Meantime the Belgians tack upon our rear, [send And raking chase-guns through our sterns ther Close by, their fire-ships, like jackals, appear, Who on their lions for the prey attend. Silent, in smoke of cannon they come on: Sometimes from fighting squadrons of each fleet, Now at each tack our little fleet grows less; And, like maim'd fowl, swim lagging on the main Their greater loss their numbers scarce confess, While they lose cheaper than the English gain. Have you not seen, when, whistled from the fist, Some falcon stoops at what her eye design'd, And with her eagerness the quarry miss'd, Straight flies at check, and clips it down the wind The dastard crow, that to the wood made wing, And sees the groves no shelter can afford, With her loud kaws her craven kind does bring Who safe in numbers cuff the noble bird. Among the Dutch thus Albemarle did fare: Yet pity did his manly spirit move, To see those perish who so well had fought. And generously with his despair he strove, Resolv'd to live till he their safety wrought. Let other Muses write his prosperous fate, Of conquer'd nations tell, and kings restor❜d: But mine shall sing of his eclips'd estate, Which, like the Sun's, more wonders does affa He drew his mighty frigates all before, His fiery cannon did their passage guide, Elsewhere the Belgian force we did defeat, But here our courages did theirs subdue: So Xenophon once led that fam'd retreat, Which first the Asian empire overthrew. The foe approach'd; and one for his bold sin Was sunk; as he that touch'd the ark was slam The wild waves master'd him and suck'd him m, And smiling eddies dimpled on the main. This seen, the rest at awful distance stood : As if they had been there as servants set, To stay, or to go on, as he thought good, And not pursue, but wait on his retreat So Libyan huntsmen, on some sandy plain, Eut if some one approach to dare his force, Amidst these toils succeeds the balmy night; Now hissing waters the quench'd guns restore; And weary waves, withdrawing from the fight, Lie lull'd and panting on the silent shore. The Moon shone clear on the becalmed flood, And deeply mus'd on the succeeding day. That happy Sun," said he, "will rise again, "Yet, like an English general will I die, And all the ocean make my spacious grave: Restless he pass'd the remnant of the night, But now, his stores of ammunition spent, Thus far had Fortune power, he forc'd to stay, For now brave Rupert from afar appears, Then, as an eagle, who with pious care Was beating widely on the wing for prey, And finds her callow infants forc'd away: As in a drought the thirsty creatures cry, And gape upon the gather'd clouds for rain And first the martlet meets it in the sky, And with wet wings joys all the feather'd train With such glad hearts did our despairing men That with first eyes did distant safety meet. The Dutch, who came like greedy hinds before, Full in the prince's passage, hills of snu. And dangerous flats, in secret ambush lay. Where the false tides skim o'er the cover'd land, And seamen with dissembled depths betray. The wily Dutch, who like fall'n angels fear'd But he unmov'd contemns their idle threat, Secure of fame whene'er he please to fight: His cold experience tempers all his heat, And inbred worth doth boasting valor slight. Heroic virtue did his actions guide, And he the substance, not th' appearance, chose To rescue one such friend, he took more pride, Than to destroy whole thousands of such foes. But when approach'd, in strict embraces bound, He joys to have his friend in safety found, The cheerful soldiers, with new stores supplied, Thus reinforc'd, against the adverse fleet, Still doubling ours, brave Rupert leads the way. His presence soon blows up the kindling fight, The Dutch too well his mighty conduct knew, And matchless courage, since the former fight; Whose navy like a stiff-stretch'd cord did show Till he bore in and bent them into flight. The wind he shares, while half their fleet offends And doubly harm'd he double harms bestows With such kind passion hastes the prince to fight, Behind the general mends his weary pace, And spreads his flying canvas to the sound: Him, whom no danger, were he there, could fright, Now absent every little noise can wound. And sullenly to his revenge he sails: Th' increasing sound is borne to either shore, Plied thick and close as when the fight begun., 'And now reduc'd on equal terms to fight, Their ships like wasted patrimonies show; Where the thin scattering trees admit the light, And shun each other's shadows as they grow. The warlike prince had sever'd from the rest Two giant ships, the pride of all the main; Which with his one so vigorously he press'd, And flew so home they could not rise again. Already batter'd, by his lee they lay, In vain upon the passing winds they call: The passing winds through their torn canvas play, And flagging sails on heartless sailors fall. Their open'd sides receive a gloomy light, Dreadful as day let into shades below; Without grim Death rides barefac'd in their sight, And urges entering billows as they flow. When one dire shot, the last they could supply, Close by the board the prince's main-mast bore: All three now helpless by each other lie And this offends not, and those fear no more. So have I seen some fearful hare maintain A course, till tir'd before the dog she lay : Who stretch'd behind her pants upon the plain, Past power to kill, as she to get away. With his loll'd tongue he faintly licks his prey; His warm breath blows her flix up as she lies; She, trembling, creeps upon the ground away, And looks back to him with beseeching eyes. The prince unjustly does his stars accuse Which hinder'd him to push his fortune on; For what they to his courage did refuse, By mortal valor never must be done. This lucky hour the wise Batavian takes, And warns his tatter'd fleet to follow home: Proud to have so got off with equal stakes, Where 'twas a triumph not to be o'ercome. The general's force, as kept alive by fight, Now, not oppos'd, no longer can pursue: Lasting till Heaven had done his courage right; When he had conquer'd he his weakness knew. He casts a frown on the departing foe, And sighs to see him quit the watery field: His stern fix'd eyes no satisfaction show, For all the glories which the fight did yield. Though, as when fiends did miracles avow, And thinks too little what they found too much. Return'd, he with the fleet resolv'd to stay; No tender thoughts of home his heart divide; Domestic joys and cares he puts away; [guide For realms are households which the great must As t: ose who unripe veins in mines explore, On the rich bed again the warm turf lay Till time digests the yet imperfect ore, And know it will be gold another day So looks our monarch on this early fight, Heaven ended not the first or second day, Yet each was perfect to the work design'd: God and kings work, when they their work survey A passive aptness in all subjects find. In burthen'd vessels first, with speedy care, His plenteous stores do season'd timber send : Thither the brawny carpenters repair, And as the surgeons of maim'd ships attend. With cord and canvas, from rich Hamburgh sent, With glewy wax some new foundations lay Or tend the sick, or educate the young. So here some pick out bullets from the sides, The rattling mallet with the right they lift. With boiling pitch another near at hand, From friendly Sweden brought, the seams instops Which, well paid o'er, the salt sea waves withstand And shakes them from the rising beak in drops. Some the gall'd ropes with dauby marline bind, Our careful monarch stands in person by, His new-cast cannons' firmness to explore: The strength of big-corn'd powder loves to try, And ball and cartridge sorts for every bore. Each day brings fresh supplies of arms and men, The goodly London in her gallant trim, Her flag aloft spread ruffling to the wind, With roomy decks, her guns of mighty strength, Whose low-laid mouths each mounting billow laves: Deep in her draught, and warlike in her length, This martial present, piously design'd, The loyal city give their best-lov'd king: And with a bounty ample as the wind, Built fitted, and maintain'd, to aid him bring. By viewing Nature, Nature's handmaid, Art, Their tail the rudder, and their head the prow. Some log perhaps upon the waters swam, An useless drift, which, rudely cut within, And hollow'd first, a floating trough became, And cross some rivulet passage did begin. In shipping such as this, the Irish kern And untaught Indian on the stream did glide: Ere sharp-keel'd boats to stem the flood did learn, Or fin-like oars did spread from either side. Add but a sail, and Saturn so appear'd, Rude as their ships was navigation then; Of all who since have us'd the open sea, Than the bold English none more fame have won: Beyond the year, and out of Heaven's high way, They make discoveries where they see no Sun. But what so long in vain, and yet unknown, And hence be to admiring nations taught. The ebbs of tides and their mysterious flow, Instructed ships shall sail to quick commerce, Then we upon our globe's last verge shall go, This I foretell from your auspicious care, Who great in search of God and Nature grow; Who best your wise Creator's praise declare, |