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TO THE REVEREND MR. NELSON, Hilborough.

[Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.]

My dear Brother,

English Harbour, December 29th, 1786.

Your letter of the 2nd and 31st of October I received a few days ago. So then you are at last become a husband; may every blessing attend you. It is, I have no doubt, the happiest, or otherwise, state; and I believe it is most generally the man's fault if he is not happy. I most certainly have wrote repeatedly since August, which you say is the last time you heard from me. Your name is not now upon the Books: you were discharged on the 4th of October. Your rum I have on board. I dare say you have many friends who, as you say, will gladly take what you can spare. You may tell them, the King's Ship, although she may bring a little for a brother, does not for any others. I begin to be very strict in my Ship, and as I get older, probably shall be more so. Whenever I may set off in another Ship, I shall be indifferent whether I ever speak to an Officer in her, but upon duty.

You know before this that his Royal Highness Prince William is under my command; and I wish that all the Navy Captains were as attentive to orders as he is. I had almost forgot to tell you that D is married, but to whom, or what, is out of my power. He has nothing left, in my opinion, but to put a pistol to his head: he is damned for ever. Pray where did you know Captain Holloway ?6 Do you know his wife, too? I don't take him to be a conjuror. I am truly happy to hear Mr. Suckling is married. It will add to his felicity, for had he not done that, he must have kept a woman, which you will allow would have been very disagreeable. Pray give my best love and compliments where they will be well received; and believe me to be, your affectionate Brother, HORATIO NELSON.

4 The Reverend William Nelson married, on the 9th November 1786, Sarah, daughter of the Reverend Henry Yonge, Vicar of Great Torrington, in Devonshire, and cousin of Dr. Philip Yonge, Bishop of Norwich.

s Of the Poreas.

Captain John Holloway of the Solebay, who died an Admiral.

7 His uncle Mr. William Suckling of the Custom House, married on the 26th October 1786, Miss Rumsey of Hampstead.

TO WILLIAM LOCKER, ESQ., TOWN MALLING.

[Autograph, in the Locker Papers.]

My dear Friend,

English Harbour, December 29th, 1786.

I am sure it is a full twelvemonth since I have had a line: you will say I don't deserve it oftener than that, however, for since May, I know of three letters which I put myself into the Packet. If you think me unmindful of the favours and kindnesses I received at your hands, you do me injustice. I am at this moment more thankful for them than I was when they were granted: then I was not so capable of judging of their value. Let this be the opinion of your Horatio: and I trust it will be for the future.

You will know long before this reaches you, that Prince William is under my command: I shall endeavour to take care he is not a loser by that circumstance. He has his foibles as well as private men, but they are far over-balanced by his virtues. In his Professional line, he is superior to near two-thirds, I am sure, of the List; and in attention to orders, and respect to his Superior Officers, I know hardly his equal: this is what I have found him. Some others, I have heard, will tell another story. The Islanders have made vast entertainments for him. But all this you will see in the English papers.

I am in momentary expectation of Sir Richard Bickerton, from reports, for the Admiralty are wonderfully secret. I wish he was arrived, for this state of uncertainty is very unpleasant. The Prince is to remain in these Seas until May, when he returns to Nova Scotia, at which time I hope to set sail for Old England; for I am most heartily sick of these Islands. Heaven bless you, my dear friend; and believe that I am unalterably yours,

HORATIO Nelson.

TO MRS. NISBET.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 89.]

1st January, 1787. How vain are human expectations. I was in hopes to have remained quiet all this week: but to-day we dine with Sir Thomas; to-morrow the Prince has a party; on Wednesday he gives a dinner at Saint John's to the Regiment; in the evening is a Mulatto ball; on Thursday a cock-fight, and we dine at Colonel Crosbie's brother's, and a ball on Friday somewhere, but I forget; on Saturday at Mr. Byam's, the President. If we get well through all this, I shall be fit for anything; but I hope most sincerely the Commodore1 will arrive before the whole is carried into execution: in many instances it is better to serve than command; and this is one of them. If the Commodore does not come down and relieve me, I think it likely we shall remain here all this month at least; for the Ship's company of the Pegasus are sick, and I cannot with propriety leave His Royal Highness by himself.

Should Sir Richard Bickerton come down, and I think he must be at Barbadoes, and send me to Nevis, I will bless him: yet I would sooner die than ask any favour. If he is polite, he will do it without; if not, he would perhaps refuse me with asking, and I should not like the mortification. What is it to attend on Princes? Let me attend on you, and I am satisfied. Some are born for attendants on great men: I rather think that it is not my particular province. His Royal Highness often tells me, he believes I am married; for he never saw a lover so easy, or say so little of the object he has a regard for. When I tell him I certainly am not, he says, Then he is sure I must have a great esteem for you, and that it is not what is (vulgarly), I do not much like the use of that word, called love.' He is right: my love is founded on esteem, the only foundation that can make the passion last. I need not tell you, what you so well know, that I wish I had a fortune to settle on you: but I trust I

8 Sir Thomas Shirley, the Governor.

9 Edward Byam, President of the Council at Antigua, and Judge of the Admiralty Court: he died in February 1817.

Alan, afterwards Admiral Lord Gardner.

have a good name, and that certain events will bring the other thing about: it is my misfortune, not my fault. You can marry me only from a sincere affection; therefore I ought to make you a good husband, and I hope it will turn out that I shall. You are never absent from my mind in any place or company. I never wished for riches, but to give them to you; and my small share shall be yours to the extreme. A happy New Year; and that many of them may attend you, is the most fervent wish of your affectionate

HORATIO NELSON.

Sir,

TO PHILIP STEPHENS, ESQ., ADMIRALTY.

[Original, in the Admiralty.]

Boreas, English Harbour, Antigua, 7th January 1787.

By my last from Dominica, of the 2nd of December, (in a Merchant-ship, having missed the Packet,) their Lordships will be informed of my taking the Solebay, Captain Holloway, and the Pegasus, commanded by His Royal Highness Prince William Henry, under my command, agreeable to their order by the respective Ships.

I was exceedingly sorry to find that the Pegasus was not only very leaky, but that there was every appearance her iron work was much corroded. After wooding and watering the Squadron in Prince Rupert's, I proceeded to this harbour, where I arrived on the 13th December. The Pegasus was immediately hauled to the wharf, and it was found that the leak was occasioned by her wooden ends forward being very open, nearly all her bolts about her bows were found very much corroded, and were so bad, that I have ordered her to be new bolted. The cheeks of her head have been taken off, and the seams were found so open, as plainly to show they had not been examined into at the Port she fitted out at: some of the chain plates have also been found unfit for service, and the generality of the bolts which hold them were so loose in the Ship, as to be drawn out by the hand. This has occasioned her to be so long in the harbour.

On the 11th, I shall sail for the Island of Barbadoes, to

which place I sent the Solebay in the last month, to look out for Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton, who, I hear, from private hands, is appointed to this Command. I shall wait there until the 20th, when, if I hear no confirmation of the report, I shall proceed with the Pegasus and Rattler to the Island of Grenada, leaving the Solebay to take care of the Commerce at the Island of Barbadoes. At Grenada I shall leave the Rattler, and shall proceed with his Royal Highness to visit the Islands of Montserrat, Nevis, St. Christopher's, and the Virgin Islands, by which time I shall hope to be honoured with their Lordships' commands; for since the 1st of August, I have not received a line from the Board (except by the Solebay and Pegasus) or an acknowledgement of a letter. In May, I wrote a very particular one, by desire of Sir Richard Hughes, inclosing an account of my proceedings at Barbadoes; but I do not know if it has been received, as it has never been acknowledged.

Inclosed is the State and Condition of the Squadron on this Station.

I have the honour to remain, &c.

HORATIO NEelson.

TO H. R. H. PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY,
CAPTAIN OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP PEGASUS.

[Transmitted to the Admiralty on the 10th July 1787, vide p. 242 post.]

Sir,

Boreas, January 23rd, 1787.

I have the honour of acquainting your Royal Highness that in consequence of a letter which I have this day received from Lieutenant Isaac Schomberg,3 first Lieutenant of his

2 Vide p. 170, ante.

"Lieutenant Schomberg's original Letter is in the possession of Dawson Turner, Esq., F.R.S. ; and it is only just to the memory of a zealous Officer of whose general merits Nelson thought very highly (vide p. 250 post.) as well as to that of the Prince, to state the particulars of the affair, more especially as it is the subject of many other Letters. Prince William's orders were as follow:

"Pegasus, English Harbour, Antigua, 23rd January 1787. "From Mr. Schomberg's neglecting to inform me yesterday of his sending a boat on shore, and Mr. Smollett doing the same, I think proper to recommend

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