acts of my life would have been to have resigned the Command before the Pegasus left the Station. I have the honour to remain, &c., TO THE EARL OF CORK. [From the "Naval Chronicle," vol. xxx. p. 8. The Honourable Courtenay Boyle, third son of Edmund Earl of Cork and Orrery, was then a Midshipman of the Boreas. He died a Vice-Admiral of the Red, and a K. C. H. in May, 1844.] Portsmouth, July 15th, 1787. My Lord, I am this moment honoured with your letter. I have great pleasure in doing what I know will give our dear Courtenay so much happiness. He is amiable in the truest sense of the word; and I feel real regret in parting from him. In his professional line he is inferior to none: his virtues are superior to most. I am this day honoured with your letter of yesterday's date." I beg you will inform their Lordships that I duly observe the contents of it; and they may be assured that in future no consideration shall ever induce me to deviate in the smallest degree from my orders. I have the honour to remain, &c. In that Letter, Mr. Stephens informed him that— 'My Lords are not satisfied with the Reasons you have given for altering the destination of the Pegasus, and for sending the Rattler Sloop to Jamaica; and that for having taken upon you to send the latter away from the Station to which their Lordships had appointed her, you will be answerable for the conse quence, if the Crown should be put to any needless expense upon that account." -Copy, in the possession of William Henry Whitehead, Esq. Sir, TO PHILIP STEPHENS, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Boreas, Spithead, 20th July, 1787. Inclosed I have taken the liberty to transmit you a Passing Certificate, with two Warrants, for Mr. James Ballentine, Gunner of his Majesty's Ship under my command. I beg leave to recommend him as a sober, diligent, and careful man, and worthy of their Lordships' confirmation. I have the honour to be, &c. TO THE REVEREND MR. NELSON, HILBOROUGH. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] My dear Brother, Portsmouth, July 21st, 1787. Your kind letter of the 15th I have received; and indeed I have been so very unwell, with a violent cold, that I have scarcely been able to hold my head up till yesterday. What is to become of the Boreas, seems as yet uncertain. A Fleet seems necessary, and we are all ready to sail at a moment's warning. However, in my humble opinion, we shall not go to Sea this summer. The French have eight Sail in Brest Water, and we shall not be in a hurry to force them to Sea; but next summer I fear will involve this Nation in a War: it seems almost unavoidable. Although we are in a bad state for it, yet, thank God, the French are worse. So much for politics. Your Warrant I have safe: what may arise from it, or if anything, I can't tell. I shall give it to my Agent when the Ship is paid off, and he will do what is proper. All on board are well, and desire their compliments. When I know what is to be our destination I will tell you. Adieu. TO THE EARL OF CORK. [From the "Naval Chronicle," vol. xxx. p. 8; Vide p. 247, ante.] Portsmouth, July 22nd, 1787. In the first place, my Lord, it is necessary that he should be made complete in his Navigation; and if the Peace continues, French is absolutely necessary. Dancing is an accomplishment that probably a Sea Officer may require. You will see almost the necessity of it, when employed in Foreign Countries; indeed, the honour of the Nation is so often entrusted to Sea Officers, that there is no accomplishment which will not shine with peculiar lustre in them. He must nearly have served his Time, therefore he cannot be so well employed as in gaining knowledge. If I can at any time be of service to him, he may always call upon me. His charming disposition will ever make him friends. He may as well join the Ship, when his brother goes to the Continent. Inclosed I transmit you the Warrant of Charles Green, Boatswain of the Boreas, with the Certificates of his good character from others, his Captains; and I beg leave to recommend him to their Lordships as worthy of having a confirmed War rant. I am, Sir, &c. HORATIO NELSON. Vide p. 247 ante. 7 The Honourable Courtenay Boyle. On the 26th July, Nelson wrote to Mr. Pitt, enclosing Papers on the subject of the Frauds in the West Indies, and was informed on the 31st of July, that his Letter and Papers were under the consideration of the Board of Trea sury. TO H. R. H. PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY. [Autograph draught, in the Nelson Papers.] Portsmouth, 27th July, 1787. If to be truly great is to be truly good, (as we are taught to believe,) it never was stronger verified than in your Royal Highness, in the instance of Mr. Schomberg. You have supported your character, yet, at the same time, by an amiable condescension, have saved an Officer from appearing before a Court-Martial, which ever must hurt him. Resentment I know your Royal Highness never had, or I am sure ever will bear any one: it is a passion incompatible with the character of a Man of Honour. Schomberg was too hasty certainly in writing his letter; but, now you are parted, pardon me, my Prince, when I presume to recommend, that Schomberg may stand in your Royal Favour, as if he had never sailed with you; and that at some future day, you will serve him. There only wants this, to place your character in the highest point of view. None of us are without failings: Schomberg's was being rather too hasty; but that, put in competition with his being a good Officer, will not, I am bold to say, be taken in the scale against him. I wish this matter could have been settled on my Station, and I am sure your Royal Highness will join me when I acquaint you, that I have been reprimanded by the Admiralty for allowing your Royal Highness to proceed to America by way of Jamaica. More able friends than myself your Royal Highness may easily find, and of more consequence in the State: but one more attached and affectionate, is, I am bold to say, not so easily met with. Princes seldom, very seldom, find a disinterested person to communicate their thoughts to. I do not pretend to be otherwise: but of this truth be assured by a man who, I trust, never did a dishonourable act, that I am interested only that your Royal Highness should be the greatest and best man this Country ever produced. In full confidence of your belief of my sincerity, I take the liberty of saying, that having seen a few more years than yourself, I may in some respects know more of mankind. Permit me then to urge, a thorough knowledge of those you tell your mind to. Mankind are not always what they seem. Far, very far, be it from me to mean any person whom your Royal Highness thinks proper to honour with your confidence: but again let me impress on your Royal mind what I have before mentioned. As to news; from a much better quarter, most probably you will be furnished with that. However, Boreas is not paid off; but is kept in readiness to go to Sea with the Squadron at Spithead but in my poor opinion, we shall go no farther at present. The French have eight Sail in Brest Water, ready for Sea: therefore I think we shall not court the French out of Port. The Dutch business is becoming every day more serious; and I hardly think we can keep from a War, without giving for ever the weight of the Dutch to the French, and allowing the Stadtholdership to be annihilated,—things which I should suppose hardly possible. I wrote to your Royal Highness, and sent a number of letters to Jamaica: Gardner,9 I am sure, will forward them. When I go to Town, I shall take care to be presented to his Majesty and the Prince of Wales, that I may be in the way of answering any question they may think proper to ask me. Nothing is wanting to make you the darling of the English Nation, but truth. Sorry I am to say, much to the contrary has been dispersed. Lord Hood and the good Commissioner have made many inquiries about you. Permit me to subscribe myself, Your Royal Highness's attached and affectionate, TO WILLIAM LOCKER, ESQ., KENSINGTON. [Autograph, in the Locker Papers.] My dear Sir, Portsmouth, August 12th, 1787. It is not kind in one's Native air to treat a poor wanderer, as it has done me since my arrival. The rain and cold at first gave me a sore throat and its accompaniments: the hot weather has given me a slow fever, not absolutely bad enough 9 Commodore Alan Gardner. |