my lord, Admiral Collingwood will now take upon himself the direction of affairs. ' - ' Not while I live, I hope Hardy, ' cried the dying chief ; and at that moment endeavoured ineffectually to raise himself from the bed. ' No,' added he, ' do you anchor, Hardy ' Captain Hardy then said, ' Shall we make the signal, sir ? " - ' Yes ' answered his lordship, ' for, if I live, I'll anchor ' meaning," adds the doctor in a note, " that in case of his lordship's surviving till all resistance on the part of the enemy had ceased, Captain Hardy was then to anchor the British fleet and prizes, if it should be found practicable. " * Captain Hardy remained with the dying chief in all about three (not " eight " � ) minutes. In about a quarter of an hour after the captain had quitted the cockpit, Lord Nelson became speechless ; and, great as must have been his previous sufferings, he expired without a struggle or a groan at, by the Victory's time, 4 h. 30 m. P.M. or, according to the time we have thought it preferable to use, about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour later. �

The moment it was announced to him that Lord Nelson was no more, and not previously as stated by Doctor Beatty, � Captain Hardy directed Lieutenant Alexander Hills to take the punt, the only remaining boat, proceed in her to the Royal-Sovereign, and acquaint Vice-admiral Collingwood, not that Lord Nelson was actually dead, but, to save the feelings of a dear friend of the deceased, that he was mortally or dangerously wounded. Shortly afterwards Captain Blackwood came on board the Victory, to inquire after the safety of his friend and patron, and then learnt the first tidings of Lord Nelson's wound and death. Captain Hardy, soon afterwards, embarking with Captain Blackwood in the Euryalus's boat, went himself to acquaint Vice-admiral Collingwood with what had really happened, as well as to deliver to the new commander-in-chief Lord Nelson's dying request, that, for their preservation in reference to the shore and the prospect of a gale, the fleet and prizes, as soon as was practicable, might be brought to an anchor. Bosom friends as they always had been, Nelson and Collingwood were diametrically opposed in their plans of proceeding ; as was most

*  Beatty's Narrative, p. 47.

�  Ibid., p. 49.

�  Doctor Beatty's official report of the course and site of the ball, as ascertained since death, will be found in the Appendix, No. 8.

  The editor of this new edition differs greatly in opinion with Mr. James, relative to the suppression of all the conversation related by Beatty. Surely there was no wandering of thought when Nelson requested " that his carcass might be sent to England, and not thrown overboard. " And when after the ejaculation of, ' Oh, Victory, Victory!' he added, ' How dear is life to all men. ' That his last wish was for his country is beyond a doubt ; but the human heart may retain feelings of affection for those it loved, and who loved it, and find a relief in its expression, although dying on a bed of glory, wrapped In the arms of victory,

�  Beatty's Narrative, p. 46,

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