Nelson, Horatio. Autograph manuscript draft, 4 pages, (9 ¼ x 7 ¼ in.; 235 x 184 mm.), [April or May 1803] to the Prime Minis...

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Nelson, Horatio. Autograph manuscript draft, 4 pages, (9 ¼ x 7 ¼ in.; 235 x 184 mm.), [April or May 1803] to the Prime Minister, the first section was drafted for Nelson by his friend, Sir George Rose, with the final one and a quarter pages written by Nelson himself; some browning; splits to vertical fold. Nelson compares the financial rewards he has received from the King to those of St. Vincent and Duncan, comparing his victories to theirs as he prepares to petition the King for a larger pension, citing his service to England. The manuscript draft reads in full: [Sir George Rose:] I feel very great Reluctance in troubling you with any personal Concern of mine; but I am really compelled to cit[e] Circumstances which, when explained, will I think convince you that I cannot do otherwise; and knowing the value of your Time I will do it as shortly as I can. His Majesty was graciously pleased, on account of my Services in the Battle of the Nile, to bestow on me the high Honor of a Peerage of Great Britain; and to recommend it to Parliament to enable Him to grant a Pension of £2000 a Year to me, & eventually for two Lives after mine. In the formal Part of the Message for the Purpose, His Majesty expresses a Desire to bestow on me the Pension...to the two next succeeding Heirs Male of my Body; but in the recommendatory Part of the Message the Words are 'to consider of a proper Method of enabling His Majesty to grant the same and of extending, securing & settling such Amenity to the said Rear Admiral Lord Nelson and to the two next Persons on whom the Title of Baron Nelson & shall descend, in such Manner as Shall be thought most effectual for the Benefit of the said L[or]d Nelson & his Family. The Grant was made to me of the two next succeeding Heirs Male of my Body, which was probably done without an attentive Consideration of the whole of the Message, but it was then of no Importance to me as the Grant followed the Title. But as His Majesty has since been previously pleased to confer upon me the Title of a Viscount with Remainder to my Brother's Children (failing Issue of my own), I must entreat that you will lay me at His Majesty's Feet, & that you will have the Goodness to express to him in the · most dutiful Manner my humble Hope that as I have no good Fortune to acquire sufficient Wealth to put it in my Power to enable my Nephew to support in any Degree the Rank of a Peer, to which he may eventually succeed, His Majesty will be graciously pleased to take such Measures as he shall think necessary for continuing the Pension in the Manner it appears to have been His Majesty's gracious Intention it should have been originally granted. In making this application to you Sir it is but fair I should apprize you that L[or]d Saint Vincent is in the same situation I believe with myself, but I know of no other Case at all similar; as L[or]d Duncan has made Issue [Nelson:] -- and I also beg leave to state that both Lord St.V[incen]t & L[or]d D[unca]n had a grant from the Irish Parliament of 1000£ p