vented British troops from assisting in the
expulsion of the French from Rome. Sir James Erskine was expecting
General Fox; he could not act without orders; and not having, like
Nelson, that lively spring of hope within him, which partakes enough of
the nature of faith to work miracles in war, he thought it "evident that
unless a respectable land force, in numbers sufficient to undertake the
siege of such a garrison, in one of the strongest places of Europe, and
supplied with proportionate artillery and stores, were sent against
it, no reasonable hope could be entertained of its surrender." Nelson
groaned over the spirit of over-reasoning caution and unreasoning
obedience. "My heart," said he, "is almost broken. If the enemy gets
supplies in, we may bid adieu to Malta; all the force we can collect
would then be of little use against the strongest place in Europe. To
say that an officer is never, for any object, to alter his orders, is
what I cannot comprehend. The circumstances of this war so often vary,
that an officer has almost every moment to consider, what would my
superiors direct, did they know what was passing under my nose?" "But,
sir," said he writing to the Duke of Clarence, "I find few think as I
do. To obey orders is all perfection. To serve my king, and to destroy
the French, I consider as the great order of all, from which little
ones spring; and if one of these militate against it (for who can tell
exactly at a distance?) I go back and obey the great order and object,
to down--down with the damned French villains!--my blood boils at the
name of Frenchmen!"

At length, General Fox arrived at Minorca--and at length permitted Col.
Graham to go to Malta, but with means miserably limited. In fact, the
expedition was at a stand for want of money; when Troubridge arriving at
Messina to co-operate in it, and finding this fresh delay, immediately
offered all that he could command of his own. "I procured him, my lord,"
said he to Nelson,"1500 of my cobs--every farthing and every atom of me
shall be devoted to the cause." "What can this mean?" said Nelson, when
he learned that Col. Graham was ordered not to incur any expenses for
stores, or any articles except provisions!--"the cause cannot stand
still for want of a little money. If nobody will pay it, I will sell
Bronte and the Emperor of Russia's box." And he actually pledged Bronte
for L6600 if there should be any difficulty about paying the bills. The
long-dela