but, wrote Nelson, "disdaining the parade of
taking possession of beaten ships, Captain Collingwood most gallantly
pushed on to save his old friend and messmate, who appeared to be in a
critical state, being then fired upon by three first-rates, and the _San
Nicolas_, eighty." To get between Nelson's ship and the _San Nicolas_,
Collingwood had to steer close, passing within ten feet of the latter;
so that, to use his own expression, "though we did not touch sides, you
could not put a bodkin between us." His fire drove the _San Nicolas_
upon one of the first-rates, the _San Josef_; and when, continuing on to
seek other unbeaten foes, he left the field again clear for Nelson, the
latter, by a movement of the helm, grappled the _San Nicolas_.
Incredible as it may appear, the crew of this one British seventy-four
carried, sword in hand, both the enemy's ships, though of far superior
force. "Extravagant as the story may seem," wrote Nelson, "on the
quarter-deck of a Spanish first-rate I received the swords of the
vanquished Spaniards, which, as I received, I gave to William Fearney,
one of my bargemen, who placed them with the greatest _sang-froid_ under
his arm."

Four Spanish ships, two of them of the largest size, were the trophies
of this victory; but its moral effect in demonstrating the relative
values of the two navies, and the confidence England could put in men
like Jervis, Nelson, and the leading captains, was far greater. The
spirit of the nation, depressed by a long series of reverses, revived
like a giant refreshed with wine. Jervis had spoken truth when he said a
victory was essential to England at that time. The gratitude of the
state was shown in the profusion of rewards showered upon the victors.
Promotions and honors were liberally distributed. The Government had
already purposed to recognize Jervis's previous services by raising him
to the lower ranks of the peerage; but this timely triumph procured him
at one step a higher elevation. He was created Earl of St. Vincent, with
a pension of three thousand pounds per annum.

The tactical decisions made by Jervis on this momentous occasion were
correct as far as they went; but, except the initial determination to
attack the larger body of the enemy, because to windward, there is no
evidence of tactical originality in him, no innovation comparable to
Howe's manoeuvres on May 28 and 29,--and there was undoubted oversight
in not providing by signal against that