while, as one who phrases a thought in his own mind before uttering it, and then said, “Suppose we telegraph ‘Nelson confides that every man will do his duty.’” In this form it was the call of the leader to the followers, the personal appeal of one who trusts to those in whom he trusts, a feeling particularly characteristic of the speaker, whose strong hold over others lay above all in the transparent and unswerving faith he showed in their loyal support; and to arouse it now in full force he used the watchword “duty,” sure that the chord it struck in him would find its quick response in every man of the same blood.  The officer to whom the remark was made, suggested “England” instead of “Nelson.”  To the fleet it could have made no difference,—­to them the two names meant the same thing; but Nelson accepted the change with delight.  “Mr. Pasco,” he called to the signal officer, “I wish to say to the fleet, ’England confides that every man will do his duty;’” and he added, “You must be quick, for I have one more to make, which is for close action.”  This remark shows that the columns, and particularly Collingwood’s ship, were already nearing the enemy.  Pasco answered, “If your Lordship will permit me to substitute ‘expects’ for ‘confides,’ it will be sooner completed, because ‘expects’ is in the vocabulary,[141] and ‘confides’ must be spelt.”  Nelson replied hastily, but apparently satisfied, “That will do, Pasco, make it directly;” but the slightly mandatory “expects” is less representative of the author of this renowned sentence than the cordial and sympathetic “confides.”  It is “Allez,” rather than “Allons;” yet even so, become now the voice of the distant motherland, it carries with it the shade of reverence, as well as of affection, which patriotism exacts.

It is said that Collingwood, frequently testy, and at the moment preoccupied with the approaching collision with the Spanish three-decker he had marked for his opponent, exclaimed impatiently when the first number went aloft, “I wish Nelson would stop signalling, as we know well enough what we have to do.”  But the two life-long friends, who were not again to look each other in the face, soon passed to other thoughts, such as men gladly recall when death has parted them.  When the whole signal was reported to him, and cheers resounded along the lines, Collingwood cordially expressed his own satisfaction.  A few moments later, just at noon, the French ship “Fougueux,” the second astern of the “Santa Ana,” for which the “Royal Sovereign” was steering, fired at the latter the first gun of the battle.  As by a common impulse the ships of all the nations engaged hoisted their colors, and the admirals their flags,—­a courteous and chivalrous salute preceding the mortal encounter.  For ten minutes the “Royal Sovereign” advanced in silence, the one centre of the hostile fire, upon which were fixed all eyes, as yet without danger of their own to distract.  As she drew near the two ships between which she intended to pass, Nelson exclaimed admiringly, “See how that noble fellow Collingwood carries his ship into action.”  At about the same instant Collingwood was saying to his flag-captain, “Rotherham, what would Nelson give to be here!”