登陆注册
15485000000087

第87章 CHAPTER VIII(5)

Nelson's eye was upon Flushing. "To take possession of that place,"he said, "would be a week's expedition for four or five thousand troops." This, however, required a consultation with the Admiralty; and that something might be done, meantime he resolved upon attacking the flotilla in the mouth of the Boulogne harbour. This resolution was made in deference to the opinion of others, and to the public feeling, which was so preposterously excited. He himself scrupled not to assert that the French army would never embark at Boulogne for the invasion of England; and he owned that this boat warfare was not exactly congenial to his feelings. Into Helvoet or Flushing he should be happy to lead, if Government turned their thoughts that way. "While I serve," said he, "Iwill do it actively, and to the very best of my abilities. I require nursing like a child," he added; "my mind carries me beyond my strength, and will do me up; but such is my nature."The attack was made by the boats of the squadron in five divisions, under Captains Somerville, Parker, Cotgrave, Jones, and Conn. The previous essay had taught the French the weak parts of their position;and they omitted no means of strengthening it, and of guarding against the expected attempt. The boats put off about half-an-hour before midnight; but, owing to the darkness, and tide and half-tide, which must always make night attacks so uncertain on the coasts of the Channel, the divisions separated. One could not arrive at all; another not till near daybreak. The others made their attack gallantly; but the enemy were fully prepared: every vessel was defended by long poles, headed with iron spikes, projecting from their sides: strong nettings were braced up to their lower yards; they were moored by the bottom to the shore, they were strongly manned with soldiers, and protected by land batteries, and the shore was lined with troops. Many were taken possession of; and, though they could not have been brought out, would have been burned, had not the French resorted to a mode of offence, which they have often used, but which no other people have ever been wicked enough to employ. The moment the firing ceased on board one of their own vessels they fired upon it from the shore, perfectly regardless of their own men.

The commander of one of the French divisions acted like a generous enemy. He hailed the boats as they approached, and cried out in English:

"Let me advise you, my brave Englishmen, to keep your distance: you can do nothing here; and it is only uselessly shedding the blood of brave men to make the attempt." The French official account boasted of the victory. "The combat," it said, "took place in sight of both countries;it was the first of the kind, and the historian would have cause to make this remark." They guessed our loss at four or five hundred; it amounted to one hundred and seventy-two. In his private letters to the Admiralty, Nelson affirmed, that had our force arrived as he intended, it was not all the chains in France which could have prevented our men from bringing off the whole of the vessels. There had been no error committed, and never did Englishmen display more courage. Upon this point Nelson was fully satisfied; but he said he should never bring himself again to allow any attack wherein he was not personally concerned; and that his mind suffered more than if he had had a leg shot off in the affair. He grieved particularly for Captain Parker, an excellent officer, to whom he was greatly attached, and who had an aged father looking to him for assistance. His thigh was shattered in the action; and the wound proved mortal, after some weeks of suffering and manly resignation. During this interval, Nelson's anxiety was very great. "Dear Parker is my child," said he; "for I found him in distress." And when he received the tidings of his death, he replied:

"You will judge of my feelings: God's will be done. I beg that his hair may be cut off and given me; it shall be buried in my grave. Poor Mr. Parker! What a son has he lost! If I were to say I was content, Ishould lie; but I shall endeavour to submit with all the fortitude in my power. His loss has made a wound in my heart, which time will hardly heal.""You ask me, my dear friend," he says to Lady Hamilton, "if I am going on more expeditions? and even if I was to forfeit your friendship, which is dearer to me than all the world, I can tell you nothing. For, Igo out: I see the enemy, and can get at them, it is my duty: and you would naturally hate me, if I kept back one moment. I long to pay them for their tricks t'other day, the debt of a drubbing, which surely I'll pay: but WHEN, WHERE or HOW, it is impossible, your own good sense must tell you, for me or mortal man to say." Yet he now wished to be relieved from this service. The country, he said, had attached a confidence to his name, which he had submitted to, and therefore had cheerfully repaired to the station; but this boat business, though it might be part of a great plan of invasion, could never be the only one, and he did not think it was a command for a vice-admiral. It was not that he wanted a more lucrative situation; for, seriously indisposed as he was, and low-spirited from private considerations, he did not know, if the Mediterranean were vacant, that he should be equal to undertake it. He was offended with the Admiralty for refusing him leave to go to town when he had solicited: in reply to a friendly letter from Troubridge he says, "I am at this moment as firmly of opinion as ever, that Lord St. Vincent and yourself should have allowed of my coming to town for my own affairs, for every one knows I left it without a thought for myself."His letters at this time breathe an angry feeling toward Troubridge, who was now become, he said, one of his lords and masters. "I have a letter from him," he says, "recommending me to wear flannel shirts.

同类推荐
  • 广动植类之四

    广动植类之四

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 山居新话

    山居新话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Herodias

    Herodias

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 六十种曲狮吼记

    六十种曲狮吼记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 正说篇

    正说篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 穿越神行

    穿越神行

    一个普通到极点的极品,骚男,穿越到了神行大陆,天人云集,丹药膨胀,且看穿越神行。
  • 倾世凤女

    倾世凤女

    天下皆知,风王府七小姐,无才无德无貌,缠绵病榻十五年,未出闺房一步。一封血信,让他踏上了千里夜国故土。一袭红裙,风王府七小姐踏出闺房。一曲天下,唱尽天下局势倾尽万千人心。一道圣旨,一场赐婚,闻名天下的丑女风府七小姐被赐不近女色的离王,哗然天下。但,谁又知那红纱之下的风华绝代?谁又知,那个红衣绝代的人,是她。论天下谁是英雄?谁主沉浮?
  • 欣虾易仁

    欣虾易仁

    “爱是什么?这句话是你问我。”一个男人温柔的歌声从桌子上的鱼缸里发出来的,缸里没有鱼,却有一只龙虾。“我当时笑你傻,现在……”龙虾无意再唱下去,它望着窗外的月亮,突然大暴粗口:“作者,你逗我呢!我堂堂当红明星肖予欣,从没做过什么坏事,就一个爱吃龙虾的爱好,可为什么会这样!变成龙虾也就算了,可!!为什么偏偏是只公的!”——某作者:怪我咯!
  • 袅袅生烟

    袅袅生烟

    死后做了N年孤魂野鬼,都快要淹没在时光尘土中的孙家大小姐孙妨烟机缘巧合之下又重生了。物是人非,佳人已变,她以孤魂之体寄居她人之身,从前迷雾竟在眼前一一撩开,各种诡谲之事纷呈上演,她恍然惊觉上辈子自己死的冤屈。重来一次,势要逆天改命!
  • 鬼寺

    鬼寺

    真人真事,亲身体验故事改变。50%,五五开的真实度。遇鬼,有鬼的寺庙。
  • 一声兄弟,大于天

    一声兄弟,大于天

    曾有谁对你的伤,感同身受,就算万箭穿心,亦是你自己的事,哪怕换来几许怜悯,几声嗟叹,又有谁能真正懂得你微笑之下的痛苦,任由时光的刀刃,把灵魂雕刻的千疮百孔。有时,一句话,便可以让我为之赴汤蹈火,有时,一个拥抱便可以让我忘却伤痛,这便是兄弟!一声兄弟大于天!
  • 可洛斯星历险记

    可洛斯星历险记

    放暑假了。今年的暑假特别长,我可以高高兴兴地玩个痛快了!同班同学聂卫明问我准备去哪儿玩,我说想玩一些特别的东西,比如冒险什么的。聂卫明很兴奋,他比我更爱冒险。我俩约好几名关系不错的同学一起到我家商量这件事。第二天,约好的几名同学大部分都陆陆续续地来了:有小帅哥马晨艺,小美女王晓萌,淘气王甄波兴——我们都叫他“真不行”;最后就差聂卫明还没来。在我们都等急了的时候,门铃响了起来,我赶紧跑去开门,王晓萌站在客厅里准备和聂卫明发火。门一开,我们一下楞住了,王晓萌张开的嘴停在了半空中,将要发的火咽了回去——门口站着一位小姑娘,白白的脸上闪着一双大大的眼睛。我刚要张嘴说话,楼梯下面传来一阵急促的脚步声,聂卫明从楼梯下面蹿了上来,站在了小姑娘的身后……
  • 单生

    单生

    多安的成长环境,她在被查出患有重度抑郁以后开始回想自己的成长过程,故事围绕她长这么大所见到的人与事以及身边的人在成年之后的生活,故事很悲剧,但也有积极地部分,直到她发现自己不仅是抑郁那么简单。。。
  • 群友修真记

    群友修真记

    意外的穿越让孙智这个小人物来到二十年前.且看孙智游戏人间,修真,异界,还有什么是自己没有碰到的。
  • 巨妖传

    巨妖传

    一个小人物的奋斗史,爱恨情仇,仙魔妖道尽在巨妖传。