Letter by Horatio Nelson to Lieutenant-General The Honourable Charles Stuart, 16 February 1799
Nelson was reluctant to leave Sicily fearing France might try to capture the island. But other plausible explanations are that he did not want to leave Emma Hamilton, and that he had a sense of moral obligation to the Royal Family. However, what was apparent was the increasing concern of his superiors and fellow officers about the way his personal life was influencing his conduct in his professional naval capacity.
