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

house, and apparently guessed nothing; while in little over a week after her confinement Lady Hamilton herself took the baby and placed her in the charge of a foster-mother, who cared for the child for a year or two. Later on the little Horatia was brought openly to Sir William Hamilton's house, though, of course, her presence was accounted for

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by a train of fictitious circumstances. But thenc< forward Nelson and Emma involved themselves in a cloud of dissimulation, and the extraordinary success with which she practised the art of deceit is shown by the fact, that to the end of her long life, Horatia (who became Mrs. Ward) was firmly convinced that Lady Hamilton was not her mother. Writing to Sir Harris Nicolas, in a letter recently discovered by Mr. E. S. P. Haynes, Horatia Ward says—

" Would she (i.e. Lady Hamilton) have dared to have a child brought constantly to her husband's house had she had a nearer interest in it than that of friendship to whom it belonged ? It has always appeared to me that she was just the woman who, to gain a stronger hold on Lord Nelson's affection, would be likely to undertake the care of a child which he might feel anxious about, to show herself above common jealousies. The only quarrel which I ever heard between Lady H. and her mother took place when we lived at Richmond, when I suppose I had been very naughty, for I was in sad disgrace, and had received a most pathetic lecture on the error of my conduct. Mrs. Cadogan pleaded for me, saying that I had done nothing requiring such a severe scolding, when Lady H. became angry, and said that she alone had authority over me. Mrs. Cadogan, rather irritated, said, ' Really, Emma, you make as much fuss about the child as if she

were your own daughter/ when Lady H. turned round, much incensed as I was present, and replied, ' Perhaps she is/ Mrs. Cadogan looked at her and replied : ' Emma, that will not do with me; you know that I know better/ Lady H. then ordered me out of the room. On her deathbed, at Calais, I earnestly prayed her to tell me who my mother was, but she would not, influenced then, I think, by the fear that I might leave her." During the ordeal of Emma's secret confinement, Nelson, who had hoisted his flag as Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet, was at Plymouth, expecting day by day the orders that would take him from England to strike at the Northern Coalition, for as he said in one of his letters, " We are now arrived at that period, what we have often heard of, but must now execute—that of fighting for our dear Country." It was a cruel situation for both of them; but they had foreseen it, and provided themselves with a means of communicating freely. It was not safe in letters which might be seen by other eyes to refer openly to the expected child which was officially non-existent. Yet the anxious father must have news. So a Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were invented—Thompson supposed to be an officer in Nelson's own ship, his wife on shore * under Lady Hamilton's special protection and care. Thus, under other names, Nelson and Emma were able to express their own feelings

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and agitations. The first reference to the Thompsons occurs in a letter from the Admiral to Lady Hamilton, dated the 25th of January, when he did not know whether the child was yet born or how the mother fared : " I delivered poor Mrs. Thompson's note," he tells her; " her friend is truly thankful for her kindness and your goodness. Who does not admire your benevolent heart ? Poor man, he is very anxious, and begs you will, if she is not able, write a line just to comfort him. He appears to feel very much her situation. He is so agitated, and will be so for 2 or 3 days, that he says he cannot write, and that I must send his kind love and affectionate regards." In a letter three days later he says: " I have this moment seen Mrs. Thompson's friend. Poor fellow ! he seems very uneasy and melancholy. He begs you to be kind to her! and I have assured him of your readiness to relieve the dear, good woman."

When the news of the child's birth reached him, Nelson gave expression to his own gladness and relief under the assumed name.

" I believe," he wrote to the Emma, who was also " Mrs. Thompson," " dear Mrs. Thompson's friend will go mad with joy. He cries, prays, and performs all tricks, yet dares not show all or any of his feelings, but he has only me to consult with. He swears he will drink your health this day in a bumper, and damn me if I

don't join him in spite of all the doctors in Europe, for none regard you with truer affection than myself. You are a dear good creature, and your kindness and attention to poor Mrs. T. stamps you higher than ever in my mind. I cannot write, I am so agitated by this young man jat my elbow. I believe he is foolish, he does nothing but rave about you and her. I own I participate in his joy and cannot write anything."

In another and later letter he wrote direct to Mrs. Thompson in his own name and person—

" I sit down, my dear Mrs. T.," he says, "