"_Dec. 7th._--On my arrival here from Leghorn I received a letter from Lord Spencer, communicating to me the title His Majesty had been generously pleased to confer on me. An honour, his lordship was pleased to add, the highest that has ever been conferred on an officer of my standing, who is not a Commander-in-chief. It should have been a Viscount at the least. I am not, I hope, a vain man, but this is due to the fine fellows who won my victory. It goes to show that the granting of honours is geographical: now, if it had been at the mouth of the Thames and not at the Nile, I should be by this a Duke, judging by the scale of recent rewards. The suspense of men's minds would have been so awful until the thing was settled that ministers would have been carried away by the pressure. It would be good for the Service if ministers were carried away sometimes. Greater recognition could not be given to the victory of my fleet, _because I was not a Commander-in-chief_. As if this made things easier. They cannot be insensible to the difficulties I have to encounter in not being a Commander-in-chief; indeed, with any other Commander-in-chief except my dear old friend, Lord St. Vincent, I should never have got to the Nile at all, much less conquered the French. Himself what is called a Conservative officer, there never was a more generous chief to officers detailed for particular duties. He not only gave me ten more ships, but his ten best ships; and so he does for all. God knows the strain it all was, and the bitter moment of my return to Syracuse! The only happy moment I felt was in the view of the French. Then I knew that all my sufferings would soon be at an end. "And concerning this matter of the _Culloden_, I hope and believe the word 'engaged' is not intended to exclude her. I hope that the merit of that ship and her gallant Captain are too well known to benefit by anything I could say. Her misfortune was great in getting aground, while her more fortunate companions were in the full tide of happiness. No; I am confident that my good Lord Spencer will never add misery to misfortune. Indeed, no person has a right to know that the _Culloden_ was not as warmly engaged as any ship in the Squadron. Captain Troubridge on shore is superior to other captains afloat. In the midst of his great misfortunes he made those signals which prevented certainly the _Alexander_ and _Swiftsure_ from running on the Shoal. "Have written to Lord Spencer about it--I begged his pardon for writing on the subject, because I verily believe that it has never entered his Lordship's head; but my heart, as it ought to be, is warmed to my gallant friends.