In 1805 Napoleon had prepared for another grand invasion of England, and with great skill had gathered a fleet of allied French and Spanish vessels, which was to protect and coöperate with the strong army he proposed to land along the Kentish shores. This fleet was commanded by Admiral Villeneuve, and assembled at Cadiz, where, in October, 1805, it was being watched by an English fleet, commanded by Nelson and Collingwood, consisting of thirty-three ships of the line; twenty-seven of these were present when, on the morning of the 21st, the allies, twenty-nine battle-ships strong, came sailing out, hoping to avoid battle if possible. This, Nelson was resolved, should not happen; and dividing his forces into two columns, he made at them in such a way as to strike their line (then off Cape Trafalgar) in the middle of its crescent. The wind was very light, and an hour or more elapsed before even the heads of the line struck the enemy, so that there was plenty of time to make every preparation, and there was constant instruction by signaling from Nelson’s flagship _Victory_. Then at the last moment, when the first gun was ready to be fired, there rose upon the signal halyards of the _Victory_ the message that, received with ringing cheers, has been an inspiration to patriots the world around ever since since— ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DUTY. A few moments later Collingwood in the _Royal Sovereign_, and Nelson in the _Victory_, were in the thick of the foreign fleet, which awaited them in disorderly array, but closed about these two, bent upon destroying them if possible before any others could come up. The fury of the duels that ensued, where ships were mixed in disorder, and sometimes three or four against one, passes adequate description. None, perhaps, fared worse than the _Belle Isle_, a large English two-decker that was the first to reach the scene after the _Royal Sovereign_, and to draw off some of the fire that threatened to pulverize Collingwood’s ship. [Illustration: England expects every man will do his D U T Y DRAWN FROM THE MODEL IN THE GREENWICH MUSEUM. NELSON’S SIGNAL.]