view, more
hazardous than the Sound. Nelson was not much deterred by the alarming
reports. "Go by the Sound, or by the Belt, or anyhow," he said, "only
lose not an hour."

The minutes of the council have not been transmitted, but it is
evident from Nelson's own letter of the following day, soon to be
quoted in full, and also from one written to him by Mr. Vansittart,
after the latter reached London, that he urged upon Parker, and
prevailed with him, to throw aside the instructions of the Government,
under the changed conditions, and to adopt boldly the plan which,
according to his present knowledge, should seem most certain to crush
Denmark at once. After that, he would shatter the coalition by
immediate steps against Russia. Only such a bold spirit, with the
prestige of a Nelson, can dominate a council of war, or extort
decisive action from a commander-in-chief who calls one. "The
difficulty," wrote Nelson some time afterwards, "was to get our
commander-in-chief to either go past Cronenburg or through the Belt
[that is, by any passage], because, what Sir Hyde thought best, and
what I believe was settled before I came on board the London, was to
stay in the Cattegat, and there wait the time when the whole naval
force of the Baltic might choose to come out and fight--a measure, in
my opinion, disgraceful to our Country. I wanted to get at an enemy as
soon as possible to strike a _home_ stroke, and Paul was the enemy
most vulnerable, and of the greatest consequence for us to humble." So
pressing, daring, and outspoken were his counsels, so freely did he
now, as at former times, advocate setting aside the orders of distant
superiors, that he thought advisable to ask Vansittart, who was to
sail immediately for England, to explain to the Admiralty all the
conditions and reasons, which Vansittart did. St. Vincent, as First
Lord, gave unhesitating approval to what his former lieutenant had
advised.

Nelson's understanding of the situation was, in truth, acute,
profound, and decisive. In the northern combination against Great
Britain, Paul was the trunk, Denmark and Sweden the branches. Could he
get at the trunk and hew it down, the branches fell with it; but
should time and strength first be spent lopping off the branches, the
trunk would remain, and "my power must be weaker when its greatest
strength is required." As things then were, the Russian Navy was
divided, part being in Cronstadt, and a large fraction, twelve
ship