iral, that 'the doctor would
always want somebody to take care of him.'"

Nelson had everything read to him; first of all, newspapers, which
were sent regularly to the fleet by British agents in various
quarters. Upon them chiefly, and not upon England, he depended for
knowledge of what was happening; in Great Britain itself, as well as
on the Continent. From ten to twelve weeks was no uncommon length of
time for him to be without word from home. "I never hear from
England," he wrote to Elliot in the summer of 1804, "but as we manage
to get the Paris papers regularly through Spain. From ten days to a
fortnight we get them from their date at Paris: therefore we know the
very great events which are passing in Europe--at least as much as the
French people;" a shrewd limitation. These, therefore, together with
Spanish, Italian, and other sheets, it was Scott's daily task to read
aloud to his chief, who found therein not only information but
amusement. He insisted also upon hearing the numerous ephemeral
pamphlets, of which the age was prolific, and which found their way to
him. His quickness in detecting the drift of an author was marvellous.
Two or three pages of a pamphlet were generally sufficient to put him
in complete possession of the writer's object, while nothing was too
trivial for his attention where there existed a possibility of its
contributing a clue to the problems of his command. Not the least
onerous of the doctor's duties was the deciphering of private letters
found in prizes, a channel by which important public interests are
often betrayed. Nelson's quickness to see the bearing and value of an
apparently trifling mention, dropped by the way by a careless pen,
rendered such an exercise of his ingenuity at once a pleasure and a
profit. The public secretary, Mr. Scott, was equally struck with the
alertness and sagacity of his employer's mind. "I have heard much of
Lord Nelson's abilities as an officer and statesman, but the account
of the latter is infinitely short. In my travels through the service I
have met with no character in any degree equal to his Lordship; his
penetration is quick, judgment clear, wisdom great, and his decisions
correct and decided: nor does he in company appear to bear any weight
on his mind." It was with difficulty, after a prolonged session, that
the doctor could at times beg off, and leave, stuffed in the arm-chair
pockets, for another day's work, a dozen or two of such letters,