ROBERT SOUTHEY 225 



away, were not yet replaced, and ordered that new 

 ones should be rove immediately : — then, that he 

 might not be seen by the crew, he took out his 

 handkerchief, and covered his face and his stars. 

 Had he but concealed these badges of honour 

 from the enemy, England, perhaps, would not have 

 had cause to receive with sorrow the news of the 

 battle of Trafalgar 



Within a quarter of an hour after Nelson was 

 wounded, about fifty of the Victory's men fell by 

 the enemy's musketry. They, however, on their 

 part, were not idle ; and it was not long before 

 there were only two ?"renchmen left alive in the 

 mizzen-top of the Redoubtable. One of them was 

 the man who had given the fatal wound : he did 

 not live to boast of what he had done. An 

 old quartermaster had seen him fire ; and easily 

 recognised him, because he wore a glazed cocked 

 hat and a white frock. This quartermaster, and 

 two midshipmen, Mr. Collingwood and Mr. Pol- 

 lard, were the only persons left on the Victory's 

 poop ; the two midshipmen kept firing at the top, 

 and he supplied them with cartridges. One of 

 the Frenchmen, attempting to make his escape 

 down the rigging, was shot by Mr. Pollard, and 

 fell on the poop. But the old quartermaster, as 

 he cried out, "Thai's he, that's he," and pointcil at 

 the other, wlio was coming forward to (ire again 



