the life of horatio lord nelson-第44章

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is　time；　consisted　of　23　ships　of　the　line；　with　about　31　frigates　and　smaller　vessels；　exclusive　of　guard…ships。　The　Swedes　had　18　ships　of　the　line；　14　frigates　and　sloops；　seventy…four　galleys　and　smaller　vessels；　besides　gun…boats；　and　this　force　was　in　a　far　better　state　of　equipment　than　the　Danish。　The　Russians　had　82　sail　of　the　line　and　40　frigates。　Of　these　there　were　47　sail　of　the　line　at　Cronstadt；　Revel；　Petersburgh；　and　Archangel；　but　the　Russian　fleet　was　ill…manned；　ill…　officered；　and　ill…equipped。　Such　a　combination　under　the　influence　of　France　would　soon　have　become　formidable；　and　never　did　the　British　Cabinet　display　more　decision　than　in　instantly　preparing　to　crush　it。　They　erred；　however；　in　permitting　any　petty　consideration　to　prevent　them　from　appointing　Nelson　to　the　command。　The　public　properly　murmured　at　seeing　it　intrusted　to　another；　and　he　himself　said　to　Earl　St。　Vincent　that；　circumstanced　as　he　was；　this　expedition　would　probably　be　the　last　service　that　he　should　ever　perform。　The　earl；　in　reply；　besought　him；　for　God's　sake；　not　to　suffer　himself　to　be　carried　away　by　any　sudden　impulse。

The　season　happened　to　be　unusually　favourable；　so　mild　a　winter　had　not　been　known　in　the　Baltic　for　many　years。　When　Nelson　joined　the　fleet　at　Yarmouth；　he　found　the　admiral　〃a　little　nervous　about　dark　nights　and　fields　of　ice。〃　〃But　we　must　brace　up；〃　said　he；　〃these　are　not　times　for　nervous　systems。　I　hope　we　shall　give　our　northern　enemies　that　hailstorm　of　bullets　which　gives　our　dear　country　the　dominion　of　the　sea。　We　have　it；　and　all　the　devils　in　the　north　cannot　take　it　from　us；　if　our　wooden　walls　have　fair　play。〃　Before　the　fleet　left　Yarmouth；　it　was　sufficiently　known　that　its　destination　was　against　Denmark。　Some　Danes；　who　belonged　to　the　AMAZON　frigate；　went　to　Captain　Riou；　and　telling　him　what　they　had　heard；　begged　that　he　would　get　them　exchanged　into　a　ship　bound　on　some　other　destination。　〃They　had　no　wish；〃　they　said；〃to　quit　the　British　service；　but　they　entreated　that　they　might　not　be　forced　to　fight　against　their　own　country。〃　There　was　not　in　our　whole　navy　a　man　who　had　a　higher　and　more　chivalrous　sense　of　duty　than　Riou。　Tears　came　into　his　eyes　while　the　men　were　speaking。　Without　making　any　reply；　he　instantly　ordered　his　boat；　and　did　not　return　to　the　AMAZON　till　he　could　tell　them　that　their　wish　was　effected。　The　fleet　sailed　on　the　12th　of　March。　Mr。　Vansittart　sailed　in　it；　the　British　Cabinet　still　hoping　to　attain　its　end　by　negotiation。　It　was　well　for　England　that　Sir　Hyde　Parker　placed　a　fuller　confidence　in　Nelson　than　the　government　seems　to　have　done　at　this　most　important　crisis。　Her　enemies　might　well　have　been　astonished　at　learning　that　any　other　man　should　for　a　moment　have　been　thought　of　for　the　command。　But　so　little　deference　was　paid；　even　at　this　time；　to　his　intuitive　and　all…commanding　genius；　that　when　the　fleet　had　reached　its　first　rendezvous；　at　the　entrance　of　the　Cattegat；　he　had　received　no　official　communication　whatever　of　the　intended　operations。　His　own　mind　had　been　made　up　upon　them　with　its　accustomed　decision。　〃All　I　have　gathered　of　our　first　plans；〃　said　he；　〃I　disapprove　most　exceedingly。　Honour　may　arise　from　them；　good　cannot。　I　hear　we　are　likely　to　anchor　outside　of　Cronenburgh　Castle；　instead　of　Copenhagen；　which　would　give　weight　to　our　　negotiation。　A　Danish　minister　would　think　twice　before　he　would　put　his　name　to　war　with　England；　when　the　next　moment　he　would　probably　see　his　master's　fleet　in　flames；　and　his　capital　in　ruins。　The　Dane　should　see　our　flag　every　moment　he　lifted　up　his　head。〃

Mr　Vansittart　left　the　fleet　at　the　Scaw；　and　preceded　it　in　a　frigate　with　a　flag　of　truce。　Precious　time　was　lost　by　this　delay；　which　was　to　be　purchased　by　the　dearest　blood　of　Britain　and　Denmark：　according　to　the　Danes　themselves；　the　intelligence　that　a　British　fleet　was　seen　off　the　Sound　produced　a　much　more　general　alarm　in　Copenhagen　than　its　actual　arrival　in　the　Roads；　for　the　means　of　defence　were　at　that　time　in　such　a　state　that　they　could　hardly　hope　to　resist；　still　less　to　repel　an　enemy。　On　the　21st　Nelson　had　a　long　conference　with　Sir　Hyde；　and　the　next　day　addressed　a　letter　to　him；　worthy　of　himself　and　of　the　occasion。　Mr。　Vansittart's　report　had　then　been　received。　It　represented　the　Danish　government　as　in　the　highest　degree　hostile；　and　their　state　of　preparation　as　exceeding　what　our　cabinet　had　supposed　possible；　for　Denmark　had　profited　with　all　activity　of　the　leisure　which　had　so　impoliticly　been　given　her。　〃The　more　I　have　reflected；〃　said　Nelson　to　his　commander；　〃the　more　I　am　confirmed　in　opinion；　that　not　a　moment　should　be　lost　in　attacking　the　enemy。　They　will　every　day　and　every　hour　be　stronger；　we　shall　never　be　so　good　a　match　for　them　as　at　this　moment。　The　only　consideration　is；　how　to　get　at　them　with　the　least　risk　to　our　ships。　Here　you　are；　with　almost　the　safety；　certainly　with　the　honour　of　England；　more　entrusted　to　you　than　ever　yet　fell　to　the　lot　of　any　British　officer。　On　your　decision　depends　whether　our　country　shall　be　degraded　in　the　eyes　of　Europe；　or　whether　she　shall　rear　her　head　higher　than　ever。　Again；　I　do　repeat；　never　did　our　country　depend　so　much　upon　the　success　of　any　fleet　as　on　this。　How　best　to　honour　her　and　abate　the　pride　of　her　enemies；　must　be　the　subject　of　your　deepest　consideration。〃

Supposing　him　to　force　the　passage　of　the　Sound；　Nelson　thought　some　damage　might　be　done　among　the　masts　and　yards；　though；　perhaps；　not　one　of　them　but　would　be　serviceable　again。　〃If　the　wind　be　fair；〃　said　he；　〃and　you　determined　to　attack　the　ships　and　Crown　Islands；　you　must　expect　the　natural　issue　of　such　a　battle　ships　crippled；　and　perhaps　one　or　two　lost　for　the　wind　which　carries　you　in　will　most　probably　not　bring　out　a　crippled　ship。　This　mode　I　call　taking　the　bull　by　the　horns。　It；　however；　will　not　prevent　the　Revel　ships；　or　the　Swedes；　from　joining　the　Danes　and　to　prevent　this　is；　in　my　humble　opinion；　a　measure　absolutely　necessary；　and　still　to　attack　Copenhagen。〃　For　this　he　proposed　two　modes。　One　was　to　pass　Cronenburg；　taking　the　risk　of　danger；　take　the　deepest　and　straightest　channel　along　the　middle　grounds；　and　then　coming　down　to　Garbar；　or　King's　Channel；　attack　the　Danish　line　of　floating　batteries　and　ships　as　might　be　found　convenient。　This　would　prevent　a　junction；　and　might　give　an　opportunity　of　bombarding　Copenhagen。　Or　to　take　the　passage　of　the　Belt；　which　might　be　accomplished　in　four　or　five　days；　and　then　the　attack　by　Draco　might　be　made；　and　the　junction　of　the　Russians　prevented。　　Supposing　them　through　the　Belt；　he　proposed　that　a　detachment　of　the　fleet　should　be　sent　to　destroy　the　Russian　squadron　at　Revel；　and　that　the　business　at　Copenhagen　should　be　attempted　with　the　remainder。　〃The　measure；〃　he　said；　〃might　be　thought　bold；　but　the　boldest　measures　are　the　safest。〃

The　pilots；　as　men　who　had　nothing　but　safety　to　think　of；　were　terrified　by　the　formidable　report　of　the　batteries　of　Elsinore；　and　the　tremendous　preparations　which　our　negotiators；　who　were　now　returned　from　their　fruitless　mission；　had　witnessed。　They；　therefore；　persuaded　Sir　Hyde　to　prefer　the　passage　of　the　Belt。　〃Let　it　be　by　the　Sound；　by　the　Belt；　or　anyhow；〃　cried　Nelson；〃only　lose　not　an　hour！〃　On　the　26th　they　sailed　for　the　Belt。　Such　was　the　habitual　reserve　of　Sir　Hyde　that　his　own　captain；　the　captain　of　the　fleet；　did　not　know　which　course　he　had　resolved　to　take　till　the　fleet　were　getting　under　weigh。　When　Captain　Domett　was　thus　apprised　of　it；　he　felt　it　his　duty　to　represent　to　the　admiral　his　belief　that　if　that　course　were　persevered　in；　the　ultimate　object　would　be　totally　defeated：　it　was　liable　to　long　delays；　and　to　accidents　of　ships　grounding；　in　the　whole　fleet　there　were　only　one　captain　and　one　pilot　who　knew　anything　of　this　formidable　passage　（as　it　was　then　deemed）；　and　their　knowledge　was　very　slighttheir　instructions　did　not　authorise　them　to　attempt　it。　Supposing　them　safe　through　the　Belts；　the　heavy　ships　could　not　come　over　the　GROUNDS　to　attack　Copenhagen；　and　light　vessels　would　have　no　effect　on