10 THE SEA. 



Jervis had to admit the fact, but promised to forgive any such breach of orders, accompanied 

 with the same measure of success. 



The battle had now lasted from noon, and at five p.m. four Spanish line-of -battle vessels 

 had lowered their colours. Even the great Santissima Trinidada might then have become a 

 prize but for the return of the vessels which had been cut off from the fleet in the morning, 

 and which alone saved her. Her colours had been shot away, and she had hoisted English 

 colours in token of submission, when the other ships came up, and Cordova reconsidered 

 his step. Jervis did not think that his fleet was quite equal to a fresh conflict ; and the 

 Spaniards showed no desire to renew the fight. They had lost on the four prizes, alone, 

 261 killed, and 342 wounded, and in all, probably, nearly double the above. The British 

 loss was seventy- three killed, and 227 wounded. 



Of Trafalgar and of Nelson, both day and man so intimately associated with our 

 good ship, what can yet be said or sung that has gone unsaid, unsung? how when he 

 left Portsmouth the crowds pressed forward to obtain one last look at their hero England's 

 greatest hero and "knelt down before him, and blessed him as he passed;"* that beautiful 

 prayer, indited in his cabin, " May the great God whom I worship grant to my country, 

 and for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and glorious victory, and may no 

 misconduct in any one tarnish it, and may humanity after victory be the predominant 

 feature of the British fleet," or the now historical signal which flew from the mizen top- 

 gallant mast of that noble old ship, and which has become one of the grand mottoes of 

 our tongue, are facts as familiar to every reader as household words. 



The part directly played by the Victory herself in the battle of Trafalgar was second 

 to none. From the very first she received a raking " fire from all sides, which must have 

 been indeed severe, when we find the words extorted from Nelson, " This is too warm 

 work to last long," addressed to Captain Hardy. At that moment fifty of his men were 

 lying dead or wounded, while the Victory's mizen-mast and wheel were shot away, and her sails 

 hanging in ribbons. To the terrible cannonading of the enemy, Nelson had not yet 

 returned a shot. He had determined to be in the very thick of the fight, and was 

 reserving his fire. Now it was that Captain Hardy represented to Nelson the imprac- 

 ticability of passing through the enemy's line without running on board one of their 

 ships ; he was coolly told to take his choice. The Victory was accordingly turned on 

 board the Redoubtable, the commander of which, Captain Lucas, in a resolute endeavour to 

 block the passage, himself ran his bowsprit into the figurehead of the Bucentaure, and 

 the two vessels became locked together. Not many minutes later, Captain Harvey, of 

 the Temeraire, seeing the position of the Victory with her two assailants, fell on board 

 the Redoubtable, on the other side, so that these four ships formed as compact a tier as 

 though moored together. The Victory fired her middle and lower deck guns into the 

 Redoubtable, which returned the fire from her main-deck, employing also musketry and 

 brass pieces of larger size with most destructive effects from the tops. 



" Redoubtable they called her a curse upon her name ! 

 'Twas from her tops the bullet that killed our hero came 



* Southey's " Life of Nelson." 



