ench; and
that a great scheme had been agreed upon, by which the Danes should
join the French at a given moment, and the united fleets being
augmented by ships of other powers, a sudden attack would be made upon
England. Had this secret confederation not been interfered with, the
position of England would have been seriously threatened. The fleet
which the allies would have been able to put onto the scene would have
greatly exceeded that which England could have mustered to defend her
coast, and although peace nominally prevailed between England and
Denmark the English ministry considered itself justified--and
posterity has agreed in the verdict--in taking time by the forelock,
and striking a blow before their seeming ally had time to throw off
the mask and to join in the projected attack upon them.

It was the news of this secret resolve on the part of the cabinet
that, having in some way been obtained by a heavy bribe from a
subordinate in the admiralty, was being carried over in cipher to
France in the _Lucy_, and had it reached its destination the Danes
would have been warned in time, and the enterprise undertaken by
Parker and Nelson would have been impossible, for the forts of
Copenhagen, aided by the fleet in the harbor, were too strong to have
been attacked had they been thoroughly prepared for the strife. As all
these matters were unknown to the officers of the fleet, great was the
astonishment when the captains of the ships assembled in the admiral's
cabin, and each received orders as to the position which his vessel
was to take up, and the part it was to bear in the contest. This being
settled, the captains returned to their respective ships.

Several days were spent in negotiations, but as the Danes finally
refused compliance with the English demands the long-looked-for signal
was hoisted and the fleet stood in through the Sound. It was a fine
sight as the leading squadron, consisting of twelve line-of-battle
ships and a number of frigates under Admiral Nelson, steered on
through the Sound, followed at a short distance by Sir Hyde Parker
with the rest of the fleet. The Danish forts on the Sound cannonaded
them, but their fire was very ineffectual, and the fleet without
replying steered on until they had attained the position intended for
them. The Danes were prepared for action. Their fleet of thirteen
men-of-war and a number of frigates, supported by floating batteries
mounting seventy heavy guns, was moo