that though Lord
Nelson's constitution was not of that kind which is generally
denominated strong, yet it was not very susceptible of complaint from
the common occasional causes of disease necessarily attending a Naval
life. The only bodily pain which his Lordship felt in consequence of
his many wounds, was a slight rheumatic affection of the stump of his
amputated arm on any sudden variation in the state of the weather;
which is generally experienced by those who have the misfortune to
lose a limb after the middle age. His Lordship usually predicted an
alteration in the weather with as much certainty from feeling
transient pains in his stump, as he could by his marine barometer;
from the indications of which latter he kept a diary of the
atmospheric changes, which was written with his own hand.

"His Lordship had lost his right eye by a contusion which he received
at the siege of Calvi, in the island of Corsica. The vision of the
other was likewise considerably impaired: he always therefore wore a
green shade over his forehead, to defend this eye from the effect of
strong light; but as he was in the habit of looking much through a
glass while on deck, there is little doubt that had he lived a few
years longer, and continued at sea, he would have lost his sight
totally."[68]

The business hours of the day from seven to two were spent by Nelson
largely with his secretaries. We know from Colonel Stewart that in the
Baltic, where his command was more numerous than in the Mediterranean,
his habit was to get through the ordinary business of the squadron
before eight o'clock; for the rest, the greater part of the detail
work would fall upon the Captain of the Fleet, then Rear-Admiral
George Murray, who would require only general instructions and little
interference for carrying on the laborious internal administration of
the fleet. The admiral's energies were sufficiently taxed in
considering and meeting, so far as his resources would permit, the
numerous and complicated demands for external services in the
different quarters of his wide command--the ingenious effort to induce
two and two to make five, in which so much of the puzzle of life
consists. His position necessarily involved extensive diplomatic
relations. Each British Minister around the shores of the
Mediterranean had his own particular care; the British admiral was in
confidential communication with all, and in every movement had to
consider the consequences, b