NELSONIAN REMINISCENCES.
Nelsonian Reminiscences. By G. S. Parsons. Edited by W. IL Long. (Gibbings and Co. 3s. 6d.)—The strictly " Nelsonian' part of these "Leaves from Memory's Log" (first published in, 1843—the author survived to 1854) is contained in pp.1-53. These chapters narrate the least creditable part of Nelson's career, the. Naples episode. Mr. Parsons WEIS then acting as Signal Mid- shipman on board the 'Foudroyant.' He seems to have been as infatuated as his betters about Lady Hamilton, and is very- insistent on her having been "calumniated." But he can tell us nothing to her credit, except, indeed, that he brings into greater relief her personal courage. We may call the account of Toma Allen also Nelsonian. This man was a native of Burnham Thorpe ; he had been in the service of the Nelson family, and when Horatio was appointed to the 'Agamemnon' he went to sea with him, and continued to act as his confidential servant. In his old age Tom. Allen narrowly escaped the workhouse, but ultimately a berth was found for him at Greenwich Hospital. Here he died in 1838- at the age of seventy-two. Others among the reminiscences are sufficiently interesting to justify their republication, though they are not Nelsonian.
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