hree weeks he could not leave his cabin.
"The keen air of the North kills me." "I did not come to the Baltic
with the design of dying a natural death."

Parker had no sooner departed than Nelson made the signal for the
fleet to weigh, and started at once for Revel. He did not know whether
or not the Russian ships were still there, and he felt that the change
of sovereigns probably implied a radical change of policy; but he
understood, also, that the part of a commander-in-chief was to see
that the military situation was maintained, from day to day, as
favorable as possible to his own country. He anticipated, therefore,
by his personal judgment, the instructions of the Cabinet, not to
enter upon hostilities if certain conditions could be obtained, but to
exact of the Russian Government, pending its decision, that the Revel
ships should remain where they were. "My object," he said, writing the
same day he took command, "_was_ to get at Revel before the frost
broke up at Cronstadt, that the twelve sail of the line might be
destroyed. I shall _now_ go there as a friend, _but the two fleets
shall not form a junction_, if not already accomplished, unless my
orders permit it." For the same reason, he wrote to the Swedish
admiral that he had no orders to abstain from hostilities if he met
his fleet at sea. He hoped, therefore, that he would see the wisdom of
remaining in port.

His visit to Revel, consequently, was to wear the external appearance
of a compliment to a sovereign whose friendly intentions were assumed.
To give it that color, he took with him only twelve ships-of-the-line,
leaving the others, with the small vessels of distinctly hostile
character, bombs, fireships, etc., anchored off Bornholm Island, a
Danish possession. The resolution to prevent a junction was contingent
and concealed. On the 12th the squadron arrived in the outer bay of
Revel, and a complimentary letter, announcing the purpose of his
coming, was sent to St. Petersburg. The next day he paid an official
visit to the authorities, when his vanity and love of attention
received fresh gratification. "Except to you, my own friend, I should
not mention it, 'tis so much like vanity; but hundreds come to look at
Nelson, '_that is him, that is him_,' in short, 'tis the same as in
Italy and Germany, and I now feel that a good name is better than
riches, not amongst our great folks in England; but it has its fine
feelings to an honest heart. All the Russian