“’I will do the utmost, my lord; get the engine to work on the sails—­hang butts of water to the stays—­pipe the hammocks down, and each man place shot in them—­slack the stays, knock up the wedges, and give the masts play—­start off the water, Mr. James, and pump the ship.’  The Foudroyant is drawing a-head, and at last takes the lead in the chase.  ’The admiral is working his fin, (the stump of his right arm,) do not cross his hawse, I advise you.’

“The advice was good, for at that moment Nelson opened furiously on the quarter-master at the conn.  ’I’ll knock you off your perch, you rascal, if you are so inattentive.—­Sir Ed’ard, send your best quarter-master to the weather wheel.’

“‘A strange sail a-head of the chase!’ called the look-out man.

“’Youngster, to the mast-head.  What! going without your glass, and be d——­d to you?  Let me know what she is immediately.’

“’A sloop of war, or frigate, my lord,” shouted the young signal-midshipman.

“‘Demand her number.’

“‘The Success, my lord.’

“’Captain Peard; signal to cut off the flying enemy—­great odds, though—­thirty-two small guns to eighty large ones.’

“’The Success has hove-to athwart-hawse of the Genereux, and is firing her larboard broadside.  The Frenchman has hoisted his tri-colour, with a rear-admiral’s flag.’

“‘Bravo—­Success, at her again!’

“’She has wore round, my lord, and firing her starboard broadside.  It has winged her, my lord—­her flying kites are flying away all together.’  The enemy is close on the Success, who must receive her tremendous broadside.  The Genereux opens her fire on her little enemy, and every person stands aghast, afraid of the consequences.  The smoke clears away, and there is the Success, crippled, it is true, but, bull-dog like, bearing up after the enemy.

“’The signal for the Success to discontinue the action, and come under my stern,’ said Lord Nelson; ’she has done well, for her size.  Try a shot from the lower-deck at her, Sir Ed’ard.’

“‘It goes over her.’

“’Beat to quarters, and fire coolly and deliberately at her masts and yards.’

“Le Genereux at this moment opened her fire on us; and, as a shot passed through the mizen stay-sail, Lord Nelson, patting one of the youngsters on the head, asked him jocularly how he relished the music; and observing something like alarm depicted on his countenance, consoled him with the information, that Charles XII. ran away from the first shot he heard, though afterwards he was called ‘The Great,’ and deservedly, from his bravery.  ‘I, therefore,’ said Lord Nelson, ’hope much from you in future.’

“Here the Northumberland opened her fire, and down came the tri-colored ensign, amidst the thunder of our united cannon."[4]