Nelson sets out for England. 66 termined to take this opportunity to visit her daughter, the Empress of Austria, and her other relatives at Vienna. During the few days that he passed at Palermo, his lordship availed himself of his influence with the king to solicit certain concessions for the benefit of the vassals on his domain of Bronte; whose general and individual prosperity he was solicitous to promote by all the means in his power. 'My object," he says, "at Bronte is to make the people happy, by not suffering them to be oppressed, and to enrich the country by the improvements of agriculture." With these views, he selected as governor a Mr. Graffer, a man of unimpeachable integrity and extraordinary skill in agriculture. His majesty complied with all his wishes respecting Bronte, and conferred on him at the same time the order of St. Ferdinand, the members of which have the especial privilege of being covered in the royal presence. On the 8th of June, the queen, with Prince Leopold and three princesses, Sir William and Lady Hamilton, Prince Castelcicala, who was going on a special mission to England, and a numerous train of royal attendants, were embarked on board the Foudroyant and Alexander, which immediately sailed for Leghorn. The royal party proceeded by way of Florence to Ancona, whence they were conveyed in two Russian frigates to Trieste. Nelson was every where received with the strongest demonstrations of public respect and individual affection. At Vienna, Prince Esterhazy invited his lordship and his friends to his mansion at Eisenstadt, in Hungary, where he entertained them four days in a style of royal magnificence, a hundred grenadiers six feet high constantly waiting at table. From the Austrian capital, where they left the queen of Naples, they travelled to Prague, for the purpose of visiting, at his particular request, the Archduke Charles, who was prevented by illness Nelson's Reception in Germany. from paying his respects to our naval hero at Vienna, as he had intended. After their first interview, "This," said Nelson, to his friends, "is a man after my own heart.” At Dresden, where the party remained eight days, two vessels were fitted up for their conveyance down the Elbe to Hamburgh. At every place where they touched, the shore was lined with crowds of people, so anxious to gain a sight of the hero of the Nile, that in some places many of them waited two or three days and nights for the purpose. At Magdeburg, where they landed, such was the public curiosity, that the master of the hotel at which the party stopped collected a considerable sum of money by allowing persons to mount a ladder, which enabled them to peep at the travellers through a small window. At Hamburgh his lordship one morning perceived a venerable clergyman, between seventy and eighty years of age, looking earnestly towards the door of the house in which he resided. He immediately sent to inquire his wish, and learned that the stranger had travelled forty miles, bringing with him the parish bible, in hopes that the hero would gratify him by writing his name on the blank leaf. Nelson, no doubt, reminded of his own beloved father, by the appearance of this venerable man, instantly ordered him to be admitted, complied with his request, and, kindly taking him by the hand, wished him a safe return to his flock. The pious pastor sank upon his knees, fervently imploring Heaven to bless his lordship, and declaring that he should now die happy whenever it pleased God to call him, since he had been thus highly favoured by the saviour of the Christian world.' In the same city, a wine-merchant, upwards of seventy years of age, requested to speak with Lady Hamilton, and informed her that he had some excellent old Rhenish wine, of 1725, which had been in his own possession The Hamburgh Wine-Merchant. about half a century, and which he had reserved for some very extraordinary occasion. Such a one had now arrived, and he hoped that her ladyship would prevail on Lord Nelson to accept six dozen bottles of this incomparable wine: part of it, he said, would then mingle with the heart's blood of that hero, and that thought would make him happy for the remainder of his life. Nelson, on being made acquainted with the request, repaired to the apartment where he was, cordially shook him by the hand, but declined the present. At length, however, he signified his acceptance of six bottles, on condition that the wine-mer. chant should dine with him on the following day. Twelve bottles were sent. His lordship, jocosely remarking that he hoped yet to gain half a dozen great victories, declared that he would keep six of them for the purpose of drinking a bottle after each. He did not fail to recollect this circumstance on returning to England, after the battle of Copenhagen, when he "devoutly drank the donor" of the old Rhenish. It is related that the latter, just after his first interview with his lordship, happening to meet an old acquaintance, who would have taken him by the hand, declined the friendly salute, observing, that he could not suffer any person to touch the hand which had been so highly honoured by being clasped in that of Lord Nelson. On arriving at Hamburgh, his lordship, who had written for a frigate to convey himself and his friends to England, learning that none had been sent, hired a packet at Cuxhaven; and, after a tempestuous passage of five days, arrived on the 6th of November at Yarmouth. On landing, his carriage was drawn by the exulting multitude to the inn; the ships in the harbour hoisted their colours; the mayor and corporation presented him with the freedom of the town; and then, joined by all the naval officers on shore and Arrival in London. the principal inhabitants, attended him in procession to church. Bonfires and illuminations ushered in the night; and, next day, when he left the place, the volunteer cavalry escorted his carriage to the boundary of the county of Norfolk. At Ipswich, the people went out to meet him, dragged his carriage for a mile into the town, and, on leaving it, drew it three miles out. When captain of the Agamemnon, he had wished to obtain a seat in parliament for this place; but, when a friend consulted some of the leading members of the corporation on the subject, it was found that their demands were such as he could not prudently comply with. He observed that he would endeavour to find a preferable path into parliament, and that a time might come when the people of Ipswich might think it an honour to have had such a representative. Arriving in London, on the 9th of November, which happened to be Sunday, he proceeded to Nerot's Hotel, King Street, St. James's, where his father and Lady Nelson, who came from Norfolk to meet him, had taken up their residence. On the following day, being specially invited to the civic festivity of the inauguration of the Lord Mayor, the people took the horses from his carriage and drew him to Guildhall, where, after a sumptuous dinner, he was presented with the gold-hilted sword studded with diamonds voted to him by the Corporation of London after the battle of the Nile. "With this very sword," said his lordship, emphatically, in reply to the chamberlain's address, holding it up in his remaining hand, "I hope soon to aid in reducing our inveterate enemy within proper limits." Nelson separates from his Wife. CHAPTER IX. 1801. NELSON SEPARATES FROM HIS WIFE - APPOINTED SECOND IN NELSON, though at the height of renown, loaded with honours, the object of public applause and admiration, was at this moment in private life a man to be pitied. His letters addressed to his lady during his absence in the Mediterranean had continued to breathe all the fond affection of his early attachment. Her reception of him when they again met was not what he expected, or what he deserved. She had been apprized of the influence which another had acquired over him--an influence to be ascribed as much to superior qualities of mind as of person; and it is to be regretted that she had not the good sense to perceive that coldness or ill humour are not the best means for winning back the wavering affections of a husband. No doubt jealousy stepped in to complete the work which incongruity of disposition had begun : and conjugal disharmony at length terminated in a formal separation, when Nelson made a settlement upon her ladyship of £1,800 per annum. |