On the same day, he also received letters from the Lord Mayor of London, the Clerk of the Drapers Company, and the Mayor of Liverpool; to which he immediately wrote, respectively, the following answers.

     “Vanguard, Palermo, 31st Jan. 1799.

     “SIR,

“I have only this day received the honour of your letter (when Lord Mayor) of the 16th October; and I beg that you will convey to the Court of Common Council my sincere gratitude for all their goodness to me; and assure them, it shall be the business of my life, to act in the manner most conducive to the prosperity of the city of London, on which depends that of our country.

“I am truly sensible of your politeness, in desiring me to say what particular devices I should wish on the sword which is to be presented to me by the city of London; but, I beg to leave that to the better judgment of my fellow-citizens.  Believe me, when I assure you, that I feel myself your most faithful and obliged servant,”

     Nelson.

     “Sir William Anderson, Bart late Lord-Mayor of London.

     “Vanguard, Palermo,
     31st Jan. 1799.

     “SIR,

“I have this day received your letter, conveying to me the great honour conferred upon me by the worshipful Company of Drapers of London, by presenting me with the freedom of their company.  I beg you will, Sir, have the goodness to convey to the worshipful Company, how much I feel honoured by their kind notice of my services; and assure them, that it shall be the study of my life, to preserve their good opinion.  Allow me, also, to thank you, for the very flattering manner in which you have executed the orders of the company.  Believe me, Sir, with great respect, your much obliged and most obedient servant,”

     “Nelson.”

     Henry Smith, Esq.  Clerk of the Drapers Company.

     “Vanguard, Palermo,
     31st Jan. 1799.

     “SIR,

“I am this day favoured with your letter, conveying to me the unanimous resolution of the Common Council of Liverpool, to honour me with their thanks, and also the freedom of their town.  I beg you will assure those whom, from this moment, I am to call my brother freemen, that my future exertions shall never be wanting, to approve myself worthy of the high honour conferred upon me by the representative body of the second sea-port in the kingdom; and believe me, with the highest respect, your much obliged and obedient servant,

     “Nelson.”

     “Thomas Leyland, Esq.  Mayor of Liverpool.”

The transactions of this busy day were of a nature which could not fail highly to gratify the feelings of our hero.  He also received, either on this day or the following, a most kind, friendly, and highly satisfactory epistle, from the Earl of St. Vincent; the purport of which is sufficiently obvious from this answer, dated on board the Bellerophon, to which he had now shifted his flag.