The great importance, not only to both these exalted naval characters, but to their country, which has been so much benefitted by their respective and united services, must prevent the necessity of any apology for reverting to the very origin of their acquaintance with each other:  a communication which the author of these memoirs has the honour of being enabled to give, on no less authority than that of the Earl of St. Vincent himself.

His lordship, while Sir John Jervis, was returning from the House of Commons, of which he was then a member; when, in the Treasury Passage, he perceived Captain Locker at a distance, whom he instantly knew, from the singularity of his looking through an eye-glass fitted at the head of his cane.  Sir John immediately hailed his old friend:  and Captain Locker, coming up, expressed his happiness at seeing Sir John Jervis; as he wished, he said, to introduce his eleve, Captain Nelson.

From that period, till the time when Sir John Jervis took the command of the Mediterranean fleet, he had never again beheld Captain Nelson; who, having served much with Lord Hood, and not knowing Sir John Jervis’s generous intentions to bring him still more forward, expressed a wish to return to England in the Agamemnon.  That ship, indeed, from it’s then bad state, was expected to be soon sent home:  but Sir John Jervis seems to have felt more unwilling to part with Captain Nelson than his ship.

On the death of Lord Hervey, the captain of the Zealous, which happened soon after, Sir John Jervis immediately offered Captain Nelson the command of that ship; which he declined, still persisting in his desire to go home.

It was not long, however, before he became sufficiently sensible of Sir John’s great attachment to him, and now readily expressed the desire which he felt to remain under his command.  They were, thus, mutually pleased with each other; and there resulted, from the harmony which continued to prevail between these two truly great and heroic characters, the utmost possible advantage to their country, and the most complete glory to themselves.

On the 23d of February 1796, Captain Nelson, after looking into Toulon, where there were then thirteen sail of the line and five frigates ready for sea, left the commander in chief to the westward of Toulon, and proceeded to Genoa.

In April, so highly did Sir John Jervis approve of Captain Nelson’s conduct, that he promoted him to the rank of temporary commodore, with directions to wear a distinguishing pendant, which was accordingly hoisted on board the old Agamemnon.

In May, orders having arrived for a third rate, the worst ship then in the line, to return home with the convoy, there could be no doubt that the Agamemnon must be the ship:  and John Samuel Smith, Esq. the commander of the Captain of seventy-four guns, being in a very ill state of health, and desirous of going to England, Captain Nelson was appointed to Captain Smith’s ship; and he was to have went home in the Agamemnon, had he not, shortly after, died at Gibraltar.