of the enemy, spreading devastation and death with unerring judgment.  “See,” said Nelson to Captain Blackwood, “how that noble fellow, Collingwood, takes his ship into action!” Then he paused for a moment, and continued, “How I envy him!” And as though the spirits of the two men were in communion with each other, Collingwood, knowing that the Commander-in-Chief’s eager eye was fixed upon him in fond admiration, called out to the flag-captain near him, “Rotherham, what would Nelson give to be here?”

One of those fine human touches of brotherhood which Nelson knew so well how to handle with his faultless tact had occurred the day before.  Collingwood and some officers paid a visit to the Victory for the purpose of receiving any instructions he might have to give.  Nelson asked Collingwood where his captain was, and when he replied that they were not on friendly terms, Nelson sharply answered, “Not on good terms,” and forthwith gave orders for a boat to be sent for Rotherham; and when he came aboard he took him to Collingwood and said, “Look! there is the enemy, shake hands,” and they renewed their friendship by gratefully carrying out his wishes.  But for this, perhaps we should have been cheated of knowing the charming anecdote, which denotes the veneration the two old friends had for each other.

There is no need to make any apology for this digression, for it is to record one more of the many acts of wisdom and tenderness that were so natural to this man of massive understanding.  The incalculable results that he was destined to accomplish may well be allowed to obscure any human weakness that sadly beset him.

Nelson, with blithe courage, sailed right into the centre of the French fleet, which in disorder surrounded their Commander-in-Chief’s ship, his intention being to capture her and take Villeneuve prisoner.  Never a gun was fired from the Victory, although many of her spars, sails, and her rigging had suffered severely, until she had rounded as close as it was possible under the stern of the Bucentaure and got into position.  Then a terrific broadside was let fly from her double-shotted guns, which raked the Bucentaure fore and aft, and the booming of cannon continued until her masts and hull were a complete wreck.  Many guns were dismounted and four hundred men killed.  The Victory then swung off and left the doomed Bucentaure to be captured by the Conqueror, and Villeneuve was taken prisoner.  After clearing the Bucentaure, the Victory fouled the Redoubtable, and proceeded to demolish her hull with the starboard guns, and with her port guns she battered the Santissima Trinidad, until she was a mass of wreckage, and the Africa and Neptune forced her to surrender.  Meanwhile, the Victory kept hammering with her starboard guns at the Redoubtable until her lower deck cannon were put out of action.  Then she used her upper deck small guns and muskets