Chief was persuaded to throw out the signal for discontinuing the engagement.

6

The manner in which Lord Nelson received this signal is very forcibly depicted in Southey's work :-" About this time the signal lieutenant called out that number thirty-nine (the signal for discontinuing the action) was thrown out by the Commander-in-Chief. Lord Nelson continued to walk the deck, and appeared to take no notice of it. The signal officer met him at the next turn, and asked him if he should repeat it. No,' he replied, acknowledge it.' Presently he called after him to know if the signal for close action was still hoisted; and being answered in the affirmative, said, 'Mind you keep it so.' He now paced the deck, moving the stump of his lost arm in a manner which always indicated great emotion. 'Do you know,' said he to Mr. Ferguson, 'what is shown on board the Commanderin-Chief? Number thirty-nine!' Mr. Ferguson asked what that meant. Why, to leave off action!' Then, shrugging up his shoulders, he repeated the words-Leave off action? Now, dn me if I do! You know, Foley,' turning to the captain, I have only one eye-I have a right to be blind sometimes;' and then, putting the glass to his blind eye, in that mood of mind which sports with bitterness, he exclaimed, 'I really do not see the signal! Presently he exclaimed, 'D-n the signal. Keep mine for closer battle flying! That's the way I answer such signals! Nail mine to the

mast!"

At 1.30 the fire of the Danes slackened; and at a little before two it ceased along nearly the whole of the line; but few, if any, of the ships whose flags had been struck could be taken, as they were protected by one of the batteries-that on Amak Island; and an irregular fire was made by the ships upon the boats as the latter approached. This naturally irritated Lord Nelson, who at one time thought of sending in the fire ships to burn the surrendered vessels. Before doing so, however, he wrote the celebrated letter to the Crown Prince of Denmark :

"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 then 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 or informal."

After having been warmly contested for five hours the action was thus brought to a close. It had been a murderous engage

ment. The British loss was three hundred and fifty killed and eight hundred and ten wounded. The greater part of the Danish ships or floating hulks were literally knocked to pieces. The distance between the opposing forces had been from three hundred to four hundred yards. Commodore Fischer reckoned his killed and wounded at between sixteen hundred and eighteen hundred at the lowest estimate.

As an instance of individual courage and devotion on the part of the Danes, and of most noble feeling on the part of Lord Nelson, we transcribe from the Naval Chronicle, vol. xiv., p. 398, the following anecdote :--" During the repast (at the palace) Lord Nelson spoke in raptures of the bravery of the Danes, and particularly requested the Prince to introduce him to a very young officer, whom he described as having performed wonders during the battle by attacking the E ephant immediately under the lower guns. It proved to be the gallant young Welmoes-a stripling of seventeen. The British hero embraced him with the enthusiasm of a brother, and delicately intimated to the Prince that he ought to make him an admiral, to which the Prince very happily replied, "If, my lord, I were to make all my brave officers admirals, I should have no captains or lieutenants in my service.' This heroic youth had volunteered for the command of a praam, which is a sort of raft, carrying six small cannon, and manned by twenty-four men, who pushed off from the shore, and in the fury of the battle placed themselves under the stern of the Elephant, which they attacked in so determined a manner that although below the reach of the stern chasers, the British marines made terrible slaughter amongst them; twenty of these gallant men fell by their bullets; but their young commander continued knee-deep in dead at his post until the truce was announced."

Amicable relations between England and the northern Powers were restored towards the end of May.

For the successful issue of the Battle of Copenhagen the thanks of Parliament were voted to the admirals, captains, officers, and men of Sir Hyde Parker's fleet. The following extract from Lord Nelson's despatch shows his appreciation of the services of Captain Foley :-" Elephant, off Copenhagen, April 3rd, 1801. To Captain Foley, who permitted me the honour of hoisting my flag in the Elephant, I feel under the greatest obligation. His advice was necessary on many and important occasions during the battle."

With the Battle of Copenhagen Captain Foley's war services afloat terminated. On the 24th of July, 1802, he was married to Lady Lucy Fitzgerald, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Leinster by Lady Emily Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Richmond, and sister of the beautiful and celebrated Lady Sarah Napier. Lady Sarah, as is well knowr in her early youth

attracted the admiration of George III., and His Majesty was with difficulty prevented from making her Queen of England. The Royal Marriage Act was afterwards passed, in order to prevent such risks in future. Lady Sarah eventually married Colonel George Napier, and became the mother, amongst other children, of the three distinguished brothers, who chose the military profession, Sir Charles, the hero of Meanee (17th February, 1843), and Governor of Scinde; Sir William, "the faithful, impartial, and eloquent historian" of the great war in the Peninsula, in which he bore so distinguished a part; and Sir George, who knew how to rule the Cape of Good Hope without either jeopardising the great name of England or losing the goodwill of the colonists.

It will be found that Sir Charles Napier is, to some extent, mixed up with the present sketch; and had he been enabled to follow his own inclination, there would have been no necessity for the present biographical notice of his distinguished relative; as he intended to have placed before the public a record of Sir Thomas Foley's life and services many years ago.

(Will be concluded next month.)

J. B. H.

WHAT CANNOT LOVE DO?

OR,

A TALE OF TWO FRIENDS.

BY

JOHN SAUNDERS,

66

Author of "Abel Drake's Wife," " Hirell," " Israel Mort, Overman ; or, the Story of the Mine," "The Sherlocks," "A Noble Wife," Robbing Peter to Pay Paul," &c., &c.

66

CHAPTER IV.

TRACKING THE FUGITIVES.

Arriving at Holyhead at midnight, Larry O'Neill got a porter to take care of his portmanteau, so as to be ready either to put it into the London train, or to bring it to the hotel, as in the next few minutes he should deterinine.

Moving swiftly to the hotel, he tipped the first waiter he could find, so as to secure his attention, and then asked him if he remembered a white-haired elderly gentleman, accompanied by two ladies, one being very young, arriving two days before by the morning packet from Dublin.

The waiter, moved by the silvery eloquence Larry so skilfully administered, tried to remember, but could not. He went to other waiters and asked them, with the same result.

"Ah," said Larry, "I expect men don't notice these things as women do. Go to the chambermaids. Try them."

He went, and presently returned with one of the chambermaids, who preferred bringing herself with her information, to trusting her interests to the waiter.

Larry hurried to meet her as she and the waiter entered.

She had seen and noticed them, through the young lady removing her veil, and her thinking she had never before seen such a sweet, comely face, or one so pale and sorrowful. She asked if she were ill, but was answered, No; and then the young lady drew her veil over her face, as if to avoid further talk.

Repressing any show of what he felt in listening to this, Larry merely remarked

"I am acquainted with the family, was to have seen them. before they left Ireland, and I particularly want to hasten after them. Can you tell me where they were going?

"No, sir, but they went on directly by the train then waiting."

"Thanks; that will do. I am very much obliged to you; and so saying, he left her equally obliged to him by the liberality of his payment.

Now, what should he do? Hurry into the train and trust to the chapter of accidents; or stay where he was till next day, and then get hold of the guard of the same train by which they had gone?

He decided on stopping.

Weary were the hours next day he spent in wandering about the most desolate of places, Holyhead, as it seemed to him in his own despairing mood; but they, like all other sorts of hours, passed, and he came face to face with the guard he sought.

The guard also remembered them, and where they had got out--at Crewe; but that was the extent of his knowledge; but he added,

"An enquiry among the porters at the cloak-room at Crewe may help you.'

So Larry went with the train to Crewe, keeping as near to the guard as he could in case of anything occurring to the latter that might be additional help. But nothing came of this little precaution.

Still Larry was in good spirits. He knew now he was on their track, and felt increasing confidence he should find them.

At Crewe he could do nothing for some time, so great was the bustle with the departure of his train; but when that had gone he looked out for an intelligent porter, and found one.

The man knew nothing himself, but as Larry had an "Open, Sesame," to all pockets by the use of his own, which he had plentifully supplied with silver, the porter took bright views of things; and set out to hold counsel with the likeliest among his luggage-bearing brethren.

Embarrassing was the result. Two porters recollected such a group; but the one was certain he had labelled their luggage to Chester; the other that he had put them into a first-class carriage for London, and received a two-shilling-piece, the gentleman not being able to find any smaller change.

Of course the men were referring to two different parties, as Larry saw; and he was once more brought to a pause-Chester --or London ?

Well, Chester was at least a reasonably circumscribed area,