Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

was solicited in vain by his widow. There was a striking contrast between the conduct of Nelson, and that of sir William's family, particularly the nephew, who compelled her ladyship to quit the house in Piccadilly within a month after the death of her husband. Thus she found the instability of that friendship which is cemented by selfish motives; and she might, if prudence had been admitted to her councils, have learnt from hence, that the admiration which is not excited by virtue has never any chance of being matured into esteem. This harsh treatment on the part of her oldest acquaintance and protector, was embittered by the silent contempt thrown on her memorial for a pension, as the relict of an ambassador, and one that had particular claims of her own for a liberal allowance from the government. But it was so well known by the cabinet, that the Sicilian embassy had neither been honourable in the management, nor economical in the expenditure, that no regard was paid to the petition of her ladyship, though it was supported by the powerful exertions of her noble friend, whose recommendation of her claims brought with it so many unpleasant recollections, as tended, in a great measure, to defeat the objects which the parties had in view.

It has been said that lord Nelson, on the death of sir William, immediately removed into private lodgings, being actuated by a delicate regard to the widow's reputation, and a laudable care to avoid giving any handle to a bad and censorious world. The motive certainly was just and proper, but it is strange that the mind in which it arose should not have seen the necessity of observing the same line of conduct in the country as in London, since if there was any thing wrong in his continuing under the roof of lady Hamilton, in Piccadilly, after the death of her husband, there was just as much in her living with him at Merton. It is much to be lamented, that this wish to

avoid giving occasion for the surmises and rumours of the i-disposed part of mankind, did not result from the conscientious principle of having endeavoured to merit the confidence of the good, which would have led the hero, and the object of his admiration, to study such a line of conduct as might have placed them, like the wife of Cæsar, above all suspicion.

CHAPTER XIV.

This then is liberty, the truth to tell;

To our dear country wishing all things well.

Euripides,

Soon after the death of sir William Hamilton his widow took a house in Clarges-street, between which and Merton her time was divided; but within a few weeks she was deprived of the company of her noble friend and admirer, in consequence of his being appointed to the command of the fleet in the Mediterranean. In a letter written to her from thence, his lordship gave this extract from one which he had sent just before to the queen of Naples : "I left lady Hamilton the eighteenth of May; and so attached to your majesty that I am sure she would lay down her life to preserve yours. Your majesty never had a more sincere, attached, and real friend, than your dear Emma. You will be sorry to hear that good sir William Hamilton did not leave her in such comfortable circumstances as his fortune would have allowed. He has given it amongst his relations. But she will do honour to his memory, although every one else of his friends call loudly against him on that account."

In all this, however, the noble writer judged wrong; for when the rise of this woman is considered, the settlement

of seven hundred a-year will hardly be thought by any reasonable person to have been an inadequate provision. Besides, as economy had never been one of her virtues, sir William knew well enough that a larger annuity would only have increased her extravagance; and the event proved that he acted with judgment in this disposal of his property. What honour she did to the memory of the man who had elevated her from a low situation, and one, indeed, that was worse than servile, to affluence and dignity, will appear from the fact that she declined the publication of his papers, letters, and memoirs; though when Nelson fell, one of her first considerations was that of hiring a mercenary scribbler to write such a history of the hero as should set forth her virtues and talents, in unison with his merits, to the best advantage. A literary friend of sir William Hamilton urged the propriety of giving to the world a biographical account of one who had so eminently distinguished himself, not only in a diplomatic capacity, but as an antiquary, and a scientific observer. This suggestion having been treated very disrespectfully, induced the person who made it to write rather freely to her ladyship on the subject; and then, with her usual address, she endeavoured to recall the words which had been uttered in contempt of a civil and disinterested proposal. The letter which she wrote by way of apology was as follows:

SIR,

Clarges-street, April 23d, 1804.

I was very much surprised on receiving your letter this morning, as I cannot think what you mean by my being offended, nor who could have told you so. Mr. O. spoke to me about your wish to have some information about sir William's pursuits, whilst on his embassy at Naples, which, I said, I should be very glad to give you myself

4

as many persons had asked me the same; but I had been so very unwell, I had not either health or spirits to enter on the subject with strangers. But I told Mrs. G. if you would do me the favour of calling in Clarges-street, I should be very glad to see you, and tell you myself many very interesting anecdotes of that great and good man. This is all that passed on the occasion, nor can I account for what you wrote me, as I never spoke to any one, but merely to give the message to Mrs. G. as I thought by so doing I might have been of service to you and Mrs. W. to whom I beg my compliments, and am,

Sir, your obedient

Humble servant,

EMMA HAMILTON.

P. S. If you will let me know by a line, any morning you will favour me by calling, I will be at home.

Now this was all mere duplicity and affectation, for nothing more was recommended to her ladyship than the publication of her husband's life and correspondence, as far as related to his literary connexions and philosophical researches; instead of which, she contented herself with communicating orally some trifling stories and amusing incidents, and thus the business ended; nor has any memoir of this remarkable character yet appeared, though it is evident, from the length of his residence in Italy, the variety of his engagements, and the extent of his acquaintance, that such a work would have been highly acceptable to the world of letters. But the truth is, she felt so much hurt at the manner in which the property of sir William had been bequeathed, that she cared as little for his honour after his death, as she had been mindful of it in his life-time. In the attentions of the Nelson family,' however, she became consoled for the supposed neglect with which she had been treated by her husband and his

friends. The niece of the noble admiral was settled in the family of her ladyship, that she might profit by the instructions and example of so accomplished a person. This was certainly a very extraordinary proof of friendship and confidence on the part of the young lady's parents, though there were not wanting persons who looked upon it in a light not at all flattering to the judgment or discretion of his lordship's relations. Dr. Nelson, the present earl, having obtained, through his brother's interest, a prebendalstall in the cathedral of Canterbury, was very assiduous at this period in his respects to lady Hamilton, who spent part of the summer with him at that city, accompanied by Mrs. Billington. The inhabitants of Canterbury were not a little surprised at the appearance of such visiters in the house of one of their reverend dignitaries; and more so, when it was proposed that these enchanting females should delight and edify the frequenters of the cathedral with a sacred duet. This offer, however, was far from being relished by the grave characters who acted as the guardians of that venerable fabric; and the respectable citizens had so much of the Baotian dullness, that at the end of their cards of invitation to the new prebendary and his family, they made it a point to subjoin this curious condition, "But not lady Hamilton." These oldfashioned people, in the country, seem to have fancied that when the voice of the world was loud respecting the dominion of this woman over the mind of the hero, his nearest friends ought to have discountenanced the rumour, by treating her, at the utmost, with distant respect. It undoubtedly did wear a very strange aspect, that while an amiable wife was discarded for no offence, all the relations of the admiral, and particularly his brother, whose station in the church called for the greatest circumspection, should be extremely diligent in cultivating the acquaintance of the person who had made such an in

« PředchozíPokračovat »