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

; to us there is something pitiable in the shivering remnant of the Neapolitan Jacobins who marched out of the surrendered castles of Nuovo and Uovo. But Nelson, so near to these events, saw them with very different eyes from ours. The whole of his life goes to prove that, fighter though he was, he was not a cruel or vindictive man; indeed, there never lived a more perfect example of the " Happy Warrior "—

" Who, doomed to go in company with pain, And fear, and bloodshed, miserable train ! Turns his necessity to glorious gain ; In face of these doth exercise a power Which is our human nature's highest dower ; Controles them and subdues, transmutes, bereaves Of their bad influence, and their good receives : By objects, which might force the soul to abate Her feeling, rendered more compassionate."

But though compassion was as essential a part of his nature as courage, there was also an iron sternness, a fiery wrath for traitors, deserters, and

224 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

cowards. That his conduct in the Bay of Naples made a somewhat terrifying impression upon the Neapolitan populace, rejoiced though they were to see him, is shown by the diary of one De Nicola, who, after writing on the 25th of June that " The English squadron is drawn up facing our harbour, and offers an attractive and magnificent spectacle," reports, on the 29th, " They say the English admiral was in a rage because rebels had been allowed to capitulate when no quarter should have been given them;" while another rumour runs: "That the English admiral has threatened to cut off the prisoners' heads if St. Elmo resists and molests the city." What a glorious opportunity for censurers of Nelson, had that melodramatic rumour been true !

But there was one head Nelson held most completely forfeit, and that was Caracciolo's. Prince Francesco Caracciolo was an admiral—had been chief of the Neapolitan navy—and was a traitor. All the stern teachings of discipline-— and it was no long time since Admiral Byng had been shot " to encourage the others," as Voltaire expressed it—caused Nelson to look upon Caracciolo's crime as beyond the bounds of mercy. Caracciolo had accompanied the royal family in their flight to Palermo six months before, he had been honoured and trusted, and when he besought the King's permission to return to Naples to safeguard his own property, it had been freely granted

him. Once among the Republicans, however, he had gone over to their side, taking it to be the winning side. He had aided the French and fought with them, actually going to the length of firing upon his own flagship, La Minerva. But the tide turned with the coming of the British squadron : he fled to the mountains, was captured, and brought on board the Foudroyant, to meet the stern, accusing eyes of Nelson and Troubridge. In the attempt to rouse undue pity for his fate, Caracciolo has been represented, by a curious inversion of the figures, as a trembling old man of seventy-four; in reality he was forty-seven or forty-eight. But though barely middle-aged, his was already a broken life—broken and ruined by his own act. The relentless hand of Nemesis was upon him as he stood on the deck of the British flagship.

Nelson summoned a court-martial of Neapolitan officers to assemble on board the Foudro-yant for the purpose of trying Caracciolo, who " stands accused of rebellion against his lawful sovereign, and for firing at his colours hoisted on board his frigate, the Minerva" The charge was clear and definite; the only defence Caracciolo attempted was not to deny his own actions (which were not matters of controversy, but of fact), but to attack the character of the Neapolitan King for running away from Naples. Within two hours the verdict of the Neapolitan court-martial was Q

226 NELSON'S LADY HAMILTON

given, and then it became Nelson's stern duty to order the business to its end. To Commodore Count Thurn, who had been president of the court-martial, he wrote—

"Whereas a board of naval officers of his Sicilian Majesty hath been assembled to try Francisco Caracciolo for rebellion against his lawful sovereign, and for firing at his Sicilian Majesty's frigate La Minerva;

" And whereas the said board of naval officers have found the charge of rebellion fully proved against him, and have sentenced the said Caracciolo to suffer death;

"You are hereby required and directed to cause the said sentence of death to be carried into execution upon the said Francisco Caracciolo accordingly, by hanging him at the fore yard-arm of his Sicilian Majesty's frigate La Minerva, under your command, at five o'clock this evening; and to cause him to hang there until sunset, when you will have his body cut down, and thrown into the sea.

" Given on board the Foudroyant> Naples Bay, 29 June, 1799.

"NELSON"

Such was the stern but most justly deserved sentence. A good deal has been made of what is called Nelson's vindictive haste in causing

Caracciolo to be sentenced and executed on the same day. But it must be remembered that in time of war things are hastier and harsher than in time of peace—and it was dangerous to dally with traitors. It was not merely the sentence, but its swiftness, that struck terror, and deterred others from following in Caracciolo's footsteps. And Nelson had been brought up in the school of Earl St. Vincent, who would hang mutineers on a Sunday morning if they were sentenced on Saturday night.

During all this tragic business Emma Hamilton was shut up in her cabin in the Foudroyant —her steady nerve and her warm heart alike somewhat shaken by the downfall of the man she had known in the happier days of the Neapolitan