The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 1Harrison, James
History
The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 1
Harrison, James
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Biography; Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805
thirty pounders on the lower deck, and twelve pounders on the upper!"
Captain Thompson and his officers no sooner arrived on board Le
Genereux, than they were plundered of every article they had possessed,
except the apparel which covered them. On this harsh treatment, they
vainly expostulated with the captain, and reminded him of the different
situation of the French officers made prisoners by Admiral Nelson. He
coolly answered--"I am sorry for it; but, the truth is, that the French
are good at plundering." Captain Berry expressed his wish to have a pair
of pistols returned, and pointed out the man who had stolen them.
Captain Lejoille, Jun. by immediately securing them for himself, proved
the truth, in his own person, of what he had just observed respecting
French expertness at pillage: for, though he told Captain Berry that he
would give him, in return, a pair of French pistols, to protect him on
his journey home, this mean French officer never performed his promise.
To such a pitch, indeed, did these miscreants carry their cruelty and
theft, that they purloined the English surgeon's instruments, while he
was performing operations on the wounded; and nearly rendered mortal the
wound of Captain Thompson, by forcibly obstructing his attendance. In
short, the miseries suffered by this unfortunate crew, both before and
after their arrival at Corfu, were greater than, it is to be hoped, for
the honour of humanity, often occurs on such occasions; bad as the usage
of the French is generally described to be--not, indeed, by English
speculative writers; but by brave men, speaking from their own
melancholy and repeated experience!
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. General illuminations, both in town and country,
were continued for three days; and every other species of public
rejoicing, demonstrative of universal admiration, affection, and
gratitude, to the Hero of the Nile, and his brave associates in arms,
prevailed for several weeks. Even infants were instructed to articulate
the name of Nelson; and to clap their little hands, with transport, in
rapturous applauses of the preserver and protector of innocence, from
their threatened invaders, the corrupters and destroyers of the human
race.
Subscriptions were immediately opened, for the relief of the widows and
children of all those brave men who had lost their lives on this
glorious occasion; and a large fund was soon established, by a committee
at Lloyd's coffee-house, Cornhill, the beneficial effects of which have
since been prodigiously extended.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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