, most of
which he spent in privacy at Merton. During this brief respite he
received a general tribute of admiration and affection from his
countrymen, which anticipated the verdict of posterity. On September 15
he sailed from Portsmouth, with a presentiment of his own fate, after
having described to Sidmouth the general design of his crowning sea
fight: he would, he said, break the enemy's line in two places; and he
did so. He joined Admiral Collingwood off Cadiz on the 29th, and on
October 19 he received news that Villeneuve, smarting under the
prospect of being superseded, had put to sea with the combined fleet.
Complicated naval manoeuvres followed, but on the 21st the enemy was
forced to give battle, a few leagues from Cape Trafalgar, and Nelson
caused his immortal signal to be hoisted--"England expects that every
man will do his duty".

[Pageheading: _THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR._]

The French and Spanish fleet comprised thirty-three ships of the line,
of which eighteen were French and fifteen Spanish; the British had only
twenty-seven, but among these were seven three-deckers as against four
on the side of the allies. It had the additional advantage of superior
discipline and equipment, to say nothing of the genius of its commander.
The British fleet advanced in two divisions, Nelson leading the weather
division of twelve, and Collingwood the lee division of fifteen ships.
According to Nelson's plan Collingwood was to attack the rear of the
enemy's line, while he himself cut off and paralysed the centre and van.
Both divisions advanced without regular formation, the ships bearing
down with all the speed they could command and without waiting for
laggards. Collingwood in the _Royal Sovereign_, steering E. by N., broke
through the allies' line twelve ships from the rear, raking the _Santa
Ana_, Alava's flagship, as he passed her stern, with a broadside which
struck down 400 of her men. For some fifteen minutes the _Royal
Sovereign_ was alone in action; then others of the division came up and
successively penetrated the line of the allies, and engaging ship to
ship completely disposed of the enemy's rear, their twelve rear ships
being all taken or destroyed.

Meanwhile, Nelson in the _Victory_, who had reserved to himself the more
difficult task of containing twenty-one ships with twelve, held on his
course, advancing so as to keep the allied van stationary and yet to
prevent the centre from venturing to help the rea