pursuance of a change of policy in the Czar, who, being enraged at the
conduct of his allies, particularly of the Austrians, in the late
campaign, intended withdrawing from the Coalition, and was
concentrating troops at Corfu. This revived Nelson's fears for Malta.
"I trust Graham will not think of giving the island to the French by
withdrawing, till he receives orders from General Fox." The troops
remained, but in numbers too small to admit active operations. The
result was left perforce to the slow pressure of blockade; and final
success, insured mainly by Nelson's untiring efforts, was not attained
until after he had left the Mediterranean.

The six months of his independent command, though unmarked by striking
incidents at sea, were crowded with events, important in themselves,
but far more important as pregnant of great and portentous changes in
the political and military conditions of Europe. When Keith passed the
Straits in pursuit of the Franco-Spanish fleet, on the 30th of July,
the forces of the Coalition in Upper Italy were in the full tide of
repeated victories and unchecked success. On that same day the
fortress of Mantua, the siege of which in 1796 had stayed for nine
months the triumphal progress of Bonaparte, was surrendered by the
French, whose armies in the field, driven far to the westward, were
maintaining a difficult position on the crests of the Apennines.
Seeking to descend from there into the fields of Piedmont, they were
met by Suwarrow, and on the 15th of August, at Novi, received once
more a ruinous defeat, in which their commander-in-chief was slain.

At this moment of success, instead of pressing onward to drive the
enemy out of Italy, and possibly to pursue him into France, it was
decided that the Russians should be sent across the Alps into
Switzerland, to take the place of a number of Austrians. The latter,