son's care and decision were insufficient to
prevent the consequent evil, although he was perfectly clear in his
intimation to "Your Excellency," the joint ministers, that they should
"upon all occasions, arrange plans of operations with me," and not
with Captain Sir Sidney Smith. Smith was active and fought well; but,
as far as he dared, he did as he pleased in virtue of his diplomatic
commission, looked only to the interests of his own small part of the
field, and, as will appear later, flatly disobeyed both the spirit and
the letter of Nelson's orders, as well as the Government's purpose,
concerning the French army in Egypt. The general sound judgment and
diplomatic ability of Nelson, who was thus superseded, had on the
other hand been fully recognized--formally by the Government,
explicitly by St. Vincent and Minto, both of whom had personal
experience of his conduct in such matters. "What relates to
co-operation with the armies of the allied powers cannot be in better
hands than yours," wrote the former. "You are as great in the cabinet
as on the ocean, and your whole conduct fills me with admiration and
confidence." "There is one other point of excellence," said Minto in
the House of Peers, "to which I must say a single word, because I am,
perhaps, the man in the world who has had the best opportunity of
being acquainted with it. The world knows that Lord Nelson can fight
the battles of his country: but a constant and confidential
correspondence with this great man, for a considerable portion of
time, has taught me, that he is not less capable of providing for its
political interests and honour, on occasions of great delicacy and
embarrassment. In that new capacity I have witnessed a degree of
ability, judgment, temper, and conciliation, not always allied to the
sort of spirit which without an instant's hesitation can attack the
whole Spanish line with his single ship." Of Nelson's superior fitness
in this respect, the unfortunate choice of Sidney Smith for his
anomalous position was to furnish the Government an additional proof.

It was not in this matter only that maritime affairs in the East took
a turn contrary to Nelson's wishes. Since he had persuaded himself
that to bolster up the corrupt and tottering throne of Naples was the
most important of his functions, he had become desirous that the
isolation and blockade of the French army in Egypt,--a factor so
decisive by its numbers, its brilliant efficiency, an