“The man who pants not for his country’s fame Is lost to virtue and the sense of shame; For here the common parent of us all, Bears every claim of those whom dear we call-- Our father, mother, brother, sister, wife, Religion, friendship--all that’s good in life, The whole united in the single name Of country! ever our support must claim. Poor is the soul who could outlive the day When honour called him, and he shunn’d the fray; Poor is the man who yet could wish to live When to his country death would glory give! Pardon, O God! thou righteous Judge of all, If willing we obey our country’s call, Though ill-prepared; for Thou didst plant these laws, And to Thy mercy we submit our cause! Full expectation gives the mind to wait, And moments lengthen in the hands of fate.” I shall never forget the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st of October, 1805. Signs of a movement in the combined fleets of France and Spain in Cadiz were made by signal on the 18th by the inshore squadron, and on the 19th the enemy came out of port. The wind was light and the day rather hazy, so that the body of our fleet never perceived them. Sunday we had a fresh breeze, when some of the headmost ships saw the enemy in shore, but they were too close under the land to be attacked. All hearts towards evening beat with joyful anxiety for the next day, which we hoped would crown our anxious blockade labours with a successful battle. When night closed in, the rockets and blue lights, with signal guns, informed us the inshore squadron still kept sight of our foes, and, like good and watchful dogs, our ships continued to send forth occasionally a growling cannon to keep us on the alert, and to cheer us with the hope of a glorious day on the morrow. And the morrow came; and with it the sun rose, which, as it ascended from its bed of ocean, looked hazy and watery, as if it smiled in tears on many brave hearts which fate had decreed should never see it set. It was my morning watch; I was midshipman of the forecastle, and at the first dawn of day a forest of strange masts was seen to leeward. I ran aft and informed the officer of the watch. The captain was on deck in a moment, and ere it was well light, the signals were flying through the fleet to bear up and form the order of sailing in two columns.