the life of horatio lord nelson-第54章

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of　mind。　To　Lady　Hamilton；　his　only　female　correspondent；　he　says　at　this　time；　〃I　am　not　in　very　good　spirits；　and；　except　that　our　country　demands　all　our　services　and　abilities　to　bring　about　an　honourable　peace；　nothing　should　prevent　my　being　the　bearer　of　my　own　letter。　But；　my　dear　friend；　I　know　you　are　so　true　and　loyal　an　Englishwoman；　that　you　would　hate　those　who　would　not　stand　forth　in　defence　of　our　king；　laws；　religion；　and　all　that　is　dear　to　us。　It　is　your　sex　that　makes　us　go　forth；　and　seem　to　tell　us；　〃None　but　the　brave　deserve　the　fair〃；　and　if　we　fall；　we　still　live　in　the　hearts　of　those　females。　It　is　your　sex　that　rewards　us；　it　is　your　sex　who　cherish　our　memories；　and　you；　my　dear　honoured　friend；　are；　believe　me；　the　first；　the　best　of　your　sex。　I　have　been　the　world　around；　and　in　every　corner　of　it；　and　never　yet　saw　your　equal；　or　even　one　who　could　be　put　in　comparison　with　you。　You　know　how　to　reward　virtue；　honour；　and　courage；　and　never　to　ask　if　it　is　placed　in　a　prince；　duke；　lord；　or　peasant。〃　Having　hoisted　his　flag　in　the　MEDUSA　frigate；　he　went　to　reconnoitre　Boulogne　the　point　from　which　it　was　supposed　the　great　attempt　would　be　made；　and　which　the　French；　in　fear　of　an　attack　themselves；　were　fortifying　with　all　care。　He　approached　near　enough　to　sink　two　of　their　floating　batteries；　and　to　destroy　a　few　gun…boats　which　were　without　the　pier。　What　damage　was　done　within　could　not　be　ascertained。　〃Boulogne；〃　he　said；　〃was　certainly　not　a　very　pleasant　place　that　morning；　but；〃　he　added；　〃it　is　not　my　wish　to　injure　the　poor　inhabitants；　and　the　town　is　spared　as　much　as　the　nature　of　the　service　will　admit。〃　Enough　was　done　to　show　the　enemy　that　they　could　not；　with　impunity；　come　outside　their　own　ports。　Nelson　was　satisfied　by　what　he　saw；　that　they　meant　to　make　an　attempt　from　this　place；　but　that　it　was　impracticable；　for　the　least　wind　at　W。N。W。　and　they　were　lost。　The　ports　of　Flushing　and　Flanders　were　better　points：　there　we　could　not　tell　by　our　eyes　what　means　of　transport　were　provided。　From　thence；　therefore；　if　it　came　forth　at　all；　the　expedition　would　come。　〃And　what　a　forlorn　undertaking！〃　said　he：　〃consider　cross　tides；　&c。　As　for　rowing；　that　is　impossible。　It　Is　perfectly　right　to　be　prepared　for　a　mad　government；　but　with　the　active　force　which　has　been　given　me；　I　may　pronounce　it　almost　impracticable。〃

That　force　had　been　got　together　with　an　alacrity　which　has　seldom　been　equalled。　On　the　28th　of　July；　we　were；　in　Nelson's　own　words；　literally　at　the　foundation　of　our　fabric　of　defence；　and　twelve　days　afterwards　we　were　so　prepared　on　the　enemy's　coast　that　he　did　not　believe　they　could　get　three　miles　from　their　ports。　The　MEDUSA；　returning　to　our　own　shores；　anchored　in　the　rolling　ground　off　Harwich；　and　when　Nelson　wished　to　get　to　the　Nore　in　her；　the　wind　rendered　it　impossible　to　proceed　there　by　the　usual　channel。　In　haste　to　be　at　the　Nore；　remembering　that　he　had　been　a　tolerable　pilot　for　the　mouth　of　the　Thames　in　his　younger　days；　and　thinking　it　necessary　that　he　should　know　all　that　could　be　known　of　the　navigation；　he　requested　the　maritime　surveyor　of　the　coast；　Mr。　Spence；　to　get　him　into　the　Swin　by　any　channel；　for　neither　the　pilots　which　he　had　on　board；　nor　the　Harwich　ones；　would　take　charge　of　the　ship。　No　vessel　drawing　more　than　fourteen　feet　had　ever　before　ventured　over　the　Naze。　Mr。　Spence；　however；　who　had　surveyed　the　channel；　carried　her　safely　through。　The　channel　has　since　been　called　Nelson's；　though　he　himself　wished　it　to　be　named　after　the　MEDUSA：　his　name　needed　no　new　memorial。

Nelson's　eye　was　upon　Flushing。　〃To　take　possession　of　that　place；〃　he　said；　〃would　be　a　week's　expedition　for　four　or　five　thousand　troops。〃　This；　however；　required　a　consultation　with　the　Admiralty；　and　that　something　might　be　done；　meantime　he　resolved　upon　attacking　the　flotilla　in　the　mouth　of　the　Boulogne　harbour。　This　resolution　was　made　in　deference　to　the　opinion　of　others；　and　to　the　public　feeling；　which　was　so　preposterously　excited。　He　himself　scrupled　not　to　assert　that　the　French　army　would　never　embark　at　Boulogne　for　the　invasion　of　England；　and　he　owned　that　this　boat　warfare　was　not　exactly　congenial　to　his　feelings。　Into　Helvoet　or　Flushing　he　should　be　happy　to　lead；　if　Government　turned　their　thoughts　that　way。　〃While　I　serve；〃　said　he；　〃I　will　do　it　actively；　and　to　the　very　best　of　my　abilities。　I　require　nursing　like　a　child；〃　he　added；　〃my　mind　carries　me　beyond　my　strength；　and　will　do　me　up；　but　such　is　my　nature。〃

The　attack　was　made　by　the　boats　of　the　squadron　in　five　divisions；　under　Captains　Somerville；　Parker；　Cotgrave；　Jones；　and　Conn。　The　previous　essay　had　taught　the　French　the　weak　parts　of　their　position；　and　they　omitted　no　means　of　strengthening　it；　and　of　guarding　against　the　expected　attempt。　The　boats　put　off　about　half…an…hour　before　midnight；　but；　owing　to　the　darkness；　and　tide　and　half…tide；　which　must　always　make　night　attacks　so　uncertain　on　the　coasts　of　the　Channel；　the　divisions　separated。　One　could　not　arrive　at　all；　another　not　till　near　daybreak。　The　others　made　their　attack　gallantly；　but　the　enemy　were　fully　prepared：　every　vessel　was　defended　by　long　poles；　headed　with　iron　spikes；　projecting　from　their　sides：　strong　nettings　were　braced　up　to　their　lower　yards；　they　were　moored　by　the　bottom　to　the　shore；　they　were　strongly　manned　with　soldiers；　and　protected　by　land　batteries；　and　the　shore　was　lined　with　troops。　Many　were　taken　possession　of；　and；　though　they　could　not　have　been　brought　out；　would　have　been　burned；　had　not　the　French　resorted　to　a　mode　of　offence；　which　they　have　often　used；　but　which　no　other　people　have　ever　been　wicked　enough　to　employ。　The　moment　the　firing　ceased　on　board　one　of　their　own　vessels　they　fired　upon　it　from　the　shore；　perfectly　regardless　of　their　own　men。

The　commander　of　one　of　the　French　divisions　acted　like　a　generous　enemy。　He　hailed　the　boats　as　they　approached；　and　cried　out　in　English：　〃Let　me　advise　you；　my　brave　Englishmen；　to　keep　your　distance：　you　can　do　nothing　here；　and　it　is　only　uselessly　shedding　the　blood　of　brave　men　to　make　the　attempt。〃　The　French　official　account　boasted　of　the　victory。　〃The　combat；〃　it　said；　〃took　place　in　sight　of　both　countries；　it　was　the　first　of　the　kind；　and　the　historian　would　have　cause　to　make　this　remark。〃　They　guessed　our　loss　at　four　or　five　hundred；　it　amounted　to　one　hundred　and　seventy…two。　In　his　private　letters　to　the　Admiralty；　Nelson　affirmed；　that　had　our　force　arrived　as　he　intended；　it　was　not　all　the　chains　in　France　which　could　have　prevented　our　men　from　bringing　off　the　whole　of　the　vessels。　There　had　been　no　error　committed；　and　never　did　Englishmen　display　more　courage。　Upon　this　point　Nelson　was　fully　satisfied；　but　he　said　he　should　never　bring　himself　again　to　allow　any　attack　wherein　he　was　not　personally　concerned；　and　that　his　mind　suffered　more　than　if　he　had　had　a　leg　shot　off　in　the　affair。　He　grieved　particularly　for　Captain　Parker；　an　excellent　officer；　to　whom　he　was　greatly　attached；　and　who　had　an　aged　father　looking　to　him　for　assistance。　His　thigh　was　shattered　in　the　action；　and　the　wound　proved　mortal；　after　some　weeks　of　suffering　and　manly　resignation。　During　this　interval；　Nelson's　anxiety　was　very　great。　〃Dear　Parker　is　my　child；〃　said　he；　〃for　I　found　him　in　distress。〃　And　when　he　received　the　tidings　of　his　death；　he　replied：　〃You　will　judge　of　my　feelings：　God's　will　be　done。　I　beg　that　his　hair　may　be　cut　off　and　given　me；　it　shall　be　buried　in　my　grave。　Poor　Mr。　Parker！　What　a　son　has　he　lost！　If　I　were　to　say　I　was　content；　I　should　lie；　but　I　shall　endeavour　to　submit　with　all　the　fortitude　in　my　power。　　His　loss　has　made　a　wound　in　my　heart；　which　time　will　hardly　heal。〃

〃You　ask　me；　my　dear　friend；〃　he　says　to　Lady　Hamilton；　〃if　I　am　going　on　more　expeditions？　and　even　if　I　was　to　forfeit　your　friendship；　which　is　dearer　to　me　than　all　the　world；　I　can　tell　you　nothing。　For；　I　go　out：　I　see　the　enemy；　and　can　get　at　them；　it　is　my　duty：　and　you　would　naturally　hate　me；　if　I　kept　back　one　moment。　I　long　to　pay　them　for　their　tricks　t'other　day；