hored almost in the middle of the line. Fire was
opened about 10 A.M., and at 11.30 the action was at its height.

Until 1 o'clock there was no diminution of the Danish fire. Sir Hyde
Parker, who saw the danger of Nelson's position, became anxious, and
sent his second, Captain Robert Waller Ottway, to him with a message
authorizing him to retire if he thought fit. Before Ottway, who had to
go in a row-boat, reached the "Elephant," Sir Hyde Parker had reflected
that it would be more magnanimous in him to take the responsibility of
ordering the retreat. He therefore hoisted the signal of recall. It was
a well-meant but ill-judged order. Nelson could only have retreated
before the south-easterly wind by going past the Trekroner fort, where
the passage is narrow, and the navigation difficult. He therefore
disregarded the signal, and amused himself and the few officers about
him by putting his glass to his blind eye and saying that he could not
see it. The frigates opposite the Trekroner did retreat, Captain Riou
being slain as they drew off.

At about 2.30 the fire from the Danish hulks had been much beaten down,
but as their crews fell, fresh men were sent from the shore and the fire
was resumed. Nelson astutely and legitimately seized the opportunity to
open negotiations with the Danes. He sent a flag of truce carried by Sir
F. Thesiger ashore to the crown prince of Denmark (then regent of the
kingdom), to say that unless he was allowed to take possession of the
hulks which had surrendered he would be compelled to burn them, a course
which he deprecated on the ground of humanity and his tenderness of "the
brothers of the English the Danes." The crown prince, who was shaken by
the spectacle of the battle, allowed himself to be drawn into a reply,
and to be referred to Sir Hyde Parker. Fire was suspended by the Danes
to allow of time to receive Sir Hyde Parker's answer. Nelson with
intelligent promptitude availed himself of the interval to withdraw his
squadron past the Trekroner. The difficulty found in getting the ships
out--one of them grounded--showed how disastrous an attempt to draw off
under fire of the forts must have been.

The Danish government, which had entered the coalition largely from fear
of Russia, was not prepared to make very great sacrifices, and now
entered into negotiations for an armistice. It was the more ready to do
so because it received news of the assassination of the tsar Paul, which
had happe