"Nelson."
Nor did this generous man, for whose just praise language must ever be
at a loss, rise from the table at which he had penned the above letter
of thanks, till his liberal soul, invited every dear relative in the
first degree to a kind participation of the bounty which he had just
received; by making out drafts, of five hundred pounds each, for his
venerable father--his elder brother, Maurice Nelson, Esq. of the Navy
Office--the Reverend Dr. Nelson, the present Earl--and his two most
amiable sisters, Mrs. Bolton and Mrs. Matcham: thus nobly disposing of a
fourth part of what he had so honourably acquired, in a way which must
ever reflect unfading glory on his memory, and no inconsiderable lustre
on the characters of those who were thought thus uniformly entitled to
the tender regards of such an exalted as well as kindred mind. It will
scarcely be supposed possible, that any human being could convert this
generous token of his lordship's affection and esteem for his family,
into a cause of violent complaint. There was one person, however, who
did complain on the occasion; and that with such piteous lamentations,
as absolutely induced his lordship's father, in whose house she was at
the same time residing, to decline accepting his portion of his son's
most honourable gift. The mention of this undoubted fact, has no other
object, than to demonstrate how very distant from a unity of sentiment,
in some important respects, Lady Nelson and her illustrious husband,
must necessarily have been; the unfortunate want of which, is ever
likely to occasion a proportionable degree of connubial infelicity, and
to account for all it's disagreeable consequences, without resorting to
grosser motives.
On the 6th of July, Captain Ball, who had been commanding at St. Elmo
with Captain Troubridge, was ordered by Lord Nelson to resume his
situation at Malta; for which place he accordingly sailed in the
Alexander, with the Portuguese ship Alfonso de Albequerque, and Captain
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