　that　Nelson　had　fled　before　him！　Nelson　thought　it　due　to　the　Admiralty　to　send　home　a　copy　of　the　VICTORY's　log　upon　this　occasion。　〃As　for　himself；〃　he　said；　〃if　his　character　was　not　established　by　that　time　for　not　being　apt　to　run　away；　it　was　not　worth　his　while　to　put　the　world　right。〃〃If　this　fleet　gets　fairly　up　with　M。　Latouche；〃　said　he　to　one　of　his　correspondents；　〃his　letter；　with　all　his　ingenuity；　must　be　different　from　his　last。　We　had　fancied　that　we　chased　him　into　Toulon；　for；　blind　as　I　am；　I　could　see　his　water　line；　when　he　clued　his　topsails　up；　shutting　in　Sepet。　But　from　the　time　of　his　meeting　Captain　Hawker　in　the　ISIS；　I　never　heard　of　his　acting　otherwise　than　as　a　poltroon　and　a　liar。　Contempt　is　the　best　mode　of　treating　such　a　miscreant。〃　In　spite；　however；　of　contempt；　the　impudence　of　this　Frenchman　half　angered　him。　He　said　to　his　brother：　〃You　will　have　seen　Latouche's　letter；　how　he　chased　me　and　how　I　ran。　I　keep　it；　and　if　I　take　him；　by　God　he　shall　eat　it。〃

Nelson；　who　used　to　say；　that　in　sea　affairs　nothing　is　impossible；　and　nothing　improbable；　feared　the　more　that　this　Frenchman　might　get　out　and　elude　his　vigilance；　because　he　was　so　especially　desirous　of　catching　him；　and　administering　to　him　his　own　lying　letter　in　a　sandwich。　M。　Latouche；　however；　escaped　him　in　another　way。　He　died；　according　to　the　French　papers；　in　consequence　of　walking　so　often　up　to　the　signal…post　upon　Sepet；　to　watch　the　British　fleet。　〃I　always　pronounced　that　would　be　his　death；〃　said　Nelson。　〃If　he　had　come　out　and　fought　me；　it　would　at　least　have　added　ten　years　to　my　life。〃　The　patience　with　which　he　had　watched　Toulon；　he　spoke　of；　truly；　as　a　perseverance　at　sea　which　had　never　been　surpassed。　From　May；　1803；　to　August；　1805；　he　himself　went　out　of　his　ship　but　three　times；　each　of　those　times　was　upon　the　king's　service；　and　neither　time　of　absence　exceeded　an　hour。　In　1804　the　SWIFT　cutter　going　out　with　despatches　was　taken；　and　all　the　despatches　and　letters　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。　〃A　very　pretty　piece　of　work；〃　says　Nelson；　〃I　am　not　surprised　at　the　capture；　but　am　very　much　so　that　any　despatches　should　be　sent　in　a　vessel　with　twenty…three　men；　not　equal　to　cope　with　any　row…boat　privateer。　The　loss　of　the　HINDOSTAN　was　great　enough；　but　for　importance　it　is　lost　in　comparison　to　the　probable　knowledge　the　enemy　will　obtain　of　our　connexions　with　foreign　countries。　Foreigners　for　ever　say；　and　it　is　true；　we　dare　not　trust　England：　one　way　or　other　we　are　sure　to　be　committed。〃　In　a　subsequent　letter　he　says；　speaking　of　the　same　capture：　〃I　find；　my　dearest　Emma；　that　your　picture　is　very　much　admired　by　the　French　Consul　at　Barcelona；　and　that　he　has　not　sent　it　to　be　admired；　which　I　am　sure　it　would　be；　by　Buonaparte。　They　pretend　that　there　were　three　pictures　taken。　I　wish　I　had　them；　but　they　are　all　gone　as　irretrievably　as　the　despatches；　unless　we　may　read　them　in　a　book；　as　we　printed　their　correspondence　from　Egypt。　But　from　us　what　can　they　find　out？　That　I　love　you　most　dearly；　and　hate　the　French　most　damnably。　Dr。　Scott　went　to　Barcelona　to　try　to　get　the　private　letters；　but　I　fancy　they　are　all　gone　to　Paris。　The　Swedish　and　American　Consuls　told　him　that　the　French　Consul　had　your　picture　and　read　your　letters；　and　the　Doctor　thinks　one　of　them；　probably；　read　the　letters。　By　the　master's　account　of　the　cutter；　I　would　not　have　trusted　an　old　pair　of　shoes　in　her。　He　tells　me　she　did　not　sail；　but　was　a　good　sea…boat。　I　hope　Mr。　Marsden　will　not　trust　any　more　of　my　private　letters　in　such　a　conveyance：　if　they　choose　to　trust　the　affairs　of　the　public　in　such　a　thing；　I　cannot　help　it。〃

While　he　was　on　this　station；　the　weather　had　been　so　unusually　severe　that　he　said　the　Mediterranean　seemed　altered。　It　was　his　rule　never　to　contend　with　the　gales；　but　either　run　to　the　southward　　to　escape　their　violence；　or　furl　all　the　sails；　and　make　the　ships　as　easy　as　possible。　The　men；　though　he　said　flesh　and　blood　could　hardly　stand　it；　continued　in　excellent　health；　which　he　ascribed；　in　great　measure；　to　a　plentiful　supply　of　lemons　and　onions。　For　himself；　he　thought　he　could　only　last　till　the　battle　was　over。　One　battle　more　it　was　his　hope　that　he　might　fight。　〃However；〃　said　he；　〃whatever　happens；　I　have　run　a　glorious　race。〃　〃A　few　months〃　rest；〃　he　says；　〃I　must　have　very　soon。　If　I　am　in　my　grave；　what　are　the　mines　of　Peru　to　me？　But　to　say　the　truth；　I　have　no　idea　of　killing　myself。　I　may；　with　care；　live　yet　to　do　good　service　to　the　state。　My　cough　is　very　bad；　and　my　side；　where　I　was　struck　on　the　14th　of　February；　is　very　much　swelled：　at　times　a　lump　as　large　as　my　fist；　brought　on　occasionally　by　violent　coughing。　But　I　hope　and　believe　my　lungs　are　yet　safe。〃　He　was　afraid　of　blindness　and　this　was　the　only　evil　which　he　could　not　contemplate　without　unhappiness。　More　alarming　symptoms　he　regarded　with　less　apprehension；　describing　his　own　〃shattered　carcass〃　as　in　the　worst　plight　of　any　in　the　fleet；　and　he　says；〃I　have　felt　the　blood　gushing　up　the　left　side　of　my　head；　and；　the　moment　it　covers　the　brain；　I　am　fast　asleep。〃　The　fleet　was　in　worse　trim　than　the　men；　but　when　he　compared　it　with　the　enemy's；　it　was　with　a　right　English　feeling。　〃The　French　fleet　yesterday；〃　said　he；　in　one　of　his　letters；　〃was　to　appearance　in　high　feather；　and　as　fine　as　paint　could　make　them；　but　when　they　may　sail；　or　where　they　may　go；　I　am　very　sorry　to　say　is　a　secret　I　am　not　acquainted　with。　Our　weather…beaten　ships；　I　have　no　fear；　will　make　their　sides　like　a