The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-25

| vain attempt to prevent the escape Of th'
French feet from Toulon, and in the fruitles'
chase Of Admiral Vlleneuye to the West Indies
| On Aug ls. 1905, he arrived in England for
brief holiday. and it was at this time that no IL
| said to have mot in the waiting room Of the
Secretary OF State tho Duke OF Wellington
then Sir Arthur Wellesley. Wellington re.
ferring In 1884 TO this meeting. spoke
OF Nelson's conversation rs all about himself
and In really style 80 vain and 80 silly as 10
surprise mo-" There seems to DO no doubt
that Nelson was good deal OF braggart' anu
that there was n melodramatic vein IN MS
character which most OF his bioRraphers we
do not include MIR. RusselD have made the
most Of No Englishman, however, has had n
better right to brag. 1t Is related that shortly
before Nelson's departure to assume command
OF the fleet at Gibraltar he described TO Lord
Sidmouth. with the utmost minuteness the
manner in which he intended to engage the
combined fleets OF France and Spain. The plan
thus indicated he carried out TO tho letter.
He set sail from Portsmouth on September
II. and we are told that before leav-
ing his country house on tho previous
evening he went to the bedroom in which
Horata this child by Lady Eamiltonl lay sleop-
Ing. and. knseling down by the little girls bed
side. earnestly prayed that God would bloss
and protect her. He seems to have had pre-
sentiment that the coming battle would be his
last. SoutheY says that crowds were waiting
on the beach at Portsmouth to witness his en-
barkaton. They followed him to the very
wash OF tho water, pressing forward TO OBTAIN
sight OF his face: many were In tears and
many knott down before him and blessed him
as he passed. The behavior OF the crowd
caused him to say to Capt. Hardy who was to
be his comrade on the Victory | had their
huzzas before have their hearts now"
Tho greatest naval battle OF modern times
took place on Monday Oct. 81, Off Cape Trafal-
gar. On that day the combined fleets OF France
and Spain. comprising thirty-three line-of-
battle ships and five frigates. were at sea twen-
ty-flVe miles southwest OF CadiZ The force
under Nelson consisted OF twenty-seven sail OF
the line and four frigates the aggregate num-
Der OF guns being. according to Crawford,
2,l4S. against 1926 Nilleneuve had received
orders from Bonaparte to attack Nelson
whenever he found himself possessing supe-
rior number OF vesseis counting two spaniards
as equivalent to one Frenchman. This was
pretty nearly the case at trafalgar. Tho
battle has often been described. but never
with such fulness Of comprehension and such
pictorial vigor as it is by Mr. Russell, We will
merely remind the reader that the immediate
result of the action was the capture OF seven
burned. The completeness of the victory was
made known to Nelson as he lay dying in the
cockpit Of the Victory-he had boon shot through
the spine at half past o'clock-and his latest
utterance was. Thank God have done my
duty" There Is no doubt that this browning
of Nelson lifo put an end to Ma
poleons intention OF invading England; and
when his body WAS brought homo the English
people did we'll to pay to 1t the honors that
belong to the rescuers Of nations. Coleridge
las recorded that when Nelson died it seemed
IS II no Englishman was stranger to another;
Ill wero made brethren by the ties OF q COM
non anguish. The Earldom which Nelson |
lad longed for In vain was conferred upon his |
brother Will am. clergyman and pension |
:l2O.00O was also voted to enable the new Earl
% purchase an estate to be named after the
amous victory. Another sum OF 100000 was
iivided between Nelson's two sisters. No at
enion. however. was paid to the claims OF
LADY hilton. although they were empha-
iing and country, penned on the night before
he battle.
In summing up the significance OF Nelson's
areer, Mr.. Russell acknowledges that his ey-
lmple Us a strateGist Is Of no use now. and that |
I would be the idlest waste OF time to enter in
discourse about the nautical science Of
which Nelson was master His name re-
mains. however. after the lapse OF nearly n
century, the one Of all earthly names to work
most maEically in the thoughts Of English
non. and his example, as an English sailor
- potent as 1t ever was. at any moment OF his
,loriouS life. NJ. w. Ii.