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

Court. On the day of the execution she wrote three letters to Maria Carolina, which must have expressed, instead of the unnatural exultation with which she has been credited, grief and distress of mind, for the Queen in her reply speaks of the " sad and well-merited end of the unhappy and demented Caracciolo. I can truly sympathize with your excellent heart in all its sufferings, and that increases my gratitude." Yet it is in this very matter that Emma has been accused of conduct that would be a disgrace to the name of womanhood. Writer after writer, copying calumny from each other's pages, has declared that she was at Caracciolo's execution, delighting in the cruel

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spectacle, and that when he was still hanging from the Minerva's yard-arm she actually said to Nelson, " Come, Bronte, let us take the barge and have another look at poor Caracciolo!"

Such stones are wicked inventions, and bear in themselves the evidence of their untruth. Even putting aside the fact that they are utterly out of character, Emma could not have been at the execution in the Minerva, for at the very time that the signal gun announced the end of the Neapolitan admiral, Lord Northwick was dining with Nelson and Sir William and Lady Hamilton on board the Foudroyant. The story about having "another look" is obviously maliciously made up by some one imperfectly conversant with the most obvious facts : Emma could not—unless gifted with prophetic foresight—address as " Bronte " a man upon whom the title was not then bestowed. These "artists in calumny," as Mr. J. C. Jeaffreson calls them, should be a little more careful of the groundwork of their ugly stories.

Soon after the execution of Caracciolo the King came back to Naples, and was received with acclamations and salutes—the Bourbon monarchy was restored again. But not trusting overmuch to the attachment of his loyal subjects, Ferdinand took up his quarters in the Foudroyant. For reasons of state, and for smaller reasons of pique and vexation, the Queen was left at Palermo—at this time she was unpopular both with her people

and with her husband. Writing to Lady Hamilton just before the King left Palermo, she says—

" I shall remain behind in great sadness, praying to heaven that all may end gloriously and for the best; but I am deeply affected, and am counting on what must justly take place. It is at this moment especially, my dear lady, that I rely on your friendship to write to me about everything, for all my correspondents, seeing my insignificance and dreading to compromise themselves, are sure to be silent. But I hope my good friend Emma will not forget me, though I am relegated to Palermo. This is going to be an epoch in my life; do not believe that I did not wish to come for any reason or through caprice. I have been obliged to do so on many grounds—besides which no one wanted me."

We may be sure that Emma responded generously, not to say extravagantly, to the Queen's declaration of trust and affection. It was a great part she was playing, and she was conscious of it every moment. Sir William himself was far from blind to the political importance of his wife's friendship with the Queen, and from the Foudroyant on the I4th of July he wrote to Lord Grenville, enclosing a packet of Maria Carolina's letters, and saying—

"As Lady Hamilton was very particularly requested by the Queen of Naples to accompany me and Lord Nelson on this expedition,

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and was charged by her Majesty with many important commissions at Naples, and to keep up a regular daily correspondence with her Majesty, I have found the enclosed queen's letters to Lady Hamilton so very interesting, doing so much honour to the queen's understanding and heart, and throwing such clear light on the present situation of affairs at Naples, that I have prevailed on my wife to allow me to entrust to your Lordship the most interesting of her Majesty's letters, but not without a solemn promise from me that they should be restored to her by your Lordship on our arrival in England."

In a letter of the same date to his nephew, Charles Greville, Sir William speaks of the idea that they may soon come home—

" Probably some ships will soon be sent home from Palermo, and Emma and I shall profit of one.Every captain wishes to serv< us, and no one are, I believe, more popular ii the navy at this moment than Emma and I. It will be a heartbreaking to the Queen oi Naples when we go; she has really no female friend but her, and Emma has been of infinit< use in our late very critical business. Lor< Nelson and I could not have done without her, all of which shall be explained when we meet. You cannot conceive the joy of Naples on seeini me arrive again, and we have had the glory oi

'SENSIBILITY'

GEORGE KOMNEY

stepping between the king and his subjects, to the utility of both. In short, the king's fleet and a little good management and temper has placed their Sicilian Majesties once more on their throne of Naples."

As he read this letter the Honourable Charles Greville must have reflected somewhat curiously on the progress of the " fair tea-maker of Edgware Row."

She herself was much elated at her part in events, and a few days later wrote him one of her long epistles, which still shows the old childish