officer answered, that, considering the handsome way in which battle was offered by the enemy, their apparent determination for a fair trial of strength, and the situation of the land, he thought it would be a glorious result if fourteen were captured. He replied, "I shall not be 5 satisfied with less than twenty."

Soon afterward he asked him if he did not think there was a signal wanting. Captain Blackwood made answer that he thought the whole fleet seemed very clearly to understand what they were about. These words were 10 scarcely spoken before that signal was made which will be remembered as long as the language or even the memory of England shall endure - Nelson's last signal: "England expects that every man will do his duty!" It was received throughout the fleet with a shout of accla- 15 mation, made sublime by the spirit which it breathed and the feeling which it expressed.

66

Now," said Lord Nelson, "I can do no more.

We

must trust to the great Disposer of all events and the justice of our cause. I thank God for this great oppor- 20 tunity of doing my duty."

He wore that day, as usual, his admiral's frock coat, bearing on the left breast four stars of the different orders with which he was invested. Ornaments which rendered him so conspicuous a mark for the enemy were beheld 25 with ominous apprehension by his officers. It was known that there were riflemen on board the French ships, and it could not be doubted that his life would be particularly aimed at. They communicated their fears to each other; and the surgeon, Mr. Beatty, spoke to the chaplain, Dr. 30 Scott, and to Mr. Scott, the public secretary, desiring

that some person would entreat him to change his dress or cover the stars; but they knew that such a request would highly displease him.

"In honor I gained them," he had said when such a 5 thing had been hinted to him formerly, "and in honor I will die with them."

This was a point upon which Nelson's officers knew that it was hopeless to remonstrate or reason with him; but both Blackwood and his own captain, Hardy, repre10 sented to him how advantageous to the fleet it would be for him to keep out of action as long as possible; and he consented at last to let the Leviathan and the Téméraire, which were sailing abreast of the Victory, be ordered to pass ahead. Yet even here the last infirmity of his noble 15 mind was indulged, for these ships could not pass ahead if the Victory continued to carry all her sail; and so far was Nelson from shortening sail, that it was evident he took pleasure in pressing on and rendering it impossible. for them to obey his own orders.

20 A long swell was setting into the Bay of Cadiz. Our ships, crowding all sail, moved majestically before it, with light winds from the southwest. The sun shone on the sails of the enemy, and their well-formed line with their numerous three-deckers made an appearance which any 25 other assailants would have thought formidable; but the British sailors only admired the beauty and the splendor of the spectacle; and, in full confidence of winning what they saw, remarked to each other what a fine sight yonder ships would make at Spithead !

30 The French admiral, from the Bucentaure, beheld the

new manner in which his enemy were advancing Nel

son and Collingwood each leading his line; and pointing them out to his officers, he is said to have exclaimed that such conduct could not fail to be successful. Yet Villeneuve had made his own dispositions with the utmost skill, and the fleets under his command waited for the 5 attack with perfect coolness. Ten minutes before twelve they opened their fire. Eight or nine of the ships, immediately ahead of the Victory and across her bows, fired single guns at her to ascertain whether she was yet within their range.

10

The enemy continued to fire a gun at a time at the Victory, till they saw that a shot had passed through her main topgallant sail; then they opened their broadsides, aiming chiefly at her rigging, in the hope of disabling her before she could close with them. Nelson, as usual, had 15 hoisted several flags, lest one should be shot away. The enemy showed no colors till late in the action, when they began to feel the necessity of having them to strike. For this reason the Santissima Trinidad, Nelson's old acquaintance, as he used to call her, was distinguishable only by 20 her four decks, and to the bow of this opponent he ordered the Victory to be steered. Meantime an incessant raking fire was kept up upon the Victory.

The Victory had not yet returned a single gun; fifty of her men had been by this time killed or wounded, and 25 her main topmast, with all her studding sails and her booms, shot away. Nelson declared that, in all his battles, he had seen nothing which surpassed the cool courage of his crew on this occasion. At four minutes after twelve, she opened her fire from both sides of her deck. It was 30 not possible to break the enemy's line without running on

board one of their ships. Hardy informed him of this, and asked which he would prefer.

Nelson replied, "Take your choice, Hardy; it does not signify much.”

The master was ordered to put the helm to port, and the Victory ran on board the Redoubtable just as her tiller ropes were shot away. The French ship received her with a broadside, then instantly let down her lower deck ports for fear of being boarded through them, and never 10 afterward fired a great gun during the action. Her tops, like those of all the enemy's ships, were filled with riflemen. Nelson never placed musketry in his tops; he had a strong dislike to the practice, not merely because it endangers setting fire to the sails, but also because it is a 15 murderous sort of warfare, by which individuals may suffer, and a commander now and then be picked off, but which can never decide the fate of a general engagement.

Captain Harvey, in the Téméraire, fell on board the Redoubtable on the other side; another enemy was in like 20 manner on board the Téméraire; so that these four ships formed as compact a tier as if they had been moored together, their heads all lying the same way. The lieutenants of the Victory, seeing this, depressed the guns of the middle and lower decks, and fired with a diminished 25 charge, lest the shot should pass through and injure the Téméraire; and because there was danger that the Redoubtable might take fire from the lower deck guns, the muzzles of which touched her side when they were run out, the fireman of each gun stood ready with a bucket of 30 water, which, as soon as the gun was discharged, he

dashed into the hole made by the shot. An incessant fire

was kept up from the Victory from both sides; her larboard guns playing upon the Bucentaure and the huge Santissima Trinidad.

II

It had been a part of Nelson's prayer that the British fleet might be distinguished by humanity in the victory 5 which he expected. Setting an example himself, he twice gave orders to cease firing upon the Redoubtable, supposing that she had struck, because her great guns were silent; for, as she carried no flag, there was no means of instantly ascertaining the fact. From this ship, which he had thus 10 twice spared, he received his death. A ball fired from her mizzen top, which in the then situation of the two vessels was not more than fifteen yards from that part of the deck where he was standing, struck the epaulette on his left shoulder, about a quarter after one, just in the 15 heat of action. Hardy, who was a few steps from him, turning round, saw three men raising him up.

"They have done for me at last, Hardy!" said he. "I hope not," cried Hardy.

20

"Yes," he replied, "my backbone is shot through!" Yet, even now, not for a moment losing his presence of mind, he observed, as they were carrying him down the ladder, that the tiller ropes which had been shot away were not yet replaced, and ordered that new ones should be rove immediately. Then, that he might not be seen 25 by the crew, he took out his handkerchief and covered his face and his stars. Had he but concealed these badges of honor from the enemy, England, perhaps, would not have had cause to receive with sorrow the news of the