His own people, whom he employs, are buying it up, and the vagabonds pocket the whole.

I should not be surprised to hear that they brought a bill of expenses against him for the sale." The Sicilian court, however, were at this time duly sensible of the services which had been rendered them by the British fleet, and their gratitude to Nelson was shown with proper and princely munificence.

They gave him the dukedom and domain of Bronte, worth about L3000 a year.

It was some days before he could be persuaded to accept it; the argument which finally prevailed is said to have been suggested by the queen, and urged, at her request, by Lady Hamilton upon her knees.

"He considered his own honour too much," she said, "if he persisted in refusing what the king and queen felt to be absolutely necessary for the preservation of theirs." The king himself, also, is said to have addressed him in words, which show that the sense of rank will sometimes confer a virtue upon those who seem to be most unworthy of the lot to which they have been born: "Lord Nelson, do you wish that your name alone should pass with honour to posterity; and that I, Ferdinand Bourbon, should appear ungrateful ?" He gave him also, when the dukedom was accepted, a diamond-hilted sword, which his father, Char.III.of Spain, had given him on his accession to the throne of the two Sicilies.