favor with the Neapolitans, and with her husband, who
attributed to her precipitancy the disasters of the previous December.
The two women corresponded daily; and, if the minister's wife deceived
herself as to the amount and importance of what she effected, there is
no doubt that she was very busy, that she was commonly believed to
exert much influence, and that great admiration for one another was
expressed by herself, Hamilton, and Nelson, the _"Tria juncta in uno"_
as the latter was pleased to style them. "I never saw such zeal and
activity in any one as in this wonderful man [Nelson]," wrote she to
Greville. "My dearest Sir William, thank God! is well, and of the
greatest use now to the King." "Emma has been of infinite use in our
late very critical business," said Hamilton to the same correspondent.
"Ld. Nelson and I cou'd not have done without her. It will be a
heart-breaking to the Queen of N. when we go"--back to England, as was
then expected. "Sir William and Lady Hamilton are, to my great
comfort, with me," wrote Nelson to Spencer; "for without them it would
have been impossible I could have rendered half the service to his
Majesty which I have now done: their heads and their hearts are
equally great and good."

The execution of Caracciolo was shortly followed by another very
singular incident, which showed how biassed Nelson had become towards
the interests of the Neapolitan Court, and how exclusively he
identified them--confused them, would scarcely be too strong a
word--with the essential interests of the Allied cause and the duties
of the British Navy. On the 13th of July the castle of St. Elmo was
surrendered by the French, the whole city of Naples thus returning
under the royal authority. On the same day, or the next, Troubridge,
with a thousand of the best men that could be sent from the squadron,
marched against Capua, accompanied by four thousand troops. A letter
had already been received from the Commander-in-chief, Keith, to
Nelson, intimating that it might be necessary to draw down his vessels
from Naples to the defence of Minorca. "Should such an order come at
this moment," wrote Nelson to the First Lord, forecasting his probable
disobedience, "it would be a cause for some consideration whether
Minorca is to be risked, or the two Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily? I
rather think my decision would be to risk the former;" and he started
Troubridge off with a detachment that seriously crippled the squadr