Nelson still." Although always
reverently thankful to the Almighty for a favorable issue to events,
there does not seem to have been in him any keen consciousness of
personal dependence, such as led Moltke to mark the text, "My strength
is made perfect in weakness."

While thus lying, about twenty-four miles from the main body, a report
came that the Swedish squadron had put to sea. Alarmed lest a battle
might take place in his absence, Nelson jumped into a boat alongside,
and started for a six hours' pull against wind and current to join the
fleet, in haste so great that he refused even to wait for a boat
cloak. "His anxiety lest the fleet should have sailed before he got on
board one of them," tells the officer who was with him, "is beyond all
conception. I will quote some expressions in his own words. It was
extremely cold, and I wished him to put on a great coat of mine which
was in the boat: 'No, I am not cold; my anxiety for my Country will
keep me warm. Do you not think the fleet has sailed?' 'I should
suppose not, my Lord.' 'If they are, we shall follow then to
Carlscrona in the boat, by G--d!'--I merely state this to show how his
thoughts must have been employed. The idea of going in a small boat,
rowing six oars, without a single morsel of anything to eat or drink,
the distance of about fifty leagues, must convince the world that
every other earthly consideration than that of serving his Country,
was totally banished from his thoughts." Such preoccupation with one
idea, and that idea so fine, brings back to us the old Nelson, who
has found himself again amid the storm and stress of danger and of
action, for which he was created.

About midnight he reached the "Elephant," where his flag was again
hoisted; but he did not escape unharmed from the exposure he had too
carelessly undergone. "Since April 15," he wrote several weeks
afterwards to Lady Hamilton, "I have been rapidly in a decline, but am
now, thank God, I firmly believe, past all danger. At that time I
rowed five hours in a bitter cold night. A cold struck me to the
heart. On the 27th I had one of my terrible spasms of heart-stroke,
which had near carried me off, and the severe disappointment of being
kept in a situation where there can be nothing to do before August,
almost killed me. From that time to the end of May I brought up what
every one thought was my lungs, and I was emaciated more than you can
conceive."

The fleet proceeded in a leisurel