act against the Russian fleet,
and then to return to Denmark. On the likely supposition that the
latter would not greatly grieve over a Russian disaster, this openness
was probably discreet. In the wrangling that preceded consent, one of
the Danes hinted, in French, at a renewal of hostilities. "Renew
hostilities!" said Nelson, who understood the language, but could not
speak it, "tell him that we are ready at this moment; ready to bombard
this very night." But, while he thus could use on occasion the
haughty language of one at whose back stood a victorious fleet of
twenty ships-of-the-line, "the best negotiators in Europe," to repeat
his own words, his general bearing was eminently conciliatory, as
became one who really longed for peace in the particular instance, and
was alive to the mingled horror and inutility of the next move open to
Great Britain, under Parker's policy,--the bombardment of Copenhagen.
"Whoever may be the respective Ministers who shall sign the peace,"
wrote to him Count Waltersdorff, who with Lindholm conducted the
Danish case and signed the armistice, "I shall always consider your
lordship as the Pacificator of the North, and I am sure that your
heart will be as much flattered by that title, as by any other which
your grateful Country has bestowed upon you."

Had Paul lived, the issue might have been doubtful, and in that case
England might well have rued the choice of a commander-in-chief whose
chief function was to hamstring her greatest seaman; but the Danes
received word of the murder, and on the 9th of April an agreement was
reached. There was to be a cessation of hostilities for fourteen
weeks, during which Denmark suspended her part in the Armed
Neutrality, and would leave her ships of war in the same state of
unpreparedness as they then were. The British fleet was at liberty to
get supplies in all Danish ports. In return, it was merely stipulated
that no attacks should be made on any part of the coast of Denmark
proper. Norway[35] and the Danish colonies were not included, nor was
Holstein. In a letter to Addington, Nelson pointed out that as a
military measure, which it was, the result was that the hands of
Denmark were tied, those of the fleet loosed, its communications
secured, its base of supplies advanced, and last, but far from least,
the timid counsels of its commander-in-chief disconcerted; no excuse
for not advancing being left. Besides, as he said, to extort these
concessions