NELSON, Horatio, Viscount Nelson - BEATTY, William.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson: Second edition, inscribed by the author, "Presented to the Right Honourable Mr. Elliott [sic], with the best respects of the Author", and with notes in his hand on Pages 96 and 97. Hugh Elliot (1752-1830) was a diplomat and colonial administrator posted in Naples while Nelson pursued the French fleet around the Mediterranean.Elliot is described in ODNB as a "diplomat and adventurer" with a varied and exotic career. He commissioned into the Russian army at age 18 to fight the Ottomans in the Balkans, then became a diplomat in Bavaria and Prussia. While in Copenhagen from 1782 to 1791 he prevented war between Sweden and Denmark, helped to reintroduce absolute monarchy to Sweden, and averted French involvement in the Nootka Sound incident between Britain and Spain. His final posting, in Naples, coincided with Nelson's pursuit of the French fleet around the Mediterranean and to the West Indies. Elliot once wrote in a letter to Nelson, "to have kept your ships afloat, your rigging standing, and your crews in health and spirits, is an effort such as never was realized in former times, nor I doubt, will ever again be repeated by any other admiral. You have protected us for two long years, and you have saved the West Indies by only a few days" (Clarke & McArthur, p. 116). Additionally, this copy has the ownership inscription of Rear Admiral H. Max Elliot, the grandson of Hugh Elliot, on the front free endpaper. A further note records t

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