brave fellow could have witnessed our rejoicings, but he is gone ;I mean my friend Nelson. You knew well my attachment and friendship for him, and you can, therefore, easily conceive what I must have felt, at the moment of the most brilliant Victory, to lose my friend covered with glory, and entitled to the first honours of a grateful Country. I did not think it was possible, but for one of my dearest relations, to have felt what I have, and what I do still, for poor Nelson. "I shall now conclude, as I trust to see you shortly; but I must request you will let me know the day that we may arrange your reception. You cannot refuse the pleasure to several young ladies and gentlemen, who talk of nothing else but the brave Captain Hargood.' Adieu! and ever believe me, dear Hargood, yours most sincerely, “WILLIAM 5.” TO CAPTAIN SIR EDWARD BERRY, BART. "Dear Sir, [Autograph.] “Bushy House, April 2nd, 1806. "Your letter of 15th last November reached me of course, and by some accident has been mislaid; since which public affairs and indisposition have kept me silent. But yours from St. Domingo brought Trafalgar back to my mind, and I now therefore take up my pen to congratulate you on being safe after two such Actions. Many and brave men fell on the 23rd October, and the success was brilliant, but the Country has to lament her Hero, and through life I cannot forget my friend. "In this last Action everything has been done that discipline, valour, and zeal could effect; and it is a real pleasure to me that wherever our Navy is employed, the brave fellows go to certain victory. I congratulate you most heartily on being quite well after two such Actions, and hope you will be in many more, and enjoy in them all the same good fortune, both publicly and privately, as you have off Cadiz and off St. Domingo.-Ever believe me, dear Sir, yours most sincerely, "WILLIAM." This is, perhaps, the appropriate place to advert to the fate of the two Admirals who commanded the French and Spanish Fleets at Trafalgar, and who speedily followed their conqueror to the grave. 5 Memoir of Admiral Sir William Hargood, p. 156. The following English Admirals slain in Battle, or taken prisoners by the Enemy, collected from the earliest periods, is given in the "Naval Chronicle," vol. xv. p. 409:-Admiral Sir Thomas Knevet, blown up in action with the French Fleet, 1512; Admiral Sir Edward Howard, slain in action with the French Fleet, near Brest, 1513; Admiral Sir Richard Granville, slain in action with the Spanish Fleet, 1591; Rear-Admiral Peck, slain in battle with the Dutch Fleet, 1652; Admiral Deane, slain in battle with the Dutch Fleet, 1653; Rear-Admiral Sampson, slain in battle with the Dutch Fleet, 1665; ViceAdmiral Lawson, slain in battle with the Dutch Fleet, 1665; Vice-Admiral Sir Admiral Gravina, whose arm was shattered by a grape shot in the Action, died of the effects of the wound on the 9th of March 1806; and the event was thus communicated to Lord Collingwood by the Marquis de Solana: "Cadiz, March. "It is too true that Admiral Gravina died on the 9th instant, from the effects of his wound. His loss has been very afflicting to me; for he had all the qualities of a true Officer and a good friend. The feeling expressions with which your Excellency mentions him are very flattering to me; and I value them the more from the generous character of your Excellency, who knows so well how to discover real merit, and to appreciate it accordingly "." Lord Malmesbury relates the following remarkable circumstance, which affords another proof that the rivalry of great men tends to increase their esteem for each other: "Dr. Fellowes, who lately travelled round Spain to investigate the causes of the yellow fever, saw Gravina (the Spanish Admiral at Trafalgar) lying wounded at Cadiz, a few days before his death. He had refused to have his arm amputated. He told Dr. Fellowes, I am a dying man, but I hope and trust that I am going to join the greatest Hero the world almost ever produced.' Dr. Fellowes related this himself to Lady Malmesbury." The fate of Vice-Admiral Villeneuve was much more lamentable. He was conveyed a prisoner to England, and having obtained his parole, landed at Morlaix on the 22nd or 23rd of April 1806, and proceeded to Rennes, where he is supposed to have committed suicide on the 26th of that month, to avoid encountering the frowns of Buonaparte, and the chance of degradation, if not disgrace. A letter from Mr. Pole Carew, dated at Antony, in Cornwall, on the 3rd of December 1805, to Lord Sidmouth, contains the following William Berkeley, slain in battle with the Dutch Fest 1866 komen the "ver qu Ayscue, taken prisoner by the Dutch Poza 1966. Rea-ktavru Komes eller f battle with the Dutch Fleet, 1666; komen te Bar of been files a with the Dutch Fleet, 1672: Rear-Laura by Petener tusen dann n selle eik the Dutch Fleet, 1672; Adara to kovat trup d Dutch Fleet, 1673; Rear-Abara Cara lost Rear-Admiral Benbow, dot of us wound the winer, la 21 UR 14 door wan Admirals killed or taken priamen vy the keys to of Dutch Admirals i vam pruner big a Admirals, slain, &c. 21; iu kuras slain, &c., 16;— maing a wnde 7 Correspondence vi lært Charge s anecdote of Admiral Villeneuve. After speaking of Nelson's death, Mr. Carew said "Indeed the words of Villeneuve, who was spoken with off Falmouth, while I was there, bespeak a little the impression made on the Enemy by the general conduct of our Fleet. To any other Nation (said he) the loss of a Nelson would have been irreparable, but in the British Fleet off Cadiz, every Captain was a Nelson "." Lord Sidmouth's reply to that letter on the 12th of the same month, afforded him an opportunity of paying an elegant tribute to his friend's memory: "Your report of Villeneuve's language delighted me, as indeed I have been by every particular of that unrivalled achievement, the value and importance of which are continually increasing. Of my friend, whom I truly loved and honoured, I can only say, 'Felix vitæ claritate, felix opportunitate mortis !'" Great and unprecedented as had been the Honours paid to Nelson's memory, it yet remained for the Legislature to show the National gratitude for his services, by measures which should perpetuate his deeds, and provide adequately for those who might be destined to bear a name which he had rendered immortal. Parliament met on the 21st of January 1806, and was opened by Commission. The Speech delivered by the Lord Chancellor commenced in the following manner : "My Lords and Gentlemen,-In pursuance of the authority given to us by His Majesty's commission under the great seal, amongst other things, to declare the cause of his holding this Parliament, His Majesty has directed us particularly to call your attention to the most decisive success with which Providence has vouchsafed to bless His Majesty's Arms at Sea, since you were last assembled in Parliament. "The activity and perseverance of His Majesty's Fleets, have been conspicuously displayed in the pursuit and attack of the different Squadrons of the Enemy, and every encounter has terminated to the honour of the British flag, and the diminution of the Naval force of the Powers with whom His Majesty is at war; but the Victory obtained over the Combined Fleet of France and Spain, off Cape Trafalgar, has manifested, beyond any exploit recorded even in the Annals of the British Navy, the skill and enterprise of His Majesty's Officers and Seamen; and the destruction of so large a proportion of the Naval strength of the Enemy, has not only confirmed, in the most signal manner, the maritime superiority of this Country, but has essentially contributed to the security of His Majesty's Dominions. His Majesty most deeply regrets that the triumph of that day should have been unhappily clouded by the fall of the heroic Com • Autograph in the Sidmouth Papers. mander under whom it was achieved; and he is persuaded that you will feel that this lamented, but most glorious termination of a series of transcendent exploits, claims a distinguished expression of the lasting gratitude of this Country, and that you will therefore cheerfully concur in enabling His Majesty to annex to those Honours which he has conferred on the late Lord Viscount Nelson, such a mark of National munificence, as may preserve, to the latest posterity, the memory of his name and services, and the benefit of his great example." In moving the Address in the House of Lords, the EARL OF ESSEX observed :: "The activity and perseverance which had been displayed in pursuing the fleets of the enemy, the vigour with which they were attacked when found, and the admirable skill with which that attack was directed, were among the most brilliant achievements in the Naval annals of England. Great as the Victory of Trafalgar was, the universal sorrow with which the intelligence of the heroic Commander who fell in it was received by the Country, proved that the triumph of that day had not been cheaply purchased. Venerating, as their Lordships undoubtedly must, the services, the character of the immortal Commander of the British Fleet upon that occasion, with the sentiment which every one must feel of the great services which he had rendered to the Country, asserting at once the supremacy of its Naval power, and providing, by the almost total destruction of the Combined Fleet, for its safety, it was impossible that any one in the House could feel disposed to oppose that part of His Majesty's Speech which recommended to Parliament to enable His Majesty to annex to the Honours which he had conferred on the family of that Commander a fit mark of national munificence." The Address was seconded by LORD CARLETON, who said: "The glorious Victory of Trafalgar is an event of such magnitude and importance, that it is hardly possible for the imagination to conceive any other more transcendant: it is superior to almost every other Naval action for which our history is so famons. unparalleled valour displayed by all the individuals engaged in t Action, and the unexampled ability and skill with which it conducted, has been a subject of admiration to this Country and the whole of the world. Never was so great an enemy ay completely destroyed. The Naval skill and the valour displayed on glorious occasion was never equalled, and will never sa ma Every man who recollects the signal given by the tr achieved the successes, England expects that wen duty,' must be struck with a still higher deres of w हैं that part of His Majesty's Speech which recommends a munificent recompence to the representatives of the deceased Hero, to whom every individual in the Country, from the highest to the lowest, is so greatly indebted for his security." LORD GRENVILLE observed: "There could not be the slightest difference of opinion, with respect to that part of the Address which related to the Victory off Trafalgar : every man must concur in any measure, calculated to evince the sense which the Nation entertains of the brilliant and meritorious services of the late Lord Viscount Nelson, and to enable His Majesty so make the most splendid provision for those to whom his honours had devolved." In the House of Commons the Address was moved by LORD FRANCIS SPENCER, who, with reference to that part of the Speech which alluded to the Battle of Trafalgar and Lord Nelson, remarked :— "For those brilliant successes of His Majesty's Arms by sea, which have so eminently distinguished the Naval history of the past year, I am confident the House will fully coincide in the sentiments expressed in His Majesty's Speech; but, above all, in what relates to the glorious and ever-memorable Victory off Cape Trafalgar, under the gallant and justly regretted Hero who achieved that proud triumph for his Country before he had nobly fallen in her cause, and left her to deplore a loss, in which, I am convinced, every man who hears him, sincerely participates the concern expressed by His Majesty and I feel the strongest reliance that the House, in its liberality, and justice to the memory of that great and gallant Commander, will cheerfully meet the Royal wishes, and enable His Majesty to add to the Honours already conferred upon his family, such signal rewards as shall mark the public gratitude for the important victories, and the public security which the Nation so eminently owes to his prowess. But, Sir, while the Country has such proud and distinguished cause of triumph in her Naval successes during the last year, and more particularly in that of the Victory off Cape Trafalgar, I am confident the House must deeply participate in those feelings of regret, expressed by His Majesty, for the reverses sustained by our Allies on the Continent, and the melancholy issue of the late campaign." MR. AINSLIE seconded the Address; but he merely adverted in common-place words to the Battle of Trafalgar. On the side of the Opposition LORD HENRY PETTY (now MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE) spoke of Nelson in the most generous terms : "To that part of the proposed Address which relates to the glorious Victory off Cape Trafalgar, and the respect to be paid to the memory of the Hero whose loss the Country has to deplore on the occasion of that memorable day, I am sure there is none in this House can have any objection. When alive he united all men |