Lord Nelson.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 208, 25 June 1887, Page 7

Lord Nelson.

Nevck. assuredly, did stouter heart inhabit a frame so slight and delicate. He was a little bit of a man, thin and puny, who was always &ick on first going to soa ; but to whom, nevertheless, fear was absolutely unknown, honour immeasurably dearer than Hie, and the greatness and glory of his country precious beyond all sacrifices. Nobody was ever so dutiful, in small as in great matters. When the Danes at Copenhagen lifted all their buoys and seamarks to bafllo our fleet, Nelson went himself in the boat of the Elephant with his captain, Brisbane, to take soundings, and re- buoy the channel. Nobody was ever so sublimely cool in the presence of danger. Think of him writing his letter to the Crown Piince of Denmark amid storms of shot. Noboby Avas ever so reckless of himself in discharge of duty. See him, for instance, rowing on the Baltic to join his ships at Corl>crona. "It was extremely cold,' writes Mr Briarly, "and I wished him to put on a great-coat of mine which was in the boat. 'No; I am not cold :my anxiety for my country will keep me warm. Do you think the fleet has sailed ?' ' I should suppose not, my lord.' 'If they have, wo will follow them in the boat, by .' Tlie distance to Carlscrona was about fifty leagues" Nobody was ever so sleeplessly vigilant for England's sake. When the French fleet put out from Cadiz in October, 1800, Nelson, by some subtle gift of foresight, became the first in all the British ships to know it before a signal-gun from the Euryalus announced that Villeneuvo was on his way to Cape Trafalgar. Nobody—despite our immortal hero's admitted faults —mingled a more honest piety with earnest patriotism ; witness that moving, faithful, half -embarrassed prayer which he o fibred up in his cabin before the tremendous sea-fight, wherein, divided between his innate humanity and his devotion to England, he supplicates the Almighty to grant a great victory to His Majesty's flag, but to restrain the shedding of the enemy's blood within the smallest practicable limits. And, as none had more gallantly lived, so no British admiral ever moie meekly and simply died, taking Hardy's ki^s upon his check a symbol of the kind salute and sad farewell of his captains, hi& crews, and his fellow countrymen.