"do while I live, Hardy," said the dying Nelson, endeavouring to raise himself from the bed; His previous orders for preparing to anchor had clearly he foresaw the necessity of this. Presently calling Hardy back, he said to him in “Don't throw me overboard ;" and he desired that buried beside his parents, unless it should please t order otherwise. Then reverting to private feeli me, Hardy," said he. Hardy knelt down and kisse and Nelson said, "Now I am satisfied. Thank done my duty!" Hardy stood over him in silence f or two, then knelt again and kissed his forehead. that?" said Nelson; and being informed, he rep bless you, Hardy." And Hardy then left him for e Nelson now desired to be turned upon his righ said, "I wish I had not left the deck, for I shall soo His Death was, indeed, rapidly approaching. became difficult, but he was distinctly heard to s God, I have done my duty!" These words he rep nounced, and they were the last words which he ut expired at thirty minutes after four, three hours an after he had received his wound. Within quarter of an hour after Nelson was wou fifty of the Victory's men fell by the enemy's 'muske however, on their part were not idle; and it was not there were only two Frenchmen left alive in the m the Redoubtable. One of them was the man who the fatal wound. He did not live to boast of what h An old quartermaster had seen him fire, and easily him, because he wore a glazed cocked hat and a w This quartermaster and two midshipmen, Mr. Collin Mr. Pollard, were the only persons left in the Vict The two midshipmen kept firing at the top, and 1 them with cartridges. One of the Frenchmen, attempting to make his es the rigging, was shot by Mr. Pollard, and fell on But the old quartermaster, as he called out, "That's he," and pointed to the other, who was coming forw again, received a shot in his mouth, and fell dead. midshipmen then fired at the same time, and the fello in the top. When they took possession of the prize, into the mizzen-top and found him dead, with one ba his head and another through his breast. The total British loss in the Battle of Trafalgar amounted to one thousand five hundred and eighty-seven men. Twenty of the enemy's ships struck, but it was not possible to anchor the fleet, as Nelson had enjoined. A gale came on from the southwest: some of the prizes went down, some went on shore; one effected its escape into Cadiz, others were destroyed; four only were saved, and those by the greatest exertions. The death of Nelson was felt in England as something more than a public 'calamity: men started at the 'intelligence, and turned pale, as if they had heard of the loss of a dear friend. An object of our admiration and affection, of our pride and of our hopes, was suddenly taken from us; and it seemed as if we had never till then known how deeply we loved and reverenced him. What the country had lost in its great naval hero-the greatest of our own and of all former times-was scarcely taken into the account of grief. So perfectly, indeed, had he performed his part, that the maritime war, after the Battle of Trafalgar, was considered at an end. The fleets of the enemy were not merely defeated-they were destroyed: new navies must be built, and a new race of seamen reared for them, before the possibility of their invading our shores 5 could again be 'contemplated. It was not, therefore, from any selfish reflection upon the magnitude of our loss that we mourned for him the general sorrow was of a higher character. The people of England grieved that funeral ceremonies, and public monuments, and posthumous rewards, were all that they could now bestow upon him whom the King, the Legislature, and the Nation would have alike delighted to honour; whom every tongue would have blessed-whose presence in every village through which he might have passed would have awakened the church bells, have given schoolboys a holiday, have drawn children from their sports to gaze upon him, and "old men from the chimney corner to look upon Nelson ere they died. The victory of Trafalgar was 'celebrated, indeed, with the usual forms of rejoicing, but they were without joy; for such already was the glory of the British Navy, through Nelson's surpassing genius, that it scarcely seemed to receive any addition from the most signal victory that ever was achieved upon the seas. The destruction of this mighty fleet, by which all the maritime schemes of France were totally frustrated, hardly appeared to add to our security or strength; for while Nelson was alive to watch the combined squadrons of the enemy, we 58 BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, AND DEATH OF NELS felt ourselves as secure as now when they were n existence. The most triumphant death is that of the marty awful, that of the martyred patriot; the most splen the hero in the hour of victory; and if the chariot and of fire had been vouchsafed for Nelson's translatio scarcely have departed in a brighter blaze of glor left us, not, indeed, a mantle of 'inspiration, but a na example which are at this hour inspiring thousands of of England—a name which is our pride, and an exar will continue to be our shield and our strength. Thu the spirits of the great and the wise continue to live after them. achieved', gained. ing. elapsed', transpired'. intelligence S legislature, hand'-kerchief, a cloth of pros pect, ho rec'ognized, replaced', re impatient, eager. rev'erenced, ineffectually, unsuccess' revert'ing, r fully. satisfied, co inspira'tion, divine' in'flu sublime', gra vouchsafed', calam ity, disas'ter. celebrated, sig'nalized. congratulated, ence. 1 Mizzen-top, a platform at the top of the lower mizzen-mast-the aftermost mast in a ship. 2 Rove, drawn through the blocks so as to connect the rudder with the steeringwheel. To reeve a rope, is to pass it through any block or ring-bolt. It is probably connected with reef, to reduce a sail-which is done by passing the reef-points or ropes through eyelets. The word reef properly belongs to the row of short ropes themselves, which, as they hang on the sail, have the appearance of the teeth of a rake or comb. Reef, as applied to a ridge of rocks, embodies the same idea. QUESTIONS.-How did Nelson give an example of humanity? How requited? Where was Nelson struck? Why did he tell the surgeon to a others in the cockpit? Whom did he become impatient to see? What battle did Hardy bring him? What wishes did he express regarding his bu were his last words? What was the fate of the man who had shot him? H the enemy's ships struck? What was the great result of the victory? celebrated without joy? EDINBURGH AFTER FLODDEN 69 59 EDINBURGH AFTER FLODDEN. NEWS of battle! news of battle !— Greetings from our gallant King?1 Each one bearing, as it kindled, All night long the northern streamers 3 News of battle! who hath brought it? Man-is this a time to wait?" Round him crush the people, crying, Like a corpse the grisly warrior Looks from out his helm of steel; But no word he speaks in answerOnly with his armëd heel Chides his weary steed, and onward "By the God that made thee, Randolph! And the asker's voice is dumb. The elders of the city' Have met within their hall The men whom good King James had charged To watch the tower and wall. "Your hands are weak with age," he said, So bide ye in the Maiden Town, Then man the walls like burghers stout, Then in came Randolph Murray,— And on his mailed hand, But 'straight were smote with fear, Had never 'couched a spear. They knew so sad a messenger Some ghastly news must bring; And all of them were fathers, And their sons were with the King. And up then rose the Provost 5— |