fulfilment links them irrevocably together. Mutual
hope and mutual faith refuse to be sundered. The
hero creates his heroine, the heroine worships her
maker, who has transformed her in her own eyes as
well as his. It is the old romance of Pygmalion and
Galatea. He places her on a pedestal and in a shrine.
Henceforth for Nelson, however misguided in outward
" fact," Emma stands out adorable as Britannia. " She and the French fleet " are his all in all. His ecstasies in her honour spring from his firm conviction that but
for her that mighty blow might never have been struck,
nor Buonaparte crushed. Emma, for him, is England.
He returns to her crowned not with " cypress," but laurels ever green. And she has plucked some of them
for his wreath. He acknowledges that his was the first
approach. As he wrote to her not three years later
in a passage now first brought to light, " I want not to conquer any heart, if that which I have conquered is
happy in its lot: I am confident, for the Conqueror
is become the Conquered."
And once more, with regard to Emma herself. She
had never yet been free in her affections. Her devo-
tion to Greville, her attachment to her husband, had
grown up out of loyal gratitude, not from spontaneous
choice, and the contrast first presented itself to her,
not as an untutored girl, but as a skilled woman of the
EMMA, LADY HAMILTON 215
world. Sir William was now sixty-eight, Nelson just
on forty " I' age critique," as the French term it.
She firmly believed that she had helped his heroism to
triumph ; he as firmly, that his battle had been half won through her aid. Both were susceptible. Both
despised the crowd from which in character and cir-
cumstances they stood apart. Emma's morality had
been largely one of discretion. Nelson's was one of
religion. If Nelson came to persuade himself that she
was born to be his wife in the sight of God and all
his after expressions to her prove it it would not be
strange if such a woman, still beautiful, in a sybarite
atmosphere where she was held up as a paragon, should
throw discretion to the winds of chance. It was after
some such manner that these problems of heart and
temperament were already shaping themselves.
Consult the first among those jubilant letters, a few
excerpts from which have been quoted in the second
chapter. They eclipse the very transports of the
Queen, " mad with joy," and hysterically embracing all around her, whose own letter of that memorable
Monday evening fully bears out Emma's account in
these outpourings. She would rather have been a
" powder-monkey in that great Victory than an Em-
peror out of it." Her self-elation is all for Nelson.
Posterity ought to worship the deliverer in every form
and under every title. His statue should be " of pure gold." Her song is " See the Conquering Hero
Comes," her strain is " Rule Britannia." Her gifts of voice and rhapsody are dedicated to these. For these
she hymns the general joy, while the illuminations of
her windows reflect the glow of her bosom. Nelson,
Britain in cxcelsis, down with the execrable Jacobins, a fig for foreign dictation these are her refrains. Even
her " shawl is in blue with gold anchors all over " ; her
" earrings all Nelson anchors"; she wears a bandeau 216 EMMA, LADY HAMILTON
round her forehead with the words " Nelson and Vic-
tory." Her " head will not permit " her to tell " half of the rejoicing." " The Neapolitans are- mad, and if he was here now he would be killed with kindness."
How can she " begin " to her " dear, dear Sir " ? Since the Monday when the tidings had been specially conveyed to her, she has been " delirious with joy " and has " a fever caused by agitation and pleasure." She fell fainting and hurt herself at the news. " God, what a Victory! Never, never has there been anything half
so glorious, so complete." She would " feel it a glory to die in such a cause." " No, I would not like to die till I see and embrace the Victor of the Nile."
The care of the navy now engrosses her. There is
nothing she will not do for any fellow-worker with
the prince of men. Captain Hoste, her guest from
September I, never forgot her tender kindness. She
begged and procured from Lord St. Vincent Captain
Bowen's promotion to the command of L'Aquilon.
Directly Nelson had cut short his brief stay of con-
valescence almost before the plaudits had died away,
she sat down to write to the hero's wife, as she was to
do again later in December. She tells her how Nelson
is adored by King and Queen and people, "as if he
had been their brother"; how delighted they are with the stepson. She sends her Miss Knight's " ode."
She enumerates with pride the royal presents ; the sul-
tan's aigrette and pelisse, which she " tastes " and
" touches." She resents the inadequacy of his Government's acknowledgment " Hang them, / say!"
Both she and Hamilton were soon, in Nelson's words
to his wife, " seriously ill, first from anxiety and then from joy."
But now she is " preparing his apartments against
he comes." On September 22 the Vanguard anchored
in the bay, and he came.
EMMA, LADY HAMILTON 217
The King and Queen had prepared a gorgeous ova-
tion. It was midsummer weather, and a cloudless sky.
No sooner was Nelson's small contingent descried off
the rock of Tiberius at Capri, than the royal yacht,
commanded by Caracciolo, draped with emblems and
covered with spangled awnings, advanced three leagues
out to meet him. On deck the music of Paisiello and
of Cimarosa at last pardoned for composing a repub-
lican ode resounded over the glassy waters, while a
whole " serenata " of smaller craft followed in its wake and swelled the chorus. All the flower of the
court, including the Hamiltons, was on board, where
stood the King and the melancholy bride of the heir-
apparent, Princess Clementina. The Queen, herself
unwell, stayed at home and sent her grateful homage
through Emma. As the procession started from the
quay, citizen Garat, foiled and sullen, mewed in his
palace with drawn blinds, caught from afar the strains
of triumph, and vowed revenge.
As the cortege neared the Vanguard, both the Ham-
iltons, worn with fatigue and excitement, and the royal
party, greeted him. The picture of their meeting is
familiar. It has been painted in Nelson's own words to
his wife: "Alongside came my honoured friends:
the scene in the boat was terribly affecting. Up flew
her Ladyship, and exclaiming, ' O God ! Is it possible ? '
she fell into my arm more dead than alive. Tears,
however, soon set matters to rights; when alongside
came the King. The scene was in its way as interest-
ing. He took me by the hand, calling me his ' Deliv-
erer and Preserver,' with every other expression of
kindness. In short, all Naples calls me ' Nostro
Liberatore." My greeting from the lower classes was truly affecting. I hope some day to have the pleasure
of introducing
you to Lady Hamilton; she is one of
the very best women in this world, she is an honour
218 EMMA, LADY HAMILTON
to her sex. Her kindness, with Sir William's to me,
is more than I can express. I am in their house, and I
may now tell you it required all the kindness of my
friends to set me up. Lady Hamilton intends writing
to you. God bless you ! "
Little did Nelson yet reck of the ironies of the
future. In this very letter he uses the warmest ex-
pressions about his wife that had as yet appeared in any of his letters. Had he pursued his first intention of
proceeding from Egypt to Syracuse, how much, be-
sides Naples, might have been avoided ! Was he even
now face to face with a passionate conflict ?
During the twenty-three days that Nelson remained
ashore, much happened besides rejoicing, and much
had to be done. Not only did Nelson's wound (like
his battered ships) require instant attention, but, as constantly happened with him, the protracted strain of
nervous effort was followed by a severe fever. Lady
Hamilton and her mother tended him; a brief visit
with the Hamiltons to Castellamare, where Troubridge
was refitting the maimed vessels, and a diet of " asses'
milk " did much to mend his general health. Nor was it to him alone that Emma, herself ailing, ministered.
Sir William was exhausted. The Queen was ill and
miserable under the troubles gathering both at Malta
and in the council-chamber; Captain Ball also needed
her care, which he requited with an enthusiastic let-
ter of thanks to " the best friend and patroness of the British Navy " ; Troubridge, too, was far from well at Castellamare ; many were in hospital. But Lady Hamilton owned the strength of highly-strung natures the
strength of spurts ; and she found time and energy for
all her tasks.
These good offices are here mentioned, among many
more remaining for subsequent mention, because, in the
EMMA, LADY HAMILTON 219
future, after the fatal dividing line of her triumphal
progress to Vienna with the Queen, her husband, and
Nelson, they were all forgotten. She was to estrange
some of her old admirers, who inveighed against her
behind her back not only as ill-bred, but as artful.
Beckford, for instance, who had hitherto praised her
highly, became unkindly critical on her second visit to
Fonthill in 1801 ; Miss Knight, her firm ally at this
moment, turned the reverse of friendly. Troubridge
(the baker's son, beloved and promoted by Nelson),
who throughout had supported her, grew obstinate in
antagonism both to her and him; while the seemly
Elliots were shocked at her loudness and scorn of con-
venances. Even the Queen's ardour cooled; and the
English official world began to look askance at the
trio, and to make merry over Samson and Delilah.
Nelson's birthday gave full scope for a colossal
demonstration at the English Embassy. Emma's huge
assembly, where royalty and all the cream of society
presided, was hardly an enjoyment for the worn con-
queror. A " rostral column " of the classical pattern, with inscriptions celebrating his achievements, had
been erected in the gay garden festooned with lamps,
and alive with music. The artistic Miss Cornelia
Knight (with her mother, a refugee from the terrors
of war at Rome) added one more ode to the foreign
thousands, and made a sketch of the scene. The festiv-
ity was chequered by Josiah Nisbet, Nelson's scape-
grace but petted stepson, who brawled with him in his
cups, until Troubridge parted them, and ended the in-
decent scuffle. That this arose from his habits, and
not of design, is shown by Emma's affectionate refer-
ences to him in her letter to his mother only four days
afterwards.
Nelson was dispirited, and disgusted not only with
the " fiddlers " and loose dames of the court, but with 220 EMMA, LADY HAMILTON
its finicking petit mditre, Gallo, the foreign minister, all airs and pouncet; so afraid lest the wind should step
between him and his nobility, that, solemn over trifles, he persistently dallied with the grave issues now at
stake. The halting Acton himself proved energetic
mainly in professions, though by the end of October
Emma had won him also to their side. Not only had
the " Grand Knights " of Malta, Hompesch the master, and Wittig, shown the white feather at Valetta, and
left the French practically masters of the field, but in the Romagna and in Tuscany the enemy was daily gaining ground. Moreover, while the Queen was reassured
as to the goodwill of the middle class and the Laz-
zaroni, she now realised, as may be gathered from her
letters, that the various factions of the nobles were
from separate motives a nest of perfidy. Her hus-
band trounced her as the cause of his woes, and despite
his enthusiasm for the " hero," he remained in the Anglophobe party's clutches. The delaying Gallo was
averse to open hostilities until Austria had engaged in
offensive alliance, for the compact (which had been
signed in July) only promised Austrian aid in the
event of Naples itself being attacked. Russia had de-
clared, the Porte was on the verge of declaring, war
against the French Republic. The preceding May had
seen yet another treaty between both these powers and
Naples, binding the latter to furnish twelve ships and
four hundred men for the coalition. Yet the Emperor,
son-in-law to the Neapolitan Bourbons, still waited,
and on him the King of Naples waited also, much more
concerned with the impending birth of a grandchild
who might inherit the throne, than with the portents of
affairs. His disposition shunned reality, notwithstand-
ing the fact, however, that he had sanctioned the sum-
mons of General Mack from Vienna to command his
forces. And, added to all these manifold preoccupa-
EMMA, LADY HAMILTON 221
tions, Lady Spencer, who had acclaimed Nelson's tri-
umph with " Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah," the wife of the first Lord of the British Admiralty, was now at Naples,
and constantly with the Hamiltons and Nelson.
From late September to early October Nelson and
Emma were in frequent conference. The French had
been attempting in Ireland what they had succeeded in
doing at Naples : their complots with rebellion threat-
ened all that was established.
He divined the situation in its European bearings
at a glance. She knew every twist and turn of the
Neapolitan road, with all its buffoons, adventurers, and highwaymen; the tact of quick experience was hers.
He, the masculine genius, created. She, the feminine,
was receptive, interpretative. And, whatever may be
urged or moralised, the human fact remains that she
was a woman after his own heart, and he a man after
hers. He was the first unselfish man who had as yet
been closely drawn towards her. However unlike in
upbringing, in environment, in standing above all, in
things of the spirit, in passionate e
nergy, in courage, in romance, in " sensibility " and enthusiasm they were affinities.
The result of these consultations is shown by the
long draft of a letter outlining a policy, which Nelson
drew up as a lever for Emma herself to force the
court into decision, and which formed the basis of a
shorter letter that has been published. He emphasised
" the anxiety which you and Sir William have always had for the happiness and welfare of their Sicilian
Majesties." He pointed out that the mass of the
Neapolitans were loyally eager to try conclusions with
France; that Naples was her natural "plunder," but that the ministers were " lulled into a false security,"
and a prey " to the worst of all policies, that of procrastination." He dwelt on Carat's insolence, and
222 EMMA, LADY HAMILTON
the readiness of the Neapolitan army to march into
the Romagna " ready to receive them." He hoped that Mack's imminent arrival would brace ministers
into resolution. He welcomed with admiring respect a
" dignified " letter from the Queen, according with his own favourite quotation from Chatham, " the bold-est measures are the safest." He presented his manifesto as a " preparitive " and as " the unalterable opinion of a British Admiral anxious to approve himself a faithful servant to his sovereign by doing
everything in his power for the happiness and dignity
of their Sicilian Majesties." To Sir William he
would write separately. He recognised the signs of
revolution, and already he sounded the note of warn-
ing. He recommended that their " persons and prop-
erty " should be ready in case of need for embarkation at the shortest notice. If " the present ruinous system of procrastination " persevered, it would be his
" duty " to provide for the safety not only of the Hamiltons, but of " the amiable Queen of these kingdoms and her family."
The address of this paper to Emma, the emphasis
of the Queen's letter, the promise of a separate one to
Hamilton, show that the document was intended for
the Queen's eye alone, and point to the suggestion of
it by Emma herself. We shall see that while Sir
William was pushing affairs with the English Gov-
ernment, Emma, during Nelson's absence in the Adri-
atic and the Mediterranean, was practically to be Am-
bassador at Naples.
Next day Nelson ordered Ball to Malta with the ex-
pressed objects not only of intercepting French com-
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