“His Lordship used a great deal of exercise, generally walking on deck six or seven hours in the day.  He always rose early, for the most part shortly after daybreak.  He breakfasted in summer about six, and at seven in winter:  and if not occupied in reading or writing despatches, or examining into the details of the Fleet, he walked on the quarter-deck the greater part of the forenoon; going down to his cabin occasionally to commit to paper such incidents or reflections as occurred to him during that time, and as might be hereafter useful to the service of his country.  He dined generally about half-past two o’clock.  At his table there were seldom less than eight or nine persons, consisting of the different Officers of the Ship:  and when the weather and the service permitted, he very often had several of the Admirals and Captains in the Fleet to dine with him; who were mostly invited by signal, the rotation of seniority being commonly observed by his Lordship in these invitations.  At dinner he was alike affable and attentive to every one:  he ate very sparingly himself; the liver and wing of a fowl, and a small plate of macaroni, in general composing his meal, during which he occasionally took a glass of champagne.  He never exceeded four glasses of wine after dinner, and seldom drank three; and even those were diluted with either Bristol or common water.

“Few men subject to the vicissitudes of a Naval life, equalled his Lordship in an habitual systematic mode of living.  He possessed such a wonderful activity of mind, as even prevented him from taking ordinary repose, seldom enjoying two hours of uninterrupted sleep; and on several occasions he did not quit the deck during the whole night.  At these times he took no pains to protect himself from the effects of wet, or the night air; wearing only a thin great coat:  and he has frequently, after having his clothes wet through with rain, refused to have them changed, saying that the leather waistcoat which he wore over his flannel one would secure him from complaint.  He seldom wore boots, and was consequently very liable to have his feet wet.  When this occurred he has often been known to go down to his cabin, throw off his shoes, and walk on the carpet in his stockings for the purpose of drying the feet of them.  He chose rather to adopt this uncomfortable expedient, than to give his servants the trouble of assisting him to put on fresh stockings; which, from his having only one hand, he could not himself conveniently effect.

“From these circumstances it may be inferred, that though Lord Nelson’s constitution was not of that kind which is generally denominated strong, yet it was not very susceptible of complaint from the common occasional causes of disease necessarily attending a Naval life.  The only bodily pain which his Lordship felt in consequence of his many wounds, was a slight rheumatic affection of the stump of his amputated arm on any sudden variation in the state of the weather; which is generally experienced by those who have the misfortune to lose a limb after the middle age.  His Lordship usually predicted an alteration in the weather with as much certainty from feeling transient pains in his stump, as he could by his marine barometer; from the indications of which latter he kept a diary of the atmospheric changes, which was written with his own hand.