Mira wrote:
Would it be presumptuous to attribute this initial rash of biographies to the opportunity to make some fast filthy lucre?
Well, it certainly seems to have been a golden opportunity - the first of the two Fairburn pamphlets that I have is a
35th edition! And yet it still does not contain the updated pages produced with his second pamphlet which copied information from the January issue of the
Naval Chronicle. Thus I assume he printed 35 editions within a couple of months!
The Naval Chronicle addenda to their Biographical Memoir of Nelson are in volume 14 (July-Dec 1805) and volume 15 (Jan-Jun 1806). These of course each consist of six issues that were first published monthly. The first addendum appeared in the issue for November 1805, and the second in the issue for January 1806. I don't know the actual dates they were published.
Mira wrote:
Were they execrable enough to cause offence? Was the content not what some stakeholders wanted to read?
Other than Harrison, I haven't noticed content which would have caused actual offence, other than inclusion of Nelson's will and codicils. Perhaps it was also the fact that so much was being produced as pamphlets, or in weekly parts, and with poor quality engravings.
Perhaps it's worth quoting Nicolas from his preface to the
Dispatches and Letters:
Quote:
Before describing the present Work, it is desirable to take some notice of the various publications, professing to be Lives of Lord Nelson, which hare appeared:
I. "The Life of Lord Nelson," in the third volume of the " Naval Chronicle," apparently written by Dr. John M'Arthur, a Purser in the Navy, who had been Secretary to Admiral Viscount Hood, and who was personally known to Lord Nelson. For that work Nelson wrote, in October 1799, "The Sketch of my Life," which is now prefixed to his Letters. The Memoir was continued in the fourteenth, and concluded in the fifteenth, volume of the "Naval Chronicle," which valuable publication, as might be expected, abounds with Letters, Anecdotes, &c., of Nelson.
II. "Biographical Memoirs of Lord Viscount Nelson, with Observations, Critical and Explanatory. By John Charnock, Esq.," 8vo. 1802. This compilation was of no other value than that of containing such information of Nelson's early life as the Author's friend, Captain Locker, could contribute; together with many of the Letters from Nelson to Captain Locker, which form so interesting a part of the present Collection. It will be seen that the Editor has obtained access to the Original tetters; and he found that in no one instance had those Letters been accurately printed by Charnock. In many cases, important passages were omitted, because they contained Nelson's opinion of individuals; but most of the alterations were made with the intention of improving their style, in which absurd attempt much of the writer's spirit was lost, and his own natural and nervous words gave place to what was considered more genteel or more elegant expressions.
III. "The Life of Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, by Mr. Harrison," two volumes 8vo., 1806.—This Memoir was written under the dictation of Lady Hamilton, with the view of supporting her claims upon the Government; and it is disgraced by disparaging, and unjust allusions to Lady Nelson. The work contains, however, some Letters, and a few statements not printed elsewhere; and though the Letters appear to be faithfully given, the statements, coming from so prejudiced a source, are extremely suspicious; and, if not without foundation, were, no doubt, very partially drawn. Alluding to the Author's assertion that he had been assisted by some of the Hero's " dear and intimate friends," the "Quarterly Review" observed, "It "seems as if these friends of Lord Nelson were in search *' of a writer who would undertake to justify the only cul'' pable parts of his conduct, and found Mr. Harrison a "fit person for their purpose."
IV. " Memoirs of the Professional Life of Horatio Nelson, Viscount and Baron Nelson. By Joshua While, Esq." 12mo. 1806.—A booksellers' work made up for the occasion, and of little value: it contains, however, one or two Letters, and perhaps as many facts, not printed elsewhere.
V. " Orme's Graphic History of the Life of Horatio Viscount Nelson:" folio, 1806.—A volume intended }o illustrate a series of Engravings of Nelson's great battles. Neither the Memoir, which was written by Francis William Blagdon, nor the Plates, have any merit.
VI. "The Life of Lord Viscount Nelson. By T. O. Churchill." 4to., 1808.—A wretched compilation, intended as the vehicle of some equally wretched Engravings.
VII. "The Life of Admiral Lord Nelson, K. B., from his Lordship's Manuscripts. By the Rev. James Stanier Clarke, F.R.S., and John M'Arthur, Esq., LL.D., late Secretary to Admiral Lord Viscount Hood:" two volumes royal quarto, published in 1809, with numerous Plates, and since reprinted in octavo.—This is the standard Life of Nelson, and it has been largely used for all subsequent works. The Authors had access to the greater part of, but certainly not to all, the MSS. of Lord Nelson, then belonging to Earl Nelson; and a large body of Letters and Papers were sent to them by a great number of other persons, particularly by His late Majesty, and by a lady who possessed Nelson's interesting Letters to his Wife, before and after their marriage. The Memoir is principally made up of extracts from those Letters and Papers; but scarcely in any one of the numerous instances in which the Editor of this Work has had the opportunity of comparing the extracts printed by Clarke and M'Arthur with the original Letters or Papers, do those extracts entirely agree with the originals.
Dr. Clarke and Dr. M'Arthur seem to have been actuated by the same love of improving the Letters, which fell into their hands, as their predecessor Mr. Chamock; and though they, like him, thereby disregarded the first principle of Editorship, they are rarely open to the suspicion of having made the alterations from a worse motive than the desire to exhibit Nelson's productions in what, they considered, a fitting epistolary state; as if a Hero could never think, write, or speak naturally, but must always appear in full dress. Be the motive, however, what it might, the effect is, that no reliance can be placed on the literal fidelity of any one extract printed in their voluminous work.
VIII. "The Life of Nelson. By Robert Southey, Esq., LL.D., Poet Laureat." 12mo.—This, the most popular of all the Memoirs of Nelson, is an enlargement of its Author's article on Chamock's, Harrison's, Churchill's, and Clarke and M'Arlhur's Lives of Nelson, in the "Quarterly Review" for February, 1810. It first appeared as a separate volume in 1813, and has passed through numerous editions.
IX. "The Life of Nelson. By the Old Sailor." 12mo., 1838,—which is the fullest collection of facts and anecdotes relating to Nelson yet given to the Public. Every printed authority has been consulted, and much new information inserted from the innumerable scattered Notices in Magazines, the " United Service Journal," Professional Newspapers, &c.
X. "The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton." In 2 vols. 8vo., 1814.—This work probably owed its existence to the distresses of the unfortunate 'woman to whom the Letters were addressed; and its appearance was justly and emphatically denounced in the "Edinburgh Review."1 Such parts of those Letters as are unobjectionable will be found in this Collection.
With the exception of some Pamphlets, of which the most important were written by the late Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Foote, K. C. B., respecting the capitulation of the Castles of Uovo and Nuovo, at Naples, and the fate of Caraccioli, the preceding List seems to contain all the Works relating to Nelson that afford any information of his character or services.