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 Louis, who had been sent to the French governor of the fortress
of Gaieta, with the terms of capitulation entered into between Lord
Nelson and the commandant of Capua for the surrender of Gaieta, was to
have immediate possession of the gates; and, within twenty-four hours,
to embark the garrison. Some objections, however, being raised by the
governor, which he expressed in writing, Captain Louis was induced to
send them to his lordship; who instantly returned, for answer, that he
was hurt, and surprised, the capitulation had not been complied with.
"It shall be," said his lordship, "and the commander has agreed to it. I
have not read your paper inclosed. You will execute my orders, or attack
it. The Fellow ought to be kicked, for his impudence."
This French governor, it seems, with true Gallic insolence, had the
audacity to require, among other unreasonable conditions, that they
should embark horses for France, as well as carry away all the pillaged
property; but Lord Nelson was not thus to be trifled with. "The greatest
care," said his lordship, in a letter of the 3d of August, to Captain
Darby, "is to be taken that no property, which they did not bring with
them into the country can be theirs, or is suffered to be carried away.
We are to send them to France: and will, properly; but, not as they
dictate. As to horses, it is nonsense; as well might they say--_We will
carry a house_! If the fellow is a scoundrel, he must be threshed."
A letter of this date, however, from Captain Louis, informed his
lordship that the matter was settled; in answer to which, he thus
expresses himslef--"i was sorry that you had entered into any
altercation with the scoundrel. The capitulation once signed, there
could be no room for dispute. There is no way of dealing with a
Frenchman, but to knock him down. To be civil to them, is only to be
laughed at, when they are enemies."
We tremble, in this age of refinement, for the fate of so rough a
sentiment; but, perhaps, we ought rather to tremble for that of the age
which is become so refined. It will, at least, not be disputed, by
posterity, that no man ever knew better than Lord Nelson, how to deal
properly with Frenchmen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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