information, Nelson said, in vindication of his conduct:--

"Who was I to get such information from? The Governments of Naples and
Sicily either knew not, or chose to keep me in ignorance. Was I to wait
patiently until I heard certain accounts? If Egypt were their object,
before I could hear of them, they would have been in India. To do
nothing was disgraceful; therefore I made use of my understanding. I am
before your lordships' judgment; and if, under all circumstances, it is
decided that I am wrong, I ought, for the sake of our country, to be
superseded; for at this moment, when I know the French are not in
Alexandria, I hold the same opinion as off Cape Passaro--that, under all
circumstances, I was right in steering for Alexandria; and by that
opinion I must stand or fall."

It was ere long proved that Nelson _was_ right, and that Earl St.
Vincent had made no mistake in sending him on a service so important;
for we now know that in all the British fleet there was not another man
so admirably adapted for the duty which was assigned to him, of finding,
fighting, and conquering, the French, in reference to whom he wrote to
the first lord of the Admiralty, "Be they bound to the antipodes, your
lordship may rely that I will not lose a moment in bringing them to
action!"

Re-victualled and watered, the British fleet set sail on the 25th of
July from Syracuse. On the 28th, intelligence was received that the
enemy had been seen about four weeks before, steering to the South East
from Candia.

With characteristic disregard of the possible consequences to his own
fame and interest, in his determination to "do the right," Nelson at
once resolved to return to Alexandria. Accordingly, with all sail set,
the fleet stood once more towards the coast of Egypt.

Perseverance was at length rewarded. On the 1st of August 1798, about
ten in the morning, they sighted Alexandria, and saw with inexpressible
delight that the port was crowded with the ships of France.

And here we venture to say that we sympathise with the joy of the
British on this occasion, and shall explain why we do so.

Not every battle that is fought--however brilliant in military or naval
tactics it may be, or in exhibitions of personal prowess--deserves our
sympathy. Only that war which is waged against oppression is entitled
to respect, and this, we hold, applies to the war in which the British
were engaged at that time.

France, under the Directo