"We lodge in a pleasant French family, and have our dinners sent from a _traiteur's_. There are two very agreeable young ladies, daughters, who _honour_ us with their company pretty often. One always makes our breakfast, and the other our tea, and play a game at cards in the evening. Therefore I must learn French, if 'tis only for the pleasure of talking to them; for they do not speak a word of English. Here are a great number of English in this place; but we visit only two families; for, if I did, I should never speak French. Two noble captains are here--Ball and Shepard. You do not know, I believe, either of them. They wear fine epaulettes, for which I think them great coxcombs. They have not visited me; and I shall not, be assured, court their acquaintance. You must be heartily tired of this long epistle, if you can read it; but I have the worst pen in the world, and I can't mend it. God bless you; and, be assured, I am your sincere friend, and affectionate humble servant, "Horatio Nelson." In another letter from St Omer, he returns to the charge against Dandy Ball and Shepard:-- "Here are two navy captains, Ball and Shepard, at this place; but we do not visit. They are very fine gentlemen, with epaulettes. You may suppose, I hold them a little _cheap_ for putting on any part of a Frenchman's uniform." And in a short time after, he seems to have made up his mind on two very important points--politics and the French people. To his brother William. "... As to your having enlisted under the banners of the Walpoles, [Whigs,] you might as well have enlisted under those of my grandmother. They are altogether the merest set of cyphers that ever existed--in public affairs, I mean. Mr Pitt, depend upon it, will stand against all opposition. An honest man must always, in the end, get the better of a _villain_. But I have done with politics. Let who will get in, I shall be left out." "In about a week or fortnight, I think of returning to the Continent till autumn, when I shall bring a horse, and stay the winter at Burnham. I return to many charming women; but _no charming woman_ will return with me. I want to be a proficient in the language, which is my only reason for returning. I hate their country and their manners."