204 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



her something more. She said she was content with what 

 she had. She says she is twelve years old, and when she 

 is fifteen she will be married. She never counts the last 

 century, and I think may live to the age of Old Parr. 

 Her neck is just like a young girl's ; and when I made her 

 shew it to Sir William, she blushed, and felt so ashamed, 

 more than any modern young lady would do. Sir 

 William is in love with her. I have had many physicians 

 to feel her pulse ; and one, a very learned young man 

 who is with Prince Augustus, says her pulse is the pulse 

 of a young girl. She dances very often the Tarantella 

 with me. When she changed her skin, the people here 

 got it, and kept it like the bone of a saint, for she is 

 considered as a miracle. So much for Mariuccia, who 

 has made me bore you by reading this scrawl, for I wrote 

 in a great hurry. But am ever,. dear Sir, your obliged 

 and sincere " EMMA HAMILTON." 



The correspondence with Naples had become inter- 

 mittent, probably because of the disturbed state of 

 communications between England and the Continent. 

 It revived with some vigour in the year 1799. A long 

 letter from Sir William (September 13) is quite in his old 

 vein ; yet with hints that he is getting worn out, and 

 tired of his post. There is much self-satisfaction over the 

 services he has been able to perform for the King and 

 Queen of Naples, with the assistance of Lord Nelson. 

 A prodigious number of presents and rewards are in the 

 air. Every Captain of the squadron has shared in these 

 gifts. Nelson is now Duke of Bronte with an estate 

 worth 18,000 ducats per annum. Graefer has been made 

 Nelson's agent, with a handsome salary and an annuity 

 for his wife. ..." We have deferred our departure till 

 next spring, when alive or dead I shall come home ; for, 

 at my first wife's particular desire I am to lie by her in 

 Slebech church when I am dead. We shall roll soon 



