the life of horatio lord nelson- 第14部分

After　the　fall　of　Calvi；　his　services　were；　by　a　strange　omission；　altogether　overlooked；　and　his　name　was　not　even　mentioned　in　the　list　of　wounded。　This　was　no　ways　imputable　to　the　admiral；　for　he　sent　home　to　government　Nelson's　journal　of　the　siege；　that　they　might　fully　understand　the　nature　of　his　indefatigable　and　unequalled　exertions。　If　those　exertions　were　not　rewarded　in　the　conspicuous　manner　which　they　deserved；　the　fault　was　in　the　administration　of　the　day；　not　in　Lord　Hood。　Nelson　felt　himself　neglected。　〃One　hundred　and　ten　days；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　been　actually　engaged　at　sea　and　on　shore　against　the　enemy；　three　actions　against　ships；　two　against　Bastia　in　my　ship；　four　boat　actions；　and　two　villages　taken；　and　twelve　sail　of　vessels　burnt。　I　do　not　know　that　any　one　has　done　more。　I　have　had　the　comfort　to　be　always　applauded　by　my　Commander…in…Chief；　but　never　to　be　rewarded；　and；　what　is　more　mortifying；　for　services　in　which　I　have　been　wounded；　others　have　been　praised；　who；　at　the　same　time；　were　actually　in　bed；　far　from　the　scene　of　action。　They　have　not　done　me　justice。　But　never　mind；　I'll　have　a　GAZETTE　of　my　own。〃　How　amply　was　this　second…sight　of　glory　realised！

The　health　of　his　ship's　company　had　now；　in　his　own　words；　been　miserably　torn　to　pieces　by　as　hard　service　as　a　ship's　crew　ever　performed：　150　were　in　their　beds　when　he　left　Calvi；　of　them　he　lost　54　and　believed　that　the　constitutions　of　the　rest　were　entirely　destroyed。　He　was　now　sent　with　despatches　to　Mr。　Drake；　at　Genoa；　and　had　his　first　interview　with　the　Doge。　The　French　had；　at　this　time；　taken　possession　of　Vado　Bay；　in　the　Genoese　territory；　and　Nelson　foresaw　that；　if　their　thoughts　were　bent　on　the　invasion　of　Italy；　they　would　accomplish　it　the　ensuing　spring。　〃The　allied　powers；〃　he　said；　〃were　jealous　of　each　other；　and　none　but　England　was　hearty　in　the　cause。〃　His　wish　was　for　peace　on　fair　terms；　because　England　he　thought　was　draining　herself　to　maintain　allies　who　would　not　fight　for　themselves。　Lord　Hood　had　now　returned　to　England；　and　the　command　devolved　on　Admiral　Hotham。　The　affairs　of　the　Mediterranean　wore　at　this　time　a　gloomy　aspect。　The　arts；　as　well　as　the　arms　of　the　enemy；　were　gaining　the　ascendancy　there。　Tuscany　concluded　peace　relying　upon　the　faith　of　France；　which　was；　in　fact；　placing　itself　at　her　mercy。　Corsica　was　in　danger。　We　had　taken　that　island　for　ourselves；　annexed　it　formally　to　the　crown　of　Great　Britain；　and　given　it　a　constitution　as　free　as　our　own。　This　was　done　with　the　consent　of　the　majority　of　the　inhabitants；　and　no　transaction　between　two　countries　was　ever　more　fairly　or　legitimately　conducted：　yet　our　conduct　was　unwise；the　island　is　large　enough　to　form　an　independent　state；　and　such　we　should　have　made　it；　under　our　protection；　as　long　as　protection　might　be　needed；　the　Corsicans　would　then　have　felt　as　a　nation；　but　when　one　party　had　given　up　the　country　to　England；　the　natural　consequence　was　that　the　other　looked　to　France。　The　question　proposed　to　the　people　was；　to　which　would　they　belong？　Our　language　and　our　religion　were　against　us；　our　unaccommodating　manners；　it　is　to　be　feared；　still　more　so。　The　French　were　better　politicians。　In　intrigue　they　have　ever　been　unrivalled；　and　it　now　became　apparent　that；　in　spite　of　old　wrongs；　which　ought　never　to　have　been　forgotten　nor　forgiven；　their　partisans　were　daily　acquiring　strength。　It　is　part　of　the　policy　of　France；　and　a　wise　policy　it　is；　to　impress　upon　other　powers　the　opinion　of　its　strength；　by　lofty　language：　and　by　threatening　before　it　strikes；　a　system　which；　while　it　keeps　up　the　spirit　of　its　allies；　and　perpetually　stimulates　their　hopes；　tends　also　to　dismay　its　enemies。　　Corsica　was　now　loudly　threatened。　〃The　French；　who　had　not　yet　been　taught　to　feel　their　own　inferiority　upon　the　seas；　braved　us　in　contempt　upon　that　element。〃　They　had　a　superior　fleet　in　the　Mediterranean；　and　they　sent　it　out　with　express　orders　to　seek　the　English　and　engage　them。　Accordingly；　the　Toulon　fleet；　consisting　of　seventeen　ships　of　the　line　and　five　smaller　vessels；　put　to　sea。　Admiral　Hotham　received　this　information　at　Leghorn；　and　sailed　immediately　in　search　of　them。　He　had　with　him　fourteen　sail　of　the　line；　and　one　Neapolitan　seventy…four；　but　his　ships　were　only　half…manned；　containing　but　7650　men；　whereas　the　enemy　had　16；900。　He　soon　came　in　sight　of　them：　a　general　action　was　expected；　and　Nelson；　as　was　his　custom　on　such　occasions；　wrote　a　hasty　letter　to　his　wife；　as　that　which　might　possibly　contain　his　last　farewell。　〃The　lives　of　all；〃　said　he；　〃are　in　the　hand　of　Him　who　knows　best　whether　to　preserve　mine　or　not；　my　character　and　good　name　are　in　my　own　keeping。〃

But　however　confident　the　French　government　might　be　of　their　naval　superiority；　the　officers　had　no　such　feeling；　and　after　manoeuvring　for　a　day　in　sight　of　the　English　fleet；　they　suffered　themselves　to　be　chased。　One　of　their　ships；　the　CA　IRA；　of　eighty…four　guns；　carried　away　her　main　and　fore　top…masts。　The　INCONSTANT　frigate　fired　at　the　disabled　ship；　but　received　so　many　shot　that　she　was　obliged　to　leave　her。　Soon　afterwards　a　French　frigate　took　the　CA　IRA　in　tow；　and　the　SANS…CULOTTES；　one　hundred　and　twenty；　and　the　JEAN　BARRAS；　seventy…　four；　kept　about　gunshot　distance　on　her　weather　bow。　The　AGAMEMNON　stood　towards　her；　having　no　ship　of　the　line　to　support　her　within　several　miles。　As　she　drew　near；　the　CA　IRA　fired　her　stern　guns　so　truly；　that　not　a　shot　missed　some　part　of　the　ship；　and　latterly；　the　masts　were　struck　by　every　shot。　It　had　been　Nelson's　intention　not　to　fire　before　he　touched　her　stern；　but　seeing　how　impossible　it　was　that　he　should　be　supported；　and　how　certainly　the　AGAMEMNON　must　be　severely　cut　up　if　her　masts　were　disabled；　he　altered　his　plan　　according　to　the　occasion。　As　soon；　therefore；　as　he　was　within　a　hundred　yards　of　her　stern；　he　ordered　the　helm　to　be　put　a…starboard；　and　the　driver　and　after…sails　to　be　brailed　up　and　shivered；　and；　as　the　ship　fell　off；　gave　the　enemy　her　whole　broadside。　They　instantly　braced　up　the　after…　yards；　put　the　helm　a…port；　and　stood　after　her　again。　This　manoeuvre　he　practised　for　two　hours　and　a　quarter；　never　allowing　the　CA　IRA　to　get　a　single　gun　from　either　side　to　bear　on　him；　and　when　the　French　fired　their　after…guns　now；　it　was　no　longer　with　coolness　and　precision；　for　every　shot　went　far　ahead。　By　this　time　her　sails　were　hanging　in　tatters；　her　mizen…top…mast；　mizen…top…sail；　and　cross…jack…yards　shot　away。　But　the　frigate　which　had　her　in　tow　hove　in　stays；　and　got　her　round。　Both　these　French　ships　now　brought　their　guns　to　bear；　and　opened　their　fire。　The　AGAMEMNON　passed　them　within　half…pistol　shot；　almost　every　shot　passed　over　her；　for　the　French　had　elevated　their　guns　for　the　rigging；　and　for　distant　firing；　and　did　not　think　of　altering　the　elevation。　As　soon　as　the　AGAMEMNON's　after…guns　ceased　to　bear；　she　hove　in　stays；　keeping　a　constant　fire　as　she　came　round；　and　being　worked；　said　Nelson；　with　as　much　exactness　as　if　she　had　been　turning　into　Spithead。　On　getting　round；　he　saw　that　the　Sans…Culottes；　which　had　wore；　with　many　of　the　enemy's　ships；　was　under　his　lee　bow；　and　standing　to　leeward。　The　admiral；　at　the　same　time；　made　the　signal　for　the　van　ships　to　join　him。　Upon　this　Nelson　bore　away；　and　prepared　to　set　all　sail；　and　the　enemy；　having　saved　their　ship；　hauled　close　to　the　wind；　and　opened　upon　him　a　distant　and　ineffectual　fire。　Only　seven　of　the　AGAMEMNON's　men　were　hurta　thing　which　Nelson　himself　remarked　as　wonderful：　her　sails　and　rigging　were　very　much　cut；　and　she　had　many　shots　in　her　hull；　and　some　between　wind　and　water。　The　CA　IRA　lost　110　men　that　day；　and　was　so　cut　up　that　she　could　not　get　a　top…mast　aloft　during　the　night。

At　daylight　on　the　following　morning；　the　English　ships　were　taken　aback　with　a　fine　breeze　at　N。W。；　while　the　enemy's　fleet　kept　the　southerly　wind。　The　body　of　their　fleet　was　about　five　miles　distant；　the　CA　IRA　and　the　CENSEUR；　seventy…four；　which　had　her　in　tow；　about　three　and　a　half。　All　sail　was　made　to　cut　these　ships　off；　and　as　the　French　attempted　to　save　them；　a　partial　action　was　brought　on。　The　AGAMEMNON　was　again　engaged　with　her　yesterday's　antagonist；　but　she　had　to　fight　on　both　sides　the　ship　at　the　same　time。　The　CA　IRA　and　the　CENSEUR　fought　most　gallantly：　the　first　lost　nearly　300　men；　in　addition　to　her　former　loss；　the　last；　350。　Both　at　length　struck；　and　Lieutenant　Andrews；　of　the　AGAMEMNON；　brother　to　the　lady　to　whom　Nelson　had　become　attached　in　France；　and；　in　Nelson's　own　words；　〃as　gallant　an　officer　as　ever　stepped　a　quarter…deck；〃　hoisted　English　colours　on　board　them　both。　The　rest　of　the　enemy's　ships'　behaved　very　ill。　As　soon　as　these　vessels　had　struck；　Nelson　went　to　Admiral　Hotham　and　proposed　that　the　two　prizes　should　be　left　with　the　ILLUSTRIOUS　and　COURAGEUX；　which　had　been　crippled　in　the　action；　and　with　four　frigates；　and　that　the　rest　of　the　fleet　should　pursue　the　enemy；　and　follow　up　the　advantage　to　the　utmost。　But　his　reply　was〃We　must　be　contented：　we　have　done　very　well。〃〃Now；〃　said　Nelson；〃　had　we　taken　ten　sail