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The address displayed by Captain Ricketts throughout his negociation with the Bashaw, relative to Mr. Lucas, induced Lord Nelson to send him a second time to Tripoli, on a business of much delicacy, which he executed with nearly equal success. Whilst thus employed it became necessary, from diplomatic considerations, for him to give a dinner to the different Consuls residing at that place, and to invite some of the Bashaw’s principal officers. Among the latter was the Admiral of his ships, a Scotch renegade, who, after drinking very freely, began to boast of his many successful enterprises; and added, with furious imprecations, that the brightest prospect of his life had been forfeited by his own cursed delicacy. This prospect, it appears, was his share of the ransom that would have accrued from the seizure of the King of Naples, whom he had once discovered amusing himself in a fishing boat without guards, at a considerable distance from Palermo; and the delicacy alluded to was his abstaining from making that monarch a captive, at a time when Naples and Tripoli were at peace. This circumstance he had communicated to the Bashaw; who, so far from feeling a similar sentiment of delicacy, expressed considerable anger on the occasion, and sternly charged him never again to let any thing stand in the way of his capturing a King, and thereby securing a royal ransom. With this splendid project still in view, the Admiral had his flag then flying on board an English built merchant vessel, armed with upwards of 20 guns, and intended on all occasions, when near Palermo, to sail under British colours, hoping that fortune would again favour him with a sight of the illustrious fisherman. This momentous intelligence was communicated at the earliest opportunity to Commodore Troubridge, who undertook to apprise the King of his danger; but we cannot venture to say positively that it contributed to save that august personage from so great a calamity as captivity in Barbary; for although we have been told that he afterwards followed his favorite amusement with greater caution, it is quite certain that not the slightest thanks for information respecting the pirate’s project were ever transmitted to Captain Ricketts; which appears the more ex-