The Nelson Touch. Selected and Arranged by 11 -,- .1ter Jerrold.
(J. Murray. 3s. 6d. net.).—Mr. Jerrold has been he.; inspired in preparing this uslestion from Nelson's sayings, taken fruin Harris Nicolas's edition of the Dispatches and Letters, Southey's Life, and other sources, and arranged in order of date. The tremendous force of Nelson's personality is well shown in these extracts ; so, too, are his enthusiasm for his profession and his power oil managing men. He had the " will to conquer "—of which the Germans have talked so much and to so little purpose—in the superlative degree. If it is exhilarating merely to read his confident anticipations of victory in every action, we can imagine how Nelson's presence animated his officers and men. And with this high spirit he combined a mastery of professional detail and the power of de- vising and applying new methods that distinguishes the great commander. Here is a characteristic outburst after Copenhagen. " Damn our enemies ! Bless our friends ! Amen. I am not such a hypo- crite as to bless them that hate us, or if a man strike use on the cheek to turn the other. No, knook him down, by God ! " There is an unusual note of caution in the remark of 1804 that " In sea affairs nothing is impossible and nothing improbable." Marshal Foch would concur in the maxim that " A wish to imitate successful battles is the sure road, by exertion, to surpass them."
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