oleon's offer of Hanover on the one hand and his
numerous petty insults on the other. Prussia in consequence remained
neutral throughout the most decisive period of the ensuing war.

[Pageheading: _NELSON AND VILLENEUVE._]

Long before the coalition was ready Napoleon's mind had recurred to his
venturesome project for the invasion of England. An army, the finest
that he ever led to victory, which, even after it had been transferred
to another scene of action, he still saw fit to call the "army of
England," was encamped near Boulogne. It was constantly exercised in the
process of embarking on board flat-bottomed boats or rafts, which were
to be convoyed by Villeneuve, admiral of the Toulon fleet, and
Gantheaume, admiral of the Brest fleet, for whose appearance the French
signalmen vainly scanned the horizon. In the meantime, Nelson had been
engaged for two years, without setting foot on shore, in that patient
and sleepless watch, ranging over the whole Mediterranean, which must
ever rank with the greatest of his matchless exploits. At last, he
learned in the spring of 1805, that Villeneuve, following a plan
concerted by Napoleon himself, had eluded him by sailing from Toulon
towards Cadiz, had there been joined by the Spanish fleet, and was
steering for the West Indies. Nelson followed with a much smaller number
of ships, and might have forced an action in those waters, but he was
misled by false intelligence and missed the enemy, though his dreaded
presence was effectual in saving the British islands from any serious
attack.

The combined fleets of France and Spain recrossed the Atlantic and in
accordance with Napoleon's plans made for Ferrol on the coast of
Galicia. After being repulsed with some loss off Cape Finisterre by Sir
Robert Calder, who was court-martialled and severely reprimanded for
neglecting to follow up his victory, they put in first at Vigo, and then
with fifteen allied ships at Coruna. But, instead of venturing to carry
out Napoleon's orders by challenging Admiral Cornwallis's fleet off
Brest, and making a desperate effort to command the channel, Villeneuve
now took advantage of his emperors recommendation to return to Cadiz in
event of defeat, and set sail for that port in the middle of August.
Nelson, ignorant of his movements, had vainly sought him off the Straits
of Gibraltar, and came home to report himself at the admiralty. Arriving
at Spithead on August 18, he was in England barely four weeks