The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2Harrison, James
History
The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 2
Harrison, James
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Biography; Nelson, Horatio Nelson, Viscount, 1758-1805
Captain Murray, having been relieved from his station, by a squadron
under Rear-Admiral Totty, met Lord Nelson, with four sail of the line,
off the north end of Gothland; and, on the 23d, at three in the morning,
his lordship joined the rear-admiral off Gothland. He left him, however,
the same evening; and, having sent the Ganges, Defence, and Veteran, to
water in Kioge Bay, anchored next day off Rostock. His lordship had now
not only received letters from the Russian government of an indisputably
amicable tendency, but his Imperial Majesty, Alexander the First, with a
wisdom and candour which do him the highest honour, absolutely sent
Admiral Tchitchagoff for the purpose of holding a confidential
communication with the British commander in chief. His lordship,
accordingly, in a conference with this brave and worthy Russian admiral,
soon became satisfied that the emperor, like his own most gracious
sovereign, was sincerely disposed to enter into an amicable arrangement,
and they respectively exchanged written documents to that effect; thus
proving, that two honest and wise seamen are by no means such bad
pacific negociators as might be imagined. Nor was this all; for, on the
26th, Lord Nelson received an invitation to visit the Emperor
Alexander, in a letter from the Comte de Pahlen, which also apprised his
lordship that the British merchant ships, unjustly detained by his
imperial majesty's late predecessor, were now ordered to be liberated.
To this pleasing communication, his lordship instantly returned the
following answer, by the Russian lugger which brought his letter from
the count.
"St. George, Rostock Bay,
10 o'clock at night, 26th May 1801.
"SIR,
"I am this moment honoured with your excellency's flattering letter
of May 6, O.S. and I assure you, that his imperial majesty's
justice has filled the idea I had formed of his excellent heart and
head; and, I am sure, the handsome manner in which the embargo has
been taken off the British shipping, will give the greatest
pleasure to my good and gracious sovereign. I am truly sensible of
the great honour done me, by the invitation of his imperial
majesty; and, at a future time, I hope to have the pleasure of
presenting my humble duty. I have now only to pray that a permanent
(which must be honourable) peace, may be re-established between our
gracious sovereigns; and, that our august masters reigns may be
blessed with every happiness which this world can afford: and I beg
that your excellency will believe, that I am, with the highest
respect, your most obedient and very humble servant,
Nelson and Bronte.
His Excellency the Comte de Pahlen."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account