A.D. 1798.]

ADMIRAL NELSON.

163

very cruelly treated by the officers; and when this was proved, the officers were punished, and sent away from the fleet. As soon as full justice was done, the sailors all returned to their duty, and asked to be led against the French. Afterwards, there was a worse mutiny at the Nore; and as it was found that the sailors there had no reason for their bad conduct, as those at Portsmouth had, they were punished. In all these circumstances, which at such a time of danger were very trying, and which might in one week have caused the ruin of the country, Mr. Pitt showed that he had the courage, and energy, and firmness, and love of justice, which proved him to be a great statesman. He was never afraid either to pardon or to punish; and as soon as it became necessary to do either, he did it fully and at

once.

L.-NELSON AND HIS BATTLES.

Every one felt confidence in Mr. Pitt; and whenever he sent out admirals and captains for the ships, the sailors felt sure that they were brave, and that they knew how to command; and they obeyed them promptly and cheerfully. The name of one of the new commodores was Horatio Nelson, and one of the captains who generally fought with him was Captain Collingwood. Nelson became afterwards one of the greatest and bravest admirals that have ever been known in any country. The first sea battle was fought at Cape St. Vincent, which the English won. The next was at Camperdown, which they also won. There was great joy in England about these battles; for the people began to hope more than ever that their great enemy Napoleon would be beaten at last. He was now in Egypt, which he was trying to conquer for his own, and to take India from the English.

But Admiral Nelson went after him with a large

fleet, and sailed into the Nile, where he found the French fleet hiding in the Bay of Aboukir. The English had fewer ships and fewer men than the French but Nelson set this right by getting round nine of the largest French ships, and beating them completely, until they sailed away from the rest of the fleet. By the time this was done, the sun went down, and it was dark. But it was not dark upon the Nile, for all night the flash of the cannon threw a broad glare upon the water, and the people gathered on the shore could see the grand and terrible scene quite distinctly. About the middle of the night the French admiral's ship, named "L'Orient," blew up, and took fire. The flames shot up like a huge pillar of fire into the sky, and every one stopped fighting, and held his breath at the awful sight. It was then that Casa Bianca was killed, about whom and his son a beautiful little poem has been written, which is now well known to most children. It is the pleasantest incident to think of in that terrible battle of the Nile.

The next battle Nelson fought was in the Baltic Sea, at Copenhagen. The Danes were going to join with France against England, and Nelson was sent to stop them. Sir Hyde Parker was the first admiral. His ship struck upon some shoals, and he was obliged to stay idle while Nelson was fighting; and as he was afraid Nelson was being beaten, he put up the signalflag to leave off fighting. Nelson had only one eye; and when they told him that the flag was up, he put his telescope to his blind eye, and said, "I don't see the signal; keep mine flying for close battle; nail it to the mast. That is the way to answer such signals!" He beat all the Danish ships in such a way that they could not fire a single gun; and this one battle put an end to any war with Denmark.

Very soon Napoleon began to prepare in earnest for invading England, and more than 450,000 soldiers were gathered together to pour down upon our coasts; while gun-boats, arms, and cannon were gathered together in

Trafalgar. Duel between the Victory" and the "Bucentaure,'

great numbers, ready to cross the Channel at a moment's notice. The English were not idle; riots, discontents, murmurs, mutinies, and political quarrels were all forgotten. All hands were at work together, and all hearts united in earnest and diligent preparation for the enemy. 300,000 volunteers eagerly came forward, from the highest nobles to the poorest peasants, all entreating to be allowed to defend their country; and every one agreed that the word peace should never be mentioned as long as one French soldier could land on English ground.

It was a time of the greatest peril and excitement. Napoleon's scheme was to send a fleet towards the West Indies; and when Nelson should be tricked into pursuit of him, he was to come back again, and land the whole French army in England. It was a bold and desperate scheme, and it very nearly succeeded. Nelson had actually pursued the French Admiral Villeneuve some way across the Atlantic ; but finding he had escaped him, he turned back towards Spain, where, at Cape Trafalgar, he found Villeneuve drawn up in line of battle.

The English, as usual, had in number fewer ships than the French; but Nelson was there, and his glorious old flag-ship the "Victory" was there too, and upon its mast was nailed Nelson's flag, "England expects every man to do his duty." After a fiercer and hotter battle than had yet been fought, the French began to give way; and just as the battle was nearly won, a French rifleman saw an officer walking up and down the poop, or raised hind part of the "Victory," and as he wore so many stars and ribbons, he thought it must be Lord Nelson. He fired at him, and Nelson fell. "They have done for me at last, Hardy," he said to his favourite captain. They took him down on the lower-deck, and raised him up; but nothing would stop the blood from flowing. Suddenly the sailors overhead gave a loud huzza; and Nelson heard that the French were lowering all their flags, and surrendering themselves prisoners. Full of joy to think that England was saved, he said, "Thank God, I have done my duty!" and immediately

A.D. 1805.]

DEATH OF NELSON.

167

after expired. This great victory, in which 20,000 prisoners were taken, put an end to Napoleon's projects against England.

LI. NELSON AT TRAFALGAR. (1805.)

AN OLD MAN-O'-WAR'S-MAN'S YARN.

1. When our brave Nelson went to meet
Trafalgar's judgment-day,

The people knelt down in the street,
To bless him on his way.
He felt the country of his love
Watching him from afar;

It saw him through the battle move,
His heaven was in that star.

2. Magnificently glorious sight,
It was in that great dawn!

*

Like one vast sapphire flashing light,
The sea, just breathing, shone.
Their ships fresh painted stood up tall
And stately; ours were grim
And weather-worn, but one and all
In rare good fighting trim.

3. Brave Nelson's wasted face, wave-worn,
Was beaming and serene;

I felt the brave bright spirit burn
There, all too plainly seen;

As though the sword this time was drawn
For ever from the sheath,

And when its work to-day was done,
All would be dark in death.

4. He smiled to see the Frenchman show
His reckoning for retreat,

*Sapphire, a bright precious stone.