Nelsonian Reminiscences, by Lieutenant G.S. Parsons. The author has been able to test Parsons' stories sufficiently to assure himself that they cannot be quoted to establish historical fact; but such scenes as here given, or how many glasses of wine Nelson drank at dinner, or that the writer himself was
1
The italics to this point are Nelson's; afterwards the author's.
2
The Paget Papers, London, 1896, vol. i. p. 200.
3
Nelsonian Reminiscences, by Lieutenant G.S. Parsons. The author has been able to test Parsons' stories sufficiently to assure himself that they cannot be quoted to establish historical fact; but such scenes as here given, or how many glasses of wine Nelson drank at dinner, or that the writer himself was out of clean shirts, when asked to dine at the admiral's table, are trivialities which memory retains.
4
The title of Bronté was assumed in Sicily only, until he received the consent of George III. to accept it.
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.
22
Naval Chronicle, vol. xxxvii. p. 445.
23
Ante, vol. i. pp. 199-202.
24
Nelson to Lady Hamilton. Pettigrew, vol. i. pp. 442-444.
25
Pitt had resigned from office since then.
26
Naval Chronicle, vol. xxxvii. p. 446.
27
Naval Chronicle, vol. xxxvii., art. "Layman."
28
That is, from north to south. It may be well to notice that to go from the Kattegat to the Baltic is up, although from north to south.
29
Trekroner, which was then a favorite military name in Denmark, refers to the three Crowns of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, once united.
30
They are to be found in Nicolas's "Despatches and Letters of Lord Nelson," vol. iv. p. 304.
31
Except numbers 4 and 5, whose stations, as has been said, were abreast the two southernmost Danes.
32
The following is the order of the ships in the column of attack, as originally prescribed:—
1. Edgar, 74.
2. Ardent, 64.
3. Glatton, 54.
4. Isis, 50.
5. Agamemnon, 64.
6. Bellona, 74.
7. Elephant, 74.
8. Ganges, 74.
9. Monarch, 74.
10. Defiance, 74.
11. Russell, 74.
12. Polyphemus, 64.
33
To acknowledge a signal is simply to hoist a flag, showing that it has been seen and understood. To repeat is to hoist the signal yourself, thus transmitting it as an order to those concerned.
34
Life of Rev. Dr. A.J. Scott, p. 70
