council and would decide with his ministers. Lady | carried out by Lady Hamilton; she privately reHamilton dictated, and the queen wrote, a positive moved from the palace the royal jewels and thirtyorder," directed to all governors of the two Sicilies, six barrels of gold. These were marked "Stores to receive with hospitality the British fleet to water, for Nelson," and under that device were safely victual, and aid them." In every way this order, In a as Lady Hamilton well knew, would be more re-shipped. Indeed, it was not till the treasure was spected than that which might emanate from the secured that the king consented to embark. king. The council did not break up until eight despatch to the admiralty Lord Nelson says-o'clock, and Lady Hamilton attended Captain Trow-" Lady Hamilton seemed to be an angel dropped bridge and her husband to their residence. The from heaven for the preservation of the royal famfaces of the king, of Acton, and Sir William, too ily." To effect that preservation she was regardplainly told the determination at which they had less of her own. On the night in which she perarrived, and that they could not then break with France. On the way home Lady Hamilton told Sir sonally assisted the king, queen, and children to William and Captain Trowbridge that she had an- escape, she attended a party given by Kelim ticipated the result and provided against it; that, Effendi; she withdrew from this party on foot, whilst they were in council debating on the applica- leaving her equipage in front of the house, hasttion, she had been with the queen, and had not ened to the place of meeting, conducted the royal without effect implored her majesty to render the family by a subterranean passage to Nelson's boat, aid required. She then, to his great astonishment and delight, produced the order in question. waiting to receive them, embarked with the fugiNothing could exceed the gladness this occasioned. tives, and with them went before the storm that Trowbridge declared that it would "cheer Nelson blew them to Palermo. To accomplish this, Sir to ecstasy;" and that by this means they should be William and his wife voluntarily abandoned their enabled to pursue and conquer the French fleet, entire possessions in their house at Naples-they otherwise they must have gone for Gibraltar. Sir did not convey away one single article. William Hamilton wrote to Sir Horatio Nelson, whole of their private property was thus left becommunicating to him the formal decision of the council; but added, "You will receive from Emma hind, in order to prevent discovery of their proceedherself what will do the business and procure all ings in behalf of the royal family. The value of your wants." Lady Hamilton enclosed to the ad- Lady Hamilton's portion thus abandoned, amounted miral the order, praying him "that the queen might to 9,000l.; not less than 30,000l.'s worth of propbe as little committed in the use of it as the glory erty was sacrificed which belonged to Sir William. and service of the country would admit of." To The virtue of this sacrifice was the sole reward this Nelson replied, that he received the precious gained by those who made it. order, and that if he gained the battle it should be called hers and the queen's; for to Lady Hamilton he should owe his success, as without the order their return to Gibraltar was decided upon; but, he added, "I will now come back to you crowned with laurels or covered with cypress." The she It was in this year (1799) that Sir Alexander Ball, who held a part of Malta, the French occupying another part, sent despatches to Nelson at Palermo for provisions, without which he would be compelled to surrender. Nelson was absent at It was more especially for this service, rendered his old occupation looking after the enemies of when he was in his utmost need, that Nelson, England. Lady Hamilton opened the despatches, while dying, recommended Lady Hamilton to the purchased several entire cargoes of corn at her memory and gratitude of his country. The effect own risk, and forwarded them to the half-starved of this service we need not repeat. The British English in Malta. She expended 5,000., of ships watered and victualled at Syracuse, spread which not one shilling was ever returned to her. their huge wings in pursuit of their foe, and at the All that she profited thereby was in receiving the Nile launched their heavy thunder to his destruc-order of St. John of Jerusalem from the Emperor tion. On the twentieth of September the trium- Paul, Grand Master of the Knights. England phant squadron arrived at Naples, where ships, owed her much and acknowledged nothing. The officers, and men found every want supplied and Queen of Naples acted with more generosity; every wish anticipated. "But especially (says put into the hands of Lady Hamilton, on parting Dr. Pettigrew) were the broken health and from her subsequently at Vienna, a conveyance of wounded body of the valorous chief regarded. 1,000l. per annum; but the latter magnanimously Nelson was taken into the British minister's house, destroyed the deed, remarking that " England was and there personally tended by her whose sympa-just, and to her faithful servants generous, and thies had been so awakened, and by whose atten- that she should feel it unbecoming to her own tions he was after a time restored to health." Her beloved and magnanimous sovereign to accept of services did not terminate here. While all at meed or reward from any other hand." Naples were at the very high top-gallant of their joy, Lady Hamilton induced the court to break altogether with the French. The ambassador of the republic was consequently dismissed with scanty courtesy and in considerable haste. When, at a later period, a French army marched on Naples itself, and the royal family were reduced to fly to Palermo, the chief arrangements for the safety of the lives and properties of others were made or But the same year is also marked by an occurrence the very mention of which seems to obscure the brightness of Nelson's name, and to fling an additional lurid hue round that of the wife of a British minister. We say seems; for in truth there is more of seeming than of reality in it, and yet all is not seeming and there is something real. We allude, of course, to the case of Admiral Prince Carracciolo. According to some he seaman, The sentence was just, and the unfortunate old warrior merited death; but justice would have been satisfied had the great criminal been allowed the melancholy privilege of falling as he might have done in battle. At all events, the yard-arm of a British ship ought not to have been lent for the purpose of hanging a foreigner who had betrayed his trust to a foreign king. In thus much does blame appear attributable to Nelson. any is due to Lady Hamilton, or that Nelson was in the least degree influenced by her on this occasion, we disbelieve, simply for the reason that such an assertion is unsusceptible of proof. was murdered by Nelson at the instigation of Lady | the court is hereby dissolved." What followed Hamilton, who was so fiercely royalist that, if we is ever to be deplored. Dr. Pettigrew struggles may believe partial writers, the blood of a Jacobin ably and manfully to defend Nelson from all blame, was to her of marvellous sweet savor. Divested but he struggles unsuccessfully. The facts are of exaggeration the story of old Carracciolo is these-even by Dr. Pettigrew's admission. The simply this-He was a rich, valiant, and aged sentence was no sooner made known than Nelson and warinly attached to royalty until the issued an order for the immediate execution. The triumph of republicanism endangered those who guilty man was to be hung from six o'clock till had a distaste for commonwealths. When the sunset, "when you will have his body cut down Neapolitan royal family fled from Naples to Sicily and thrown into the sea. So run the words to their hitherto faithful old servant followed them which the name of Nelson is affixed. Lieutenant thither; when the heads of the party who had Parkinson, at the request of the doomed man, inproclaimed a republic at Naples threatened to con- terceded with the admiral; but to the prayer of fiscate the property of absentees, Carracciolo re- Carracciolo, that he might die the death of a man, turned to protect his own. In thinking overmuch and not that of a dog, Nelson refused to interfere, of himself he forgot fealty to his sovereign, and and harshly bade the poor lieutenant to go and atin a brief period he became as hot a republican as tend to his duty. The result was that Carracciolo ever he had been an eager royalist. He took up was ignominiously run up to the yard-arm, not of arms against his king, opposed his restoration, and his own flag-ship, but to that of Lord Nelson. fired upon his flag. After the principal body of The English admiral not only refused the mercy rebels had capitulated to the force in arms to give that he unquestionably might have granted, but the king his own again, he was captured in open he, in some sort, became the executioner; he not rebellion, taken on board the Foudroyant, Lord only insisted that the sentence of hanging should Nelson's own ship, and there given up to be tried be carried into effect, but he lent a gallows for by a court-martial. Nelson, as chief of the united the purpose. Sicilian and English squadrons, ordered this courtmartial to be held; it was formed exclusively of Sicilian officers, but it was held on board the English admiral's ship. The trial did not exactly exhibit a specimen of Jedburgh justice, by which a man is hung first and tried afterwards, but there was a spirit manifested that was very much akin to it. The president of the court, Count Thurn, was a personal enemy, though an old shipmate, of Carracciolo. The case for the prosecution was soon gone through; the facts were clear, patent, and undeniable; but the brave and misguided old seaman made a most gallant, fearless, and almost irresistible defence. Prob- But the Foudroyant was the scene of other disably the worst enemy of the crown of Naples graces. We come to the mention of them with was the king himself; he was worthless, selfish, reluctance, and will narrate them with all possible weak, vain, and pompous. Carracciolo asserted brevity. In 1800, Sir William Hamilton was that he had not deserted the royal cause, but that superseded as British minister at Naples; he and in fact the king himself had betrayed it; when Lady Hamilton, with the Queen of Naples, were there was no longer a royalty to defend that was on board Nelson's ship. Nelson himself was now worth the keeping, then alone had he joined the a Neapolitan duke. The whole party were about republicans. Thus far the defence was, perhaps, to leave the Mediterranean, and, with the exception founded on truth. It was not less true when of the queen, whose destination was Vienna, to reCarracciolo alluded to his property and the risk turn to England by land through Germany. It was he ran of rendering his posterity beggars if he during the passage from Palermo to Malta that the had not taken office under the republican flag; intimacy took place which resulted in the birth of but this was a sort of truth that was even less that little Horatia who was long thought to be the valid as an apology for rebellion than the former. daughter of the Queen of Naples, but whom Dr. The court unanimously found him guilty, and sen- Pettigrew, under Nelson's own hand, proves to be tenced him to be hung by the neck at the yard- the child of Lady Hamilton. That Nelson was arm of his own flag-ship. "Hereafter (said the the child's father no one ever doubted. The strange undaunted old man with some emotion)-here-party-husband, wife, and friend-reached London after, when you shall be called to your great in November, 1800. Lady Nelson was not among account, you will weep for this unjust sentence in tears of blood. I take shame to myself for asking for any favor from such men; but, if possible, I wish to be shot as becomes my rank, and not hung up like a felon and a dog." "It is inadmissible, (was the curt and savage reply of the court,) and That those who stood first to greet the arrival of the hero, or who at meeting greeted him with any warmth of feeling. She had, possibly, heard through her son, Captain Nisbet, of the too friendly terms which existed between her husband and the wife of another. His home was, in conse quence, an unhappy one, and he left it to proceed! on an excursion with Sir William and his lady. This excursion was an ovation which reached its highest point at Fonthill. Here the celebrities in art, rather than the noble by birth, were assembled to meet the illustrious party; here Banti, the Pasta of her day, joined her voice with the ex-ambassadress; and here West looked on and smiled. Dr. Pettigrew cites this letter of Mr. Haslewood to show that the separation was unavoidable on Lord Nelson's part; it appears to us to have been inevitable and necessary. Perhaps the strangest part of this incident is that Nelson's family closely attached themselves to Lady Hamilton. We must make exception, however, of the still stranger incident-namely, the birth of Lady Hamilton's daughter at her residence in Piccadilly, the In the gallery of the abbey, after the repast, the absence of all attempt to confer the honors of pacompany assembled, and Lady Hamilton enchanted ternity on Sir William, and the consequent mysthem with one of her remarkable personations- tification. The birth took place about the last that of Agrippina bearing the ashes of Germanicus day of January, 1801. The child was conveyed in a golden urn, and as presenting herself before to a nurse about a week or ten days afterwards, the Roman people with the design of exciting them and was not the home companion of its guilty to revenge the death of her husband, who, after having been declared joint emperor by Tiberius, parents until 1803, after the death of Sir William fell a victim to his envy, and is supposed to have Hamilton. Nelson's daughter still lives, and is been poisoned by his order at the head of the forces married to Captain Ward, late of the 81st regiwhich he was leading against the rebellious Ar- ment. minians * Lady Hamilton displayed with Before the death of Sir William Hamilton, truth and energy every gesture, attitude, and ex- Lord Nelson had made his house their common pression of countenance, which could be conceived residence. At the death of the former, he, with in Agrippina herself, best calculated to have roused the passions of the Romans in behalf of something of an affected decency, quitted it for their favorite general. The action of her head, of private lodgings. Sir William left his widow her hands and arms, in the various positions of the totally unprovided for. He thought, as Nelson urn, in her manner of presenting it to the Romans, thought, that the government would not hesitate or of raising it up to the gods in the act of sup- to make her an ample provision for her services. plication, was most classically graceful. Every In the mean time, waiting for an event that was change of dress, principally of the head, to suit the never to occur, Lord Nelson purchased Merton. different situations in which she successively pre- It is yet the object of many a sailor's pilgrimage, sented herself, was performed instantaneously with the most perfect ease, and without retiring or scarcely turning aside a moment from the spectators. In the last scene of this beautiful piece of pantomime, she appeared with a young lady of the company who was to personate a daughter. Her action in this part was so perfectly just and natural, and so pathetically addressed to the spectators, as to draw tears from several of the company. When the character of the Roman dress is remembered, it is difficult to believe that the representative of Agrippina was in the condition noticed by Dr. Pettigrew. The final separation between Nelson and his wife took place in the January of 1801. The last scene between the latter is thus described by a yet living witness, Mr. Haslewood :: and is about ten minutes' walk from the Wimble don station. Here he offered the deserted widow and the mother of his child a refuge-nay, more, a home. It was such to her; for there she enjoyed the homage and respect not only of every member of Nelson's family, but also of the great and good of the exterior world. Never was woman placed in so anomalous a condition, in which the anomaly was so carefully concealed from herself and unheeded by the world. It should have had the realities of the virtue of which it bore so well the semblance. That it had not was, perhaps, one of the causes why it endured so brief a space. It is most touching to read the letters of Nelson, cited by Dr. Pettigrew, and written to his child's mother at home. The heavy In the winter of 1800-1, I was breakfasting with responsibilities connected with Trafalgar, the anxLord and Lady Nelson at their lodgings in Arling- ieties coming thick and fast, the duties he had to ton street, and a cheerful conversation was passing fulfil-none of these things rendered him forgeton indifferent subjects, when Lord Nelson spoke of ful of his treasure. For the safety of one little something that had been done or said by "dear life his heart beat as only a parent's heart can Lady Hamilton," upon which Lady Nelson rose beat; and while meditating the array of battle, from her chair and exclaimed, with much vehemence in which his own life was to cloud the splendor "I am sick of hearing of dear Lady Hamilton, of the victory, he found leisure to send home deand am resolved that you shall give up either her or me." Lord Nelson, with perfect calmness, said tailed instructions how a substantial netting should -"Take care, Fanny, what you say; I love you be raised in the grounds of Merton to preserve litsincerely, but I cannot forget my obligations to tle Horatia from falling into a pond ambitiously Lady Hamilton, or speak of her otherwise than called the Nile. There wanted but one thing to with affection and admiration." Without one sooth-give holiness to Nelson's character as a father. ing word or gesture, but muttering something about To this, as to all his worldly glory, and to all her mind being made up, Lady Nelson left the room, the felicity that had hitherto rested upon Merton, and, shortly after, drove from the house. They never lived together afterwards. I believe that a sudden termination was given by the fatal ball Lord Nelson took a formal leave of her ladyship which struck him, when his glory was greatest, before joining the fleet under Sir Hyde Parker. on the deck of the Victory at Trafalgar. The last request of such a man, made in such an hour, | more, in Calais, in a miserable house, kindly lent and amid such a triumph, purchased by him with her, however, by a Monsieur de Rheims. That it his heart's blood-the dying request of such a was only shelter, and nothing else, may be inferred man ought to have been held sacred by his coun- from the following account handed to Dr. Pettitry. For five years Lady Hamilton struggled on grew by the lady who enacts in it so graceful a at Merton; she made application to every source, part :but she applied in vain. The recompense justly due to her for services rendered was withheld or denied under the most shabby and futile pretences. The worst of all, perhaps, was the pretence, or the plea, of the length of time that had expired since the service itself was rendered! Mrs. Hunter was in the habit of ordering meat daily at a butcher's for a little dog, and on one of these occasions was met by Monsieur de Rheims, who followed her, exclaiming, "Ah, madam !—ah, madam! I know you to be good to the English. There is a lady here who would be glad of the worst bit of meat you provide for your dog." When questioned as to who the lady was, and promising that she should not want for anything, he declined telling, saying that she was too proud to see any one, and that besides he had promised her secrecy. Mrs. Hunter begged him to provide her with everything she required, &c., as if coming from himself, and she would pay for it. This he did for some time, until she became very ill, when he pressed her to see the lady who had been so kind to her; and, upon hearing that her benefactress was not a person of title, she consented, saw her, thanked her, and blessed her. In a codicil annexed to his will, and made by Nelson as he was about to enter into action at Trafalgar, the admiral, with a strong feeling that death was near him, asked two favors of his king and country, in whose defence he was about to offer up his own life-one was, protection and provision for Lady Hamilton, whose late husband was the king's foster-brother; the other, good-will for his "adopted daughter." He solemnly bequeathed both to his sovereign and his fellow-countrymen. When the will was proved, this codicil was held back by the Rev. William Nelson, although he and his family Shortly after this her infirmities increased, and had been partaking of Lady Hamilton's hospitality for months. Indeed, during six years, she was a ultimately she died at Calais of water on the chest, on the 15th of January, 1815. Dr. Pettigrew second mother to his children, to whom he recomgives no credence to the report of an anonymous mended Lady Hamilton as an example, and enjoined obedience to her as an instructress. foreign writer that she had been converted to the "The Romish faith, and had received the sacrament from earl, (says Dr. Pettigrew-for the reverend gentleman was created an earl)-fearful that Lady finement in the King's Bench. That she died, as a Romish priest as long before as during her conHamilton should be provided for in the sum Parliament was expected to grant to uphold the hero's the same anonymous author reported, in the bosom of the Roman Catholic Church, and received its name and family, kept the codicil in his pocket until the day 120,000l. was voted for that purpose. sacraments on her death-bed, can be as little conOn that day he dined with Lady Hamilton in Clar-firmed. The. Romish Church would have buried ges street, and, hearing at table what had been a convert with willing ceremony; as it was, the done, he brought forward the codicil, and, throw-method of the sad solemnity was thus ordered for ing it to Lady Hamilton, coarsely said she might Mrs. Hunter, exceedingly beautiful :one who, even in death, remained, as described by now do with it as she pleased. She had it registered the next day at Doctor's Commons, where it is now to be seen." Mrs. Hunter was anxious to have her interred according to English custom, for which, however, With insufficient means to live in her old dig- she was only laughed at; and poor Emma was put nity at Merton, and with little knowledge of how into a deal-box without any inscription. All that to make the best of those means, accustomed to this good lady states that she was permitted to do find others her stewards, and unused to provide for was to make a kind of pall out of her black silk hours of necessity, she at length found herself com-lish Protestant clergyman was to be found in all petticoat stitched on a white curtain. Not an Engpelled to make an assignment of the home which Calais or its vicinity; and, so distressed was this Nelson had established for her and their child. lady to find some one to read the burial service over She removed to Richmond, and, subsequently, had her remains, that she went to an Irish half-pay lodgings in Bond street. Pursued by creditors, officer in the Rue du Havre, whose wife was a wellwithout her child, for whom she had no home-informed Irish lady. He was absent at the time; and for whom such protection as she could give was not that which a child most needed-she led a miserable life, which was hardly rendered more miserable by her incarceration, in 1813, in the King's Bench. She passed ten months in this captivity, and was only relieved at last by the humanity of Alderman Smith. With freedom came no measure of happiness; utterly destitute, and abandoned by those who in the days of her prosperity professed to be her slaves, she fled the country that would not aid her, and sought succor in a foreign land. She found shelter, and nothing was but, being sent for, most kindly went and read the moved-another placed and also removed; and the good lady at length threatened to be shot by the sentinel if she persisted in those offices of charity; A small tombstone was, however, afterwards placed there, and was existing in 1833. her life she does not appear to have met with one. who acted by her in a spirit of Christian charity and anxiety. She was born with qualities that should have led her heavenward; she was early pushed from the path thither tending; nor amid all her royal, her noble, and, alas! her clerical companions, was there one who persuaded her that she was erring-nay, but the contrary. The whole correspondence, now for the first time divulged in these volumes, shows the wickedness of men who could seduce to sin-their guilt in maintaining such terms with her who had fallen, as to make her feel assured that she had neither incurred sin nor merited disgrace—and their baseness in making her, in her helplessness, feel with double weight the penalty of a crime which they had, in the days of her greatness, held to be none. Let us, indeed, learn wisdom from a tale, the To the latter assertion we may remark that no tomb-stone was existing there in the month of August of the latter year. We searched the field very narrowly for the purpose, and found but one record of the decease of an English sojourner. The grave itself was pointed out to us by a Calaisian, but its locality was only traditionary. About nine pounds' worth of effects, twelve shillings in money, a few clothes, and some duplicates of pawned plate, were all that was left by the companion and friend of queens. Little as it was, the reverend Earl Nelson hastened to Calais to claim it. He expected more, and in his cupidity wished to take the pledged trinkets without pay-heroine of which does not afford the sole example ing the necessary expenses for getting them out of pawn; he would not even discharge the few debts incurred by her death. These were discharged by Mr. Cadogan, to whom Horatia was entrusted, (Mrs. Matcham, Nelson's sister, receiving her after Lady Hamilton's decease,) and to whom, as to Alderman Smith, the forlorn creature was indebted for much aid, ere death placed her beyond the need of requiring it. This tale bears with it its own moral: retribution followed offence; the commission of sin reaped its usual reward; the wanderer from virtue was visited with terrible affliction; and the penalty awaited not its commencement till the knell of the offender had summoned her to judgment. Thus much man knows, but with thus much he has not condescended to rest satisfied; and the sons of the seducers have been eager to cast stones at her whom their fathers enticed to sin. In the remembrance of her faults they make no account of her services, of her suffering, or of her sorrows; they have no idea that, if there was guilt, there might have been reconciliation, and that the dark season of her long last agony might have been passed in No; man, Owning her weakness, And leaving with meekness, who bore part in the offence, constituted himself the judge of this poor daughter of frailty, and she met with such mercy at his hands as man is accustomed to give. Let not Do not let it be supposed that we are advocates or even apologists in this case; our only anxiety is that, in the sacrifice of one, impunity may not be gained by, perhaps, greater offenders. the man who flung her beauty and her virtue into ruin be allowed to escape. Her sins were of man's making if these are to be remembered, let his share in them form part of the example we are taught to avoid. By man she was ruined in body and perilled in soul. Throughout the course of : that is to be avoided; but be it also ours to re- He knows each chord, its various tone, What's done we partly can compute, AMONG the many serious consequences entailed upon Europe by the perfidy of the Austrian cabinet, not one of the least is that all regard for law and precedent, for the binding force of covenants, for the sanctity of oaths, will henceforth be weakened in the popular feeling. Contending parties will henceforth only appeal to considerations of abstract right or of policy, of which each party will naturally constitute itself the sole arbiter. The inevitable tendency of such breaches of royal faith is to render impossible the existence of any moderate party, and to encourage the adherence to exof rational liberty, unless they are content to subtreme opinions. The constitutionalists, the friends mit for the sake of momentary quiet to the rule of military despotism, or of no less paralyzing bureaucratic centralization, will be driven to make common cause with the ultra democrat and the republican theorist. Those who, with us, believe a constitutional monarchy to be the form of government best adapted for the preservation of order and for the security of true liberty in the great empires of Europe in the present phase of civilization, must reluctantly confess that the Archduchess Sophia and Prince Schwarzenberg have done more to bring royalty into disrepute than all the republicans of this or the last century.-Examiner, 29 Sept. |