FRANCE 
in the fpace of fifteen days ; Venetian Iftria, and Dalma¬ 
tia, the mouths of the Cattaro, the Venetian ifles in the 
Adriatic, and all the places and forts which they contain, 
in the fpace of fix weeks from the exchange of the ratifi¬ 
cations. The refpedtive commifTaries will take care that 
the feparation of the artillery belonging to the republic of 
Venice from the Aufirian artillery be exadtly made, the 
former being to remain entirely to the kingdom of Italy. 
Done and figned at Prefburg the 26th of December, 1805.” 
Thus in the (hort fpace of'three months and a few' days 
did the emperor of the French fubdue, and indeed almoft 
annihilate, the powers of the continent who had combined 
to limit his dominions, and (hake his authority. The 
Andrian empire was reduced to the mod abjedt fubmifiion, 
and part of its territory divided among thofe who were 
but the mere electors in the date ; but now, under the 
aufpices of the conqueror, were elevated to the rank of 
kings, independent of all authority, fave of his who made 
them what they are. 
Great-Britain was now again, as uftial, left to herfelf, 
to fudain the war againd the undivided power of France ; 
and (he proved herfelf in the wondering eyes of the afto- 
nidied world, the only power on earth that dared to look 
Napoleon in the face ; that was able to curb the foaring 
height of his ambition, and convince him that his power 
was yet limited, and his conqueds but half complete. The 
fuccelfes of his army on the continent, added to the well- 
known bravery of Villeneuve in keeping the fea after the 
action of the combined fleet with admiral fir Robert Cal- 
der, appeared to give frefli energy to the department of 
the French marine. On the 18th of October, the grand 
combined fquadrons of France and Spain put to fea from 
the port of Cadiz ; and on the 19th, information of the 
event was given to admiral lord Nelfon by a fwift-failing 
frigate, whereby his lorddtip was enabled to come up with 
the combined fleet on the 21ft, at the didance of about 
feven miles to the eadward of Cape Trafalgar, on the 
coad of Andalufia in Spain. The grand combined fqua- 
dron confided of thirty-three fhips of the line, eighteen 
of which were French, and fifteen Spanifl) ; with five large 
frigates, and two armed brigs. This noble fleet failed in 
five majeflic citvifions ; the three fird forming the leading 
fquadron, and the two lad was called a fleet of obferva- 
tion. The moment the Englifli were feen in purfuit of 
them, they fcorned to decline the combat, but inflantly 
came about,- and formed the line of battle with great 
coolnefs and intrepidity. The van of the combined fqua¬ 
dron was led by admiral Gardoqui, in la Santa Anna, of 
11 2 guns; the centre was commanded by admiral Ville¬ 
neuve, in the Bucentaur, of So guns ; and the rear divi- 
fion was led by admiral Dumanoir, in the Formidable, of 
80 guns. The rear of the combined fleet of obfervation 
was commanded by admiral Gravina, in the Prince of 
Audurias, of 11 2 guns; and his fecond divilion was led 
by rear-admiral Magon, in the Algefiras, of 74 guns. 
The Englifli fleet confided of twenty-feven (hips of the 
line, four frigates, an armed fcnooner, and a cutter. It 
formed the line of battle in two nearly equal divifions ; 
the van led by admiral lord Nelfon in the Victory, of no 
guns; and the rear by admiral lord Collingwood in the 
Royal Sovereign, of 100 guns. The 3Ction was com¬ 
menced by the Englifh about twelve o’clock. The order 
of battle on both fides prefented a new arrangement to the 
edablilhed fydem of naval taffies. The combined fleet 
had formed its line with Angular correctnefs in the (hape 
of a crefcent, convexing to leeward, with each alternate 
Iliip about a cable’s length to windward, fo that it formed 
a kind of double line, well calculated for clofe action, 
without over crowding their (hips. The Englifh admi¬ 
rals, in the leading (hips of the two divifions of their fleet, 
bore down together upon this crefcent, with no other 
signal but that for clofe and immediate adtion by every 
Blip of the line. Lord Nelfon’s divilion broke through 
the crefcent between the tenth and eleventh (hips from 
the van;.and admiral Collingwood fucceeded in effecting 
Vol. VII. No. 476. 
885 
a fimilar manoeuvre about the fame time, and at the fame 
diftapee from their rear ; their fucceeding (hips in like 
manner breaking through in all parts, aflern of their 
leaders ; thus coming into adlion and engaging the com¬ 
bined fquadron at the muzzles of their guns. Hence the 
conflict became the mod tremendous and deftrudlive ever 
recorded to have taken place in any age, or quarter of the 
globe. Each fide fought with a fpirit and gallantry that 
refledted equal honour on the whole. After three hours 
combat in this clofe pofition, it pleafed the Almighty to 
beftow the vidtory on the Englifli. At three o’clock P. M. 
ten of the lead crippled of the combined fquadron, under 
admiral Gravina, joined their fignal frigaies, and failed 
for Cadiz. Four others, tinder admiral Dumanoir, failed 
to windward, leaving nineteen French and Spanilh (hips 
of the line, with the gallant commander in chief admiral 
Villeneuve, and two Spanilh admirals, in the hands of the 
Englifli. The lofs of killed and wounded was unufually 
great on both fides ; the French admiral Magon was kill¬ 
ed ; but the Englifli had to deplore the lofs of their im¬ 
mortal hero, admiral lord Nelfon, who, about the middle 
of the aiStion, received a niufket ball in his left bread* 
and foon after expired. As a man and a hero, his memory 
will for ever be revered by every nation of the civilized 
world. 
On the 4th of November, the four (hips of the com¬ 
bined fquadron which made fail to the windward under 
the French admiral Dumanoir, unexpectedly fell in with 
four Englifli (hips of the line commanded by admiral fir. 
Richard Strachan, who immediately gave chace to thefe 
crippled (hips, which were all French, and foon came up 
with and engaged them. Notwithftanding the fituation 
they had fo recently been in, on the 21A of October, ad¬ 
miral Dumanoir formed his line for clofe aCtion, and 
fought the Englifli with that, courage and magnanimity, 
which could not but extort their praife. His fituation, 
however, was fuch, that he was eventually obliged to 
(trike; and thefe four men of war, with the admiral, who 
was feverely wounded, were all taken ; and when added 
to the former, made no lefs than twenty-three of the 
noblefl (hips in the French and Spanifli fervice, at once 
cut off from their combined navy. Only feven or eight 
of thefe (hips were in a condition to be added to the Bri- 
tifh navy ; for they bad fought with fuch a determined re- 
folution either to conquer or die, that one of them blew 
up with a tremendous explofion in the midfi of the aCtion, 
and the refidue became reduced to mere wrecks upon the 
water, and either funk, or were difmantled by the victors. 
—For all the particulars of this moll eminent of naval 
engagements, fee the article Great Britain, in vo¬ 
lume viii. 
While England appeared to think lefs of her viCfory, 
than of her lofs in the death of admiral lord Nelfon, a 
filent paufe pervaded the brighteft circles in Paris and 
Madrid ; their public prints obferved a cheerlefs filence ; 
and the belligerent powers on the continent were flruck 
witli emotions which feemed to challenge their want of 
energy and exertion- The emperor Napoleon was faid 
to receive the news with that indignant countenance, 
which fingularly marks his afpeCt under fenfations of dif- 
pleafure. He avoided every kind of enquiry, and by turn¬ 
ing to the purfuits immediately before him, drove to 
think lightly of an event, which really eclipfes all the 
glories of his victories at Auderlitz. The Englifli in that 
engagement deprived France and Spain of twenty-three 
fliips of the line—of 1700 pieces of cannon—of between 
20 and 30,000 feamen—of four admirals, one general, and 
a great number of their bed naval officers. 
Yet while Great-Britain thus afferted and maintained 
her (overeignty over the feas, the emperor of the French 
was determined to exercife a fimilar dominion on (bore. 
Not content with triumphing over the unfortunate houfe 
of Auliria, and fafhioning the dates of Germany, of Swif- 
ferland, and Italy, to his mind, he was now bent on the 
deltruftion of the royal family of the kingdom of Naples. 
jo Q^. His 
