the life of horatio lord nelson-第58章

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eet　from　Toulon；　whenever　it　should　put　to　sea。　〃It　had　as　many　destinations；〃　he　said；　〃as　there　were　countries。〃　The　momentous　revolutions　of　the　last　ten　years　had　given　him　ample　matter　for　reflection；　as　well　as　opportunities　for　observation：　the　film　was　cleared　from　his　eyes；　and　now；　when　the　French　no　longer　went　abroad　with　the　cry　of　liberty　and　equality；　he　saw　that　the　oppression　and　misrule　of　the　powers　which　had　been　opposed　to　them；　had　been　the　main　causes　of　their　success；　and　that　those　causes　would　still　prepare　the　way　before　them。　Even　in　Sicily；　where；　if　it　had　been　possible　longer　to　blind　himself；　Nelson　would　willingly　have　seen　no　evil；　he　perceived　that　the　people　wished　for　a　change；　and　acknowledged　that　they　had　reason　to　wish　for　it。　In　Sardinia　the　same　burden　of　misgovernment　was　felt；　and　the　people；　like　the　Sicilians；　were　impoverished　by　a　government　so　utterly　incompetent　to　perform　its　first　and　most　essential　duties　that　it　did　not　protect　its　own　coasts　from　the　Barbary　pirates。　He　would　fain　have　had　us　purchase　this　island　（the　finest　in　the　Mediterranean）　from　its　sovereign；　who　did　not　receive　L5000　a　year　from　it　after　its　wretched　establishment　was　paid。　There　was　reason　to　think　that　France　was　preparing　to　possess　herself　of　this　important　point；　which　afforded　our　fleet　facilities　for　watching　Toulon；　not　to　be　obtained　elsewhere。　An　expedition　was　preparing　at　Corsica　for　the　purpose；　and　all　the　Sardes；　who　had　taken　part　with　revolutionary　France；　were　ordered　to　assemble　there。　It　was　certain　that　if　the　attack　were　made　it　would　succeed。　Nelson　thought　that　the　only　means　to　prevent　Sardinia　from　becoming　French　was　to　make　it　English；　and　that　half　a　million　would　give　the　king　a　rich　price；　and　England　a　cheap　purchase。　A　better；　and　therefore　a　wiser　policy；　would　have　been　to　exert　our　influence　in　removing　the　abuses　of　the　government；　for　foreign　dominion　is　always；　in　some　degree；　an　evil　and　allegiance　neither　can　nor　ought　to　be　made　a　thing　of　bargain　and　sale。　Sardinia；　like　Sicily　and　Corsica；　is　large　enough　to　form　a　separate　state。　Let　us　hope　that　these　islands　may　one　day　be　made　free　and　independent。　Freedom　and　independence　will　bring　with　them　industry　and　prosperity；and　wherever　these　are　found；　arts　and　letters　will　flourish；　and　the　improvement　of　the　human　race　proceed。

The　proposed　attack　was　postponed。　Views　of　wider　ambition　were　opening　upon　Buonaparte；　who　now　almost　undisguisedldy　aspired　to　make　himself　master　of　the　continent　of　Europe；　and　Austria　was　preparing　for　another　struggle；　to　be　conducted　as　weakly　and　terminated　as　miserably　as　the　former。　Spain；　too；　was　once　more　to　be　involved　in　war　by　the　policy　of　France：　that　perfidious　government　having　in　view　the　double　object　of　employing　the　Spanish　resources　against　England；　and　exhausting　them　in　order　to　render　Spain　herself　finally　its　prey。　Nelson；　who　knew　that　England　and　the　Peninsula　ought　to　be　in　alliance；　for　the　common　interest　of　both；　frequently　expressed　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