TO GEORGE NAYLER, ESQ., YORK HERALD.

[Autograph, in the possession of Albert William Woods, Esq., Lancaster Herald.] Victory, off Toulon, October 19th, 1803.

My dear Sir,

You will receive herewith a letter from Sir Richard Bickerton, relative to his being gazetted for wearing the Order of the Crescent. I believe that this matter is in your line, and, therefore, recommended you to him. At the same time, I told him that Government was to pay the expenses of the warrant, &c. &c., as had been done for all the other Officers; therefore, if Government will not pay you all and every expense, do not undertake the task without a further correspondence with Sir Richard, or I shall get into a scrape. I have sent to Sicily for the Arms of Bronté, and the Herald's College there has sent for my English Arms, in order that they may be enrolled amongst those of the Sicilian Nobility; therefore, you will be so good as to send me out the same sort of thing which I sent to Germany. I very much doubt that I ever paid for that, and several other things which you have done for me; therefore, I desire (for in a man's trade there are no compliments) that you will send me out your regular bill, for I suppose you cannot live upon air; and if you are never paid, how is the pot to boil? When I take the French Fleet, which I hope to do before Christmas, I suppose there will be more alterations. I am, dear Sir, with every good wish, your most obliged and obedient servant,

NELSON AND Bronte.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD HAWKESBURY, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 333.]

20th October, 1803.

I am happy in having anticipated your Lordship's wishes, by corresponding with Constantinople. The French Fleet from Toulon has as many destinations as there are Countries;

5 Afterwards Sir George Nayler, K.H., Garter Principal King of Arms: he died in October 1831,

VOL. V.

for it is certainly by no means sure that Buonaparte always makes War upon his Enemies. It is more to his advantage sometimes to attack his Friends, especially if they are weak, and wish to defend themselves. I have lately added to our Force, destined principally to watch the French Army in the Heel of Italy, and it is under a very intelligent Officer, Captain Cracraft,-Anson, 44; Juno, 32; Arrow, 20; Bittern, 18; Morgiana, 18. With this force, I think we have done all that is possible to save the Morea and the Seven Islands, and to prevent that Army passing to Egypt. I am, &c.,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN HOOKHAM FRERE, MADRID.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 333.]

[Apparently about 20th October, 1803.]

I trust that Spain will be too wise to go to War with us. We ought, by mutual consent, to be the very best friends, and both to be ever hostile to France. As probably this letter will be read before it gets to you, I can only tell the reader, that a British Fleet never was in higher order, health, and good humour, than the one I have the happiness to command; and if the French do not rue the day when we get alongside of them, it will not be the fault of the Captains, Officers, or Men, but must be [that] of your Excellency's most obedient servant,

NELSON AND Bronte.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD HOBART, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

My Lord,

[Autograph, in the Colonial Office.]

Victory, off Toulon, October 20th, 1803.

I transmit your Lordship a copy of my last letter from Corfu, which will inform you of the state of those Islands and the Morea.

I have added to the Squadron which I had already stationed to watch the French Army, two more fine Sloops of War, and

ordered Captain Cracraft, the Senior Officer, and a very able Sea Officer, to give his attention to the Republic of the Seven Islands, and the Mouth of the Archipelago. His Squadron is now composed of the

24-pounders.

Anson Juno.

Therefore, it is clear that I have kept myself very short of Frigates, in order that other services should not be pinched. I have, &c.

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO CAPTAIN SIR EDWARD BERRY,

[Autograph, in the possession of Lady Berry.]

My dear Sir Edward,

Victory, off Toulon, October 20th, 1803.

I received your kind letter, by the Childers, on the 6th instant. You are right to be as quiet as you can, although it is vexing to be unemployed at such a moment; but it is useless to fret oneself to death, when the folks aloft don't care a pin about it. Although we have constant and very hard gales of wind, yet this place is certainly very healthy-much preferable for an invalid to either Channel or North Seas. Young Forster has gone with Captain Layman in the Weazle: this Ship was too large. The Seahorse is with me, and you may be assured Mr. Steele' shall be put upon some Quarter-deck. I will mention your wishes to Lord St. Vincent within these two minutes: what effect it will have, time must show. It will have my sincere good wishes; for I am ever, my dear Sir Edward, ever yours, faithfully,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

Mr. William Forster, son of Thompson Forster, Esq., a Surgeon in London, and first cousin of Sir Edward and Lady Berry: he was acting as Lieutenant in the Colossus, at Trafalgar, and was so severely wounded that he died at Gibraltar a week after the Battle.

7 Mr. Steele did not enter the Navy.

case,

TO MISS HORATIA NELSON THOMSON.

[Autograph, in the possession of Mrs. Horatia Nelson Ward.]

My dear Child,

Victory, off Toulon, October 21st, 1803.

Receive this first letter from your most affectionate Father. If I live, it will be my pride to see you virtuously brought up; but if it pleases God to call me, I trust to Himself: in that I have left Lady H. your guardian. I therefore charge you, my Child, on the value of a Father's blessing, to be obedient and attentive to all her kind admonitions and instructions. At this moment I have left you, in a Codicil' dated the 6th of September, the sum of four thousand pounds sterling, the interest of which is to be paid to your guardian for your maintenance and education. I shall only say, my dear Child, may God Almighty bless you and make you an ornament to your sex, which I am sure you will be if you attend to all Lady H.'s kind instructions; and be assured that I am, my dear Horatia, your most affectionate Father,

NELSON AND BRONTE.

TO ALEXANDER DAVISON, ESQ.

[Autograph, in the possession of Colonel Davison.]

My dear Davison,

Victory, off Toulon, October 21st, 1803.

Your original letter of the 15th of August I received by the Childers, and I have not seen a single Vessel since, that could

The following is a copy of the remarkable Codicil to his Will, dated on the 6th of September, 1803, in which Lord Nelson made the bequest to his daughter:"I give and bequeath to Miss Horatia Nelson Thomson (who was baptized on the 13th day of May last, in the Parish of St. Mary-le-bone, in the County of Middlesex, by Benjamin Lawrence, Curate, and John Willock, Assistant-Clerk, and whom I acknowledge as my adopted daughter) the sum of £4000 sterling money of Great Britain, to be paid at the expiration of six months after my decease, or sooner, if possible; and I leave my dearest friend Emma Lady Hamilton, sole guardian of the said Horatia Nelson Thomson, until she shall have arrived at the age of eighteen years; and the interest of the said £4000 to be paid to Lady Hamilton for her education and maintenance. This request of guardianship I earnestly make to Lady Hamilton, knowing that she will educate my adopted child in the paths of religion and virtue, and give her those accomplishments which so much adorn herself, and I hope make her a fit wife for my dear nephew, Horatio Nelson, who I wish to marry her, if he should prove worthy, in Lady Hamilton's estimation, of such a treasure as I am sure she will be."

give me the least news. We are looking out for a Spanish War, and for the sailing of the French Fleet, both very great events to us. Our weather has never been good, but it is now terrible. Such a place for storms of wind I never met with, and I am unfortunately in bad weather, always sea-sick. We ought to be amply repaid some day for all our toil. I trust before next winter that we shall have Peace, and be all quiet at home. By a Vessel just spoke from Marseilles, they report that 40,000 Troops are marching into the South of Italy, but we can believe nothing these Neutrals say; and yet it may be true enough, if they intend to cross to the Morea, or Egypt. I am ever, my dear Davison, most affectionately yours, NELSON and Bronte.

Hardy desires his compliments.

TO COUNT MOCENIGO, RUSSIAN ENVOY IN THE IONIAN

ISLANDS.

[From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. ii. p. 334.]

22nd October, 1803.

I have been honoured with your Excellency's letters respecting the detention of three Vessels, belonging, as was reported to your Excellency, to the Republic of the Seven Isles, with cargoes the property of Subjects of other Powers, the Vessels being chartered; and that the Papers were not delivered to the Consul of the Republic of the Seven Isles at Malta. I have been positively ordered to give directions for observing, not only the Neutrality of the Seven Isles, but, in case of need, to assist them against the French. These orders I notified on my first arrival; and your Excellency will believe, that I did not fail to give the very strictest directions to his Majesty's Fleet for their being observed.

Admitting the statement of your Excellency to be just, as to the mode of procedure of the Captain of the Frigate, in not delivering the Papers to the Consul of the Seven Isles at Malta, your Excellency will, I am sure, agree with me, that it has been, in that respect, perfectly correct; for the Captor is obliged to make oath, that he has delivered every Paper found, to the Commissioners appointed by the High Court of