"A chair was placed on the gratings of the skylight, on the quarter-deck, with the royal standard suspended over it, shewing the king's arms. The chair was covered with the union flag; a guard was ranged on each side the quarter-deck, consisting of the marines, and a detachment of the rifle corps; and the captains of the fleet attended in their full-dress uniforms. The royal standard was hoisted the moment of the procession's beginning, which took place in the following order—Lord Nelson came up the ladder in the forepart of the quarter-deck, and made three reverences to the throne; he then placed himself on the right-hand side of it. Captain Parker, bearing the sword of state, being that which was presented to Lord Nelson by the captains of his majesty's fleet who fought under his command at the battle of the Nile, followed Lord Nelson, and placed himself on his right side, a little in advance; making three reverences to the throne, and one to Lord Nelson. His lordship's secretary, Mr. Wallis, then followed, bearing in his hand, on a sattin cushion, the ensigns of the order, and making similar reverences to the throne and to Lord Nelson. Captain Parker then read the Duke of Portland's order to Lord Nelson; which being ended, Rear-Admiral Graves was introduced between Captains Hardy and Retalick, making three reverences to the throne, and one to Lord Nelson. The rear-admiral then kneeled down; and Lord Nelson, in the name of his majesty, laid the sword on the shoulders of the rear-admiral. The knight-elect then arose; and, bending his body a little forward, Lord Nelson, with the assistance of Captains Hardy and Retalick, put the ribbon over the new knight's right shoulder, and placed the star on his left breast. His lordship then pronounced the following speech on the occasion—
"Sir Thomas Graves! Having fulfilled the commands of his majesty, by investing you with the ensigns of the most honourable and military order of the Bath, I cannot but express how much I feel gratified that it should have fallen to my lot to be directed to confer this justly merited honour and special mark of royal favour upon you; for I cannot but reflect, that I was an eye-witness of your high merit, and distinguished gallantry, on the memorable 2d of April, and for which you are now so honourably rewarded. I hope that these honours conferred upon you, will prove to the officers in the service, that a strict perseverance in the pursuit of glorious actions, and the imitation of your brave and laudable conduct, will ever ensure them the favours and rewards of our most gracious sovereign, and the thanks and gratitude of our country."
"At the conclusion of this speech, the procession retired in the same manner as it came; except that the new knight went first, making one reverence to Lord Nelson, and three to the throne.
"The moment the ribbon had been placed over Sir Thomas Graves's shoulder, the signal being made preparative, the whole fleet fired a salute of twenty-one guns; when the ceremony was finished, the standard was hauled down. The troops and marines, on hoisting it, had presented their arms, and the drums beat a march. The troops kept their arms presented during the ceremony; and, on the standard's being hauled down, a march was likewise beat."
A few days after, having concluded his epistolary correspondences, and arranged other requisites, both with the fleet and on shore, his lordship resigned the command to Admiral Sir Charles Morice Pole, who had been sent out to relieve him, and immediately sailed for England. On the day preceding his departure, however, Lord Nelson took leave of the fleet, by issuing the following public orders—
"St. George, in Kioge Bay, 18th June 1801.
"Lord Nelson has been obliged, from the late very bad state of his health, to apply to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for leave to return to England, which their lordships have been pleased to comply with. But Lord Nelson cannot allow himself to leave the fleet, without expressing to the admirals, captains, officers, and men, how sensibly he has felt, and does feel, all their kindnesses to him: and, also, how nobly and honourably they have supported him in the hour of battle, and the readiness which they have shewn to maintain the honour of their king and country on many occasions which have offered; and, had more opportunities presented themselves, Lord Nelson is firmly persuaded they would have added more glory to their country. Lord Nelson cannot but observe, with the highest satisfaction which can fill the breast of a British admiral, that—with the exception of the glaring misconduct of the officers of the Tygress and Cracker gun-brigs, and the charges alledged against the lieutenant of the Terror bomb—-out of eighteen thousand men, of which the fleet is composed, not a complaint has been made of any officer or man in it; and he cannot but remark, that the extraordinary health of this fleet, under the blessing of Almighty God, is to be attributed to the great regularity, exact discipline, and chearful obedience, of every individual in the fleet. The vice-admiral assures them, that he will not fail to represent to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty their highly praise-worthy conduct; and, if it please God that the vice-admiral recovers his health, he will feel proud, on some future day, to go with them in pursuit of farther glory; and to assist in making the name of our king and country beloved and respected by all the world."
On the 1st of July, his lordship landed at Yarmouth, where he was received with universal joy. He had no sooner arrived, than his humane heart led him to visit the hospitals which contained such of his brave fellows as had been wounded in the late battle. He enquired, with parental solicitude, into the state of their health, tenderly soothed their sufferings, generously relieved their necessities, and kindly encouraged their hopes. On his leaving the town, the volunteer cavalry assembled; and escorted his lordship to Lowestoffe, a distance of eleven miles.
Lord Nelson being much indisposed when he reached Sir William Hamilton's house in Piccadilly, where his friends had assembled to meet him, a party was formed, consisting of Sir William and Lady Hamilton, the present Earl and Countess Nelson, with their son and daughter, now Lord Merton and Lady Charlotte, and Captain Parker, to go with his lordship, for change of air, and variety of scene, as far as Box Hill, near Dorking, in Surry, where they remained a few days; and then accompanied him to the Bush Inn, at Staines, in Middlesex. Here they continued about a week; and afterwards visited Mrs. Maurice Nelson, at Laleham, only two miles distant from Staines. This unfortunate lady, relict of his lordship's then recently deceased elder brother, has for many years been afflicted with total blindness. Lord Nelson now kindly condoled with her; and generously made up the small pittance left by his brother, whom he most tenderly loved, a regular annuity of two hundred pounds, besides providing for immediate exigences. It is greatly to be regretted, that his lordship's repeated solicitations for Mr. Maurice Nelson's advancement had been so little regarded, that this worthy gentleman, though almost his whole life in the Navy Office, was only elevated to the situation of a principal clerk about four months prior to his decease.
With his health considerably improved by this rural excursion, Lord Nelson returned to London; and, on dining with Mr. Addington, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, was informed, by the minister, that nothing could satisfy the people, who were in a state of continual alarm at Bonaparte's immense preparations for the threatened invasion of our country, but his lordship's immediately taking the home command. Though the nature of the French armament, which consisted chiefly of innumerable gun-boats, rendered the attack of their flotilla a species of petty warfare apparently too trivial for the attention of our heroic admiral, it was sufficient for him to be assured that his services were requisite for the safety or welfare of his country, to obtain an immediate acquiescence; however humble, hazardous, or unprofitable, the nature of the proposed employ. His friends, however, were desirous that he should receive, on the occasion, some positive benefit. His lordship alledged, with great truth, that he was one of the worst negociators on earth for himself, and seemed disinclined to tender any conditions; but Lady Hamilton urging him to obtain, at least, an entailment of his titles on the family, which would take nothing out of the national purse, and yet preserve his merited honours to the most remote posterity, he ventured, at length, to solicit that small favour, which was very readily granted.