H AD the Grecian Mythology still remained to be invented, the God of War would have been invested with the dominion of the seas, and the isles of Britain rendered famous as being the birth-place of the divinity. There is no character throughout the range of ancient and modern history which more nearly approaches the ideal of perfection than that of England's greatest naval commander. The purer philosophy of our times recoils with horror from the contemplation of the warrior's career; but, to estimate rightly a conqueror's worth, we must ascertain, if possible, his motives to exertion, and obtain a knowledge of the value of his services to his country and mankind. The life of a village schoolmaster may have been in reality more heroic than that of Nelson; but the question for us to consider is, whether or not the existence of the latter was necessary in carrying out the great designs of an ever beneficent Providence. Tried by this test, the acts of Attila may cease to excite our indignation, and the overthrow of empires only serve to impress us with the melancholy feeling that the gaol is yet far distant to which, after a journey of six thousand years, mankind is hastening, as to the realisation of their dreams of human happiness and virtue. Horatio Nelson was born at Burnham Thorpe, a small village in Norfolk, September 29th, 1758. His father was rector of the place, but was undistinguished by the possession of any superior quality of mind, and his mother died when Horatio was but nine years old. To the circumstance of the family being in straitened circumstances, the boy owed his first introduction to the profession of which he was destined to become the tutelary angel, and was sent to sea in the Raisonnable, 64, at that time under the command of his maternal uncle. His first voyage was made under the most unfavourable auspices, and a subsequent trip which he made in a merchantman, confirmed a disgust which he had by this time conceived to the royal navy. His uncle, Captain Suckling, succeeded in luring him back to his profession, and the young Nelson went out as coxswain in the Racehorse bomb, on an expedition to the Polar Seas. Here his daring spirit was exhibited on several occasions, and on the return to England, he was appointed to the Seahorse of 20 guns, 1 1 * .. and, ending ʼn Pruenes. I will brave every danger." The night wach nad "ans tawned men um, was any quenched with his death, and post as his prospects seemed most acceless, the appointment of his uncle na comporter of the navy, opened me mad to his promotion. He was eventually appointed acting lieutenant in the Worcester, 74, and having passed a highly creditable examination, received his commission as lieutenant of the Lowestoffe frigate the 9th of April, 1777. It was whilst in this vessel that he first gave a proof of his recklessness of danger by volunteering to board a prize, during a gale which rendered such a service almost impossible. His zeal and ability was now strongly appreciated by those with whom he served, and in 1779 he was made post-captain, having attained that rank at the age of 21. His first service of note was a share in the disastrous expedition of General Dalling against the Spanish Main, the object of which was to cut off the communication between the possessions in North and South America. The design, however, miscarried from the lateness of the season, and the dreadful effects of the climate and Nelson, who had exposed himweit on all occasions, went home to England with a debilitated frame, and a constitution prematurely shattered. Whilst confined to his bed, he was a gomited to the command of the Janus, 44 guns, and subsequently to the A scuraries in which, whilst still suffering from illness, he was sent to the và Sowx and kept there a whole winter. From thence he was sent to sects by the interposition of a friend, he was prevented from the wa mage with a lady who had captivated him. The late king, ced seeing in the navy himself, gives a ludicrous picture of NYE GAPace of Nelson at this time. His boyish appearance, and a a aoni orat, eid fashioned waistcoat with long flaps, and lank or # 34 orernes tail, after the approved nautical fashion, sad the prince, "I had never seen anywe and i slagne who he was nor what he came about. were irresistibly pleasing, and when he Was và an enthusiasm that showed he was BTW dame; but he had won for himthe oval benestà him. His first business ous Lfer the interests of his men, and De toes and the ambition of the mmand in the West Indies, as ANNA 2 Kme courage which is The admiral in command As a civil commissioner, any of the ships he * Send of the inconsistency artered the pennant to investigated by the Admiralty, their lordships approved of the conduct of Nelson; but, subsequent events showed how little value he attached to authority when its dictates were unwise. At an early age he had discovered the sufficiency of his own genius, and felt "That the ebbs and flows of his single soul That, whilst treating discipline with contempt, Nelson should have exacted the most implicit obedience to his own rule, is a seeming inconsistency, which is accounted for by the profound egotism of great intellect. Nelson governed by the right of the wisest, and required, as a matter of course, the homage of all inferior minds. Hence the dogmatism of his opinions, and his impatience of contradiction. The rules of the service he reduced for the use of his midshipmen into three concise maxims, which they were constantly to bear in mind. First: "to implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of their own with regard to their propriety." Secondly: "to consider every man their enemy who spoke ill of their king; and, thirdly: "they were to hate a Frenchman as they hated the devil." The concluding sentence embodies the whole spirit of Nelson's political philosophy; the end and aim of his being was to fight the French. The existence of the feeling was in his days the test of patriotism; a morbid hatred, which the peasant justified by the plea that our continental neighbour ate frogs and wore wooden shoes; which Pitt applauded, and Burke vindicated on the ground that, in this dreadful contest, our country defended the best interests of a threatened world, and which Nelson considered should be entertained by every Englishman, seeing that the people of France were our national enemies. In our times such doctrines can hardly be said to rank as matters of opinion; half a century since they were preached from the pulpit as the rule of Christian behaviour. Whilst engaged on the West India station, Nelson found employment in protecting the monopoly of commerce given to the inhabitants of British America with the islands in the West Indies. By the recognition of American independence, the people of the United States had become foreigners to us, and of course were debarred from trading with our colonies under the provisions of the Navigation Act. Notwithstanding this actual prohibition, the violation of which subjected all vessels to seizure and confiscation, the Americans continued to trade with the islands under the certificates obtained by their merchants at the time when they were still British subjects; and, as the commerce was on both sides a profitable one, the infraction of the law was connived at by the principal colonists. Matters were in this state when Nelson arrived, and he lost not a moment in his attempt to enforce the restrictions imposed by law. The great truths of political economy, though hardly broached in theory, were even at that time understood in practice, and the colonists could hardly be expected to acquiesce in the propriety of a system, which prohibited their trade with the United States, for the avowed purpose of compelling them to purchase their goods at a dearer rate from the settlers of Nova Scotia. The whole of the authorities, including even the commander-in-chief of the troops were, with a single exception, opposed to Nelson, who found means, however, to persuade the admiral on the station to allow him to enforce the act of parliament. Acting upon these instructions, he warned the American vessels off the forts of the various islands. But the interests at stake were too important to admit of this being sacrificed without 66 destined to reinforce the squadron in the East Indies. After some time had elapsed, he was rated a midshipman, and remained abroad eighteen months, when he was sent home reduced by disease to a skeleton, and utterly broken in spirit. A season of gloomy despondency was succeeded by a revulsion of feeling which, at some time or other, has been felt by every man of genius, and in his own words, a sudden glow of patriotism was kindled within me, and presented my king and country as my patrons. Well then, I exclaimed, I will be a hero! and, confiding in Providence, I will brave every danger." The light which had thus dawned upon him, was only quenched with his death, and just as his prospects seemed most hopeless, the appointment of his uncle as comptroller of the navy, opened the road to his promotion. He was eventually appointed acting heutenant in the Worcester, 74, and having passed a highly creditable examination, received his commission as lieutenant of the Lowestoffe frigate the 9th of April, 1777. It was whilst in this vessel that he first gave a proof of his recklessness of danger by volunteering to board a prize, during a gale which rendered such a service almost impossible. His zeal and ability was now strongly appreciated by those with whom he served and in 1779 he was made post-captain, having attained that rank at the age of 21. His first service of note was a share in the disastrous expedition of General Dalling against the Spanish Main, the object of which was to cut off the communication between the possessions in North and South America. The design, however, miscarried from the lateness of the season, and the dreadful effects of the climate and Nelson, who had exposed himself on all occasions, went home to England with a debilitated frame, and a constitution prematurely shattered. Whilst confined to his bed, he was appointed to the command of the Janus, 44 guns, and subsequently to the Albemarle, in which, whilst still suffering from illness, he was sent to the North Seas, and kept there a whole winter. From thence he was sent to Canada, where, by the interposition of a friend, he was prevented from the ruin of marriage with a lady who had captivated him. The late king, William IV., then serving in the navy himself, gives a ludicrous picture of the personal appearance of Nelson at this time. His boyish appearance, and his costume of a laced coat, old fashioned waistcoat with long flaps, and lank unpowdered hair, tied in an enormous tail, after the approved nautical fashion, made up so strange a figure that," said the prince, "I had never seen anything like it before, nor could I imagine who he was nor what he came about. But his address and conversation were irresistibly pleasing, and when he spoke on professional subjects it was with an enthusiasm that showed he was no common being." : The peace found Nelson as yet unknown to fame; but he had won for himself the respect of all above, and the love of all beneath him. His first business when he returned to England was to look after the interests of his men, and at sea he encouraged in every possible way the hopes and the ambition of the youth entrusted to his care. Promoted to a command in the West Indies, as senior captain, he gave the first indications of that sublime courage which is rarely imitated, and less frequently applauded. The admiral in command. gave him a written order to obey the instructions of a civil commissioner, who was authorised to hoist a broad pennant on board any of the ships he thought proper. Nelson refused to obey, on the ground of the inconsistency of the order with the regulations of the service, and ordered the pennant to be struck immediately. On the circumstances being investigated by the Admiralty, their lordships approved of the conduct of Nelson; but, subsequent events showed how little value he attached to authority when its dictates were unwise. At an early age he had discovered the sufficiency of his own genius, and felt "That the ebbs and flows of his single soul That, whilst treating discipline with contempt, Nelson should have exacted the most implicit obedience to his own rule, is a seeming inconsistency, which is accounted for by the profound egotism of great intellect. Nelson governed by the right of the wisest, and required, as a matter of course, the homage of all inferior minds. Hence the dogmatism of his opinions, and his impatience of contradiction. The rules of the service he reduced for the use of his midshipmen into three concise maxims, which they were constantly to bear in mind. First: "to implicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any opinion of their own with regard to their propriety." Secondly: "to consider every man their enemy who spoke ill of their king; and, thirdly: "they were to hate a Frenchman as they hated the devil." The concluding sentence embodies the whole spirit of Nelson's political philosophy; the end and aim of his being was to fight the French. The existence of the feeling was in his days the test of patriotism; a morbid hatred, which the peasant justified by the plea that our continental neighbour ate frogs and wore wooden shoes; which Pitt applauded, and Burke vindicated on the ground that, in this dreadful contest, our country defended the best interests of a threatened world, and which Nelson considered should be entertained by every Englishman, seeing that the people of France were our national enemies. In our times such doctrines can hardly be said to rank as matters of opinion; half a century since they were preached from the pulpit as the rule of Christian behaviour. Whilst engaged on the West India station, Nelson found employment in protecting the monopoly of commerce given to the inhabitants of British America with the islands in the West Indies. By the recognition of American independence, the people of the United States had become foreigners to us, and of course were debarred from trading with our colonies under the provisions of the Navigation Act. Notwithstanding this actual prohibition, the violation of which subjected all vessels to seizure and confiscation, the Americans continued to trade with the islands under the certificates obtained by their merchants at the time when they were still British subjects; and, as the commerce was on both sides a profitable one, the infraction of the law was connived at by the principal colonists. Matters were in this state when Nelson arrived, and he lost not a moment in his attempt to enforce the restrictions imposed by law. The great truths of political economy, though hardly broached in theory, were even at that time understood in practice, and the colonists could hardly be expected to acquiesce in the propriety of a system, which prohibited their trade with the United States, for the avowed purpose of compelling them to purchase their goods at a dearer rate from the settlers of Nova Scotia. The whole of the authorities, including even the commander-in-chief of the troops were, with a single exception, opposed to Nelson, who found means, however, to persuade the admiral on the station to allow him to enforce the act of parliament. Acting upon these instructions, he warned the American vessels off the forts of the various islands. But the interests at stake were too important to admit of this being sacrificed without |