possesses great good sense, and good temper."
In all these praises of his lady may be clearly discerned, that he
congratulated himself on having made, at least, a prudent choice. There
is little, however, of that rapturous extasy which issues from many a
finally most infelicitous husband, some days, weeks, or even months,
after the conjugal union.
It was not, certainly, on his side, a mercenary match. He would have
been incapable of marrying with so mean a motive. He is said, indeed, to
have given, about this period, a substantial proof of very much the
contrary disposition. This appears in the following anecdote, which has
been repeatedly published.
The President of Nevis had been so excessively displeased with his only
daughter, that he resolved to disinherit the young lady, and leave her
immense fortune to his niece, Mrs. Nelson: but Captain Nelson, most
generously, instead of widening the breach between them, actually made
use of all his interest with the president, who had the highest regard
for him, completely to close it, by bringing about a perfect
reconciliation; which, at length, to his unspeakable satisfaction, he
had the happiness of accomplishing.
Dr. Nesbit, Mrs. Nelson's first husband, was a native of Scotland. He
had, formerly, been an apothecary at Coventry; but, at Nevis, he
practised as a physician. He had not, however, acquired any very
considerable wealth. It has even been asserted, that Captain Nelson
received the widow and child without any present fortune whatever; and
that four thousand pounds, some years afterwards bequeathed Mrs. Nelson,
on the death of her father or uncle, was the whole that ever came into
his hands by his marriage with that lady. When it is considered, that he
was, at this time, a post-captain in the British navy, of more than
eight years standing, though only twenty-nine years of age, there could,
surely, be no reason for him to expect, without saying a word about
prospects from his transcendent abilities, that he was ever to hear any
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