140 HEREDITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS. 



the toasts, he uniformly passed the bottle, and relapsed into his former taciturnity. 

 It was impossible ... to make out his real character; there was such a reserve 

 and sternness in his behaviour" (Mahan, i, 66). 



In obvious contrast to the depressed state is the active, self-satisfied, joyful 

 one which in Nelson often found himself. Of him at the age of 22 years Mahan 

 (i, 28) says: "His instinct . . . was ever inclined to instant and vigorous action." 

 Much later, in 1805, he suggested (correctly) that Spain was contemplating declar- 

 ing war with England and without instructions ordered a general seizure of Spanish 

 vessels of war and commerce throughout his station. And Mahan (i, p. 259) 

 adds: "What a wonderful instinct it shows in him that, with action ever prompt 

 to the verge of precipitancy, he made so few blunders in deed." This promptness 

 of reaction is a hyperkinetic symptom. In such state the inhibitory mechanism 

 seems to be inactive, and consideration of consequences, the weighing of advan- 

 tages and disadvantages, is omitted. If the hyperkinetic has a good memory 

 of past experiences and of historical incidents and is a keen and sympathetic ob- 

 server, his "intuitions" are corrected as they are formed and his action is generally 

 approved. If, on the other hand, the hyperkinetic has poor memory and obser- 

 vation he is called rash, precipitous, and is generally regarded as dangerous. Nel- 

 son's "intuitions" were usually correct. It is characteristic of the hyperkinetic 

 that he wants strongly to act in accordance with his ideas; and if prevented he 

 becomes excited. This excitation which follows blocking may be regarded as 

 being biologically "useful," since in excitement the superrenals secrete copiously 

 and their secretions strengthen muscular contractions, and this added power tends 

 to enable the excited person to overcome the obstacle. In Nelson's case the excite- 

 ment showed itself sometimes in the form of impatience. Having decided to buy 

 a house in the Downs, he found difficulty in doing so. "As usual," says Mahan 

 (n, 149), "in undertakings of every kind, he chafed under delays." "[Even] 

 'if the Devil stands at the door,' he tells St. Vincent, 'we shall sail to-morrow 

 forenoon.' The admiralty . . . imposed upon him a delay under which he chafed 

 angrily" (Mahan, n, 188). Angry outbursts are, indeed, the next strongest symp- 

 toms of excitement. When the admiralty refused to let him leave his Channel fleet 

 and come to London, he breaks out angrily: "'They are beasts for their pains/ he 

 says: 'it was only depriving me of one day's comfort and happiness, for which they 

 have my hearty prayers.' His spleen breaks out in oddly comical ways: 'I have 

 a letter from Troubridge [of the admiralty; a former captain under Nelson, much 

 lauded by him] recommending me to wear flannel shirts. Does he care for me? 

 No, but never mind.' 'Troubridge writes me, that as the weather is set hi fine 

 again, he hopes I shall get walks on shore. He is, I suppose, laughing at me; but 

 never mind.' " And these petulant remarks Mahan (n, p. 142) properly ascribes 

 to "the excitement of baffled longings." When he lost the French fleet at the West 

 Indies because of incorrect information, he wrote "wrathfully": "There would 

 have been no occasion for opinions had not General Brereton sent his damned 

 intelligence from St. Lucia." After the French fleet had escaped him out of Toulon 

 he is described "as almost raving with anger and vexation" (Mahan, n, 289). 



When, on the other hand, the impulse was followed by action, the accom- 

 panying emotions were in every way agreeable. The excitement of doing weak- 

 ened the inhibitions, and further action followed easily and pleasurably. It is 

 stated by Southey that in battle Nelson became animated and even jovial. Says 



