Page:Memoirs of the life and gallant services of Admiral Lord Nelson.pdf/2

 ( 2 ) L I F E OF LORD NELSON. HORATIO NELSON waſ the fourth ſon of Edward Nelſon, Rector of Burnham Thorpe, in the county of Norfolk, and was born the 29th of September, 1758. The high ſchool at Norwich having inſtilled the firſt principles of learning into his aſpiring mind, he was removed to North Wal- ſham. On the appearance of hoſtilities with Spain, relative to the Falkland iſlands, in 1770, he left the ſchool at North Walſham, at the age of twelve years, to go on board the Reaſonable of ſixty-four guns, commanded by his maternal uncle, Captain Suckling. The diſpute between the court of Lon- doa and Madrid being adjuſted, our young mariner was ſent on board a Weſt-India ſhip. Returning after a voage in 1772, ſis uncle received him on board the Triumph. He had acquired, in the mer- chant-ſervice, a practical knowledge of ſeamanſhip; but had conceived an unaccountable prejudice a- gainſt the naval ſervice. That ſeemingly rooted - verſion to the Navy, was, however, ſo ſucceſsfully combated by Captain Suckling, that he at length became reconciled to the idea of ſervice on-board a king's ſhip. In April 1773, a voyage of diſcovery was undertaken by Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, towards the North Pole. On this occaſion, inſtructions were iſſued, that no boys ſhould