The Fair Teamaker of Edgeware Road and the Great Admiral: Nelson and Emma. Part One

"I can neither eat or sleep for thinking of you my dearest love, I never touch even pudding. Last night I did nothing but dream of you altho' (sic) I woke 20 times in the night. "In one of my dreams I thought I was at a large table, you was not present, sitting between a Princess who I detest and another. They both tried to seduce me and the first wanted to take those liberties with me which no woman in this world but yourself ever did." The fantasy ends: "You came in and taking me to your embrace whispered I love nothing but you my Nelson. I kissed you fervently and we enjoy'd (sic) the height of love".

This erotic letter written by Admiral Nelson to his mistress Lady Emma Hamilton fetched more than ₤117,000 at an auction in London recently. It shows a very passionate and more personal side to this great English hero who won The Battle of Trafalgar and saved Britain from invasion by the French.

The explosive love affair between Nelson and Emma is one of the most moving and intriguing love stories of all time. These two lovers belong in the same category as Antony and Cleopatra and Abelard and Heloise.

The famous admiral was born in September 1758 in Norfolk. His father was the Rector of Burnham Thorpe, a small village there. Sadly Nelson's mother died when he was only nine which must have made life very difficult for the sickly and small young boy.

Fascinated by the sea, Nelson was anxious to join the Navy and at the tender age of 12 asked his uncle Maurice Suckling to take him to sea. 12 was not a young age in which to join the Navy in those days of terrible floggings and press-ganging. Weak and thin, Nelson was often ill with malaria, dysentery and even seasickness.

In spite of these problems this extremely ambitious young man became captain of his own ship at the young age of twenty. The Prince of Wales called Nelson who was only five feet four inches tall 'the merest boy of a captain I ever beheld.' He sensed something great in this slender young man, however, saying that he knew Nelson was 'no ordinary being.'

Even the loss of his right eye at Calvi and the loss of his right arms when he daringly attempted to capture a treasure ship off the Canary Islands didn't deter Nelson from wanting to achieve the full heights of glory.

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