James Harrison

“ It is easy to perceive, at this early period, the singular heroism of Captain Nelson's character; as well in the slight but forcible delineation, sketched on the instant by Colonel Polson, as in the more leisurely and finished picture of Dr. Moseley's masterly composition.
In both, we behold him seeking every opportunity to assist the enterprise, with the most magnanimous zeal, and the soundest discretion. Without his vigorous and skilful exertions, indeed, as Dr. Moseley remarks, it is more than probable that not a man among them would ever have reached San Juan Castle. ”

“ I see the finest country in the world, full of resources; yet, without enough to supply the public wants: all are plundering, who can get at public money or stores. In my own line, I can speak. A Neapolitan ship of the line would cost more than ten English ships fitting out. Five sail of the line must ruin the country. Every thing else is, I have no doubt, going on in the same system of thieving: I could give your lordship so many instances of the greatest mal-conduct of persons in office, and of those very people being rewarded. ”

“ Bravery and skill abound, and will, it is hoped, always abound, in the British navy; and great, indeed, must be the merits of any one who shines with superior lustre in a constellation of such general brilliancy. Sir John had, under his command, many able officers; but he immediately perceived that Captain Nelson was a star of the first magnitude, and nobly resolved to remove every intervening cloud which might prevent his appearing in full splendour. ”

“ It is to be regretted, that the harmony of this festival, which cost Sir William Hamilton two thousand ducats, was considerably deranged, towards it's conclusion, by the hero's son-in-law; who, it seems, so far forgot himself, as grossly to offend the very man whom every other person was delighting to honour. To such a height, indeed, was this young gentleman's intemperance unfortunately carried, that Captain Troubridge and another officer felt themselves under the absolute necessity of conducting him out of the room. ”

“ Lieutenant Culverhouse, the first lieutenant, is an old officer of very distinguished merit; Lieutenants Hardy, Gage, and Noble, deserve every praise which gallantry and zeal justly entitle them to, as does every other officer and man in the ship.
"You will observe, Sir, I am sure, with regret, among the wounded, Lieutenant James Noble; who quitted the Captain to serve with me, and whose merits and repeated wounds, received in fighting the enemies of our country, entitle him to every reward a grateful nation can bestow." ”

“ Captain Nelson had every hope of getting the Agamemnon, one of these flyers, alongside an eighty-gun ship, with a flag or broad pendant flying; but the west wind dying away, and the east coming, gave them the advantage, and enabled them to reach their own shore, from which they were not three leagues distant.
Rear-Admiral Mann, who had shifted his flag to the Victory on this occasion, commanded the six ships thus distinguished by their superiority of sailing: he proved himself, Captain Nelson observed, a good man, in every sense of the word. ”

“ On the 2d of October, the Honourable Captain Capel arrived in England, with the joyful intelligence of Admiral Nelson's glorious victory off the Nile: a victory which, from the peculiar period at which it occurred, the extent of it's beneficial effects, and it's splendid and complete success, excited in every British bosom such rapturous sensations as had never, in the memory of any living person, been before felt by the nation. ”

“ The weakness of over-zealous friends is often more prejudicial than the most violent efforts of professed enemies. No man ever less needed, or less desired, to strip a single leaf from the honoured wreath of any other hero, with the vain hope of augmenting his own, than the immortal Nelson; no man ever more merited the whole of that which a generous nation unanimously presented to Sir John Jervis, than the Earl of St. Vincent. ”

“ The brave and enterprising British Admiral Nelson has obtained a most signal and decisive victory. My heart would fain give wings to the courier who is the bearer of these propitious tidings, to facilitate the earliest acknowledgments of our gratitude. So extensive is this victory in all it's relative circumstances, that were it not that the world has been accustomed to see prodigies of glory atchieved by the English on the seas, I should almost question the reality of the event. It has produced, among us, a general spirit of enthusiasm. ”

“ From all the enquiries which I have been able to make, I cannot learn that any French vessels are at Suez, to carry any part of the army to India. Bombay, I know, if they can get there, is their first object. But, I trust, Almighty God will, in Egypt, overthrow these pests of the human race. It has been in my power to prevent twelve thousand men from leaving Genoa; and, also, to take eleven sail of the line, and two frigates: in short, only two sail of the line, and two frigates, have escaped us. This glorious battle was fought at the mouth of the Nile, at anchor. ”

“ Happy was every man who had hopes of bearing any part in the enterprise. Enthusiasm was never carried to greater height, than by those who had promised to themselves the glory of shaking Spain to her foundation. The colours of England were, in their imagination, already even on the walls of Lima.
"And so, indeed, they might have been, had General Dalling met with no obstacles in arranging the business in Jamaica: and, had there been no delay in sending out the force from England; which did not arrive till August, when it ought to have been on the Spanish Main in January. ”

“ When we survey, with rapture, the state of an exalted hero, arrived at all the honours which it is possible for a human being to receive from the gratitude, the veneration, and the love, of his fellow-mortals; seen, as he then is, like a luminary of the first magnitude in the full blaze of meridian glory, we are generally too dazzled by the lustre we behold, to penetrate, or even to reflect on, the circuitous, the tedious, or the perplexed path, through which he may have been constrained to pass, in pursuit of the splendid destiny at length happily attained. ”

“ Doubtless, while the mind of this exalted man was thus innocently and laudably engaged in attending to the various duties of private life, he not unfrequently felt disposed to indulge in deep reflections on numerous noble plans meditated for the future service of his country: for, in common with almost every gifted possessor of superior genius, he seems to have constantly borne about him an invincible conviction, that he should, at some period of his life, be enabled to give the fullest manifestation of it's presence to an admiring world. ”

“ The frank and friendly attentions of her ladyship, at the same time, it must necessarily be supposed, made no slight impression on the susceptible bosom of Captain Nelson; who was charmed with the characteristic sweetness of disposition which she so fascinatingly displayed for the promotion of his ease and comforts.
The imperious calls of professional duty soon separated the hero from his affectionate friends; but they parted not without mutual assurances of losing no opportunity which might occur of corresponding with or seeing each other. ”

“ Sir James Saumarez is on his way to Gibraltar, with six of our prizes: the others I burnt, that the Mediterranean might not be left without ships; for each prize takes a ship of the line to man her, and attend to her wants. This you will believe, when I tell you that only two masts are standing, out of nine sail of the line. L'Orient certainly struck her colours, and did not fire a shot, for a quarter of an hour before, unfortunately for us, she took fire: but, though we suffer, our country is equally benefitted. ”

“ By these remarks, added to the verbal communications of Mahomet Kelim, at the time of investiture, Lord Nelson was led to consider this honour as the Ottoman Order of Merit. It could, certainly, be nothing less; and the civilized world has to felicitate itself on the brilliance of our immortal hero's glory, which could, at length, dissipate the cloud of prejudice, that had so long obscured, from the sincerest followers of Mahomet, the lustre of every Christian virtue. ”

“ Could you, my dear Sir William, have believed, after what General Acton and the Marquis De Gallo had said, in our various conversations relative to this island, that nothing had been sent by the governor of Syracuse—secretly, was the word used to us—or openly, to this island! and I am further assured, that the governor of Syracuse never had any orders sent him, to supply the smallest article. I beg your excellency will state this, in confidence, to General Acton. I shall most assuredly tell it the king. ”

“ Having the firmest confidence in the ability, bravery, and zeal, of yourself, and all placed under your command, I have only to heartily wish you success; and to assure you, that I am your most obedient and faithful servant,
"Horatio Nelson." ”

“ The introductory compliment which had been paid by Sir William Hamilton, to Captain Nelson's transcendent abilities, was not ill requited by one of the latter's first salutations of the worthy envoy—"Sir William," said he, in consequence of the dispatch made use of in obtaining the Neapolitan troops, "you are a man after my own heart: you do business in my own way! I am, now, only a captain; but I will, if I live, be at the top of the tree." ”

“ Let them repose the most perfect reliance in the courage, judgment, and skill, of their superior officers; and let them aid the designs of these, by uniformly submissive obedience, and willing subordination: so shall the British navy continue to prove the admiration of the world, till time shall be no more.
"Immediately after the action, some Maltese, Genoese, and Spaniards, who had been serving on board the French fleet, offered their services in the British; and, being accepted, expressed the greatest happiness, at thus being freed, as they said, from the tyranny and cruelty of the French." ”

“ The correct conduct of every officer and man in the squadron, on the 14th instant, made it improper to distinguish one more than another, in my public letter; because I am confident that, had those who were least in action been in the situation of the fortunate few, their behaviour would not have been less meritorious: yet, to your lordship, it becomes me to state, that Captain Troubridge, in the Culloden, led the squadron through the enemy in a masterly stile, and tacked the instant the signal flew; and was gallantly supported by the Blenheim, Prince George, Orion, Irresistible, and Colossus. ”

“ This wound seems to have been inflicted by langridge shot, or a piece of iron; which, cutting his forehead at right angles, the skin hung over his face, Captain Berry, fortunately happening to be sufficiently near, caught the admiral in his arms, and prevented him from falling. It was, at first, the universal opinion, that their beloved commander had been shot through the head; and, indeed, the appearance was rendered dreadfully alarming, by the hanging skin and the copious effusion of blood. Not a man on board was now solicitous for his own life ”

“ As war was his element, he could have no hope of any opportunity to demonstrate his wonderful abilities till that national calamity should arrive: and, though he was much too good and pious a man, to be desirous of war, for no other purpose than a display of his own skill and valour; he was, at the same time, far too wise and wary, to imagine that a nation so rich in commerce as Great Britain, surrounded by artful, envious, and powerful enemies, would be permitted long to preserve an honourable state of public tranquillity. ”