THE DEATH OF NELSON
O'er Nelson's tomb, with silent grief oppressed,
Britannia mourns her hero now at rest;
But those bright laurels will not fade with years,
Whose leaves are watered by a nation's tears.
'Twas in Trafalgar's bay
We saw the Frenchmen lay,
Each heart was bounding then,
We scorn'd the foreign yoke,
For our ships were British oak,
And hearts of oak our men!
Our Nelson mark'd them on the wave,
Three cheers our gallant seamen gave,
Nor thought of home and beauty.
Along the line this signal ran,
England expects that ev'ry man
This day will do his duty.
And now the cannons roar
Along th' affrighted shore,
Our Nelson led the way,
His ship the Victory nam'd!
Long be that Victory fam'd,
For vict'ry crown'd the day!
But dearly was that conquest bought,
Too well the gallant hero fought,
For England, home, and beauty.
He cried as 'midst the fire he ran,
"England shall find that ev'ry man,
This day will do his duty!"
At last the fatal wound,
Which spread dismay around,
The hero's breast received;
"Heaven fights upon our side!
The day's our own!" he cried;
"Now long enough I've lived!
In honour's cause my life was passed,
In honour's cause I fall at last,
For England, home, and beauty."
Thus ending life as he began,
England confessed that every man
That day had done his duty.
APPENDIX
SOME INCIDENTS OF NELSON'S LIFE
(Chronologically arranged)
1758. On 29th September he was born.