Chap. 11. latest diplomatic achievements was his procuring access Book II, ritish ships to Neapolitan ports before the Battle of CLASSICAL ile was won. the very night of that famous first of August, 1798, illiam-whilst the distant battle was yet raging— NELSON of the disappointment which had followed the irs, current during many days at Naples, of a defeat to the French fleet in the Bay of Alexandretta, and d him of his own confidence that the rumours, though unfounded, would come true at last. Five weeks ards, he had the satisfaction of sending to London the ficial account of the great victory which he had seen with the eye of faith. ARCHEOLO- Hamilton Naples the authentic news was received with a joy events of 1799 belong rather to history than to to Nelson; vol. iii, p. 72. BOOK II, Chap. II. CLASSICAL ARCHEOLO GISTS AND FROM NAPLES. he joined with NELSON in the vain endeavour to induce the King to return to Naples, while that course was yet open to him. On the 10th of June, 1800, Sir William took his final DEPARTURE leave of Naples, which had been his home for thirtysix years, and where he had mingled in a departed world. In company with the Queen and three princesses, the HAMILTONS Sailed in the Foudroyant for Leghorn, on their way to Vienna. A few days after the embarkation, a fellow-passenger writes thus: Sir William HAMILTON Miss Knight appears broken, distressed, and harassed. He says that he shall die by the way, and he looks so ill that I should not be surprised if he did.' When the Admiral struck his flag (13th July) at Leghorn, the party set out for Vienna. Between Leghorn and Florence, Sir William's carriage met with an overturn, which increased his malady. At Trieste the physicians were inclined to despair of his life. But he rallied sufficiently to reach England at last, and the change from turmoil to rest prolonged his life for two years to to Lady Berry, July 2, 1800. SIR WILLIAM come. During the long interval between the acquisition of the first Hamilton Museum and the return of its Collector to his country, he had marked his interest in the national Collection by repeated and valuable gifts. To make yet one gift more-trivial, but possessing an historical interest was one of his last acts. On the 12th of February, 1803, he sent to the British Museum a Commission given by the famous fisherman of Amalfi to one of his insurrectionary captains. On the 6th of April Sir William HAMILTON died, in London. He was buried at Milford Haven. The kindly heart had left many memorials of its quality at Naples. The ambassador had lost a part of his fortune. nany poor dependants, in his old home, enjoyed pen- BOOK II, from his liberality. Chap. II. CLASSICAL ARCHEOLO GISTS AND ELSON, when writing to the Queen of the Two Sicilies the death of their common friend, made this remark EXPLORERS. Queen of Naples s testamentary arrangements :- The good Sir Wildid not leave Lady HAMILTON in such comfortable astances as his fortune would have allowed. He has it amongst his relations. But she will do honour Nelson to the memory, although every one else of his friends calls against him on that account.' This comment, howexpresses rather a temporary feeling than a wise judgSir William had settled a jointure of seven hundred s a year upon his widow. ing the few months of life that yet remained to the seaman himself, the highest encomium known to cabulary was to say, 'So-and-so was a great friend William HAMILTON.' (Nicolas, vol. iv, p. 84). THE 'INSTI- TUTE OF ITS RE SEARCHES SITIONS. the British Museum owes one choice portion of its logical treasures to the man who was NELSON'S f friendship, so also it owes-indirectly-another of them to the man who was NELSON's favourite AND ACQUI n, and whose very name, in the Admiral's mind, to sum up all that was most detestable. The Battle Nile, and the military operations which followed it in er years, would have counted no antiquarian riches t their trophies, but for that ardent love of science OLEON which prompted him to plan the Institute of as an essential part of the Campaign of Egypt. intention with which the Institute of Egypt was I embraced every kind of study and research. The =of whom it was composed included within their men of the most varied powers. What they effected BOOK II, was fragmentary, and yet their researches, directly or indiCLASSICAL rectly, bore much fruit. ARCHEOLO GISTS AND In the end, the harvest was to France herself none the EXPLORERS. less abundant from the fact that NELSON'S achievement, and what grew thereout, set Englishmen and Germans to work with increased vigour in the same field, and divided some of the tools. 1798-1801. Scarcely had General BONAPARTE established the military power of the French Republic in Egypt, before he was employed in organizing the Institute at Cairo. Its declared object was twofold: (1) the increase and diffusion of learning in Egypt itself; (2) the examination, study, and publication, of the monuments of its history and of its natural phenomena, together with the elucidation and improvement of the natural and industrial capabilities of Mémoires sur the country. The Institute was composed of thirty-six l'Egypt, passim. members, and was divided into four sections. The section with which alone we are here concerned-that of Literature, Arts, and History-was headed by DENON, and amongst its other members were DUTERTRE, PARSEVAL, and RIPAULT. Its labours began in 1798, and were continued, with almost unparalleled activity, until the summer of 1801, when the defeat of BELLIARD near Cairo, and the capitulation of MENOU at Alexandria, placed that part of the collections of the Institute which had not been already sent to France at the disposal of Lord HUTCHINSON. DENON, on his return from Upper Egypt to Cairo, said, with French vivacity, that if the active movements of the Mamelukes now and then forced an antiquary to become, in self-defence, a soldier, the antiquary was enabled, by way of balance and through the good nature and docility of the French troops, to turn a good many soldiers into antiquaries. Had it not been for this general sympathy and Chap. II. CLASSICAL GISTS AND ess, one can hardly conceive that so much could have BOOK II, e sixteenth article of the Capitulation of Alexandria, VENTION OF Convention was made between General MENOU and THE CONHOPE, on the 31st of August, 1801. Against ALEXANeenth article MENOU made the strongest remon but General HOPE declined to modify it, other DRIA. August. |
