Mr. Matcham,"
affectionately replied his lordship, "you certainly require a very
considerable addition to your fortune!" Can any thing compensate, to his
family, the loss of such a brother?

"Friday night," writes his lordship, "at half past ten, I drove from
dear, dear Merton; where I left all which I hold dear in this world, to
go to serve my king and country. May the great God whom I adore, enable
me to fulfil the expectations of my country; and, if it is his good
pleasure that I should return, my thanks will never cease being offered
up to the throne of his mercy! If it is his good providence, to cut
short my days upon earth, I bow with the greatest submission; relying,
that he will protect those so dear to me, that I may leave behind! His
will be done.

"Amen! Amen! Amen!"

In this, which is extracted from his lordship's own private journal,
written at the moment, warm from the heart, as well as in almost every
other action of his life, is manifested that exalted desire to promote
the glory of his king and country, and that earnest wish to secure every
comfort for his family and friends, which animated his heroic soul to
perform any exploit, where there was a possibility of attaining either
of those desirable objects.

Lord Nelson, on arriving at Portsmouth, immediately arranged all his
business: and, having embarked at the bathing-machines, got on board the
Victory, about two o'clock; accompanied by his esteemed friends, the
Right Honourable, George Rose, and the Right Honourable George Canning,
who dined with the hero while he was preparing for sea.

The next morning, Sunday, September 15, at daylight, the Victory
weighed, with light airs, and immediately sailed. Though five ships of
the line, and a frigate, were then at Portsmouth, almost ready for sea,
and under orders to join his lordship, he was resolved not to lose a
moment in waiting for them. He had sailed, therefore, from St. Helen's,
accompanied only by the Honourable Captain Blackwood in the Euryalus
frigate: but, on the 17th, being off Plymouth, they were joined by the
Ajax of seventy-four guns, Captain Brown; and the Thunderer of the same
force, Captain Lechmere.

Lord Nelson, on the 26th of September, got round Cape St. Vincent; but
it was late in the evening of the 28th, before he arrived off Cadiz, and
joined Admiral Collingwood. His lordship was received, by the whole
fleet, with every demonstration of the most enthusiastic joy. Being