th, hoisted it on board the Foudroyant.

While Lord Nelson was engaged in provisioning his squadron, without
losing sight of the blockade of Naples; and anxiously expecting to hear
that the Earl of St. Vincent had fallen in with the French fleet, and
obtained another brilliant victory; he had the mortification to be again
suddenly impeded in the prosecution of his plan for replacing their
Sicilian Majesties on the throne of their Neapolitan dominions, by a
letter from Lord Keith, dated the 6th of June, who appears to have been
alarmed for the supposed fate of Minorca.

At the receipt of this letter, the 13th of June, Lord Nelson was
actually on his way to Naples, with troops, &c. in order to finish
matters in that kingdom: but, considering the force of the French fleet
on the coast of Italy, then said to be twenty-two sail of the line, four
of them first-rates; and that, probably, the ships at Toulon would have
joined them by the time he was reading the letter; the force with his
lordship being only sixteen sail of the line, not one of which was of
three decks; three being Portuguese, and one of the English a sixty-four
very short of men; his lordship considered himself as having had no
choice left, but to return to Palermo, and land the troops, ammunition,
&c. which he accordingly did. He then proceeded off Maritimo, hoping to
be joined by such reinforcements from Captain Ball, &c, as might enable
him to seek the enemy's fleet; when, his lordship said, there should not
be a moment lost in bringing them to battle:

"for," concludes he, in his answer to Lord Keith, dated the 16th of
June, on board the Foudroyant, at sea, "I consider the best defence
for his Sicilian Majesty's dominions is, to place myself alongside
the French. That I may be very soon enabled to have that honour, is
the fervent prayer of your lordship's most obedient servant,

Nelson."

Though Lord Nelson felt that he had no force fit to face the enemy, and
was resolved never to get out of their way--"I cannot think myself
justified," said his lordship, writing to the Earl of St. Vincent, this
same day, "in exposing the world--I may almost say--to be plundered by
these miscreants. I trust, your lordship will not think me wrong, in the
painful determination I conceived myself forced to make; for agonized,
indeed, was the mind of your lordship's faithful and affectionate
servant."

The fact seems to be, that Lord Nelson