ay,
tried to conceal the origin of the child, so he proceeds to write a
letter to Lady Hamilton, which I shall quote later on. To say that Sir
William Hamilton, a man of the world with vast experience of human
deceptions and intrigues, could have been put off the scent, in view
of all the circumstances, is too great a tax on credulity, but it is
wholly characteristic of Nelson's ideas of mystification. But even if
there were any further proof needed, Lady Hamilton has settled the
matter by preserving the correspondence Nelson urged her to destroy.
This will be referred to later on.

Meanwhile, it is hardly thinkable that Nelson, who had such a high
sense of honour in other affairs of life, and who had accepted the
hospitality and been the honoured guest of Sir William Hamilton at
Naples, should have made the occasion an opportunity of establishing
illicit relations with his wife. The whole matter must ever remain a
blot on the great Admiral's fame, even though his host appeared to, or
really did, connive at it. The price was too high to pay for both of
them.

The following extract from a letter from Lord Minto to his wife
indicates the mode of life of the family party. He says:

I went to Lord Nelson's (Merton) on Saturday. The whole
establishment and way of life makes me angry as well as
melancholy. I do not think myself obliged to quarrel with him
for his weakness, though nothing shall ever induce me to give
the smallest countenance to Lady Hamilton. She looks ultimately
to the chance of marriage, as Sir William will not be long in
her way, and she probably indulges a hope that she may survive
Lady Nelson. She is in high looks, but more immense than ever.
She goes on cramming Nelson with trowels of flattery, which he
takes as quietly as a child does pap. The love she makes to him
is ridiculous and disgusting. The whole house, staircase and
all, are covered with pictures of her and him of all sorts and
sizes. He is represented in naval actions, coats of arms, pieces
of plate in his honour, the flagstaff of _L'Orient_. If it were
Lady Hamilton's house, there might be pretence for it; but to
make his own a mere looking-glass to view himself all day is bad
taste.

This letter was written on the 22nd March, 1802, and Nelson writes
that Sir William Hamilton died in his arms and in Lady Hamilton's on
the 6th April, 1803, passing on "without a struggle,