The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-10 00:00:00

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phrase, with lively, vigorous, and distinctive por-
traits; and "altogether there rises before one a cer-
tain picture of Germany and German Courts, at a
time when Marengo wtts more recent than. S-)lferino
L new, such as is net obtained from books of far
greater pretewicee." Only we must be cautious
accepting the impressions of the writer in every
particular instance, and, knowing little of the bias
of her tastes and predilections, we must read her,
both when highly caustic or highly complimentary,
with a considerable margin and allowance for differ-
ences of opinion.
Thus we find the writer as severe on the beha-
viour of Nelson and the Hamiltons as we should ex-
pect from the descendant of a friend of Lord Chester-
field. The facts, however, prove that the sea-king in
his cups could be boisterously coarse, and that Lady
Hamilton, when she was not in her "attitudes," was
quite as coarse and not a little of a slattern. Alto-
gether, these scenes with our naval hero and his
low-lived enchantress are the most striking in the
volume, as they show both in a new light, and,
unless we allow much for the manners of the
time, and somewhat also for the narrator's fas-
tidiousness, they must tend to lower our concep-
tion of these popular personages. We are sorry to
have our romantic impressions disturbed by this
series of pictures, but for the evident truth con-
tained in them they are valuable, and we print
them in extenso :
" Oct. 2.—Dined at the Elliots'. While I vias playing
at chess with Mr. Elliot the news arrived of Lord Nelson's
arrival, with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, Mrs. Cade-
gan, mother of the latter, and Miss Cornelia Knight, fa-
mous for her Continuation of Rasselas' and Private Life
of the Romans.'
Oct. 3.—Dined at Mr. Elliot's, with only the Nelson
party. It is plain that Lord Nelson thinks of nothing but
Lady Hamilton, who is totally occupied by the same object.
She is bold, forward, coarse, assuming, and vain. Her figure
is colossal, but excepting her feet, which are hideous, well
iTcr genes r,rehuge, and sly, is e7e,,ei1i:1713-
chtbonpoint. She resembles the bust of Ariadne : the shape
of all her features is fine, as is the form of her head, and
particularly her ears ; her teeth are a little irregular, but
tolerably white; her eyes light blue, with a brown spot in
one, which, though a defect, takes nothing away from her
beauty and expression. Her eyebrows and hair are
dark and her complexion coarse. Her expression is
strongly marked, variable, and interesting; her movements
in common life ungraceful ; her voice loud, yet not disagree-
able. Lord Nelson is a little man, without any dignity;
who, I suppose, must resemble what Suwarrow was in his
youth, as he is like all the pictures I have seen of that gene-
ral. Lady Hamilton takes possession of him, and he is a
willing captive, the most submissive and devoted I have
seen. Sir William is old, infirm, all admiration of his wife,
and never spoke to-day but to applaud her. Miss Cornelia
Knight seems the decided flatterer of the two, and never
opens her mouth but to show forth her praise ; and Mrs.
Cadogan,Ladyllamilton's mother, is what one might expect.
After dinner we had several songs in honour of Lord Nel-
son, written by Miss Knight, and sung by Lady Hamilton.
She puffs the incense full in his face ; but he receives it with
pleasure, and snuffs it up very cordially. The songs all
ended in the sailor's way, with Hip, hip, hip, hurra,' and
a bumper with the last drop on the nail—a ceremony I had
never heard of or seen before.
" Oct. 4.—Accompanied the Nelson party to Mr. Elliot's
box at the opera. Lady Hamilton paid me those kinds of
compliments which prove she thinks mere exterior alone of
any consequence. She and Lord Nelson were wrapped up
in each other's conversation during the chief part of the

evening.
" Oct. s.—Went by Lady Hamilton's invitation to see
Lord Nelson dressed for Court. On his hat he wore the large
diamond feather, or ensign of sovereignty, given him by the
Grand Signior ; on his breast the Order of the Bath, the
Order he received as Duke of Bronte, the diamond star, in-
cluding the sun or crescent given him by the Grand Signior)
three gold medals obtained by three different victories, and
a beautiful present from the King of Naples. On one side
is his Majesty's picture, richly set and surrounded with
laurels, which spring from two united anchors at bottom,
and support the Neapolitan crown at top; on the other is
the Queen's cipher, which turns so as to appear within the
same laurels, and is formed of diamonds on green enamel.
In short, Lord Nelson was a perfect constellation of stars
and orders.
" Oat. G,—Dined with Lord Nelson at the Hotel de
Pologne. Went in the evening to a concert given to him
by Count Marcolini. Paris sung—a fine bass, with the
lowest tones I ever heard ; and Ciciarelli, a soprano, who
has lost his voice, but declaims well. From thence went to a
party at Countess Richtenstein's, Lady Hamilton loading me
with all marks of friendship at first sight, which I always
think more extraordinary than love of the same kind.
" Oct. 7.—Breakfasted with Lady Hamilton, and saw her
representinsuccession the beat statues and paintings extant.
She assumes their attitude, expression, and drapery with
great facility, swiftness, and accuracy. Several Indian
shawls, a chair, some antique vases, a wreath of roses, a
tambourine, and a few children are her whole apparatus.
She stands at one end of the room with a strong light to her
left, and every other window c!osed. Her hair (which by-
the-by is never clean) is short, dressed like an antique, and
her gown a simple calico chemise, very easy, with loose
sleeves to the wrist. She disposes the shawls so as to form
Grecian, Turkish, and other drapery, as well as a variety of
turbans. Her arrangement of the turban is absolute sleight-
of-hand, she does it so quickly, so easily, and so well. It is
a beautiful performance, amusing to the most ignorant, and
highly interesting to the lovers of art. The chief of her
imitations aro from the antique. Each representation lasts
about 10 minutes, It is remarkable that, though:coarse and
ungraceful in common life, she becomes highly graceful,
and even beautiful, during this performance. It is also
singular that, in spite of the accuracy of her imitation of
the finest ancient draperies, her usual dress is tasteless,
vulgar, loaded and unbecoming. She has borrowed several
of my gowns, and much admires my dress, which cannot
flatter, as her own is so frightful. Her waist is absolutely
between her shoulders. After showing her attitudes she
sung, and I accompanied. Her voice is good and very
strong, but she is frequently out of tune; her expression
strongly marked and various; but she has no shake, no
flexibility, and no sweetness. She acts her songs, which I
think the last degree of bad taste. All imperfect imitations
are disagreeable, and to represent passion with the eyes
fixed on a book and the person confined to a spot must
always be a poor piece of acting manqut% She continues
her demonstrations of friendship, and said many fine
things about .m 4 accompanying her at sight. She still
does not gain upon me. I think her bold, daring, vain
even to folly, and stamped with the manners of her first

situation much more strongly than one would suppose
after having represented Majesty, and lived in good com-
pany 15 years. Her ruling passions seem to me vanity,
avarice, and love for the Ocasures of the table. She shows
a great avidity for presents, and has actually obtained some
at Dresden by the common artifice of admiring and longing.
Mr. Elliot says, She will captivate the Prince of Wales,
whose mind is as vulgar as her own, and play a great part
in England.' Dined with the Elliots. He was wonderfully
amusing. His wit, his humour, his discontent, his spleen,
his happy choice of words, his rapid flow of ideas, and his
disposition to playful satire, make one always long to write
shorthand and preserve his conversation.

" Oct. B.—Dined at Madame de Loss's, wife to the Prime
Minister, with the Nelsoa party. The Electress will not
receive Lady Hamilton, on account of her former dissolute
life. She wished to go to Court, on which a pretext was
made to avoid re' eiving company last Sunday, and I under-
stand there will be no Court while she stays. Lord Nelson,
understanding the Elector did not wish to see her, said to
Mr. Elliot, Sir, if there is any difficulty of that sort, Lady
Hamilton will knock the Elector down, and --- me, I'll
knock him down too.' She was not invited in the beginning
to Madame de Loss's, upon which Lord Nelson sent his

excuse, and then Mr, Elliot persuaded Madame de Loss to

invite her. From Madame de Loss's visited Mrs. New•

man, a very obliging, entertaining woman of the tiers etat,
. _ _

thence to sup at_Mrs. Rawdon's. Here I found Lady W—
in the midst of a very animated discourse on precedence,

which I soon found took its rise from Mr. Elliot's having:

led me in to dinner at Madame de Loss's before her and
another Lady who had place. She politely told me he

showed his ignorance and his impertinence, and she was

sorry he knew no better. I had been so amused by his cou-

versation at dinner I had quite forgot the indecorum.

" Oct. 9.—A great breakfast at the Elliots', given to the
Nelson patty. Lady Hamilton repeated her attitudes with
great effect. All the company, except their party and my-

self, went away before dinner, after which Lady Hamilton,

who declared she was passionately fond of champagne, toolt

. -
such a portion of it as astonished me. Lord Nelson was
not behind-hand, called more vociferously than usual for

bongs in his own praise, and after many bumpers proposed
the Queen of Naples,' adding, She is my Queen ; she is

Queen to the backbone.' Poor Mr. Elliot, who was

anxious the party should not expose themselves more
than they had done already, and wished to get over the last

lay as well as he done the rest, endeavoured to stop the
. _

effusion of charnpigne, and effected it with some difficulty;
but not till the Lord and Lady, or, as he calls them, Anthony

and Moll Cleopatra, were pretty far gone. I was so tired,
I returned home soon after dinner, but not till Cleopatra

had talked to me a great deal of her doubts whether the

Queen would receive her, adding, 'I care little about it. I
had much sooner she would] settle half Sir 'William's pcn•

on me.' it f:er I E !li.t told me she n,tml
Nina intolerably ill, and danced the Tarantola. During
her acting Lord Nelson expressed his admiration by the
Irish sound of astonished applause which no written cha-
racter can imitate, and by crying every now and then Mrs.
Siddons be --' Lady Hamilton expressed great anxiety
to go to Court, and Mrs. Elliot assured her it would not
' amuse her, and that the Elector gave no dinners or suppers.
What ?' cried she, no
guttling 1' Sir William also this
evening performed feats of activity, hopping round the
room on his backbone, his arms, legs, star and riband all
flying about in the air.

"Oct. 10.—Mr. Elliot saw them on board to-day. He
heard by chance from a King's Messenger that a frigate

waited for them at Hamburg, and ventured to announce it
formally. He says, The moment they were on board
t, sere was an end of the fine arts, of the attitudes, of the act-
ing, the dancing, and the siogipg. Lady Hamilton's maid
bessan to scp'd in French abut some provisions which had
le en fcsgot, in language quite imrossible to repeat, using
certain French words which were never spoken but by men
of the lowest class, and roaring them out from one boat to
another. Lady Hamilton began bawling for an Irish stew,
and her old mother set about washing the potatoes, which
she did as cleverly as possible. They were exactly like
Hogarth's actreseee dressing in the barn.' In the evening
I went to congratulate the Elliots on their deliverance, and
found them very sensible of it. Mr. Elliot would not
allow his wife to speak above her breath, and said every
now and then, Now, don't let us laugh to-night ; let
us all speak in our turn, and be very, very quiet."
It is suggested that Mr. Elliot was a little too
easily satisfied with his information as to the frigate,
because he was desirous of getting rid of Nelson
and his travelling appendages. Such athletic per-
formers were too much for the nerves of a discreet,
decorous, and fastidious Minister, and would excite
much the same kind of shocking sensation as a set
of riotous schoolboys in a young ladies' school. The
manners of the day were coarse, those of seamen
more particularly so, and they would be more than
usually repulsive to persons conversant with the
amenities of Continental society before the courtli-
ness of the old regime had been worn off by the
Revolution. When, probably, the well-bred Wind-
ham would have sworn in an English ballroom,
when the most refined members of English society
rarely left the dinner table sober; we should err if
' we ascribed to Nelson any extraordinary brutality
because his manners were somewhat uproarious for
the emporium of Dresden china. That his vanity
was capable of receiving enjoyment from very
coarse flatteries is, we fear, a mere reasonable
imputation upon him and his companions. Among
tho latter the reader will, of course, note Miss Cor-
nelia Knight, whose autobiography we shall shortly
have oeeasion to examine. As to Lady Hamilton
and her mother, everything seems to imply that the
highly satiric sketch of the writer must have been
the very truth ; but it is more surprising that the
fair adventuress should have played such a conspicu-
ous part in history than that her voice should have
been loud, her dress vulgar, and her vinous exhila-
ration at the enthralment of her sea monster too de-
monstrative. The incident of her old mother wash-
ing the potatoes for the Irish stew is emblematic in
so many senses, is so suggestive of.their antece•
dents, the reciprocity of their affection, the style
of their household, and the creature comforts they
derived in common from the compliant Hamilton,
that the picture is incapable of improvement, it is
so domestically truthful and Homeric.
Next to these characteristics of the Nelson party
we are most impressed by the writer's desultory
remarks on the society of Vienna, which are very
brief but particularly full of meaning. Since 1848
this society has undergone some changes, but in the
main it has retained the peculiarities here described.
The running footmen have disappeared, but the
passion for dress and the universal good-nature and
good order remain. It is, however, no longer possible
to live there " in the same manner as in London,
as nearly as the difference of each town will permit,
for about one-third of the expense." On the con-
trary, house rent in Vienna within the circuit of
the old walls is now as high, if not higher, than it
is in London, and the tariff of expenses generally
approximates to it if it does not quite reach the
London and Parisian standard. The following ac-
count of an Austrian bath, though it reminds one
of " The Bath" of Miss Winifred Jenkins, could not
now be written of any German watering place :
"June 15-17.—Three days at Baden, a small town two
posts from "Vienna, celebrated for its warm sulphureous
baths. They appear convenient and well attended. In the
largest men and women of the best society bathe together,
and appear very much to enjay the amusement. The gentle-
men are in shirts and trousers ; the ladies in their usual
white morning dresses, and on their heads caps, handker-
chiefs, laces, and riband, fancifully and becomingly dis-
posed. It is the triumph of real beauty and freshness, as
no rouge can be worn, or paint of any kind. The bath opens
a vast field for coquetry. A becoming dishabille, graceful
attitudes, timidity, langour, and an affectionate confidence
in your conductor, may here all be displayed to advantage.
The loviar leads his mistress, and has perhaps a secret satis-
faction in finding himself with her in a new element ; for
Madame de Geniis observes, I think with truth, that to
those who really love every new situation in company with
the beloved has a certain charm. Many of those who have
no levers obtain, however, half a conductor, as every man
who is not devoted generally gives each arm to a different
lady. The old, the plain, and the neglected sit round on
benches, as it is dangerous for women to walk about in the
bath without a guide. Spectators are admitted, who view
the scene from a little gallery. To them the heat and sul-
phureous smell are very unpleasant."
The sketch of Lady Holland, whose chastened
tyranny so many of us remember as very captivat-
ing, is no less striking, though somewhat spiteful :
" Sept. 7.—Dined at Mr. Elliot's with the Hollands.
Her ladyship's manner to her husband is too imperious ;
it is not the tyranny of a mistress or a wife, but a governess
to her trembling pupil.
" Sept. B.—Dined with the Hollands. She has a mixture
of imperiousness and caprice very amusing to the mere spec-
tators. Her indolence is also remarkable, and she lies in a
very easy posture on a sofa, with screens between the lights
and her eyes, in all the dignity of idleness, employing every
individual who travels in her party without apology or in-
termission. Her husband has the honour of being fag-in-
chief, but she likewise entirely occupies a humorous clergy-
man, a peevish physician, and a young lord. There is
likewise a boy (Mr. Dickens) who comes occasionally, like
those who attend servants in great families, to do jobs, but
he has found out that she dislikes the trouble of repeating
her orders, and often evades them by affecting not to hear."
But we take the sting out of this extract by
quoting a genial and sparkling criticism on the
Madonna di San Sisto, than which nothing can be
more happy :
"We then went to the gallery, where the picture that
most struck me was a Raphael representing the Virgin
standing on a cloud, with the infant Jesus in her arms, the
saints on either side in the act of adoration, and at the bot-
tom of the picture two of the loveliest heads of cherubs I
ever saw. The Virgin's face is divine. The Child, who
appears about a year old, has more the expression of the
King than Saviour of the world. There is a beautiful
haughtiness, mixed with disdain, in his features."
Nor is the following judgment on one of the phi-
losophic ladies of the end of the last century want-
ing either in faith or humour. It would be worth
quotation if it were only for the glimpse of the
writer's afterlife, which the Dean has added as a
note. In 1825 much that shone so brightly in
1799 had ceased to dazzle :
" Sept. 28—Left Konigsbruck, where I had passed a few
very pleasant and retired days. Countess Munster is a
warm partisan of the philosophy of Kant, who says per-
fectability, and not happiness, should be the object of hu-
man researches. Madame Munster has adopted this idea,
and considers all revealed religion as priestcraft, and Chris-
tianity as depraving our hearts, because it founds our vir •
tues on a selfish hope of future bliss, and contracting our
understandings, because it substitutes faith for reason. She
thinks truth unattainable, but that there is a degree of rela-
tive truth to which each understanding may arrive, in pro-
portion to its strength and efforts. She is not the most for-
midable opponent to the Christian religion it has yet en-
countered ; and I doubt if she perfectly understands herself
on these subjects, which she seeks with an eagerness that
denotes a perfect conviction of her own strength. A lofty
contempt of those who do believe and great bigotry to her
own system render her conversation on such topics unpleas-
ing. She has some imagination, extensive reading, but little
tact, and a great deal Of vanity, yet she is altogether supe-
rior to the general class of females, and neither wants sen-
sibility nor elevation."
" I copy (says the Dean) from a later journal an entry
with date Jan. 7, 1825 At last, after an interval of 24
years, which succeeded a tolerably intimate acquaintance of
seven weeks, I saw Count Munster, of Hanover again. We
met like two ghosts, that ought to have been laid long since.
I witnessed the whole process of the difficulty of persuading
him that / was I, and I thought him as much changed in
his degree as he could have found me. When we conversed,
all the persons we referred to were dead and gone; and our
interview added another link in my mind to the chain of
proofs that after a very, very long interval neither friends
nor acquaintances ought to meet in this world. He was
kindly anxious to renew our acquaintance, and visited me
the next day ; but still it seemed as if seeing me had re-
newed some painful associations.' "
At Vienna, and subsequently at Berlin, the writer
had the entree to the best society, and if her little
descriptions were translated into German they
would doubtless be read eagerly in either capital,
At Berlin she was introduced to Prince Henry
among other persons. "Ile looks like a little fiend
of the minor class, not Belial or any of the noblesse
of hell. We conversed so little I can speak but of
his exterior. He appears as if he had just crept out
of the embers and was half-singed." Beurnonville,
originally a corporal, pays her compliments "very
much in the style of Monsieur Jourdain." On re-
turning from a party at Madame Engestrord'S she
finds "an immense inhabitant of the hair" on her

tucker. "My suspicions turned for a moment on
Pignatelii, but on reflection I am sure he belonged
to the French mission." She was greatly impressed
by Gentz, who, with Rivarol, were the two men of
greatest talent she !net in Berlin. Moreover, ehc
went to Court and beheld that Queen of Prussia so
famous in history, and who influenced the chivalry
of her subjects to such impotent results.
" Dec. 28.—The reminded me of Burke's ' star, glittering
with life. Nplend our, and joy,' and realised all the fanciful
ideas one forms in one's infancy of the young, gay, beauti-
ful, and magnificent queens in the Arabian Nights. She is
an angel of loveliness, mildness, and grace; tall and svelte,
yet sufficiently embonpoint; her hair is light, her com-
plexion fair and faultless; an inexpressible air of sweetness
reigns in her countenance, and forms its predominant cha-
racter. As perfect beauty in nature is a chimera, like the
philosophor's stone, and as it is rarely to be found but in
the higher works of art, I take nothing from her charms in
saying she is not faultless. An ill shaped mouth, indifferent.
teeth, a broad forehead, and large limbs are the only defects
the severest criticism can discover; while herhair, herheight
her movements, her shoulders, her waist are all unexception-
able. These slight faulty only prove she is a woman and not a
statue, and altogether she is one of the loveliest creatures I
have ever seen. Her dress was in the best taste. Her hair
was dressed in the fullest and most varied of the Grecian
forms, going very far back, and ornamented with a heron's
feather, and a number of immense diamond stars, so placed
as to form a bandeau quite round, which came close to her
temples. She wore a chemise of crape, richly embroidered
in emerald-green foil, and a moldave (simply a body, train,
and short sleeves) of pale pink silk, slightly sparkling with
gold, and trimmed all round with sable. Her neck was
richly ornamented with jewels. She speaks very graciously
and politely to every one. I was also presented to the
Princess of Orange, a beautiful young woman."
This last extract falls under the date of Decem-
ber 28, 1800, and on December 31 the Journal ends.
At all events, its continuation, if it ever existed, has
been sought for in vain. We long, however, to hear
something more of the writer, and to know her when
the heyday of her youth had been clouded by those
sorrows to which the Dean alludes. So sparkling
and joyous a nature, though it was, perhaps, sad-
dened, was surely mellowed, in the autumn of life,