Full text of Memoirs of Emma, lady Hamilton, the friend of Lord Nelson and the court of Naples;

by Yelena Kopylova

  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-