foe he was about to encounter, he must have looked upon
the meeting with foreboding. Maclay uses these impressive words:

[Illustration: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE "CHESAPEAKE" AND THE "SHANNON."]

"The calm deliberation with which the American and English commanders
went out to seek each other's life and the earnestness with which they
urged their officers and men to steep their hands in the blood of
their fellow beings form one of the sombre pictures of naval history.
Lawrence was the youngest son of John Lawrence, Esquire,
counselor-at-law at Burlington, N.J., and was the second in command at
the celebrated capture of the _Philadelphia_ in the harbor of Tripoli.
Broke was the descendant of an ancient family which had lived in Broke
Hall, England, over three hundred and fifty years and for four hundred
years at Leighton. Both were men in the prime of manhood, Lawrence in
his thirty-second year and Broke in his thirty-seventh. Both were models
of chivalry and manly grace; both were held in the highest estimation in
their profession. Lawrence had just taken an affectionate farewell of
his two sons and an hour later was urging his men to "_Peacock_ them!
_Peacock_ them!" Broke a short time before had committed his wife to
God's mercy and soon afterward was urging his crew to 'Kill the men!
kill the men!' Both were men of the kindliest feelings and most tender
affections; both acknowledged the justice of the cause for which the
Americans were contending, yet with steady determination they went out
at the head of their ships' companies to take each other's life. A few
hours afterward, when Captain Broke fell on the _Chesapeake's_ decks
fainting and covered with his own blood, his lieutenants, on loosening
his clothes, found a small blue silk case suspended around his neck. It
contained a lock of his wife's hair."

[Illustration: DEATH OF CAPTAIN LAWRENCE.]

Lawrence, in accordance with his chivalrous nature, disdained to seek
any unfair advantage, his purpose being to engage in what is called a
fair yardarm and yardarm fight. It was toward the close of the first day
of summer, with thousands crowding the hills and points of advantage and
peering at the ships through glasses, that the battle opened by the fire
of the _Shannon_. Great damage was inflicted and much execution done by
the return broadside of the _Chesapeake_. The first fire severely
wounded Lawrence in the leg, but he refused to go below. Then the firing
became