not until 1790 that
Ball received a command. From that year, however, he was continuously
employed. In 1798, assistance rendered by him to Nelson's ship in heavy
weather caused the latter to forget his former animosity, and from that
time the two were close friends. Under Nelson's command Ball took part in
the battle of the Nile, and his ship, the "Alexander," was the particular
opponent of Brueys' flagship, "L'Orient," which blew up. Two months later
he was ordered to the blockade of Malta, which was kept up without a break
for the next two years. Ball committed the blockade to his first
lieutenant, and himself led the marines and local militia, which made the
siege on the land side. His care for his men laid the foundations of his
popularity with the Maltese which continued till his death. After the fall
of Malta, Ball practically retired from the service, in spite of Nelson's
urgent entreaty that he should continue afloat, and from 1801 (when he was
made a baronet) to 1809 he was governor of Malta, where he endeared himself
to the people by his regard for their interests, and his opposition to the
policy of treating the island as a conquered dependency. His friendship
with Lord Nelson, whose letters prove his high regard for him, was only
broken by death. Ball died on the 20th of October 1809 and was buried in
Malta. Sir Alexander Ball was kind to Coleridge and is highly praised by
him in _The Friend_, "The Third Landing Place." There are numerous mentions
of Ball in Nelson's _Despatches_, in Sir H. Nicolas' edition.

[v.03 p.0263] BALL, JOHN (d. 1381), an English priest who took a prominent
part in the peasant revolt in 1381. Little is known of his early years, but
he lived probably at York and afterwards at Colchester. He gained
considerable fame as a preacher by expounding the doctrines of John
Wycliffe, but especially by his insistence on the principle of social
equality. These utterances brought him into collision with the archbishop
of Canterbury, and on three occasions he was committed to prison. He
appears also to have been excommunicated, and in 1366 all persons were
forbidden to hear him preach. His opinions, however, were not moderated,
nor his popularity diminished by these measures, and his words had a
considerable effect in stirring up the rising which broke out in June 1381.
Ball was then in prison at Maidstone; but he was quickly released by the
Kentish rebels, to whom he preached at Blackheath from th