tavius gets him upon the hammocks stowed on the poop, sends to his cabin for his best glass, and then takes a deliberate survey of the enemy, ship by ship. The examination seemed to him highly satisfactory. It must be confessed that they loomed well. The first-rate in the centre of the line showed her three rows of teeth in a truly grim and formidable manner, and seemed to hunger for something huge. Their tricolored ensigns floated out gracefully from their gaff ends, and all looked among them like regularity, order, and determination. In fact, they were all fancy vessels, equipped with the greatest care, and manned with the élite of the navy, for the French directory felt the necessity of, if possible, interrupting the long and unbroken chain of victories that had hitherto attended the British navy, and thus do away with the great moral ascendency that we had over them. They could not have chosen a better man to effect this than admiral and citizen Frèsnoy; there was only one misfortune that

endangered all these excellent arrangements, and that was a terrible one-the fighting old Commodore was opposed to him.

The French squadron still kept their wind under the same sail, and at 9-30 A.M. the headmost ship was nearly a-beam of the Thunderbolt. Sir Octavius, leaving the poop, said to his captain, "I intend to address the ship's company. Will you have the goodness to turn the hands up on the main-deck; let the officers attend here."

Immediately the shrill whistles of the boatswain's mates, in strange contrast with the hoarse voices of the latter, resounded through the various decks, and the men swarmed up in clusters, in numbers and activity like a colony of ants, when by chance the foot of some homereturning peasant disturbs their carefully built habitation.

I like, sometimes, to indulge in a simile. The old Commodore stood centrally among his officers, the men compressed together beneath

him on the main-deck, looking up to him with a great deal of respect.

"Silence!" said the old man, in a gruff voice. As, unlike our popular assemblies, there was no one to break it by calling for it again, every one stood as mute as if a voice was about to address them from the clouds.

"As I wish every man to hear the few words that I am going to say, let those who are farthest off, tumble up upon the booms." There was a little scuffling for about half-a-minute, and then all again was hushed.

"Now mark ye me, my lads; you thought, didn't ye, that when I came to command you, you had caught a Tartar-one who would keep you in fine order—and you have not been deceived; for a better-behaved, a more orderly, or a happier crew, I never beheld !"

Here he was interrupted by a faint cheer, that would shortly have increased to an outrageous one, had he not gently waved his hand, and said, "You know that, in general, I do

not like cheering; and I am sure just now you will not do what I dislike. I assure you, on the honour of a very old seaman, I have done everything that my heart could suggest to oblige you-now it is your turn to oblige me; you will not deceive me-if I thought so, that alone would be sufficient to make the few

grey hairs that the many years of hard service have left me, down with sorrow to the grave."

go

"Ye are all of you young, very young men compared with me-few of you have attained forty, perhaps not half-a-dozen among you can tell his fifty years. I am upwards of threescore-I am thus naturally, by Providence, as well as legally, by his sacred Majesty, may God bless him put in authority over you." (Hat off, as heretofore; for Sir Octavius, since his re-appointment, had found again all his loyalty) "And that authority you know I have used as a father; give me then the respect and love of sons, and show it in the approaching action, and where the old man, the old sailor, your

commander and your father, is, be you there also, my sons; dishonour not his wounds, let him conquer with you, or die gloriously among you."

The lieutenants, and the midshipmen particularly, did not half like this; they pressed more affectionately about the old gentleman, looking reproachfully into his face, and placing their hands to the hilts of their swords, making their actions say as plainly as acting could speak, "Are we not also your sons—may we not surround you, our more than father?"

Sir Octavius understood it, though not one of them had uttered a word. He took off again his three-cornered hat, turned to them, and making them a grateful bow, merely said, "I thank you."

Again facing towards the men, he said, "You have all, of course, been looking at that three-decker; I want her-you will assist me to get her. She is an old friend, or rather an old plague of mine. Some three years ago I chased her nearly round the world; she escaped