The citizen on great occasions knows and obeys the voice of his
country as he knows and obeys an individual voice, whether it
appeal to a base or ignoble, or to a generous or noble passion.
“Sons of France, awake to glory,” told the French youth what
was the dominant passion in the bosom of France, and it awoke a
corresponding sentiment in his own. Under its spell he marched
through Europe and overthrew her kingdoms and empires, and felt
in Egypt that forty centuries were looking down on him from the
pyramids. But, at last, one June morning in Trafalgar Bay there
was another utterance, more quiet in its tone, but speaking also
with a personal and individual voice: “England expects every
man to do his duty.” At the sight of Nelson’s immortal signal,
duty-loving England and glory-loving France met as they have met
on many an historic battle-field before and since, and the lover
of duty proved the stronger. The England that expected every man
to do his duty was as real a being to the humblest sailor in
Nelson’s fleet as the mother that bore him.--GEORGE FRISBIE
HOAR.
(843)
=Duty Plus a Little More=--See OVERPLUS OF DUTY.