England Expects

Lieutenant John Pasco not only flew the most famous signal in British history, he helped write it.

October 21 1805

King George III 1760-1820

Introduction

On October 21st, 1805, the Royal Navy crushed a French and Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar, Spain. This permanently deprived Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, of sea-power, and ended his hopes of conquering Britain. Though Admiral Nelson died that day, his call to arms remains one of the best-known sentences in the English language. Here, Lieutenant John Pasco recalls how it was made.

by John Pasco 1774-1853

His Lordship came to me on the poop,* and after ordering certain signals to be made, about a quarter to noon, he said, ‘Mr Pasco, I wish to say to the Fleet, England confides that every man will do his duty;’ and he added, ‘you must be quick, for I have one more to make, which is for Close Action.’ I replied, ‘If your Lordship will permit me to substitute the expects* for confides the signal will soon be completed, because the word expects is in the vocabulary, and confides must be spelt’. His Lordship replied, in haste, and with seeming satisfaction, ‘That will do, Pasco, make it directly’. When it had been answered by a few Ships in the Van, he ordered me to make the signal for Close Action, and to keep it up: accordingly, I hoisted No. 16 at the top-gallant mast-head, and there it remained until shot away.

by John Pasco 1774-1853

From a letter written by John Pasco, printed in Dispatches and Letters of Lord Viscount Nelson Volume 7 (1846), by Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas (1799-1848).

* The poop is a deck of a ship, which forms the roof of a cabin at the rear (‘aft’). Because it occupies a high position, the poop offers a commanding view. The word is from Latin puppis, via French poupe.

* Pasco wrote ‘the expects’ and not just ‘expects’ because he was referring to the ‘expects’ flag. As he says, the word expects had a flag all to itself, whereas confides needed to be spelt out letter-by-letter. Even the revised signal required many flags, which were hoisted in successive groups.

Précis

John Pasco recalled that just before the Battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson ordered him to signal ‘England confides that every man will do his duty’ to the fleet. Pasco, Nelson’s lieutenant, told him ‘expects’ was quicker to signal than ‘confides’, and his suggestion was adopted. A little later, ‘Close action’ was raised, and remained until it was shot down.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Why did Nelson change his message at the last minute?

Suggestion

Because it was too cumbersome to signal.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

Nelson used the word ‘confides’. Pasco suggested the word ‘expects’. Nelson approved the change.

See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.

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