mentioning the queen’s agitation, on account of the unfavourable news—­“Your excellency will assure his majesty, in which join Sir William and Lady Hamilton, that nothing shall make us quit the queen and royal family, until all is safe. and their future plans are perfectly and securely settled.  On every occasion,” adds his lordship, “I only wish for opportunities of proving to their majesties my desire to shew my gratitude for the numerous favours, honours, and magnificent presents, they have heaped upon me.”  Lord Nelson now first heard of the attempt on our sovereign’s life, by Hatfield, the lunatic, who fired a pistol at the king from the pit of Drury Lane Theatre, on the 15th of May 1800.  “The Queen of Naples,” says his lordship, writing to Lord Keith, on the 18th of June, “waits here, with impatience, news from the armies; for, if the French beat, I have only to return with my sacred charge:  but, a very few days must decide the question.  What a sad thing,” feelingly exclaims our hero, “was the attempt on our good king’s life!  But, from what I hear, it was not a plan of any Jacobin party, but the affair of a madman.”

After remaining about a month at Leghorn, his lordship was called early out of bed, one morning, by a message from the palace, informing him of an insurrection of the people.  The French army being then at Lucca, only twenty-four miles distant, the populace had assembled in great force, with arms snatched from the arsenal, and expressed their determination to secure the queen and royal family, for the purpose of detaining Lord Nelson also; as they knew, they said, that he would not depart without her majesty, and they wanted him to lead them against the French, whom they were resolved to attack under the command of the invincible hero.  It was with the utmost difficulty, that his lordship, with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, could force their way to the palace, through the assembled multitude; where the queen, and royal offspring, appeared in a balcony, anxious for the approach of their friends and protectors.  Lady Hamilton, however, had the address to gain over one of the ringleaders; by assuring him that Lord Nelson was their friend, and wished to deliver his sentiments as soon as he could reach the palace, where the queen waited his arrival.  Having, at length, by this man’s assistance, penetrated to the balcony of the palace, Lady Hamilton, at the request of Lord Nelson, who was unable to speak the Italian language, addressed the populace in his lordship’s name.  Her ladyship began, accordingly, by remonstrating on the impropriety of thus violently surrounding an amiable and illustrious queen, and her royal offspring, whose powerful and sovereign protector was in a distant country, with weapons of war in their hands; and positively declared, that his lordship would not hold the smallest communication with them, unless every man demonstrated the rectitude of his intentions, by immediately returning