female,--his wife, his father, his brothers, his brothers-in-law, his
two sisters, and all their daughters,--to visit and correspond with
her, but even have allowed three of his nieces to live for a
considerable time with her; have ostentatiously and frequently written
and spoken of her 'virtuous and religious' character,--holding her up
as an example to his family; have appointed her the sole guardian of
his child; have avowedly intended to make her his wife; have acted
upon every occasion as if the purity of their intimacy was altogether
free from suspicion; and in the last written act of his life have
solemnly called upon his country to reward and support her. An
honourable and conscientious man rarely acts thus towards his
mistress.... Moreover, Nelson's most intimate friends, including the
Earl of St. Vincent, who called them 'a pair of sentimental fools,'
Dr. Scott, his Chaplain, and Mr. Haslewood, were of the same
opinion; and Southey says, 'there is no reason to believe that this
most unfortunate attachment was criminal.'"

This complicated and difficult path of deception had to be trod,
because the offence was not one of common error, readily pardoned if
discovered, but because the man betrayed, whatever his faults
otherwise, had shown both the culprits unbounded confidence and
kindness, and upon the woman, at least, had been led by his love to
confer a benefit which neither should have forgotten.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] The Paget Papers, vol. i. pp. 253, 257.

[7] British minister to Tuscany.