"Right Honourable Lord Keith, K. B."
"Foudroyant, Naples Bay, 1st August 1799.
"SIR,
"I have the honour to transmit you copies of my letter to the commander in chief, with it's several enclosures: and most sincerely congratulate their lordships on the entire liberation of the kingdom of Naples from the French robbers; for by no other name can they be called, for their conduct in this kingdom. This happy event will not, I am sure, be the less acceptable, from being principally brought about by part of the crews of his majesty's ships under my orders, under the command of Captain Troubridge. His merits speak for themselves. His own modesty, makes it my duty to state that, to him alone, is the chief merit due. The recommendation bestowed on the brave and excellent Captain Hallowell, will not escape their lordship's notice, any more than the exceeding good conduct of Captain Oswald, Colonel Strickland, and Captain Cresswell, to whom I ordered the temporary rank of major; and all the officers and men of the marine corps: also, the party of artillery, and the officers and men landed from the Portuguese squadron.
"I must not omit to state, that Captain Hood, with a garrison of seamen, in Castle Nuovo, has for these five weeks very much contributed to the peace of the capital; and Naples, I am told, was never more quiet than under his directions.
"I send Captain Oswald, of the Perseus bomb, with this letter; and I have put Lieutenant Henry Compton, who has served with me ever since January 1796, as a lieutenant, into the Perseus: and I beg leave to recommend these two officers, as highly meriting promotion.
"I have the honour to be, &c.
"Nelson."
"Evan Nepean, Esq."
In his lordship's private letter to Earl Spencer, of the same date, which accompanied the dispatches to England, he thus expresses himself—"I certainly, from having only a left hand, cannot enter into details which may explain the motives that actuate my conduct, and which may be necessary for a commanding officer who may wish to have every subject of duty detailed by those under his command. My principle, my dear lord, is—to assist in driving the French to the devil, and in restoring peace and happiness to mankind. I feel, that I am fitter to do the action, than to describe it; therefore, briefly, all the French being forced to quit this kingdom, and some order restored, two more ships of the line are to sail this evening for Minorca, which I will take care of." Having thus demonstrated that he was embracing the earliest opportunity to comply with Lord Keith's former orders, his lordship proceeds to state that he is going to send five hundred marines, with six hundred excellent Swiss, for the attack of Civita Vecchia, and to assist the insurrection in the Roman state: the sea part of this business to be under the direction of Captain Louis of the Minotaur, and the land part under Captain Hallowell of the Swiftsure; assisted by an excellent officer, Captain Cresswell of the marines, whom it has been necessary to give the temporary rank of major, which he wishes the board to confirm. His lordship also trusts to the earl's goodness, for the promotion of Lieutenant Compton. At the time of writing this letter, Lord Nelson had not heard that the French and Spanish fleets were returning to Brest; for he congratulates the earl on the happy arrival of the combined fleets at Cadiz; having, he says, been fearful that, as they had escaped the vigilance of Lord Keith, they would get to Brest. On the state of affairs at Naples, his lordship remarks that, his Sicilian Majesty, having settled a certain degree of order, will return to Palermo on the 7th. "I send you," adds his lordship, "a letter of Sir John Acton to me, which gives reasons for continuing the cardinal at the head of affairs in this country. My opinion of him has never altered. He is now only lieutenant-general of the kingdom; with a council of eight, without whose consent no act is valid: but, we know, the head of every board must have great weight. This man must soon be removed; for all about him have been, and are, so corrupt, that there is nothing which may not be bought. Acton, and Belmonte, seem to me the only uncorrupted men in the kingdom."