[12] It was certainly not Keats himself, though afterwards Nelson meant to offer him command of the squadron he intended to detach into the Mediterranean.  In the expected battle Keats, had he arrived in time, was to have been Nelson’s ‘second’ in the line. Nelson to Sir Alexander Ball, October 15, 1805.

[13] Nelson’s Despatches, vii. 241, note.

[14] Nelson’s ‘advance squadron’ must not be confused with the idea of a reserve squadron which Gravina pressed on Villeneuve at the famous Cadiz council of war before Trafalgar.  Gravina’s idea was nothing but the old one of a reserve of superfluous ships after equalising the line, as provided by the old English Fighting Instructions and recommended by Morogues.

[15] Sidney, Life of Lord Hill, p. 368.

[16] Clarke and McArthur say the letter was to Lady Hamilton.  Nicolas, reprinting from the Naval Chronicle, has the addressee’s name blank.

[17] Nelson to Captain Duff, October 4.  The order to take her under his command was despatched on September 20.  Same to Marsden, October 10.

[18] Same to Lord Barham, September 30.

[19] See the note on Trafalgar dictated by him in Memoirs of Sir Edward Codrington, edited by Lady Bourchier, 1873.

[20] On the Principles of Naval Tactics, 1846.

[21] Great Sea Fights, ii. 196, note.

[22] See post, p. 357 Appendix, where this interesting paper is set out in full.

[23] Life of Codrington, ii. 57-8.

[24] It should be noted that the memorandum only enjoins this for an attack from to-leeward, and not for the ‘intended attack’ from to-windward.

[25] See Nelson’s Despatches, vii. 154; Life of Codrington, ii. 77.

[26] Nicolas, vii. 122.  Before this Mars and Colossus had had the inside station.  See Nelson to Collingwood, October 12.

[27] Ibid., vii. 122.

[28] Nicolas, vii. 115, 129, 133.

[29] Memorandum and Private Diary, Nicolas, pp. 136-7.

[30] Some doubt has been expressed as to the signals with which Nelson opened at daybreak on the 21st.  But their actual numbers are recorded in the logs of the Mars, Defiance, Conqueror and Bellerophon, and all but the first in the log of the Euryalus repeating frigate.  They were No. 72:  ‘To form order of sailing in two columns or divisions of the fleet,’ which, by the memorandum was also to be the order of battle; No. 76, with compass signal ENE, ’when lying by or sailing by the wind to bear up and sail large on the course pointed out’; No. 13, Prepare for battle.  Collingwood has in his journal:  ’At 6.30 the commander-in-chief made the signal to form order of sailing in two columns, and at 7.0 to prepare for battle.  At 7.40 to bear up east.’

[31] Life of Codrington, ii. 59, 60.

[32] Great Sea Fights, ii. 278.