45. THE THREATENED INVASION. 1803. 1. Our bosoms we'll bare for the glorious strife, And our oath is recorded on high, To prevail in the cause that is dearer than life, Or crushed in its ruins to die! Then rise, fellow freemen, and stretch the right hand, 2. 'Tis the home we hold sacred is laid to our trust- It would rouse the old dead from their grave! Then rise, fellow freemen, and stretch the right hand, And swear to prevail in your dear native land! 3. Shall a tyrant enslave us, my countrymen?—No! His head to the sword shall be given A death-bed repentance be taught the proud foe, And his blood be an offering to Heaven! Then rise, fellow freemen, and stretch the right hand, And swear to prevail in your dear native land. THOMAS CAMPBELL. 46. THE DEATH OF NELSON. 1. After chasing the French and Spanish fleets across the Atlantic and back again, Admiral Lord Nelson caught them at a little distance from that headland in the south of Spain which is called Cape Trafalgar. 2. Having given the signal to move towards the enemy, this greatest of our many great sailors went down into his cabin and wrote a prayer. Soon afterwards, his famous signal, " England expects that every man this day will do his duty," was given forth from the mast-head of the Victory, in which he sailed, and was greeted with loud cheers from every ship. His captains tried in vain to 'persuade him not to lead the 'van; and tried also to induce him not to wear a coat on the breast of which were sewed the gold-lace stars of the order of the Bath. 1805 A.D. 3. His colleague, Admiral Lord Collingwood,1 leading the second line, went into action first; but Nelson was not long in finding his way into the heart of the 'conflict. As the Victory sailed into action, a ball went through her rigging, and then came a tempest of shot and shell. While Nelson and Captain Hardy stood toge ther on the quarter deck, a cannon ball passed LORD NELSON. between this hot fire the Victory answered not with a single gun. But when she reached her foe, the Bucentaur, on board of which the French Admiral was thought to be, the whole broadside of the Victory was poured into the enemy. The rigging of this vessel became entangled with that of a French ship, the Redoubtable. The cannonade went on, and both ships took fire. The fire was soon put out; but during the confusion a number of men, stationed in the mizzen-top of the French ship, and armed with muskets, continued to fire down on the British deck. 5. While Nelson was talking with Captain Hardy, a bullet passed through the epaulet on his left shoulder, and, passing down his back, lodged in his spine. He fell forward on his knees, with his left hand-the only one he had-on the deck; and then he rolled over on his side. "They have done for me at last, Hardy," he said to the captain, who stooped down to ask him if the wound was severe."I hope not," said Hardy.-"Yes," said Nelson; 'my backbone is shot through." 66 6. As they were carrying him down the ladder to the cock-pit, he spread his handkerchief over his face and breast, that the sailors might not know that he had been hit. The surgeon found that the wound was 'mortal. One or two men were kept constantly busy, fanning him with a sheet of paper, and wetting his parched lips with lemonade. He begged the doctor not to waste attention on him, but to go to those whose wounds were not mortal. 7. The noise of battle still went on above and around; and, as each French ship hauled down her flag in token of defeat, a burst of cheering rose from the Victory's crew, which roused the dying Admiral from his swoon of pain. Hardy could not stay below, but he went down as often as he could to report the progress of the action. At last he announced a 'complete success, saying that the smoke prevented him from seeing clearly, but that he believed fourteen or fifteen ships had struck their flags.2 8. "That's well," said Nelson; "but I bargained for twenty." Then he suddenly said, in a loud voice, "Anchor, Hardy, anchor." Hardy asked whether he should not now look to Admiral Collingwood for orders. "No!" said Nelson; "not while I live-I'll anchor if I live;"-a speech sup posed to express his intention of anchoring both ships and prizes at once, lest a gale should come on. 9. The captain, whose eyes were full of tears, knelt and kissed his cheek and forehead. "Now I am satisfied," said the hero. "Thank God, I have done my duty." The signs of death now rapidly showed themselves; he ceased to have feeling in his lower limbs; and he died three hours and a quarter after having received the bullet. can-non-ade', attack with cannon. com-plete', entire. con-flict, struggle; fight. ep-aul-et, badge shoulder. worn on ex-press', signify. mor-tal, fitted to cause death; fatal. the per-suade, induce. van, the front line. 1 Collingwood.-Born 1750. He | mand of the fleet. He died on board commanded the Excellent at the battle off Cape St. Vincent in 1797. After Nelson fell at Trafalgar, Collingwood completed the victory and took com his ship, the Ville de Paris, in 1810. 47. THE THANKSGIVING ON BOARD THE FLEET OFF TRAFALGAR. Upon the high, yet gently rolling wave, The floating tomb that heaves above the brave, |