There being then no legal limit to the number of admirals, a promotion was in such case made of all captains down to and including the one wanted; and Lord St.Vincent, one of the most thorough-going of naval statesmen, is credited with the declaration that he would promote a hundred down the list of captains, if necessary, to reach the one demanded by the needs of the country.

Even with this rough-riding over obstacles,--for the other officers promoted, however useful in their former grade, not being wanted as admirals, remained perforce unemployed,--the advantage of reaching post-rank betimes is evident enough; and to this chiefly Nelson referred in acknowledging his permanent indebtedness to Sir Peter Parker.

With this early start, every artificial impediment was cleared from his path; his extraordinary ability was able to assert itself, and could be given due opportunity, without a too violent straining of service methods.

He had, indeed, to wait eighteen years for his flag-rank; but even so, he obtained it while still in the very prime of his energies, before he was thirty-nine,--a good fortune equalled by none of his most distinguished contemporaries.[3] A somewhat singular feature of this early promotion of Nelson is that it was accorded without the claim of service in actual battle,--a circumstance that seems yet more remarkable when contrasted with the stormy and incessant warfare of his later career.

While he was thus striding ahead, his equals in years, Saumarez and Pellew, were fighting their way up step by step, gaining each as the reward of a distinct meritorious action, only to find themselves outstripped by one who had scarcely seen a gun fired in anger.