Nelson's Lady Hamilton by Meynell, Esther (surface ebook reader txt) 📕

line from me and send to her, and tell her by my order, and she may write to you ? Send me her answer. For I cannot divest myself of my original feelings. It will contribute to my happiness, and I am sure you will assist to make me happy. Tell her every year she shal have twenty pound. The fourth of November last I had a dress on that cost twenty-five pounds, as it was Gala at Court; and believe me I felt unhappy all the while I had it on."

But her thoughts were quickly turned to larger events, for at the beginning of the new year, 1793, came the thunderclap of Louis the Sixteenth's execution. The storm-cloud had burst in a flood that was to whelm not only the King and Queen of France, but ^many of the fairest and bravest of their subjects ; and when the guillotine ceased its work, up rose a new curse to France in the person of Napoleon, whose marvellous military genius and overreaching ambition plunged Europe into one 01 the titanic struggles of history—a struggle in which nation battled against nation, madly,

106 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

blindly, scarce seeing the cause of their strife and fury through the sword-blows and the deafening roar of the cannon, scarce realizing why to one side fell the dust of defeat, to the other the fumes of unjustifiable conquest. Dumb armies were driven across Europe by one man's will, and left like stubble upon the fields of battle, while their idolized " little Corporal"—he who had inspired them with that love of " la Gloire," which to him meant the purple of power, and to them the crimson of wounds and death's pale ermine—mounted the steps of the throne which he had built upon the ruins of Republican sentiment.

Even before the beginning of the Great War which had its root in the Revolution, the Queen of Naples had turned her eyes to England. She saw that from the Mistress of the Seas must come her help against the Terror that was spreading through France. When Lady Hamilton, on hearing that Louis the Sixteenth had fallen, expressed her horror at "the execrable deed the infamous French have committed," Maria Carolina replied in terms significant of her hopes. "I send you," she wrote, enclosing with her letter a little picture of the Dauphine, " the portrait of that innocent child who implores assistance, vengeance, or, if he is also sacrificed, his ashes united to those of his parents cry to the Eternal for speedy retribution; I

THE QUEEN'S COMRADE107

rely the most on your generous nation to accomplish it."

From this time onward the Queen of Naples made much of Lady Hamilton, and Emma's impulsive nature responded with the most generous enthusiasm. She had the gift of hero-worship in an almost extravagant degree, and for many years Maria Carolina occupied the pedestal of her admiration. The Queen's hatreds were her hatreds, and there is no doubt that Emma loved her own country more because the Queen of Naples looked towards it with anxious hope. With her usual extravagance and lack of balance, Lady Hamilton would have placed all the resources of England at the disposal of the Queen of Naples, had it been in her power to do so, and she certainly did much in later years to inspire Nelson with something of the same feeling—in spite of his insight, his experience, his passionate patriotism, and his fervent hatred of the foreigner.

The growth of the Queen's intimacy with Emma is shown in a letter she wrote to Greville on the second of June, 1793, from Caserta, where, " for political reasons," she and Sir William had been living for eight months—the " political reasons" being that they might be in constant communication with the Queen. She tells Greville that they dine frequently with the royal family, as they have " done Sir William and me

108 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

the honner to invite us very, very often . . . the reason why we stay now here is, I have promised the Queen to remain as long as she does, which will be tell the tenth of July. In the evening I go to her, and we are tete-a-tete 2 or 3 hours. Sometimes we sing. Yesterday the King and me sang duetts 3 hours. It was but bad, as he sings like a King" She is very proud of her tactful behaviour towards Maria Carolina: " Nor do I abuse of Her Majesty's goodness." She describes her conduct when an official drawing-room was held:—

" I had been with the Queen the night before alone en famille laughing and singing, etc., etc., but at the drawing-room I kept my distance, and payd the Queen as much respect as tho' I had never seen her before, which pleased her very much. But she shewd me great distinction that night, and told me several times how she admired my good conduct. . . . The English garden is going on very fast. The King and Queen go there every day. Sir William and me are there every morning at seven a clock, sometimes dine there and all ways drink tea there. In short it is Sir William's favourite child, and booth him and me are now studying botany, but not to make ourselves pedantical prigs and shew our learning like some of our travelling neighbours, but for our own pleasure."

Over a year later, Lady Hamilton's enthu-

AS "EUPHROSYNE"

GEORGE ROMNKY

siasm for the Queen of Naples was still growing. She wrote to the same correspondent in December, 1794—

" No person can be so charming as the Queen. She is everything one can wish,—the best mother, wife,