turned to bed, saying, "They cannot be here before morning; so we had better get all the sleep we can to-night, for there is no knowing where we may be to-morrow night." They did sleep quietly that night, and the next day heard that the invaders were all made prisoners, and they saw them marched through Milford to be embarked. So ended Napoleon's grand threat of invading England.

CHAPTER VI.

LADY HAMILTON.

LORD NELSON.

CASTLE HALL

W

AND ITS COMPANY.

HEN Sir William Hamilton returned to England, from his embassy at the court of Naples, he determined to visit his large estate on the banks of Milford Haven, and see the new town which had grown up so suddenly under the good management of his nephew, the Hon. Charles Greville. Lady Hamilton chose to accompany her husband. On hearing this, Lord Nelson became very desirous of examining the celebrated harbor of Milford; so a party was formed for a tour in Wales. Lady Nelson was left behind, and her faithless husband devoted himself to the notorious Lady Hamilton, as if he had been her affianced lover.

Lady Hamilton began her career as a poor girl, selling matches in the streets of London. Happening to pass under the window of Sir Joshua Reynolds, he was so struck with her beauty, that he called her in, and engaged her to sit for her likeness the next day. Having made a charming picture of her, in that character, he

found her form so faultless, that he made her his model for other pictures, and at last exhibited her to his fellow artists, and even to amateurs and patrons of art, in chosen attitudes of his arranging, and great was the admiration she excited. One of the spectators fell in love with her beauty, and made her his mistress. Intoxicated by the change from poverty to luxury, she became very extravagant, and the income of her lover would not suffice for her expensive pleasures. He was therefore well pleased when she left him for Sir William Hamilton, then Minister in Naples.

The beautiful match girl now became a very fine lady, and was delighted with the idea of going to Naples and living with a titled ambassador. She had not been long there, when she persuaded her infatuated lover to make her his lawful wife. After this she was presented at that corrupt court, and became the intimate friend of the li- . centious Queen of Naples. During her residence there, Lord Nelson came, with the English fleet, into that bay so famous for its beauty. The naval hero soon became violently enamored of the charming Lady Hamilton; she too was in love, and for the first time.

Parties and balls on board of Lord Nelson's ship were continually given, to please Lady Hamilton. One day, when she was at a dinnerparty there, a naval officer drew his sword, and

showing her the spots of blood on it, boasted of how many Frenchmen it had killed. Instead of being disgusted at this brutal conduct, she kissed the sword and passed it round, requesting every one to do the same; but it stopped at a young English traveller, who indignantly refused to touch it.

There was, at this time, a mutiny on board the fleet, and several sailors were hung at the yardarms of their ships. Lady Hamilton, with a party of her friends, went out in boats to see the executions.

Her amiable old husband had neither eyes nor ears for her intrigues, and always behaved as if he considered her intimacy with Lord Nelson as an affair of pure friendship, in which he participated. He certainly did share in the love-letters, written to Lady Hamilton by Lord Nelson, when he was fighting the French, for he read some of them to my father, and I well remember his repeating the first sentence, in one of them, written the day after a sea-fight. It ran thus: "My dearest, dearest, dearest Emma! last night we sent five hundred Frenchmen's souls to hell." I am not certain of the number specified, but every other word I am sure of. Such was the style of correspondence between the match-girl and the sailor.

When Sir William Hamilton and his party ar

rived in Milford, accompanied by the great naval commander, the nobility and gentry for miles round flocked to see him, and pay their respects to the hero of the Nile.

A public dinner was given to him, at which Lady Hamilton chose to be present; she sat next to him, cut up his meat, which the loss of an arm prevented him from doing, and fed him with titbits from her own plate. She had a fine voice and would sing sailors' songs and verses written in praise of the great admiral, at public dinners, whilst her doting old husband sat by admiring her. When I saw her in 1802, her face was still beautiful, but she had grown fat and her figure was spoiled. Short waists and narrow skirts were then in fashion. The French had introduced the custom of wearing as little clothing as possible, and making that little look like the drapery of an ancient Greek statue. The weather was very warm when Lady Hamilton was in Milford, and she walked about the town in two garments only, showing her shape most indecently.

My mother had resolved to take no notice of Lady Hamilton, and being on the eve of her confinement, she excused herself from calling on her. But that bold woman was resolved that it should not be said that Mrs. Rotch would not receive her; so one very warm day, when all our doors and windows stood open, she walked into our draw