the life of horatio lord nelson-第8部分

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〃　exclaimed　Nelson：　〃Pity！　did　you　say？　I　shall　live；　sir；　to　be　envied！　and　to　that　point　I　shall　always　direct　my　course。〃　Eight　weeks　remained　in　this　state　of　duresse。　During　that　time　the　trial　respecting　the　detained　ships　came　on　in　the　court　of　Admiralty。　He　went　on　shore　under　a　protection　for　the　day　from　the　judge；　but；　notwithstanding　this；　the　marshal　was　called　upon　to　take　that　opportunity　of　arresting　him；　and　the　merchants　promised　to　indemnify　him　for　so　doing。　The　judge；　however；　did　his　duty；　and　threatened　to　send　the　marshal　to　prison　if　he　attempted　to　violate　the　protection　of　the　court。　Mr。　Herbert；　the　president　of　Nevis；　behaved　with　singular　generosity　upon　this　occasion。　Though　no　man　was　a　greater　sufferer　by　the　measures　which　Nelson　had　pursued；　he　offered　in　court　to　become　his　bail　for　L10；000　if　he　chose　to　suffer　the　arrest。　The　lawyer　whom　he　had　chosen　proved　to　be　an　able　as　well　as　an　honest　man；　and　notwithstanding　the　opinions　and　pleadings　of　most　of　the　counsel　of　the　different　islands；　who　maintained　that　ships　of　war　were　not　justified　in　seizing　American　vessels　without　a　deputation　from　the　customs；　the　law　was　so　explicit；　the　case　so　clear；　and　Nelson　pleaded　his　own　cause　so　well；　that　the　four　ships　were　condemned。　During　the　progress　of　this　business　he　sent　a　memorial　home　to　the　king；　in　consequence　of　which　orders　were　issued　that　he　should　be　defended　at　the　expense　of　the　crown。　And　upon　the　representation　which　he　made　at　the　same　time　to　the　Secretary　of　State；　and　the　suggestions　with　which　he　accompanied　it；　the　Register　Act　was　framed。　The　sanction　of　Government；　and　the　approbation　of　his　conduct　which　it　implied；　were　highly　gratifying　to　him；　but　he　was　offended；　and　not　without　just　cause；　that　the　Treasury　should　have　transmitted　thanks　to　the　commander…in…chief　for　his　activity　and　zeal　in　protecting　the　commerce　of　Great　Britain。　〃Had　they　known　all；〃　said　he；　〃I　do　not　think　they　would　have　bestowed　thanks　in　that　quarter；　and　neglected　me。　I　feel　much　hurt　that；　after　the　loss　of　health　and　risk　of　fortune；　another　should　be　thanked　for　what　I　did　against　his　orders。　I　either　deserved　to　be　sent　out　of　the　service；　or　at　least　to　have　had　some　little　notice　taken　of　what　I　had　done。　They　have　thought　it　worthy　of　notice；　and　yet　have　neglected　me。　If　this　is　the　reward　for　a　faithful　discharge　of　my　duty；　I　shall　be　careful；　and　never　stand　forward　again。　But　I　have　done　my　duty；　and　have　nothing　to　accuse　myself　of。〃

The　anxiety　which　he　had　suffered　from　the　harassing　uncertainties　of　law　is　apparent　from　these　expressions。　He　had；　however；　something　to　console　him；　for　he　was　at　this　time　wooing　the　niece　of　his　friend　the　president；　then　in　her　eighteenth　year；　the　widow　of　Dr。　Nisbet；　a　physician。　She　had　one　child；　a　son；　by　name　Josiah；　who　was　three　years　old。　One　day　Mr。　Herbert；　who　had　hastened　half…dressed　to　receive　Nelson；　exclaimed；　on　returning　to　his　dressing…room；　〃Good　God！　if　I　did　not　find　that　great　little　man；　of　whom　everybody　is　so　afraid；　playing　in　the　next　room；　under　the　dining…　table；　with　Mrs。　Nisbet's　child！〃　A　few　days　afterwards　Mrs。　Nisbet　herself　was　first　introduced　to　him；　and　thanked　him　for　the　partiality　which　he　had　shown　to　her　little　boy。　Her　manners　were　mild　and　winning；　and　the　captain；　whose　heart　was　easily　susceptible　of　attachment；　found　no　such　imperious　necessity　for　subduing　his　inclinations　as　had　twice　before　withheld　him　from　marrying。　They　were　married　on　March　11；　1787：　Prince　William　Henry；　who　had　come　out　to　the　West　Indies　the　preceding　winter；　being　present；　by　his　own　desire；　to　give　away　the　bride。　Mr。　Herbert；　her　uncle；　was　at　this　time　so　much　displeased　with　his　only　daughter；　that　he　had　resolved　to　disinherit　her；　and　leave　his　whole　fortune；　which　was　very　great；　to　his　niece。　But　Nelson；　whose　nature　was　too　noble　to　let　him　profit　by　an　act　of　injustice；　interfered；　and　succeeded　in　reconciling　the　president　to　his　child。

〃Yesterday；〃　said　one　of　his　naval　friends　the　day　after　the　wedding；　〃the　navy　lost　one　of　its　greatest　ornaments　by　Nelson's　marriage。　It　is　a　national　loss　that　such　an　officer　should　marry：　had　it　not　been　for　this；　Nelson　would　have　become　the　greatest　man　in　the　service。〃　The　man　was　rightly　estimated；　but　he　who　delivered　this　opinion　did　not　understand　the　effect　of　domestic　love　and　duty　upon　a　mind　of　the　true　heroic　stamp。

〃We　are　often　separate；〃　said　Nelson；　in　a　letter　to　Mrs。　Nisbet　a　few　months　before　their　marriage；　〃but　our　affections　are　not　by　any　means　on　that　account　diminished。　Our　country　has　the　first　demand　for　our　services；　and　private　convenience　or　happiness　must　ever　give　way　to　the　public　good。　Duty　is　the　great　business　of　a　sea　officer：　all　private　considerations　must　give　way　to　it；　however　painful。〃　〃Have　you　not　often　heard；〃　says　he　in　another　letter；　〃that　salt　water　and　absence　always　wash　away　love　？　Now　I　am　such　a　heretic　as　not　to　believe　that　article；　for；　behold；　every　morning　I　have　had　six　pails　of　salt　water　poured　upon　my　head；　and　instead　of　finding　what　seamen　say　to　be　true；　it　goes　on　so　contrary　to　the　prescription；　that　you　may；　perhaps；　see　me　before　the　fixed　time。〃　More　frequently　his　correspondence　breathed　a　deeper　strain。　〃To　write　letters　to　you；〃　says　he；〃is　the　next　greatest　pleasure　I　feel　to　receiving　them　from　you。　What　I　experience　when　I　read　such　as　I　am　sure　are　the　pure　sentiments　of　your　heart；　my　poor　pen　cannot　express；　nor；　indeed；　would　I　give　much　for　any　pen　or　head　which　could　express　feelings　of　that　kind。　Absent　from　you；　I　feel　no　pleasure：　it　is　you　who　are　everything　to　me。　Without　you；　I　care　not　for　this　world；　for　I　have　found；　lately；　nothing　in　it　but　vexation　and　trouble。　These　are　my　present　sentiments。　God　Almighty　grant　they　may　never　change！　Nor　do　I　think　they　will。　Indeed　there　is；　as　far　as　human　knowledge　can　judge；　a　moral　certainty　that　they　cannot；　for　it　must　be　real　affection　that　brings　us　together；　not　interest　or　compulsion。〃　Such　were　the　feelings；　and　such　the　sense　of　duty；　with　which　Nelson　became　a　husband。

During　his　stay　upon　this　station　he　had　ample　opportunity　of　observing　the　scandalous　practices　of　the　contractors；　prize…agents；　and　other　persons　in　the　West　Indies　connected　with　the　naval　service。　When　he　was　first　left　with　the　command；　and　bills　were　brought　him　to　sign　for　money　which　was　owing　for　goods　purchased　for　the　navy；　he　required　the　original　voucher；　that　he　might　examine　whether　those　goods　had　been　really　purchased　at　the　market　price；　but　to　produce　vouchers　would　not　have　been　convenient；　and　therefore　was　not　the　custom。　Upon　this　Nelson　wrote　to　Sir　Charles　Middleton；　then　Comptroller　of　the　Navy；　representing　the　abuses　which　were　likely　to　be　practised　in　this　manner。　The　answer　which　he　received　seemed　to　imply　that　the　old　forms　were　thought　sufficient；　and　thus；　having　no　alternative；　he　was　compelled；　with　his　eyes　open；　to　submit　to　a　practice　originating　in　fraudulent　intentions。　Soon　afterwards　two　Antigua　merchants　informed　him　that　they　were　privy　to　great　frauds　which　had　been　committed　upon　government　in　various　departments；　at　Antigua；　to　the　amount　of　nearly　L500；000；　at　Lucie；　L300；000；　at　Barbadoes；　L250；000；　at　Jamaica；　upwards　of　a　million。　The　informers　were　both　shrewd　sensible　men　of　business；　they　did　not　affect　to　be　actuated　by　a　sense　of　justice；　but　required　a　per…centage　upon　so　much　as　government　should　actually　recover　through　their　means。　Nelson　examined　the　books　and　papers　which　they　produced；　and　was　convinced　that　government　had　been　most　infamously　plundered。　Vouchers；　he　found；　in　that　country；　were　no　check　whatever：　the　principle　was；　that　〃a　thing　was　always　worth　what　it　would　bring；〃　and　the　merchants　were　in　the　habit　of　signing　vouchers　for　each　other；　without　even　the　appearance　of　looking　at　the　articles。　These　accounts　he　sent　home　to　the　different　departments　which　had　been　defrauded；　but　the　peculators　were　too　powerful；　and　they　succeeded　not　merely　in　impeding　inquiry；　but　even　in　raising　prejudices　against　Nelson　at　the　Board　of　Admiralty；　which　it　was　many　years　before　he　could　subdue。

Owing　probably；　to　these　prejudices；　and　the　influence　of　the　peculators；　he　was　treated；　on　his　return　to　England；　in　a　manner　which　had　nearly　driven　him　from　the　service。　During　the　three　years　that　the　BOREAS　had　remained　upon　a　station　which　is　usually　so　fatal；　not　a　single　officer　or　man　of　her　whole　complement　had　died。　This　almost　unexampled　instance　of　good　health；　though　mostly；　no　doubt；　imputable　to　a　healthy　season；　must　in　some　measure；　also；　be　ascribed　to　the　wise　conduct　of　the　captain。　He　never　suffered　the　ships　to　remain　more　than　three　or　four　weeks　at　a　time　at　any　of　the　islands；　and　when　the　hurricane　months　confined　him　to　English　Harbour；　he　encouraged　all　kinds　of　useful　amusementsmusic；　dancing；　and　cudgelling　among　the　men；　theatricals　among　the　officers；　anything　which　could　employ　their　attention；　and　keep　their　spirits　cheerful。　The　BOREAS　arrived　in　England　in　June。　Nelson；　who　had　many　times　been　supposed　to　be　consumptive　when　in　the　West　Indies；　and　perha