"Ratified by me--

"Hyde Parker, Admiral and Commander in Chief of his Britannic
Majesty's Fleet."

The Danes had great reason to be satisfied with the liberality of this
armistice; the conditions of which certainly were, on our part, most
strictly performed. It will appear that, on the part of Denmark, this
was not precisely the case. Lord Nelson's conduct, however, at once firm
and conciliating, procured justice to his country without again
resorting to arms. The first blow had been struck by Denmark, and she
had suffered for her rashness and temerity. Even in passing the Sound,
her guns evinced the disposition, but happily possessed not the power,
to injure the British fleet. A very heavy fire was kept up by the Danes,
but none of our ships received a shot. In the mean time, we had several
bomb-ships firing on the town of Elsineur, the shells from which killed
upwards of a hundred and fifty people on shore. At Copenhagen, still
more confident in their strength, they had made every arrangement for
the destruction of our fleet, but no preparation for the defeat of their
own. Shielded by nature with dangerous shoals, and fortified by art with
powerful batteries, they seemed rather to invite, than to dread, any
hostile attack. They reflected not, that the hero coming against them
was no less expert as a navigator than as a warrior, and scarcely more a
seaman than a soldier. Happily his heroic heart was replete with
humanity, and his dreadful ability to shed human blood only surpassed by
his ardent desire to spare it's unnecessary effusion. The Danes,
trusting to the strength of their grand line of defence, composed of
eighteen ships, block-ships, floating-batteries, &c. which were all, in
a few hours, sunk, burnt, or taken, had neglected to engage surgeons for
their wounded defenders; who were found bleeding to death, on boarding
the different captured vessels, in prodigious numbers, and afforded a
shocking spectacle of horror to our brave but humane seamen. To preserve
his fellow creatures from wanton destruction, the hero's flag of truce
unfurled; a pause was thus obtained; reason had time to operate; and the
basis was immediately laid for a renewal of that amity which had happily
prevailed, for a long series of years, between the two nations, though
anciently the fiercest foes.

The news of this victory was received in England with the utmost
rejoicing; nor did the temper of the people fail to participate