, Nelson's most intimate friends, including the
Earl of St. Vincent, who called them 'a pair of sentimental fools,'
Dr. Scott, his Chaplain, and Mr. Haslewood, were of the same
opinion; and Southey says, 'there is no reason to believe that this
most unfortunate attachment was criminal.'"

This complicated and difficult path of deception had to be trod,
because the offence was not one of common error, readily pardoned if
discovered, but because the man betrayed, whatever his faults
otherwise, had shown both the culprits unbounded confidence and
kindness, and upon the woman, at least, had been led by his love to
confer a benefit which neither should have forgotten.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] The Paget Papers, vol. i. pp. 253, 257.

[7] British minister to Tuscany.

[8] There were some Neapolitan frigates in Leghorn, but the royal family
were never willing to trust them.

[9] Life of Lord Minto, vol. iii. pp. 147-150.

[10] Malmesbury's Memoirs, vol, ii. p. 24.

[11] Mrs. St. George's description of Lady Hamilton has already been given,
_ante_, vol. i. p. 380.

[12] Miss Knight mentions the same ceremony occurring in Vienna.

[13] Life of Lord Minto, vol. iii. pp. 242-243.

[14] This letter, with another, appears in the Alfred Morrison "Collection
of Autograph Letters" (Nos. 472, 473). It is purposely given entire, except
immaterial postscripts.

[15] Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers.

[16] The author is indebted to Prof. J. Knox Laughton for some extracts
from Hotham's diary.

[17] Beckford's Memoirs, London, 1859, vol. ii. p. 127.

[18] Locker's Greenwich Gallery, article "Torrington."

[19] Nicolas, vol. ii. p. 353. The present writer believes this lady to
have been Lady Berry, wife of Nelson's flag-captain, who gave Nicolas much
of his information.

[20] The author is indebted for this anecdote to Mrs. F.H.B. Eccles, of
Sherwell House, Plymouth, the daughter of the "little Fan" who told it.

[21] Morrison. The Hamilton and Nelson Papers, Nos. 777, 778, 779.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE EXPEDITION TO THE BALTIC AND BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN.--NELSON RETURNS
TO ENGLAND.

FEBRUARY--JUNE, 1801. AGE, 42.

The trouble between Great Britain and Denmark, which now called Nelson
again to the front, leading to the most difficult of his undertakings,
and, consequently, to the most distinguished of his achievements,
arose about the maritime rights of neutrals and belligerents. The
contention was not new. In 1780 the Baltic