breast are gone; and _you_" continued he, "very well _know_ I can live
but a short time." The emphatic manner in which he pronounced these last
words, left no doubt in the Surgeon's mind, that he adverted to the case
of a man who had some months before received a mortal injury of the
spine on board the Victory, and had laboured under similar privations of
sense and muscular motion. The case had made a great impression on Lord
NELSON: he was anxious to know the cause of such symptoms, which was
accordingly explained to him; and he now appeared to apply the situation
and fate of this man to himself.[13] The Surgeon answered, "My Lord, you
told me so before:" but he now examined the extremities, to ascertain
the fact; when HIS LORDSHIP said, "Ah, BEATTY! I am too certain of it:
SCOTT and BURKE have tried it already. _You know_ I am gone." The
Surgeon replied: "My Lord, unhappily for our Country, nothing can be
done for you;" and having made this declaration he was so much affected,
that he turned round and withdrew a few steps to conceal his emotions.
HIS LORDSHIP said: "I know it. I feel something rising in my breast,"
putting his hand on his left side, "which tells me I am gone." Drink was
recommended liberally, and Doctor SCOTT and Mr. BURKE fanned him with
paper. He often exclaimed, "GOD be praised, I have done my duty;" and
upon the Surgeon's inquiring whether his pain was still very great, he
declared, "it continued so very severe, that he wished he was dead.
Yet," said he in a lower voice, "one would like to live a little longer,
too:" and after a pause of a few minutes, he added in the same tone,
"What would become of poor Lady HAMILTON, if she knew my situation!"

THE Surgeon, finding it impossible to render HIS LORDSHIP any further
assistance, left him, to attend Lieutenant BLIGH, Messrs. SMITH and
WESTPHALL Midshipmen, and some Seamen, recently wounded. Captain HARDY
now came to the cockpit to see HIS LORDSHIP a second time, which was
after an interval of about fifty minutes from the conclusion of his