Nelson's Lady Hamilton by Meynell, Esther (cheapest way to read ebooks .txt) 📗

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" Gone are the Sirens from their sunny shore, The Muses afterwards were heard no more, But of the Graces there remains but one— Gods name her Emma, mortals, Hamilton."

WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR

FOREWORD

XTOTHING can so bring Emma Hamilton before the reader as her own impulsive, exclamatory letters, and the various tributes to her charm and ability which abound in the Memoirs and Journals of the period. Therefore these have been used freely. For permission to reprint the two letters from Horatia Nelson Ward to Sir Harris Nicolas, which are given in Chapters XIII. and XV., and which have only recently come to light, I am indebted to Mr. E. S. P. Haynes, the grandson of Sir Harris Nicolas. No one can write upon Lady Hamilton without expressing gratitude to Mr. Walter Sichel for that Life of her, which is a perfect treasure-house of knowledge and research. Among other books to which I am specially indebted are Mr. H. C. Gutteridge's invaluable volume on " Nelson and the Neapolitan Jacobins " (published by the

Navy Records Society); Professor Knox Laugh-ton's " Nelson Memorial ; " Captain Mahan's " Life of Nelson ; " Mr. Cordy Jeaffreson's " Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson ;" Mr. David Han-nay's edition of Southey's " Nelson ; " the " Nelson Letters,"published in 1814 ; and, finally, the seven volumes of Sir Harris Nicolas's indispensable collection of Nelson's " Letters and Despatches." Thanks also are due to Mr. J. T. Herbert Baily, the editor of The Connoisseur, for his advice and assistance in regard to illustrations.

E. H. M.

CHAPTER IX

PACK

AFTER THE NILE. . ••*, . , . ..149

CHAPTER X

THE FLIGHT FROM NAPLESV' ; .V* ', . . ..179

, CHAPTER XI

THE JACOBIN RISING 2OO

CHAPTER XII FAREWELL TO ITALY . . •''*' .... .239

CHAPTER XIII ENGLAND AGAIN . •»269

CHAPTER XIV

TO THE LAST BATTLE . . . . . ,.«^v ,,30!

CHAPTER XV AFTER TRAFALGAR , •347

xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"THE SPINSTRESS."By G. Romney 126

EMMA, LADY HAMILTON.By Sir T. Lawrence . . .140

By kind permission of the Rt. Hon. Evelyn Ashley.

"ARIADNE."By G. Romney 150

By kind permission of Sir Audley Neeld, Bart.

LADY HAMILTON DANCING.From a Drawing by Lock. .158

British Museum.

STUDY OF LADY HAMILTON.By G. Romney.... 166

National Gallery.

LADY HAMILTON AS "CASSANDRA."By G. Romney . .170

By kind permission of Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq.

LADY HAMILTON.By W. Bennet . . , " . . , .180

As "MIRANDA."By G. Romney . . <. , ''.«....,.*-;.188

LADY HAMILTON.By G. Romney 194

From an engraving by J. Conde in the European Magazine.

LADY HAMILTON AS A "SIBYL."By G. Romney *.,, •*, .;, 202

National Portrait Gallery.

As "CASSANDRA."By G. Romney . t «-3"t . ; } t/ <( ;* •210 By kind permission of The Connoisseur.

WITH MINIATURE. By G. Romney . i»- x ;.$' ; « • *,;,:;» 218 "SENSIBILITY." By G. Romney £ : '" .'••' : 'Y •'• "V: V 'H'J ' . 230 LADY HAMILTON. By G. Romney . •' ' » v • . , . 236

By kind permission of the Earl of Wemyss.

LADY HAMILTON EN SYBILLE. By Madame le Brun . . 246 As "ALOPE." By G. Romney . »• : , . * 4 256

LADY HAMILTON AS THE " COMIC MUSE." By Angelica Kauffman270

As " CIRCE."By G. Romney . • ' ' • ~ ". " . • .282 By kind permission of The Connoisseur.

As "ST. CECILIA." By G. Romney ""' V . . . 298 LADY HAMILTON. By G. Romney . . . . . .310

By kind permission of The Connoisseur.

" MEDITATION." Prom a Drawing by R. Westall^ R.A. . . 316 LADY HAMILTON AS A NUN. By G. Romney .... 326

By kind permission of Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq.

LADY HAMILTON.By Angelica Kauffman .... 336

By kind permission of J. T. Herbert Baily, Esq.

LADY HAMILTON.By J. J. Masquerier .....344

NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

CHAPTER I

A DAUGHTER OF THE PEOPLE

BY one of the ironies of history, a girl born of obscure parents, having no fortune save her face—and that fair face bringing her, for many years, no dower but disgrace and trouble —yet so triumphed over early misfortunes, and so won her place in the heart of the greatest hero of her time and country, that not all the efforts of the moralists can disentangle her name from that of Nelson.

Nelson himself, could his spirit speak, would forbid any such effort with all the vehemence of which he was capable. He made his choice —with distress and trouble of mind—but once made, he abode by it to his last breath. He defied the world and all that might be said or thought. His chivalrous spirit was utterly incapable of the miserable, if time-honoured, excuse, "The woman tempted me." Both Nelson and

2NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

Emma Hamilton must be accepted as they are: to calumniate and blacken her character is but