During it both parties went on with their preparations for war.

"These few days," wrote Niebuhr, on the 6th, "have certainly been employed in repairing the evil [of faulty preparation] as far as possible." It is clear that the Danes understood, what Nelson's message specified, a cessation of direct hostilities, not of other movements.

The British during the same days were putting bomb-vessels in place, a perfectly overt act.
Nelson's success at Copenhagen was secured by address, as it had been won by force.

But it had been thoroughly won.

"We cannot deny it," wrote Niebuhr, "we are quite beaten.