the life of horatio lord nelson-第64章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Soon　after　daylight　Nelson　came　upon　deck。　The　21st　of　October　was　a　festival　in　his　family；　because　on　that　day　his　uncle；　Captain　Suckling；　in　the　DREADNOUGHT；　with　two　other　line…of…battle　ships；　had　beaten　off　a　French　squadron　of　four　sail　of　the　line　and　three　frigates。　Nelson；　with　that　sort　of　superstition　from　which　few　persons　are　entirely　exempt；　had　more　than　once　expressed　his　persuasion　that　this　was　to　be　the　day　of　his　battle　also；　and　he　was　well　pleased　at　seeing　his　prediction　about　to　be　verified。　The　wind　was　now　from　the　west；　light　breezes；　with　a　long　heavy　swell。　Signal　was　made　to　bear　down　upon　the　enemy　in　two　lines；　and　the　fleet　set　all　sail。　Collingwood；　in　the　ROYAL　SOVEREIGN；　led　the　leeline　of　thirteen　ships；　the　VICTORY　led　the　weather　line　of　fourteen。　Having　seen　that　all　was　as　it　should　be；　Nelson　retired　to　his　cabin；　and　wrote　the　　following　prayer：


〃May　the　great　GOD　whom　I　worship；　grant　to　my　country；　and　for　the　benefit　of　Europe　in　general；　a　great　and　glorious　victory；　and　may　no　misconduct　in　any　one　tarnish　it；　and　may　humanity　after　victory　be　the　predominant　feature　in　the　British　fleet！　For　myself　individually；　I　commit　my　life　to　Him　that　made　me；　and　may　His　blessing　alight　on　my　endeavours　for　serving　my　country　faithfully！　To　Him　I　resign　myself；　and　the　just　cause　which　is　entrusted　to　me　to　defend。　Amen！　Amen！　Amen！〃


Having　thus　discharged　his　devotional　duties；　he　annexed；　in　the　same　diary；　the　following　remarkable　writing：…

　OCTOBER　21；　1805。。　THEN　IN　SIGHT　OF　THE　COMBINED　FLEETS　OF　FRANCE

　　　　　　　　　　　　AND　SPAIN；　DISTANT　ABOUT　TEN　MILES。


〃Whereas　the　eminent　services　of　Emma　Hamilton；　widow　of　the　Right　Hon。　Sir　W。　Hamilton；　have　been　of　the　very　greatest　service　to　my　king　and　country；　to　my　knowledge；　without　ever　receiving　any　reward　from　either　our　king　or　country。

1。　That　she　obtained　the　King　of　Spain's　letter；　in　1796；　to　his　brother；　the　King　of　Naples；　acquainting　him　of　his　intention　to　declare　war　against　England　from　which　letter　the　ministry　sent　out　orders　to　the　then　Sir　John　Jervis　to　strike　a　stroke；　if　opportunity　offered；　against　either　the　arsenals　of　Spain　or　her　fleets。　That　neither　of　these　was　done　is　not　the　fault　of　Lady　Hamilton；　the　opportunity　might　have　been　offered。

2。　The　British　fleet　under　my　command　could　never　have　returned　the　second　time　to　Egypt；　had　not　Lady　Hamilton's　influence　with　the　Queen　of　Naples　caused　letters　to　be　wrote　to　the　governor　of　Syracuse　that　he　was　to　encourage　the　fleet's　being　supplied　with　everything；　should　they　put　into　any　port　in　Sicily。　We　put　into　Syracuse；　and　received　every　supply；　went　to　Egypt　and　destroyed　the　French　fleet。

〃Could　I　have　rewarded　these　services；　I　would　not　now　call　upon　my　country；　but　as　that　has　not　been　in　my　power；　I　leave　Emma　Lady　Hamilton　therefore　a　legacy　to　my　king　and　country；　that　they　will　give　her　an　ample　provision　to　maintain　her　rank　in　life。　　　〃I　also　leave　to　the　beneficence　of　my　country　my　adopted　daughter；　Horatio　Nelson　Thomson；　and　I　desire　she　will　use　in　future　the　name　of　Nelson　only。

〃These　are　the　only　favours　I　ask　of　my　king　and　country；　at　this　moment；　when　I　am　going　to　fight　their　battle。　May　God　bless　my　king　and　country；　and　all　those　I　hold　dear！　My　relations　it　is　needless　to　mention；　they　will　of　course　be　amply　provided　for。

〃NELSON　AND　BRONTE。

〃WITNESS；　（　HENRY　BLACKWOOD。

　　　　　　　（　T。M。HARDY。


The　child　of　whom　this　writing　Speaks　was　believed　to　be　his　daughter；　and　so；　indeed；　he　called　her　the　last　time　he　pronounced　her　name。　She　was　then　about　five　years　old；　living　at　Merton；　under　Lady　Hamilton's　care。　The　last　minutes　which　Nelson　passed　at　Merton　were　employed　in　praying　over　this　child；　as　she　lay　sleeping。　A　portrait　of　Lady　Hamilton　hung　in　his　cabin；　and　no　Catholic　ever　beheld　the　picture　of　his　patron　saint　with　devouter　reverence。　The　undisguised　and　romantic　passion　with　which　he　regarded　it　amounted　almost　to　superstition；　and　when　the　portrait　was　now　taken　down　in　clearing　for　action；　he　desired　the　men　who　removed　it　to　〃take　care　of　his　guardian　angel。〃　In　this　manner　he　frequently　spoke　of　it；　as　if　he　believed　there　were　a　virtue　in　the　image。　He　wore　a　miniature　of　her；　also；　next　his　heart。

Blackwood　went　on　board　the　VICTORY　about　six。　He　found　him　in　good　spirits；　but　very　calm；　not　in　that　exhilaration　which　he　had　felt　upon　entering　into　battle　at　Aboukir　and　Copenhagen：　he　knew　that　his　own　life　would　be　particularly　aimed　at；　and　seems　to　have　looked　for　death　with　almost　as　sure　an　expectation　as　for　victory。　His　whole　attention　was　fixed　upon　the　enemy。　They　tacked　to　the　northward；　and　formed　their　line　on　the　larboard　tack；　thus　bringing　the　shoals　of　Trafalgar　and　St。　Pedro　under　the　lee　of　the　British；　and　keeping　the　port　of　Cadiz　open　for　themselves。　This　was　judiciously　done；　and　Nelson；　aware　of　all　the　advantages　which　it　gave　them。　made　signal　to　prepare　to　anchor。

Villeneuve　was　a　skilful　seaman：　worthy　of　serving　a　better　master；　and　a　better　cause。　His　plan　of　defence　was　as　well　conceived；　and　as　original；　as　the　plan　of　attack。　He　formed　the　fleet　in　a　double　line；　every　alternate　ship　being　about　a　cable's　length　to　windward　of　her　second　ahead　and　astern。　Nelson；　certain　of　a　triumphant　issue　to　the　day；　asked　Blackwood　what　he　should　consider　as　a　victory。　That　officer　answered；　that；　considering　the　handsome　way　in　which　battle　was　offered　by　the　enemy；　their　apparent　determination　for　a　fair　trial　of　strength；　and　the　situation　of　the　land；　he　thought　it　would　be　a　glorious　result　if　fourteen　were　captured。　He　replied：　〃I　shall　not　be　satisfied　with　less　than　twenty。〃　Soon　afterwards　he　asked　him　if　he　did　not　think　there　was　a　signal　wanting。　Captain　Blackwood　made　answer；　that　he　thought　the　whole　fleet　seemed　very　clearly　to　understand　what　they　were　about。　These　words　were　scarcely　spoken　before　that　signal　was　made；　which　will　be　remembered　as　long　as　the　language；　or　even　the　memory；　of　England　shall　endure；　Nelson's　last　signal：〃ENGLAND　EXPECTS　EVERY　MAN　TO　DO　HIS　DUTY！〃　It　was　received　throughout　the　fleet　with　a　shout　of　answering　acclamation；　made　sublime　by　the　spirit　which　it　breathed；　and　the　feeling　which　it　expressed。　〃Now；〃　said　Lord　Nelson；　〃I　can　do　no　more。　We　must　trust　to　the　great　Disposer　of　all　events；　and　the　justice　of　our　cause。　I　thank　God　for　this　great　opportunity　of　doing　my　duty。〃

He　wore　that　day；　as　usual；　his　admiral's　frock…coat；　bearing　on　the　left　breast　four　stars；　of　the　different　orders　with　which　he　was　invested。　Ornaments　which　rendered　him　so　conspicuous　a　mark　for　the　enemy　were　beheld　with　ominous　apprehensions　by　his　officers。　It　was　known　that　there　were　riflemen　on　board　the　French　ships；　and　it　could　not　be　doubted　but　that　his　life　would　be　particularly　aimed　at。　They　communicated　their　fears　to　each　other；　and　the　surgeon；　Mr。　Beatty；　spoke　to　the　chaplain　Dr。　Scott；　and　to　Mr。　Scott　the　public　secretary；　desiring　that　some　person　would　entreat　him　to　change　his　dress；　or　cover　the　stars；　but　they　knew　that　such　a　request　would　highly　displease　him。　〃In　honour　I　gained　them；〃　he　had　said　when　such　a　thing　had　been　hinted　to　him　formerly；　〃and　in　honour　I　will　die　with　them。〃　Mr。　Beatty；　however；　would　not　have　been　deterred　by　any　fear　of　exciting　his　displeasure　from　speaking　to　him　himself　upon　a　subject　in　which　the　weal　of　England；　as　well　as　the　life　of　Nelson；　was　concerned；　but　he　was　ordered　from　the　deck　before　he　could　find　an　opportunity。　This　was　a　point　upon　which　Nelson's　officers　knew　that　it　was　hopeless　to　remonstrate　or　reason　with　him；　but　both　Blackwood；　and　his　own　captain；　Hardy；　represented　to　him　how　advantageous　to　the　fleet　it　would　be　for　him　to　keep　out　of　action　as　long　as　possible；　and　he　consented　at　last　to　let　the　LEVIATHAN　and　the　TEMERAIRE；　which　were　sailing　abreast　of　the　VICTORY；　be　ordered　to　pass　ahead。　Yet　even　here　the　last　infirmity　of　this　noble　mind　was　indulged；　for　these　ships　could　not　pass　ahead　if　the　VICTORY　continued　to　carry　all　her　sail；　and　so　far　was　Nelson　from　shortening　sail；　that　it　was　evident　he　took　pleasure　in　pressing　on；