ver, who
did complain on the occasion; and that with such piteous lamentations,
as absolutely induced his lordship's father, in whose house she was at
the same time residing, to decline accepting his portion of his son's
most honourable gift. The mention of this undoubted fact, has no other
object, than to demonstrate how very distant from a unity of sentiment,
in some important respects, Lady Nelson and her illustrious husband,
must necessarily have been; the unfortunate want of which, is ever
likely to occasion a proportionable degree of connubial infelicity, and
to account for all it's disagreeable consequences, without resorting to
grosser motives.

On the 6th of July, Captain Ball, who had been commanding at St. Elmo
with Captain Troubridge, was ordered by Lord Nelson to resume his
situation at Malta; for which place he accordingly sailed in the
Alexander, with the Portuguese ship Alfonso de Albequerque, and Captain
Peard in the Success.

During the siege of St. Elmo, many of the Neapolitans came out, every
day, in boats, to the British squadron; and the leaders of different
parties, with various views, but all affecting the strictest zeal and
most loyal attachment to their sovereign, paid congratulatory visits to
Lord Nelson and Sir William and Lady Hamilton: it was not, perhaps,
always possible to discover the insincere; but this illustrious
triumvirate, as they merit to be denominated, by their extreme
circumspection and address, made all of them conduce, whatever might
have been their original design, to the promotion of the royal cause.
Her ladyship, on these occasions, was eminently successful in
conciliating those who had entertained unjust prejudices against the
queen; and, by the well timed distribution of necklaces, ear-rings, and
other trinkets, among the most active of the female partisans, said to
be the gracious gifts of her majesty, who had not any present means of
more profusely showering her bounty on her beloved people, in which
assertion there was but little departure from truth, such an astonishing
progress was made in the attachments of them and their numerous
admirers, as would appear scarcely credible to those who are
unacquainted with the wonderful influence of the Neapolitan women.

On the 10th of July, his Sicilian Majesty, with his principal ministers,
arrived in the Bay of Naples; and went on board the Foudroyant, when his
royal standard was instantly hoisted. At the first notice of t