on of
that time, the ships, he said, would open their fire. Upon this the
very sentinels scampered off, and every vessel came out of the mole. A
shipowner complained to the commodore that the municipality refused to
let him take his goods out of the custom-house. Nelson directed him to
say, that unless they were instantly delivered, he would open his fire.
The committee turned pale, and, without answering a word, gave him the
keys. Their last attempt was to levy a duty upon the things that were
re-embarked. He sent them word, that he would pay them a disagreeable
visit, if there were any more complaints. The committee then finding
that they had to deal with a man who knew his own power, and was
determined to make the British name respected, desisted from the
insolent conduct which they had assumed; and it was acknowledged that
Bastia never had been so quiet and orderly since the English were in
possession of it. This was on the 14th of October; during the five
following days the work of embarkation was carried on, the private
property was saved, and public stores to the amount of L200,000. The
French, favoured by the Spanish fleet, which was at that time within
twelve leagues of Bastia, pushed over troops from Leghorn, who landed
near Cape Corse on the 18th; and on the 20th, at one in the morning,
entered the citadel, an hour only after the British had spiked the guns
and evacuated it. Nelson embarked at daybreak, being the last person who
left the shore; having thus, as he said, seen the first and the last
of Corsica. Provoked at the conduct of the municipality, and the
disposition which the populace had shown to profit by the confusion, he
turned towards the shore, as he stepped into his boat, and exclaimed:
"Now, John Corse, follow the natural bent of your detestable character
--plunder and revenge." This, however, was not Nelson's deliberate
opinion of the people of Corsica; he knew that their vices were the
natural consequences of internal anarchy and foreign oppression, such
as the same causes would produce in any people; and when he saw, that
of all those who took leave of the viceroy there was not one who parted
from him without tears, he acknowledged that they manifestly acted not
from dislike of the English, but from fear of the French. England then
might, with more reason, reproach her own rulers for pusillanimity than
the Corsicans for ingratitude.

Having thus ably effected this humiliating service, Nelson