into the Isabella, that Hornby found it necessary to call his men into the hold, setting up some of their cargo on the deck round the mouth of it, so as to form a protection. Here he collected all his available firearms, and kept some of his men loading while the others kept firing at the enemy, who twice tried to board him, but were frustrated by the dexterous seamanship of Hornby in handling his vessel. The Frenchman now kept up an incessant fire upon the Isabella, both with guns and small-arms, and at two o'clock, when the action had lasted above an hour, the privateer, running furiously in upon the Isabella, entangled her bowsprit among the mainshrouds, and was lashed fast to her.

Captain André now bawled out in a menacing tone, "You English dog, strike!" Captain Hornby challenged him to come on board and strike his colours if he dared. The furious Frenchman instantly threw in twenty men on the Isabella, who began to hack and hew at the rude defences round the hold; but a general discharge of blunderbusses, with which the English were well provided, slew several of the assailants, and forced the others to a speedy retreat, and at the same time some of the English sailors leaped forward and compelled the privateer to sheer off. As soon as he found himself disengaged from the Isabella, Captain André turned round and made another attempt to board her from the other side, when the valiant Hornby and his mate shot each his man as the enemy were again lashing the ships together. The Frenchman once. more commanded the Englishman to strike, but

the latter told him he never would strike, and that, rather than do so, he and his ship and men would all go to the bottom together, and that he meant to make him, the Frenchman, strike before he had done with him.

*Mortified at this defiance, the French captain made a grand muster of his men, and having laid his ship alongside, about thirty of them rushed furiously on board the Isabella, and made a severe attack on the hold with hatchets and poleaxes, with which they had nearly cut their way through in three places, when the constant and well-directed fire kept up by Captain Hornby and his crew obliged them a second time to retreat, carrying their wounded with them, and hauling their dead after them with their boat-hooks.

The Isabella continuing still lashed to the enemy, the latter, with small-arms, fired repeated and terrible volleys into the hold; but the fire was returned with such spirit and effect, that the Frenchman repeatedly gave way. At length, Captain Hornby, seeing them crowding behind their mainmast for shelter, aimed a blunderbuss at them, which, being doubly loaded, and containing twelve balls in each barrel, threw him down in the firing, to the great consternation of his little crew, as they supposed him dead. Hornby, however, leaped up nimbly, told his men he was none the worse, although the blood was pouring from his temple. Loading another blunderbuss, and calling upon his men to follow him, he rushed towards the French vessel, and poured such a rain of bullets into her men

clustering on the deck as to oblige them to disengage themselves from the English ship, to which they had been lashed for more than an hour, in the vain hope of compelling her to surrender.

While the Frenchman was sheering off, Captain Hornby exultingly fired his two starboard guns into the enemy's stern, laughing at the same time, and telling the French captain it was his parting kick. This so enraged him that he immediately returned and renewed the conflict, which was carried on, yardarm to yardarm, for nearly two hours. The Isabella was shot through her hull several times, her sails and rigging were torn to pieces, her ensign was dismounted, and every yard and mast damaged; but this only made Hornby sustain the combat more obstinately. At last a well-aimed shot struck the French ship between wind and water, and obliged her to sheer off, and as the enemy was retiring, Hornby and his little crew sallied out from their fastness, and, erecting their fallen ensign, gave three cheers.

By this time both vessels had driven so near the English shore, that immense crowds had assembled to see the fight. The Frenchman, having stopped the leak, returned to the combat, and poured a dreadful volley into the stern of the Isabella, when Captain Hornby was wounded by a ball in the head, and bled profusely; but he tied a handkerchief round his head, and told his men that the blood had refreshed him, and given him strength, and made his head cool, and urged them to be at the Frenchman again. On this their spirits revived; and again,

taking post in their little citadel, they sustained three more tremendous broadsides, in returning which, they forced the French ship by a well-aimed shot a second time to sheer off. The huzzas of the Isabella's crew were renewed, and again the men set up their shattered ensign, which was shot through and through into honourable rags.

André, who was not deficient in bravery, returned to the fight, and, having disabled the Isabella by five terrible broadsides, once more summoned Hornby, with terrible menaces, to strike his colours, but Hornby turned to his gallant comrades, and pointing to the shore, said "you see yonder, my lads, the witnesses of our fight?" This was enough-they one and all assured him that they would stand by him to the last, and finding them thus determined, he hurled his final defiance, to the enemy.

André immediately ran his ship upon the Isabella's bow, and lashed it close alongside. But the men of the Isabella let fly at them, and stood at the gangway so menacingly, that his crew fell back wavering, and refused to attempt the dangerous task of again boarding. André was therefore obliged to cut the lashings that held the two ships together, and to sheer off. Captain Hornby resolved to salute the privateer with one parting gun; and this last shot, fired into the stern of the Braneas, happening to reach the magazine, it blew up with a tremendous explosion, and the vessel instantly went to the bottom. Out of seventy-five men, thirty-six men were killed or wounded in the action, and all the rest, together with the wounded, perished in the

deep, except three who were picked up by an English boat.

This horrible catastrophe excited the deepest sympathy in the breasts of the brave Hornby and his men, but their ship was so shattered that they could render no assistance to their ill-fated enemies.

Captain Hornby afterwards received from the king a large gold medal for his heroic conduct, which I don't think is surpassed by anything in the annals of any nation, and which affords us an example of courage, skill, endurance, and perseverance that may be well imitated in many of the struggles of life.

QUESTIONS.-What is a powder-monkey? What was Hornby's character? Give a proof of it. How many men and boys had his ship? How many had the Braneas? How did Hornby protect his men? Give a proof of his being a good sailor. What accident first befel Hornby? What did he do? How long were the two ships fighting side by side? When Hornby was wounded what did he tell his men? What did he say to them when he saw the crowds looking on? How did the fight end? What honour did Hornby get? What does his example teach us?

EXERCISE. Give the different meanings of the following words: site, size, slight, style, silly, sent, sea, skull, some, sun, stake, straight, subtler, ton, slow, soul.

THE

NOBLE NATURE.

Ben Jonson (1574-1637).

It is not growing like a tree

In bulk doth make men better be;

Or standing long an oak three hundred year,
To fall a log at last, dry, bald, and sere;
A lily of a day

Is fairer far in May,

Although it fall and die that night;
It was the plant and flower of Light.
In small proportions we just beauties see;
And in short measures life may perfect be.