He was, however, a prince of the German empire, and brother to the heir
of the Electorate of Bavaria: his companions were French officers of
distinction, and men of science, who had been collecting specimens in
the various branches of natural history. Nelson, having entertained them
with the best his table could afford, told them they were at liberty to
depart with their boat, and all that it contained: he only required
them to promise that they would consider themselves as prisoners if
the commander-in-chief should refuse to acquiesce in their being thus
liberated: a circumstance which was not likely to happen. Tidings
soon arrived that the preliminaries of peace had been signed; and the
ALBEMARLE returned to England and was paid off. Nelson's first business,
after he got to London, even before he went to see his relations, was to
attempt to get the wages due to his men for the various ships in which
they had served during the war. "The disgust of seamen to the navy," he
said, "was all owing to the infernal plan of turning them over from ship
to ship; so that men could not be attached to their officers, nor the
officers care the least about the men." Yet he himself was so beloved by
his men that his whole ship's company offered, if he could get a ship,
to enter for her immediately. He was now, for the first time, presented
at court. After going through this ceremony, he dined with his friend
Davison at Lincoln's Inn. As soon as he entered the chambers, he threw
off what he called his iron-bound coat; and, putting himself at ease
in a dressing gown, passed the remainder of the day in talking over all
that had befallen them since they parted on the shore of the River St.
Lawrence.




CHAPTER II