the life of horatio lord nelson-第18部分

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to　effect　their　retreat；　and　fall　back　to　Montenotte；　thus　giving　the　troops　there　a　decisive　superiority　in　number　over　the　division　which　attacked　them。　This　drew　on　the　defeat　of　the　Austrians。　Buonaparte；　with　a　celerity　which　had　never　before　been　witnessed　in　modern　war；　pursued　his　advantages；　and；　in　the　course　of　a　fortnight；　dictated　to　the　court　of　Turin　terms　of　peace；　or　rather　of　submission；　by　which　all　the　strongest　places　of　Piedmont　were　put　into　his　bands。

On　one　occasion；　and　only　on　one；　Nelson　was　able　to　impede　the　progress　of　this　new　conqueror。　Six　vessels；　laden　with　cannon　and　ordnance…stores　for　the　siege　of　Mantua；　sailed　from　Toulon　for　St。　Pier　d'Arena。　Assisted　by　Captain　Cockburn；　in　the　MELEAGER；　he　drove　them　under　a　battery；　pursued　them；　silenced　the　batteries；　and　captured　the　whole。　Military　books；　plans　and　maps　of　Italy；　with　the　different　points　marked　upon　them　where　former　battles　had　been　fought；　sent　by　the　directory　for　Buonaparte's　use；　were　found　in　the　convoy。　The　loss　of　this　artillery　was　one　of　the　chief　causes　which　compelled　the　French　to　raise　the　siege　of　Mantua；　but　there　was　too　much　treachery；　and　too　much　imbecility；　both　in　the　councils　and　armies　of　the　allied　powers；　for　Austria　to　improve　this　momentary　success。　Buonaparte　perceived　that　the　conquest　of　Italy　was　within　his　reach；　treaties；　and　the　rights　of　neutral　or　of　friendly　powers；　were　as　little　regarded　by　him　as　by　the　government　for　which　he　acted。　In　open　contempt　of　both　he　entered　Tuscany；　and　took　possession　of　Leghorn。　In　consequence　of　this　movement；　Nelson　blockaded　that　port；　and　landed　a　British　force　in　the　Isle　of　Elba；　to　secure　Porto　Ferrajo。　Soon　afterwards　he　took　the　Island　of　Capraja；　which　had　formerly　belonged　to　Corsica；　being　less　than　forty　miles　distant　from　it；　a　distance；　however；　short　as　it　was；　which　enabled　the　Genoese　to　retain　it；　after　their　infamous　sale　of　Corsica　to　France。　Genoa　had　now　taken　part　with　France：　its　government　had　long　covertly　assisted　the　French；　and　now　willingly　yielded　to　the　first　compulsory　menace　which　required　them　to　exclude　the　English　from　their　ports。　Capraja　was　seized　in　consequence；　but　this　act　of　vigour　was　not　followed　up　as　it　ought　to　have　been。　England　at　that　time　depended　too　much　upon　the　feeble　governments　of　the　Continent；　and　too　little　upon　itself。　It　was　determined　by　the　British　cabinet　to　evacuate　Corsica；　as　soon　as　Spain　should　form　an　offensive　alliance　with　France。　This　event；　which；　from　the　moment　that　Spain　had　been　compelled　to　make　peace；　was　clearly　foreseen；　had　now　taken　place；　and　orders　for　the　evacuation　of　the　island　were　immediately　sent　out。　It　was　impolitic　to　annex　this　island　to　the　British　dominions；　but　having　done　so；　it　was　disgraceful　thus　to　abandon　it。　The　disgrace　would　have　been　spared；　and　every　advantage　which　could　have　been　derived　from　the　possession　of　the　island　secured；　if　the　people　had　at　first　been　left　to　form　a　government　for　themselves；　and　protected　by　us　in　the　enjoyment　of　their　independence。

The　viceroy；　Sir　Gilbert　Elliott；　deeply　felt　the　impolicy　and　ignominy　of　this　evacuation。　The　fleet　also　was　ordered　to　leave　the

Mediterranean。　This　resolution　was　so　contrary　to　the　last　instructions　which　had　been　received；　that　Nelson　exclaimed；　〃Do　his　majesty's　ministers　know　their　own　minds？　They　at　home；〃　said　he；　〃do　not　know　what　this　fleet　is　capable　of　performinganything　and　everything。　Much　as　I　shall　rejoice　to　see　England；　I　lament　our　present　orders　in　sack…　cloth　and　ashes；　so　dishonourable　to　the　dignity　of　England；　whose　fleets　are　equal　to　meet　the　world　in　arms；　and　of　all　the　fleets　I　ever　saw；　I　never　beheld　one；　in　point　of　officers　and　men；　equal　to　Sir　John　Jervis's；　who　is　a　commander…in…chief　able　to　lead　them　to　glory。〃　Sir　Gilbert　Elliott　believed　that　the　great　body　of　the　Corsicans　were　perfectly　satisfied；　as　they　had　good　reason　to　be；　with　the　British　Government；　sensible　of　its　advantages；　and　attached　to　it。　However　this　may　have　been；　when　they　found　that　the　English　intended　to　evacuate　the　island；　they　naturally　and　necessarily　sent　to　make　their　peace　with　the　French。　The　partisans　of　France　found　none　to　oppose　them。　A　committee　of　thirty　took　upon　them　the　government　of　Bastia；　and　sequestrated　all　the　British　property；　armed　Corsicans　mounted　guard　at　every　place；　and　a　plan　was　laid　for　seizing　the　viceroy。　Nelson；　who　was　appointed　to　superintend　the　evacuation；　frustrated　these　projects。　At　a　time　when　every　one　else　despaired　of　saving　stores；　cannon；　provisions；　or　property　of　any　kind；　and　a　privateer　was　moored　across　the　mole…head　to　prevent　all　boats　from　passing；　he　sent　word　to　the　committee；　that　if　the　slightest　opposition　were　made　to　the　embarkment　and　removal　of　British　property；　he　would　batter　the　town　down。　The　privateer　pointed　her　guns　at　the　officer　who　carried　this　message；　and　muskets　were　levelled　against　his　boats　from　the　mole…head。　Upon　this　Captain　Sutton；　of　the　EGMONT；　pulling　out　his　watch；　gave　them　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to　deliberate　upon　their　answer。　In　five　minutes　after　the　expiration　of　that　time；　the　ships；　he　said；　would　open　their　fire。　Upon　this　the　very　sentinels　scampered　off；　and　every　vessel　came　out　of　the　mole。　A　shipowner　complained　to　the　commodore　that　the　municipality　refused　to　let　him　take　his　goods　out　of　the　custom…house。　Nelson　directed　him　to　say；　that　unless　they　were　instantly　delivered；　he　would　open　his　fire。　The　committee　turned　pale；　and；　without　answering　a　word；　gave　him　the　keys。　Their　last　attempt　was　to　levy　a　duty　upon　the　things　that　were　re…embarked。　He　sent　them　word；　that　he　would　pay　them　a　disagreeable　visit；　if　there　were　any　more　complaints。　The　committee　then　finding　that　they　had　to　deal　with　a　man　who　knew　his　own　power；　and　was　determined　to　make　the　British　name　respected；　desisted　from　the　insolent　conduct　which　they　had　assumed；　and　it　was　acknowledged　that　Bastia　never　had　been　so　quiet　and　orderly　since　the　English　were　in　possession　of　it。　This　was　on　the　14th　of　October；　during　the　five　following　days　the　work　of　embarkation　was　carried　on；　the　private　property　was　saved；　and　public　stores　to　the　amount　of　L200；000。　The　French；　favoured　by　the　Spanish　fleet；　which　was　at　that　time　within　twelve　leagues　of　Bastia；　pushed　over　troops　from　Leghorn；　who　landed　near　Cape　Corse　on　the　18th；　and　on　the　20th；　at　one　in　the　morning；　entered　the　citadel；　an　hour　only　after　the　British　had　spiked　the　guns　and　evacuated　it。　Nelson　embarked　at　daybreak；　being　the　last　person　who　left　the　shore；　having　thus；　as　he　said；　seen　the　first　and　the　last　of　Corsica。　Provoked　at　the　conduct　of　the　municipality；　and　the　disposition　which　the　populace　had　shown　to　profit　by　the　confusion；　he　turned　towards　the　shore；　as　he　stepped　into　his　boat；　and　exclaimed：　〃Now；　John　Corse；　follow　the　natural　bent　of　your　detestable　character　plunder　and　revenge。〃　This；　however；　was　not　Nelson's　deliberate　opinion　of　the　people　of　Corsica；　he　knew　that　their　vices　were　the　natural　consequences　of　internal　anarchy　and　foreign　oppression；　such　as　the　same　causes　would　produce　in　any　people；　and　when　he　saw；　that　of　all　those　who　took　leave　of　the　viceroy　there　was　not　one　who　parted　from　him　without　tears；　he　acknowledged　that　they　manifestly　acted　not　from　dislike　of　the　English；　but　from　fear　of　the　French。　England　then　might；　with　more　reason；　reproach　her　own　rulers　for　pusillanimity　than　the　Corsicans　for　ingratitude。

Having　thus　ably　effected　this　humiliating　service；　Nelson　was　ordered　to　hoist　his　broad　pendant　on　board　the　MINERVE　frigate；　Captain　George　Cockburn；　and　with　the　BLANCHE　under　his　command；　proceed　to　Porto　Ferrajo；　and　superintend　the　evacuation　of　that　place　also。　On　his　way；　he　fell　in　with　two　Spanish　frigates；　the　SABINA　and　the　CERES。　The　MINERVE　engaged　the　former；　which　was　commanded　by　D。　Jacobo　Stuart；　a　descendent　of　the　Duke　of　Berwick。　After　an　action　of　three　hours；　during　which　the　Spaniards　lost　164　men；　the　SABINA　struck。　The　Spanish　captain；　who　was　the　only　surviving　officer；　had　hardly　been　conveyed　on　board　the　MINERVE；　when　another　enemy's　frigate　came　up；　compelled　her　to　cast　off　the　prize；　and　brought　her　a　second　time　into　action。　After　half　an　hour's　trial　of　strength；　this　new　antagonist　wore　and　hauled　off；　but　a　Spanish　squadron　of　two　ships　of　the　line　and　two　frigates　came　in　sight。　The　BLANCHE；　from　which　the　CERES　had　got　off；　was　far　to　windward；　and　the　MINERVE　escaped　only　by　the　anxiety　of　the　enemy　to　recover　their　own　ship。　As　soon　as　Nelson　reached　Porto　Ferrajo　he　sent　his　prisoner　in　a　flag　of　truce　to　Carthagena；　having　returned　him　his　sword；　this　he　did　in　honour　of　the　gallantry　which　D。　Jacobo　had　displayed；　and　not　without　some　feeling　of　respect　for　his　ancestry。　〃I　felt　it；〃　said　he；　〃consonant　to　the　dignity　of　my　country　and　I　always　act　as　I　feel　right；　without　regard　to　custom；　he　was　reputed　the　best　officer　in　Spain；　and　his　men　were　worthy　of　such　a　commander。〃　By　the　same　flag　of　truce　he　sent　back　all　the　Spanish　prisoners　at　Porto　Ferrajo；　in　exchange　for　whom　he　received　his　own　men　who　had　been　taken　in　the　p