"MY DEAR LORD,
"I have much to say; but am unable to write, or speak, half so much as my duty would make it right: therefore, I must be brief. On my fortunate arrival here, I found a most infamous treaty entered into with the rebels, in direct disobedience of his Sicilian Majesty's orders. I had the happiness of saving his majesty's honour; rejecting, with disdain, any terms but unconditional submission to rebels. Your lordship will observe my note and opinion to the cardinal. The rebels came out of the castle with this knowledge, without any honours; and the principal rebels were seized, and conducted on board the ships of the squadron. The others, embarked in fourteen polacres, were anchored under the care of our ships. His majesty has entirely approved of my conduct in this matter. I presume to recommend Captain Troubridge for some mark of his majesty's favour: it would be supposing you, my dear lord, were ignorant of his merits, was I to say more than that he is a first-rate general. The king holds his levees on the quarter-deck of the Foudroyant, at the same hour as he did when in his palace. His Majesty's health is perfect, and he is in the highest spirits and good humour. May I offer my kindest respects to Lady Spencer; and, believe me, I am sensible of her goodness. Lieutenant Parkinson will, I am sure, meet with your kind protection; he is an officer of great merit. Lord Keith writes me, if certain events take place, it may be necessary to draw down this squadron for the protection of Minorca. Should such an order come, at this moment, it would be a cause for some consideration, whether Minorca is to be risked, or the two kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. I rather think, my decision would be, to risk the former. I am told, the alteration of the government is began in this capital, by the abolition of the feudal system, and that it is meant to be continued through the country. Sir John Acton is with his majesty: I need not say more, than that he has the wisest and most honest head in this kingdom. Sir William and Lady Hamilton are, to my great comfort, with me; for, without them, it would have been impossible I could have rendered half the service to his majesty which I have now done: their heads, and their hearts, are equally great and good. With every sentiment of respect and attachment, believe me, my dear lord, your obliged and faithful
"Nelson."
"Earl Spencer."
In the public letter to Evan Nepean, Esq. which inclosed the several dispatches, Lord Nelson also recommends Lieutenant Parkinson, who is the bearer, to the notice of the Lords of the Admiralty; observing, that this officer is sent, by desire of his Sicilian Majesty, to mark that monarch's approbation of his lordship's conduct. Then, apologising for the brevity of his letter, when he has so much to communicate, his lordship adds, that he is writing in a fever, and finds it barely possible to keep out of bed; but, to the last, begs he will assure the board, that every exertion shall be made for the honour of his king and country.
By the surrender of St Elmo, the King of Naples had once more the satisfaction to behold his own flag waving over the capital, and all the forts by which it was defended. The only places now remaining in the hands of the French and his Neapolitan Majesty's rebellious subjects, were Capua and Gaieta. Against the former of these, on the 14th, Captains Troubridge and Hallowell began to make preparations, by landing a thousand men from the squadron; which, uniting with four thousand other troops, of various denominations, marched in a few days to effect it's reduction.
On the 17th, Lord Nelson, by the desire of his Sicilian Majesty, sent a letter to Captain Troubridge, directing him, when he sent in a summons to the commander of the French troops in Capua, to state that, on condition of immediately giving up Capua and Gaieta, both being under his command, the French garrisons, after laying down their arms, should be permitted to go to France without any restrictions; but, if this were not complied with, they should be considered as prisoners of war, with as degrading terms as it was in his power to give them: in short, the allies must dictate the terms. To this letter, there was a remarkable postscript; which serves to shew, with what marked contempt his lordship regarded those whom he had reason to consider as traitors—"There is a person," says his lordship, "who has been a notorious rebel; but, now, pretends to serve his king faithfully. If he should attempt to come even into your presence, I earnestly request, that you will never voluntarily admit him to your sight, much less speak to him; for honour and loyalty, which you possess, never ought to be contaminated with infamy and rebellion. His name is said to be Roccaromara." There can be no doubt, that Lord Nelson had good reasons for this positive caution: the want of which might, perhaps, have been prejudicial to the expedition; if not fatal to this his lordship's favourite commander, for whose honour and welfare he was to the full as solicitous as for his own.
Just as every thing was arranged, ready to march against Capua, the event which his lordship had anticipated in his letter to Earl Spencer actually occurred. A peremptory order arrived, on the 19th, from Lord Keith, directing him to detach, immediately, from the Island of Sicily, the whole of his squadron—or such part, at least, as might not be necessary in that island—for the protection of Minorca. Lord Nelson, however, well knowing, that Lord Keith, at the time of sending this order, could not be informed of the change of affairs in the kingdom of Naples, where all the marines, and a considerable body of seamen, were now landed, in order to drive the French scoundrels out of the kingdom—which was likely, he said, with God's blessing, to be very soon effected, when a part of the squadron should be instantly sent—he thought it right, till the French were all driven from Capua, not to obey his lordship's order for sending down any part of the squadron under his command. After stating these reasons, as his apology for thus acting, his lordship thus concludes—"I am perfectly aware of the consequences of disobeying the orders of the commander in chief; but, as I believe the safety of the kingdom of Naples depends, at the present moment, on my detaining the squadron, I have no scruple in deciding, that it is better to save the kingdom of Naples, and risk Minorca, than to risk the kingdom of Naples, and save Minorca. Your lordship will, I hope, approve of my decision."
Though Lord Nelson's heroic bosom could by no means fail to be violently agitated on this very alarming occasion, his resolution was not to be shaken by any consideration of personal suffering: had the refusal been attended with the certain loss of life, he would not have consented to part with a single ship; such was the inflexible firmness of this invincible man, when his determination was once fixed. He did not, however, set danger at defiance; though he so little regarded it's weight, when placed in the scale which opposed his own conscious sense of duty. Desirous to be duly understood, and to obtain the indemnity of which he could not but consider himself as worthy of receiving, he had ventured to hope for Lord Keith's approbation of his conduct. He judged it right, however, to be prepared against the worst that could happen, by immediately addressing Earl Spencer, also, in a private letter on the subject; as well as the Admiralty in general, through their secretary, Mr. Nepean. These valuable documents, at once self-criminating and exculpatory, are finely characteristic of his lordship's firmness, sensibility, and honour.
"Foudroyant, Naples Bay, 19th July 1799.