Then cease--and all is wail,

As they strike the shattered sail;
Or, in conflagration pale,
Light the gloom.

Out spoke the victor then,

As he hailed them o'er the wave,
'Ye are brothers! ye are men!
And we conquer but to save.

So peace instead of death let us bring,
But yield, proud foe, thy fleet,

With the crews, at England's feet,
And make submission meet

To our king.'

Nelson sent the wounded Danes on shore and told the Crown Prince, who ruled Denmark in his father's place, that he should consider this the greatest victory that he had ever gained, if it led to friendship between England and Denmark. When he landed, the people received him with shouts, to thank him for his kindness to the wounded.

14. The Expedition to Egypt and the Peace of Amiens. About the same time that the battle of Copenhagen was fought, an expedition was sent to Egypt, to drive out the French who had been left behind by Napoleon. The French were defeated, and sent home to their own country. Not long afterwards, in 1802, a peace was signed at Amiens between England and France, and fighting came to an end for a little time.

FROM

CHAPTER XL.

THE

THE PEACE OF AMIENS TO BEGINNING OF THE PENINSULAR WAR.

(1802-1808.)

1. End of the Peace of Amiens.-The Peace of Amiens did not last long. Bonaparte had no in tention of satisfying himself with ruling over France, even with the new countries which had been added to it. He seized upon part of Italy, sent troops into Switzerland, and interfered with the Dutch. The English Government had promised to give back Malta to the knights, but they now refused to do so unless the French would give up meddling with other countries. Bonaparte was very angry, and scolded the English ambassador.

war began again.

Before long the

many people who Scarcely any one He had begun

2. Projected Invasion of England. Before the Peace of Amiens there had been disliked the war with France. had a good word for Bonaparte now. by seizing 10,000 English travellers who had gone to enjoy themselves in France. He shut them up in prisons, in which they remained for years. Then he made preparations for the invasion of England. All classes were roused to resist him. The merchants and tradesmen of London declared their readiness to do all that it was possible to do in defence of their country; and the same readiness to support the Government spread over the country.

When news came that a French army was being collected at Boulogne, and that boats were being across the Straits of Dover, offered to come forward to A few weeks later the number A little later it had almost

built to carry it 60,000 volunteers defend their homes. had risen to 300,000. reached 380,000. Bonaparte had come down to Boulogne to review his army. He looked across the Channel. It is a ditch,' he wrote, 'that will be leaped over when we shall have the boldness to make the attempt.' He did not intend, however, to send his boats laden with soldiers across the sea without protection. He had a plan in his head by which he hoped before long to have a fleet in the Channel to guard the passage. In the meanwhile the English volunteers were busily drilling. The King reviewed the London regiments in Hyde Park. Pitt became an officer of volunteers, and exercised his men diligently.

3. Pitt's Second Ministry. Naturally enough, there was a strong wish in the country to have a better Prime Minister than Addington. After some time Addington resigned, and the King sent for Pitt. Pitt proposed that a ministry should be formed composed of the best men of both parties. Both Whigs and Tories were equally ready to defend England against invasion, and why should they not all work together? Pitt proposed that Fox should join the ministry. He had been bitterly opposed to Pitt, but Pitt was ready to be reconciled. Fox. too, was ready to be reconciled. The King would not hear of employing Fox, whom he had

never forgiven for joining North in the Coalition Ministry. The others who had been Pitt's colleagues in his last ministry refused to join him now if Fox was to be excluded. One of these was Lord Grenville. I will teach that proud man,' said Pitt, 'that I can do without him.' Pitt became Prime Minister, but he had to fill the other offices with men most of whom were not at all fit for such important posts.

4. Napoleon's Plan for invading England.-Not long after Pitt became Prime Minister, Bonaparte changed his title. He was now Napoleon, Emperor of the French. The Pope came all the way to Paris to crown him. Napoleon took the crown himself and placed it on his own head. His plan for bringing a fleet into the Channel was now ready to be carried out. He had persuaded the King of Spain to join him in the war against England. By Napoleon's orders a French fleet came out of Toulon, passed the Straits of Gibraltar to Cadiz, picked up a Spanish fleet which was there, and sailed off to the West Indies. Napoleon expected that the English fleet would follow it there, and would lose time, whilst the French and Spanish ships returned to Europe, and joined another French fleet which was at Brest. All of them together were to sail up the Channel, and guard the Straits of Dover whilst his army crossed. The first part of his expectation was fulfilled. Nelson, with only thirteen ships, crossed the Atlantic in pursuit of the thirty ships of the enemy. When he heard that they had left the West Indies he came after them. He did not catch

them, but another British admiral with fifteen ships fell in with them, took two Spanish ships, and so frightened the rest, that they went off to Cadiz, and never even tried to come near the Channel.

5. The Battle of Trafalgar.-Napoleon was greatly disappointed. He fancied that the failure was owing entirely to the cowardice of his admiral, and he ordered him to put out to sea again. The poor man assured the Emperor that he should certainly be beaten. His sailors had long been shut up in harbour, and they had not been in the constant habit of managing their ships in the rolling seas as the English sailors had. Napoleon would take no excuse, and the admiral set out with a heavy heart. Nelson came up with him off Cape Trafalgar. He ordered the signal to be made which told the British fleet that England expects that every man will do his duty.' The French and Spaniards fought well, but they had no chance against the trained British crews. In the midst of the fight Nelson was shot by a man in the rigging of a French ship. He was carried below to die. The enemy's force was almost entirely destroyed. Never again during the war did a French or Spanish fleet put to sea. Yet so

deeply was Nelson beloved in England, that it was doubtful when the news arrived whether joy for the victory or sorrow for the loss was greatest. The Battle of Trafalgar was for England what Cromwell would have called 'a crowning mercy.' Never again has an English fleet had to fight a battle against a European navy. Our ancestors fought and died that England might be free and unconquered.