"I see the finest country in the world full of resources, yet not 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. Everything else is, I have no doubt, going on in the same system of thieving. I could give Mr. Pitt so many instances of the greatest mal-content of persons in office, and of those very people being rewarded. If money could be placed in the Public Chest at this moment, I believe it would be well used; for the sad thing in this country is, that, although much is raised, yet very little reaches the Public Chest. I will give you a fact: when the Order of Jesuits was suppressed in this country and Sicily, they possessed very large estates. Although these, with every other part of their property, were seized by the Crown, yet, to this moment, not one farthing has reached the Public Chest. On the contrary, some years the pretended expense of management was more than the produce. Taxes have been sold for sums of money, which now are five times more than when sold. "I told all this to Emma; to which she replied that she knew it better than I, but as it had been in the beginning in Italy, so it was now, and ever should be. To which I replied, like a great brute--though I could see she was not far from crying, and scolded myself half the night for my roughness to her--'That it would all have to end, and that it would be fortunate if the Kingdom did not end first.' "_21st November._--Have wrote to my brother, the Reverend Mr. Nelson, of Hillborough, to tell him how earnestly I pray that the victory of which it has pleased God to make me a principal may be useful to my family. As to myself, the probability is that I shall never take my seat in the House of Peers. My health has declined very much, and nothing keeps me on service but the thought that I am doing good. "_'Vanguard,' 22nd November._--Ordered Commodore Stone, of Her Faithful Majesty's ship _Rainha_, to remain at this place, and to keep his ship complete with provisions and water, to put to sea at a moment's warning; and, in case of any unforeseen accident, to follow the direction of Sir William Hamilton, and embark the families and effects of the English and Portuguese, if necessary.