of a conversation concerning him, under his own roof,
transmitted by one of the parties to it; particularly instructive,
because showing the contradictory traits which illustrated his
character, and the impression made by him upon his contemporaries and
intimates,--men who had seen him upon all kinds of occasions, both
great and small. It corroborates, too, the report of these superficial
inconsistencies made by the Duke of Wellington on a later occasion.
The narrator, Lieutenant Layman, was the same who had recently been
with Nelson in the Baltic, and who has before been quoted in
connection with that expedition. Sir Alexander Ball will be remembered
as one of his chief supports during the long chase that preceded the
Battle of the Nile, as well as in the action, and afterwards during
the protracted operations around Malta. Hood was also a Nile captain.

"During the temporary peace, Mr. Layman spent some days at Merton,
with Sir Alexander Ball and Sir Samuel Hood. One day, after tea in the
drawing-room, Lord Nelson was earnestly engaged in conversation with
Sir Samuel. Mr. Layman observed to Sir Alexander, that Lord Nelson was
at work by his countenance and mouth, that he was a most extraordinary
man, possessing opposite points of character; little in little things,
but by far the greatest man in great things he ever saw: that he had
seen him petulant in trifles, and as cool and collected as a
philosopher when surrounded by dangers, in which men of common minds,
with clouded countenance, would say, 'Ah! what is to be done?' It was
a treat to see his animated and collected countenance in the heat of
action. Sir Alexander remarked this seeming inconsistency, and
mentioned that, after the Battle of the Nile, the captains of the
squadron were desirous to have a good likeness of their heroic chief
taken, and for that purpose employed one of the most eminent painters
in Italy. The plan was to ask the painter to breakfast, and get him to
begin immediately after. Breakfast being over, and no preparation
being made by the painter, Sir Alexander was selected by the other
captains to ask him when he intended to begin; to which the answer
was, 'Never.' Sir Alexander said, he stared, and they all stared, but
the artist continued: 'There is such a mixture of humility with
ambition in Lord Nelson's countenance, that I dare not risk the
attempt.'"[50]

There is yet another casual mention of the Merton home life,
illustrative of mor