NELSON.

It will be of great importance that I am in possession of his last will and codicils as soon as possible—­no one can say that it does not contain among other things, many directions relative to his funeral.

    18 Charles Street, Berkeley Square,

    Dec. 13. 1805.

Dear Sir,—­I have been to the Admiralty, and I am assured that leave will be sent to you to quit the ship, and follow the remains of my dear brother when you please.  We have determined to send Mr. Tyson with the coffin to the Victory, when we know she is at the Nore.  He, together with Captain hardy and yourself, will see the body safely deposited therein.  I trust to the affection of all for that.  The Admiralty will order the Commissioner’s yacht at Sheerness to receive it, and bring it to Greenwich.  I suppose an order from the Admiralty will go to Captain Hardy to deliver the body to Mr. Tyson, and you will of course attend.  But if this should be omitted by any mistake of office, I trust Captain Hardy will have no difficulty.

    There is no hurry in it, as the funeral will not be till the 10th
    or 12th of January.

We do not wish to send Tyson till we have the will and codicil, which Captain Hardy informed me was to come by Captain Blackwood from Portsmouth on Tuesday last.  We are surprised he is not here.  Compts. to Captain Hardy.  Write to me as soon as you get to the Nore, or before, if you can.

    Believe me, yours faithfully,

    NELSON

    Excuse this hasty and blotted scrawl, as I have been detained so
    long at the Admiralty that I have scarce time to save the Post.

    Canterbury,

    Dec. 26, 1805

Dear Sir,—­I received your letters of the 23rd and 25th this morning.  I am glad to hear the remains of my late dear and most illustrious brother are at length removed to Mr. Peddieson’s coffin, and safely deposited in Greenwich Hospital.  Your kind and affectionate attention throughout the whole of this mournful and trying scene cannot fail to meet my sincere and grateful thanks, and that of the whole family.  I am perfectly satisfied with the surgeon’s reports which have been sent to me, that every thing proper has been done.  I could wish to have known what has been done with the bowels—­whether they were thrown overboard, or whether they were preserved to be put into the coffin with the body.  The features being now lost, the face cannot, as Mr. Beatty very properly observes, be exposed; I hope therefore everything is closed and soldered down.

I wrote to Mr. Tyson a few days ago, and should be glad to hear from him.  I mean to go towards London about the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of Jan (the day not yet fixed), and call at Greenwich for a moment, just to have a melancholy sight of the coffin, &c. &c., when I hope I shall see