r anxious bosom, even for a
few days.

On the 31st, his lordship received letters from Malta, which gave birth
to most extraordinary suspicions. The agonized feelings of his heroic
mind are not to be described; but, nothing could for a moment divert him
from the painful discharge of it's duty. In a state of inconceivable
agitation, he wrote the following letter to Sir John Acton.

"Palermo, 31st Aug. 1799.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"I send your excellency a letter from Captain Ball, of his
majesty's ship Alexander, with two papers enclosed. I cannot bear
the thought of what the papers convey; but it is my duty, as a
British admiral, to ask of your excellency an explanation of this
very extraordinary business--which, I trust in God, is entirely
false, as far as relates to his Sicilian Majesty and Prince Luzzi!
If this man is an unauthorized person, his majesty will have no
difficulty in approving of my condemning him as a spy; and, as
such, ordering him to be hanged. But, what shall I say, if Prince
Luzzi has authorized this man to enter La Vilette, and to
communicate with the enemy? I must say, that the minister has
betrayed his trust; for I never will believe, that their Sicilian
Majesties could treat in such a manner his Britannic Majesty, my
royal master. On your excellency's communication of his Sicilian
Majesty's pleasure, depends the line of conduct which my duty will
call upon me to perform. I have the honour to be, with the greatest
respect, your excellency's obedient servant,

"Bronte Nelson."

"His Excellency, Sir John Acton, Bart."

Happily, this alarm turned out to be unfounded; but the circumstance
serves, nevertheless, to assist in demonstrating the jealous attention
of his lordship to whatever might be supposed capable of affecting
either the national honour or his own. In a few days, having fully
investigated the affair, he wrote thus to Captain Ball--"My dear Ball,
Mr. Alos is, doubtless, a scoundrel. He had persuaded some here, that he
had an interview with Vaubois; which, I believe, is a lie: and, as to
his conduct with the Maltese, it was, probably, to shew his consequence.
I am sure, the good queen never had a thought of any under-hand work
against us; therefore, I would recommend sending him here with a kick in
the breech, and let all the matter drop."

In a letter of this date, August 31, L