the life of horatio lord nelson-第36章

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ed　at　the　massacrefor　such　he　called　it；　and　with　a　presence　of　mind　peculiar　to　himself；　and　never　more　signally　displayed　than　now；　he　retired　into　the　stern　gallery；　and　wrote　thus　to　the　Crown　Prince：　〃Vice…Admiral　Lord　Nelson　has　been　commanded　to　spare　Denmark　when　she　no　longer　resists。　The　line　of　defence　which　covered　her　shores　has　struck　to　the　British　flag；　but　if　the　firing　is　continued　on　the　part　of　Denmark；　he　must　set　on　fire　all　the　prizes　that　he　has　taken；　without　having　the　power　of　saving　the　men　who　have　so　nobly　defended　them。　The　brave　Danes　are　the　brothers；　and　should　never　be　the　enemies；　of　the　English。〃　A　wafer　was　given　him；　but　he　ordered　a　candle　to　be　brought　from　the　cockpit；　and　sealed　the　letter　with　wax；　affixing　a　larger　seal　than　he　ordinarily　used。　〃This；〃　said　he；　〃is　no　time　to　appear　hurried　and　informal。〃　Captain　Sir　Frederick　Thesiger；　who　acted　as　his　aide…de…camp；　carried　this　letter　with　a　flag　of　truce。　Meantime　the　fire　of　the　ships　ahead；　and　the　approach　of　the　RAMILLIES　and　DEFENCE　from　Sir　Hyde's　division；　which　had　now　worked　near　enough　to　alarm　the　enemy；　though　not　to　injure　them；　silenced　the　remainder　of　the　Danish　line　to　the　eastward　of　the　Trekroner。　That　battery；　however；　continued　its　fire。　This　formidable　work；　owing　to　the　want　of　the　ships　which　had　been　destined　to　attack　it；　and　the　inadequate　force　of　Riou's　little　squadron；　was　comparatively　uninjured。　Towards　the　close　of　the　action　it　had　been　manned　with　nearly　fifteen　hundred　men；　and　the　intention　of　storming　it；　for　which　every　preparation　had　been　made；　was　abandoned　as　impracticable。

During　Thesiger's　absence；　Nelson　sent　for　Freemantle；　from　the　GANGES；　and　consulted　with　him　and　Foley　whether　it　was　advisable　to　advance；　with　those　ships　which　had　sustained　least　damage；　against　the　yet　uninjured　part　of　the　Danish　line。　They　were　decidedly　of　opinion　that　the　best　thing　which　could　be　done　was；　while　the　wind　continued　fair；　to　remove　the　fleet　out　of　the　intricate　channel　from　which　it　had　to　retreat。　In　somewhat　more　than　half　an　hour　after　Thesiger　had　been　despatched；　the　Danish　adjutant…general；　Lindholm　came；　bearing　a　flag　of　truce；　upon　which　the　Trekroner　ceased　to　fire；　and　the　action　closed；　after　four　hours'　continuance。　He　brought　an　inquiry　from　the　prince；What　was　the　object　of　Nelson's　note？　The　British　admiral　wrote　in　reply：〃Lord　Nelson's　object　in　sending　the　flag　of　truce　was　human…　ity；　he　therefore　consents　that　hostilities　shall　cease；　and　that　the　wounded　Danes　may　be　taken　on　shore。　And　Lord　Nelson　will　take　his　prisoners　out　of　the　vessels；　and　burn　or　carry　off　his　prizes　as　he　shall　think　fit。　Lord　Nelson；　with　humble　duty　to　his　royal　highness　the　prince；　will　consider　this　the　greatest　victory　he　has　ever　gained；　if　it　may　be　the　cause　of　a　happy　reconciliation　and　union　between　his　own　most　gracious　sovereign　and　his　majesty　the　King　of　Denmark。〃　Sir　Frederick　Thesiger　was　despatched　a　second　time　with　the　reply；　and　the　Danish　adjutant…general　was　referred　to　the　commander…in…chief　for　a　conference　upon　this　overture。　Lindholm　assenting　to　this；　proceeded　to　the　LONDON；　which　was　riding　at　anchor　full　four　miles　off　and　Nelson；　losing　not　one　of　the　critical　moments　which　he　had　thus　gained；　made　signal　for　his　leading　ships　to　weigh　in　succession；　they　had　the　shoal　to　clear；　they　were　much　crippled；　and　their　course　was　immediately　under　the　guns　of　the　Trekroner。

The　MONARCH　led　the　way。　This　ship　had　received　six…and…twenty　shot　between　wind　and　water。　She　had　not　a　shroud　standing；　　there　was　a　double…headed　shot　in　the　heart　of　her　foremast；　and　the　slightest　wind　would　have　sent　every　mast　over　her　side。　The　imminent　danger　from　which　Nelson　had　extricated　himself　soon　became　apparent：　the　MONARCH　touched　immediately　upon　a　shoal；　over　which　she　was　pushed　by　the　GANGES　taking　her　amidships；　the　GLATTON　went　clear；　but　the　other　two；　the　DEFIANCE　and　the　ELEPHANT；　grounded　about　a　mile　from　the　Trekroner；　and　there　remained　fixed　for　many　hours；　in　spite　of　all　the　exertions　of　their　wearied　crews。　The　DESIREE　frigate　also；　at　the　other　end　of　the　line；　having　gone　toward　the　close　of　the　action　to　assist　the　BELLONA；　became　fast　on　the　same　shoal。　Nelson　left　the　ELEPHANT　soon　after　she　took　the　ground；　to　follow　Lindholm。　The　heat　of　the　action　was　over；　and　that　kind　of　feeling　which　the　surrounding　scene　of　havoc　was　so　well　fitted　to　produce；　pressed　heavily　upon　his　exhausted　spirits。　The　sky　had　suddenly　become　overcast；　white　flags　were　waving　from　the　mast…heads　of　so　many　shattered　ships；　the　slaughter　had　ceased；　but　the　grief　was　to　come；　for　the　account　of　the　dead　was　not　yet　made　up；　and　no　man　could　tell　for　what　friends　he　might　have　to　mourn。　The　very　silence　which　follows　the　cessation　of　such　a　battle　becomes　a　weight　upon　the　heart　at　first；　rather　than　a　relief；　and　though　the　work　of　mutual　destruction　was　at　an　end；　the　DANBROG　was　at　this　time　drifting　about　in　flames；　presently　she　blew　up；　while　our　boats；　which　had　put　off　in　all　directions　to　assist　her；　were　endeavouring　to　pick　up　her　devoted　crew；　few　of　whom　could　be　saved。　The　fate　of　these　men；　after　the　gallantry　which　they　had　displayed；　particularly　affected　Nelson；　for　there　was　nothing　in　this　action　of　that　indignation　against　the　enemy；　and　that　impression　of　retributive　justice；　which　at　the　Nile　had　given　a　sterner　temper　to　his　mind；　and　a　sense　of　austere　delight　in　beholding　the　vengeance　of　which　he　was　the　appointed　minister。　The　Danes　were　an　honourable　foe；　they　were　of　English　mould　as　well　as　English　blood；　and　now　that　the　battle　had　ceased；　he　regarded　them　rather　as　brethren　than　as　enemies。　There　was　another　reflection　also　which　mingled　with　these　melancholy　thoughts；　and　predisposed　him　to　receive　them。　He　was　not　here　master　of　his　own　movements；　as　at　Egypt；　he　had　won　the　day　by　disobeying　his　orders；　and　in　so　far　as　he　had　been　successful；　had　convicted　the　commander…in…chief　of　an　error　in　judgment。　〃Well；〃　said　he；　as　he　left　the　ELEPHANT；　〃I　have　fought　contrary　to　orders；　and　I　shall　perhaps　be　hanged。　Never　mind：　let　them！〃

This　was　the　language　of　a　man　who；　while　he　is　giving　utterance　to　uneasy　thought；　clothes　it　half　in　jest；　because　he　half　repents　that　it　has　been　disclosed。　His　services　had　been　too　eminent　on　that　day；　his　judgment　too　conspicuous；　his　success　too　signal；　for　any　commander；　however　jealous　of　his　own　authority；　or　envious　of　another's　merits；　to　express　anything　but　satisfaction　and　gratitude：　which　Sir　Hyde　heartily　felt；　and　sincerely　expressed。　It　was　speedily　agreed　that　there　should　be　a　suspension　of　hostilities　for　four…and…twenty　hours；　that　all　the　prizes　should　be　surrendered；　and　the　wounded　Danes　carried　on　shore。　There　was　a　pressing　necessity　for　this；　for　the　Danes；　either　from　too　much　confidence　in　the　strength　of　their　position　and　the　difficulty　of　the　channel；　or　supposing　that　the　wounded　might　be　carried　on　shore　during　the　action；　which　was　found　totally　impracticable；　or　perhaps　from　the　confusion　which　the　attack　excited；　had　provided　no　surgeons；　so　that；　when　our　men　boarded　the　captured　ships；　they　found　many　of　the　mangled　and　mutilated　Danes　bleeding　to　death　for　want　of　proper　assistancea　scene；　of　all　others；　the　most　shocking　to　a　brave　man's　feelings。

The　boats　of　Sir　Hyde's　division　were　actively　employed　all　night　in　bringing　out　the　prizes；　and　in　getting　afloat　the　ships　which　were　on　shore。　At　daybreak；　Nelson；　who　had　slept　in　his　own　ship；　the　St。　George；　rowed　to　the　ELEPHANT；　and　his　delight　at　finding　her　afloat　seemed　to　give　him　new　life。　There　he　took　a　hasty　breakfast；　praising　the　men　for　their　exertions；　and　then　pushed　off　to　the　prizes；　which　had　not　yet　been　removed。　The　ZEALAND；　seventy…four；　the　last　which　struck；　had　drifted　on　the　shoal　under　the　Trekroner；　and　relying；　as　it　seems；　upon　the　protection　which　that　battery　might　have　afforded；　refused　to　acknowledge　herself　captured；　saying；　that　though　it　was　true　her　flag　was　not　to　be　seen；　her　pendant　was　still　flying。　Nelson　ordered　one　of　our　brigs　and　three　long…boats　to　approach　her；　and　rowed　up　himself　to　one　of　the　enemy's　ships；　to　communicate　with　the　com…　modore。　This　officer　proved　to　be　an　old　acquaintance；　whom　he　had　known　in　the　West　Indies；　so　he　invited　himself　on　board；　and　with　that　urban…　ity　as　well　as　decision　which　always　characterised　him；　urged　his　claim　to　the　ZEALAND　so　well　that　it　was　admitted。　The　men　from　the　boats　lashed　a　cable　round　her　bowsprit；　and　the　gun…vessel　towed　her　away。　It　is　affirmed；　and　probably　with　truth；　that　the　Danes　felt　more　pain　at　beholding　this　than　at　all　their　misfortunes　on　the　preceding　day；　and　one　of　the　officers；　Commodore　Steen　Rille；　went　to　the　Trekroner　battery；　and　asked　the　commander　why　he　had　not　sunk　the　ZEALAND；　rather　than　suffer　her　thus　to　be　carried　off　by　the　enemy？

This　was；　indeed；　a　mournful　day　for　Copenhagen！　It　was　Good　Friday；　but　the　general　agitation；　and　the　mourning　which　was　in　every　house；　made　all　distinction　of　days　be　forgotten。　There　were；　at　that　hour；　thousands　in　that　city　who　felt；　and　more　perhaps　who　needed；　the　consolations　of　Christianity；　but　few　or　none　who　could　be　calm　enough　to　think　of　its　observances。　The　English　were　actively　employed　in　refitting　their　own　ships；　securing　the　prizes；　and　distributing　the　prisoners；　the　Danes；　in　carrying　on　shore　and　disposing　of　the　wounded　and　the　dead。　It　had　been　a　murderous　action。　Our　loss；　in　killed　and　wounded；　was　953。　Part　of　this　slaughter　might　have　been　spared。　The　commanding　officer　of　the　troops　on　board　one　of　our　ships　asked　where　his　men　should　be　stationed？　He　was　told　that　they　could　be　of　no　use！　that　they　were　not　near　enough　for　musketry；　and　were　not　wanted　at　the　guns；　they　had；　therefore；　better　go　below。　This；　he　said；　was　impossible；　it　would　be　a　disgrace　that　could　never　be　wiped　away。　They　were；　therefore；　drawn　up　upon　the　gangway；　to　satisfy　this　cruel　point　of　honour；　and　there；　without　the　possibility　of　annoying　the　enemy；　they　were　mowed　down！　The　loss　of　the　Danes；　including　prisoners；　amounted　to　about　six　thousand。　The　negotiations；　meantime；　went　on；　and　it　was　agreed　that　Nelson　should　have　an　interview　with　the　prince　the　following　day。　Hardy　and　Freemantle　landed　with　him。　This　was　a　thing　as　unexampled　as　the　other　circumstances　of　the　battle。　A　strong　guard　was　appointed　to　escort　him　to　the　palace；　as　much　for　the　purpose　of　security　as　of　honour。　The　populace；　according　to　the　British　account；　showed　a　mixture　of　admiration；　curiosity；　and　displeasure；　at　beholding　that　man　in　the　midst　of　them　who　had　inflicted　such　wounds　upon　Denmark。　But　there　were　neither　acclamations　nor　murmurs。　〃The　people；〃　says　a　Dane；　〃did　not　degrade　themselves　with　the　former；　nor　disgrace　themselves　with　the　latter：　the　admiral　was　received　as　one　brave　enemy　ever　ought　to　receive　anotherhe　was　received　with　respect。〃　The　preliminaries　of　the　negotiation　were　adjusted　at　this　interview。　During　the　repast　which　followed；　Nelson；　with　all　the　sincerity　of　his　character；　bore　willing　testimony　to　the　valour　of　his　foes。　He　told　the　prince　t