Cotmania. Vol. VI. 1930-31

and are attested by Samuel Higham
Aldred (d. 1858), a notable citizen
of Great Yarmouth, a descendant of the
original owners of the Lowestoft china
factory, and himself a silversmith. Aldred
was privileged to attend two consecutive
sittings at The Wrestlers, and continued
to speak of this unforgettable experience
to the end of his days. His evidence is
recorded by Charles J. Palmer, F.S.A., a
Yarmouth solicitor and prominent public
man, in his 44 Perlustration of Great
Yarmouth '' (1872) ; and appears inde-
pendently in a manuscript history of
"The Society of Friends," bv Oswald
Diver, who married Aldred's grand
daughter and was secretary to the Society
in 1879.
The portrait was not a commission. It
was painted by Keymer at hs own re-
quest ; and there is little doubt that the
motive which influenced him was the
belief that he could produce a better like-
ness of Nelson than the "celebrated artist
at Palermo " whoso portrait he had
already copied. The " Perlustration "
tells us that it was " esteemed a capital
likeness " ; and it is difficult to explain
why it was never engraved.
When Nelson fell at Trafalgar and his
name was on every man's lips, Keymer
felt that it would be selfish to keep the
portrait to himself. He therefore offered
it to " The Society of Friends " ; and the
transaction is recorded on their minutes
(still happily extant) under date Thurs-
day, January 16, 1806.
The portrait, measuring 25in. by 21in.,
was accordingly transferred to the club
premises; set in an elaborate gilt frame
surmounted by a trophy of four flags,
two pieces of ordnance, and three wreaths
of oak leaves and bay ; and below it
was fixed a tablet bearing a suitable in-
scription still preserved intact.
While duly honouring the portrait, the
club members do not appear to have
appraised their treasure at its right value.
The canvas thus remained unknown out-
side "The Society of Friends"; and in
1907, or shortly afterwards, the club ceased
to exist. Subscriptions continued to be
paid until December of that year, but then
all records cease. In all probability it was
not long afterwards that the portrait of
Nelson was transferred to the Town Hall,
where it has waited obscurely another 20
years for the recognition it deserves.
The picture shows us the Admiral, bare-
headed, but in full-dress uniform, wearing
the sashes of the Bath and of the Neapoli-
tan Order of St. Ferdinand ; the stars of
the Bath, of the Order of St. Ferdinand,
and of the Turkish Order of the Crescent ;
and round his neck, suspended by blue
ribbons, the special decorations conferred
by George III.—the gold medal for the
battle of St. Vincent and the gold medal
for the victory of the Nile. His empty
sleeve is looped to a button hidden by the
Neapolitan star. The portrait does not
flatter. It shows faithfully enough all the
features verbally described by many eye-
witnesses : the noble forehead partly con-
ceaed by the fuffled hair, the arched eye-
brows, the long, well shaped nose (for-
midable in profile, as Nelson prefferred to
be seen), the broad cheek-bones, the
narrow jowl, the short upper lip. the
full, sensitive under lip. and the thought-
ful, inquiring, sympathetic eyes which, in ,
moments of excitement, could flash with
fire.
The picture cannot, perhaps, be
acclaimed as a great work of art ; but it
is truthful and wonderfullv human. It
is less idealized than Abbott's, less
feminine than Hoppner's. and more
credible than Beechey's or Guzzardi's.
As we look at it we can understand afresh
that true humility which gave him the
mastery over all who served with him,
and which some cannot now discern under
the veneer of petty vanities imposed by
the memoir-writer ; we can understand
also something of that unquestioning
belief that Heaven would fight for
England's cause so long as England's
cause was upright and just, and that
England's cause would triumph so long
as men could be found to scorn self-
interest and material gain and serve her
by their sacrifice and death.
In bringing this letter to a close I
should like to record my indebtedness to
Mr. Robert H. Teasdel, hon. treasurer of
the Norfolk Record Society and owner of
the minute books and manuscript history
of " The Society of Friends." for the kind
assistance he has given me in authenti-
cating the facts set forth above, which are
now for the first time made public.
Your obedient servant,
GEOFFREY CALLENDER.
Royal Naval College. Greenwich, S.E.10.

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