366 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON
The farmhouse became too expensive for her meagre purse, and she had to betake herself and Horatia to humble lodgings in Calais, in the Rue Franchise. The winter was upon them, and though the stories told of Emma and her daughter being upon the verge of starvation in these last months are not true, yet they lacked all save the bare necessaries of life—these two stranded creatures, one of whom was the only child of Lord Nelson, and the other who had been Romney's "divine lady" and the pride of the Neapolitan Court.
" My Broken Heart does not leave me," Emma had written a little while before, and her health was now finally broken also. In the course of her life she had met and escaped from disgrace and danger and debt; but death she could not elude, and she had no further spirit left to try. The winter was severe, she caught a chill that settled on her chest; she was short of comforts, and her courage was exhausted. Worry and protracted disappointment had broken her down. By mid-January of 1815 the end came: she died shrived and consoled by a priest of the Roman Church—long before, while at Naples, she had professed the Catholic faith. In one of her recently discovered letters to Sir Harris Nicolas, Horatia gives a distressing account of the closing scene: the somewhat unsympathetic detachment of her tone is due to
the fact that she never believed Lady Hamilton was her mother :—
" At the time of her death she was in great distress, and had I not, unknown to her, written to Lord Nelson to ask the loan of £10, and to another kind friend of hers who immediately sent her £20, she would not literally have had one shilling till her next allowance became due. Latterly, she was hardly sensible. I imagine that her illness originally began by being bled, whilst labouring under an attack of jaundice, whilst she lived at Richmond. From that time she never was well, and added to this the baneful habit she had of taking spirits and wine to a fearful degree, brought on water on the chest. She died in January, 1815, anc ^ was buried in the bury ing-ground attached to the town. That was a sad, miserable time to me. Latterly her mind became so irritable by drinking, that I had written to Mr. Matcham, and he had desired that I would lose no time in getting some respectable person to take me over, and that I was to come to them, where I should always find a home. After her death, as soon as he heard of it, he came to Dover to fetch me. With all Lady Hamilton's faults, and she had many, she had many fine qualities."
All the best of Emma Hamilton's life had really died ten years before at Trafalgar, and in the year of Waterloo the flame which had burnt
368 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON
high and brilliantly was extinguished. The span of her life covered the great era of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars; she had lived through them all, from the " Glorious First of June" to the Nile, the Baltic, and Trafalgar; from Ulm and Austerlitz to Talavera and Vit-toria; Borodino and Napoleon's retreat from Moscow came within the scope of her lifetime, as did the American War of 1812; and she died only six months before Waterloo was fought. Amid many of these high events, in that scene of the world's activities, the Mediterranean, Emma Hamilton had played her part and played it well — with courage, with resource, with infinite ardour. She began life as an outcast, and she ended it as one; but between her troubled youth and her desolate death she had crowded a breathless age of living —she had known power and used it; she had lived in hundreds of eyes as the beauty of her time; and she had been the single passion of Nelson's life. Her career is full of dazzling events, just as her character, in spite of many and most glaring faults, is rich, and human, and lovable. But "the years that bring the philosophic mind" never came to Emma; instead, her years were full of restless excitements and ambitions. To the end the lessons of life were unlearned ; she had a heart defiant but not strong, and a temper impatient to the last of all
ut prosperity. She was not made of that finer mettle which is tempered in the fire of affliction. In the final event it is neither beauty, nor power, nor fame that counts, but the spirit—and that only. There was something prophetic in the words she wrote in a shaken hand on the back of Nelson's last letter to her—the letter which was found open on his desk after Trafalgar was fought and the hero was dead—" Oh, miserable, wretched Emma! Oh, glorious and happy Nelson!"
It might well stand for the epitaph of them both—and Emma Hamilton has no other, for the very place of her grave in the Calais cemetery is obliterated. There is a sad and curious irony Jin the fact that she who was Nelson's last charge and legacy to the English people—Nelson, whose whole life was given to fighting the French, and who died by a French bullet—should lie buried in a " little, little grave, an obscure grave," in France.
2 B
ACTON, GENERAL SIR JOHN, 97, 98, 117, 127, 135, 137, 141, 183, 202, 217, 218
Albert, Prince [of Naples], 189 "Ambassadress," the, 89 Arethusa, fountain of, 147, 258 Argyll, Duchess of [Elizabeth Gunning], 82, 83
"Attitudes," the, 2, 22, 67, loo, 264, 265
Ball, Captain, 155, 205, 213, 253 Battles—St. Vincent, 118, 122;
the Nile, 149, 150; the Baltic,
302 ; Trafalgar, 345 ; Waterloo,
368
Beckford, William, 93,281, 282,295 Buonaparte, Napoleon, 105, 106,
120, 146, 150, 328, 339, 340
Cadogan, Mrs. [Lady Hamilton's mother], 3-5, 21, 29, 54, 102, 209, 287-289, 348, 358, 359
Caracciolo, Prince Francesco, 73, 224-228
Carlyle [quoted], 201, 248
Chatham, Earl of, 169
"Christian Army," 203
Danton, in
Davison, Alexander, 195, 240, 272 Duckworth, Commodore, 176, 213, 241
Edgware Row, 21, 318 Elliot, Sir Gilbert, 99, 100 Emma " Carew " [Lady Hamilton's first child], 12, 13, 37, 39, 42,
Ferdinand, King of the Two Sicilies, 68, 96, 97, 101, 102, 108, 122, 157, 158, 177, 236, 244, 245
Fetherstonehaugh, Sir Harry, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16-18, 25, 48, 57, 70
Foote, Captain, 208, 216, 222
Graham, Dr., 7
Greville, the Hon. Charles, antecedents and appearance, 13 ; meets Emma, 14 ; writes to her, 16-19; his house in Edgware Row, 21 ; his collection, 22 ; satisfaction with Emma, 25 ; " Pliny the Younger," 36 ; wishes to transfer Emma to his uncle's care, 48-51 ; callous behaviour, 59-62 ; Emma resumes her letters to, 76, 85, 104, 108, 109, 176, 230, 231, 246, 292, 319, 325; Goethe, description of the "Attitudes," 66, 67
Hamilton, Emma, Lady, birth, 5 ; first situation, 6 ; meets Captain Willet-Payne, 8; goes to Up Park, 10 j first child, IO; letter
INDEX
to Greville, 15 ; life in Edgware Row, 21, 22 j beauty, 22-24; housekeeping, 24, 25 ; scene in Ranelagh Gardens, 27 ; painted by Romney, 29, 30; meets Sir William Hamilton, 32; friendship with him, 36; letters to Greville, 37-46; the " Bacchante," 50 ; invited to Naples, 52 ; arrival there, 53 ; her birthday, 54; the " blue hat," 55 ; fears, 56, 57 ; anger with Greville, 59, 60; her threat, 62 ; the " Attitudes," 66 ; her attachment to Sir William Hamilton, 71; return to London, 85 ; visit to Romney, 86; painted as "The Ambassadress," 89; writes to Romney from Naples, 90 ; marriage, 93 ; intimacy with the Queen of Naples, 107 ; meets Nelson, 116 ; her services to the British fleet, 128-130; writes to St. Vincent, 136; scene with Maria Carolina, 142 ; letters to Nelson, 143, 144 ; letter after the Nile, 151-153 ; " Patroness of the Navy," 155 ; meets Nelson again, 158; writes to Lady Nelson, 162, 163 ; influence over Nelson, 166 j her enthusiasm, 171-173; admiration for Nelson, 174; her practical abilities, 181, 182 ; helps the royal family to escape, 184, 185 ; on board the Vanguard^ 187, 189; Prince Albert dies in her arms, 189; her losses in the flight from Naples, 191 ; gift from Nelson, 210; goes back to Naples with Nelson, 215; calumnious stories about, 228 j her popularity and importance, 231, 232; the seaman's appeal to, 235; celebrates the Nile,
2 37 J given jewelled miniature by the Queen, 240 ; at the Palermo f$te t 241 ; receives Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, 246; her easy nature, 247 ; her weakness for gambling, 248, 249 ; under fire, 259 ; journey homeward
s with Nelson, 261 ; Mrs. St. George's impressions of, 263-267; lands at Yarmouth, 270; goes with Lady Nelson to the play, 278; spends Christmas at Fonthill Abbey, 281; her bad taste, 285 ; birth of Horatia, 287 ; friendship with Mrs. William Nelson, 293 ; the Prince of Wales episode, 296-299 ; her excitement over the battle of the Baltic, 303 ; chooses and furnishes Merton for Nelson, 313-315; extravagance, 319; helps Lieutenant Parsons, 324; her fondness for presents, 330; letter to Nelson, 331, 332 ; debts, 337 ; last letters to Nelson, 344 ; grief over Nelson's death, 348 ; contempt for Earl Nelson, 349 ; her claims, 350; quarrel with Earl Nelson, 352 ; her income, 353; wish to be buried in St. Paul's, 354; memorials and petitions, 355 ; faith in the Navy, 356; dislike of unadorned truth, 357; parts with Merton, 357 ; death of her mother, 358; arrested for debt,
359 ; arrested a second time,
360 ; publication of Nelson's stolen letters, 361; flight from England, 364 ; illness and death, 366; her career and character, 368, 369
Hamilton, Sir William, meets Emma, 32; his philosophy, 33 ; his first wife, 33, 34; « Pliny
673
the Elder," 36, 46; Greville's wishes in regard to, 49; his invitation to Emma, 52; his arrangements for her comfort, 54; his gifts to Emma, 55 ; Emma's fears °f» 56> 57 J his kindness and devotion to Emma, 69 ; her growing attachment to, 71-73, 81 ; his intentions in regard to marriage, 83, 84; returned to London with Emma, 85 ; second marriage, 93 ; letters to his wife, 101-103 » his illness, 103 ; his admiration for Nelson, 116 j 125, 127, 133, 136, 141, 157, 160, 184, 190, 191, 197, 209, 215, 217, 218, 230, 239, 242, 249-250, 258, 263, 282; letter from, to Nelson, 296, 303 ; visits Deal, 311 ; describes Merton to Nelson, 3I4. 3i5> 3i6, 319 ; his protest against Emma's extravagance, 320-322 ; visits his Welsh estates, 325 ; death, 326; bequest to Nelson, 327, 333, 334, 348, 353
Hardy, Thomas Masterman, 271, 286, 327
Hayley, William, 23, 28, 30, 86, 87, 88, 92
Hood, Lord, 112, 114
Hotham, Sir William, 279, 286
Jacobins, 97, 112, 119, 201, 207,
215, 222, 223
Jeaffreson, J. C. [quotations from], 21, 32, 228
Keith, Lord, 237, 243, 244, 251,
252, 254, 259, 260 Knight, Miss Cornelia, 264, 281,
306
Laughton, Professor Knox [quotations from], 221, 308, 353
Lazzaroni, the, 64, 113, 180, 200,
201, 232 Le Brun, Madame Vigee, 80, 81,
327
Mack, General, 172, 176, 180
Mahan, Captain A. T. [quotations from], 62, 176, 1194, 248, 283, 284, 307
Malmesbury, Lady, 91, 99, IOO, 301
Malmesbury, Lord, 256
Maria Carolina, Queen of the Two Sicilies, 4, 65, 68, 95 ; her abilities, 96; her hatred of the Jacobins, 97; her kindness to Lady Hamilton, 98 ; her hopes of English aid, 106, 107; Lady Hamilton's devotion to, 108-110, 112, 113, 119 j her fears, 120, 121 j her opposition to the King, 123 ; makes use of Emma, 124 ; abstraction of the King of Spain's letter, 129-131, 136; her order to the governors of the Two Sicilies, 143-145 j her agitation over the news of the Nile, 151, 152; 156, 163, 164, 165, 169, 171, 172, 175, 180, 182; her flight from Naples, 183-187 ; grief over the death of her son, 189, 190; Lady Hamilton's admiration for, 204 ; letter to Ruffo from, 204, 211, 212, 213; anger over the treaty of capitulation, 220, 227, 230, 232, 233, 238, 239, 245, 259-261 ; her parting with Lady Hamilton, 262 ; letters to Lady Hamilton, 123, 214, 218, 219, 229, 262
Marie-Antoinette, 95, III, 177
Merton Place, 3I3-3I5> 3^6, 319, 330, 334, 34i> 343. 353, 357
INDEX
Minto, Lady, 250, 260, 262 Minto, Lord, 246, 255, 261, 322, 323
Nelson, Charlotte, 306, 317, 330,
333-334, 335, 351 Nelson, Earl [Rev. William], 306,
349, 351, 352, 35«, 365, 367 Nelson, Rev. Edmund, 134, 271, 285 ; letter from to Lady Hamilton, 317, 318
Nelson, Frances, Viscountess, 117, I37» 157-159, 160; letter from Lady Hamilton to, 162-164; 175, 193, 197, 198, 267, 271; letter to Nelson from, 272 ; Nelson's " esteem " for, 273; her character and limitations, 274-277 ; meets her husband again, 277; her difficulties over Lady Hamilton, 278-280; quarrels with Nelson,
283 ; her attempts at conciliation,
284 ; Nelson's and Emma's treatment of her, 285; championed by Hardy and Sir William Hotham, 286 ; passes out of Nelson's life, 287
Nelson, Horatia [afterwards Mrs. Ward], 259 ; birth, 287 ; new letter from, 288, 300, 330 ; letter from Nelson to, 335, 341 ; Nelson's parting from, 343 ; Emma's account of, 344; Nelson leaves Horatia to his country, 346; 351, 352, 359J Emma's reproaches to, 390-361 ; leaves England with her mother, 363; Emma's anxiety for, 365; letter from, to Sir Harris Nicolas, 367
Nelson, Horatio, Viscount, 107; visits Naples, 114 ; his appearance, 115 ; impresses Sir William Hamilton, 116 ; meets Lady Hamilton, 117; departure from
Naples, 1 17; indignation at tl evacuation of the Mediterranej 121 ; growing importance of name, 132, 133 ; loses his arm Teneriife, 134 ; re-enters the Mediterranean, 135 ; his flagshij dismasted, 137 ; instructions frc Lord St. Vincent, 139 ; Naples, 140 ; letter to Ladj Hamilton, 144; belief in Lad) Hamilton's services, 145 ; voyag to Alexandria, 146; anxietie 147; the Fountain of Aretm 147; battle of the Nile, 150; Lady Hamilton's enthus astic letter to, 151-153 ; Nelson': attitude towards his victory, 155 forebodings over the return Naples, 156; his description his welcome, 157,158 ; dislike the Neapolitans, 159, 160; miration for Lady Hamilton, 162 belief in her abilities, 165 ; lette to her, 117,168 ; urges war with the French, 170; the "one rose," 176 ; counsels flight from Naples, 179 ; his efforts on behalf of the royal family, 181, 182; secret orders to the squadron, 186; praise of Lady Hamilton, 188; shares a house at Palermo with the Hamiltons, 192 ; rebukes his wife, 193; depression, 195, 196; his far-reaching activities, 205 ; his feeling for Lady Hamilton, 209; expedition to Naples, 213-216; meeting with Ruffo, 217, 2l8; the treaty of capitulation, 221, 222 ; the " Happy Warrior," 223 ; his sternness towards Caracciolo, 224, 225 ; sentences him to be hung, 226 ; made Duke of Bronte, 240 ; fSted Palermo, 242, 243 ; dissatisfactk
375
with the Sicilian Court, 243, 244; infatuation for Lady Hamilton, 246, 247 ; commander-m-chief in the Mediterranean, 256 j captures Le Genereux, 2$2 ; neglects his duty, 253 ; reproof from the Admiralty, 254 ; determination to return home with the Hamil-tons, 259 ; farewell to the Foudroyant) 261 ; Lady Minto's impression of Nelson, 262; lands at Yarmouth, 269; meets his wife, 277 ; his hardness to her, 280 ; final break with Lady Nelson, 283 ; makes her an allowance, 284 ; "Mr. and Mrs. Thompson," 289-291 ; attachment to Horatia, 294 ; distraction over the dinner to the Prince of Wales, 297-299 ; letter to Emma, 299, 300 ; goes to the Baltic,
301 ; victory of Copenhagen,
302 ; letter to Emma, 303, 304; returns to England, 305; writes verses, 307 ; attack on Boulogne flotilla, 308 ; churlish behaviour, 309 ; attachment to Parker, 311 ; anger with Troubridge, 312 ; his own home, 313 ; contentment with Merton, 316 ; his nephew's account of, 323 ; visit to Wales, 325 ; present at Sir William Hamilton's deathbed, 326 ; com-mander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, 328 ; words on war, 328 ; devotion to Emma and England, 329; birth of his second child, 333; fiction about Horatia, 333, 334; writes to Horatia, 335 ; chases the French fleet, 340, 341; returns to Merton for the last time, 341 ; farewell to Emma and Horatia, 343 ; last letter to Emma, 344, 345 ; victory and
death, 345, 346; influence over
Emma, her "all of good," 347 Nelson, Mrs. William, 293, 294,
298, 306, 317 Nicolas, Sir Harris, 162, 275, 288,
366 Nisbet, Josiah, 163
Parker, Commander Edward, 306,
3"
Parker, Sir Hyde, 300, 301 Parsons, Lieutenant, 234-236, 241-
243; 259, 324, 325
Parthenopean Republic, 202, 207 Pignatelli, Prince Francesco, 200 Pitt, William, 98, no, III, 338,
349
Powell, Jane, 6 Prince Regent, the, 7, 86, 129,
184, 266, 2
95-299, 361
Ranelagh Gardens, 27
Romney, George, 2, 9, 23, 29-31,
49 J 85-89, 90-92, 366 Rose, George, 337, 348, 350, 354,
357, 363. 365
Ruffo, Cardinal Fabrizio, 202-204, 215, 216-218, 220
Scott, Dr. [Nelson's chaplain], 342,
346 Scott, Mr. [Nelson's secretary], 330,
331
Southey, 221
Spain, King of, 122, 123, 125-127,
•128, 130
Spencer, Lord, 243, 254 St. George, Mrs., 262-267, 362 St. Vincent, Earl, 8, 136, 138, 139,
146, 155, 156, 160, 161, 165,
206, 208, 211, 227, 254, 305,
308, 355, 356 Swinburne, A. C. [quoted], 327
INDEX
"Thompson," Mr. and Mrs., 289-
292, 333 Troubridge, Thomas, 140, 141,143,
147, I53t !55» I7i, 179, 181, 206, 207, 245, 248, 249, 253, 312
Uovo and Nuovo, castles of, 65,
217, 221, 223
Vesuvius, 33, 65, 77
Walpole, Horace, 94, 98 Willet-Payne, Captain John,
70 Wordsworth, 5, 223
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.
A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS
PUBLISHED BY METHUEN
AND COMPANY: LONDON
36 ESSEX STREET
W.C.
Nelson's Lady Hamilton Page 27
