His bright fword now a dearer int'rest draws,
His brother's glory, and his country's cause.
Let thy bold pencil hope and courage spread 15
Thro' the whole navy, by that hero led:
Make all appear where fuch a Prince is by,
Refolv'd to conquer, or refolv'd to die.
With his extraction and his glorious mind,
Make the proud fails fwell more than with the wind:
Preventing cannon, make his louder fame
Check the Batavians, and their fury tame.
So hungry wolves, tho' greedy of their prey,
Stop when they find a lion in their way.
Make him beftride the ocean, and mankind
Afk his confent to use the sea and wind
While his tall fhips in the barr'd Channel stand,
He grafps the Indies in his armed hand.
Paint an Eatl-wind, and make it blow away
Th' extufe of Holland for their navy's stay:
Make them look pale, and, the bold Prince to fhun,
Thro' the cold North and rocky regions run.
To find the coaft where morning first appears,
By the dark pole the wary Belgian steers;
Confeffing now, he dreads the English more
Than all the dangers of a frozen shore;
While from our arms, fecurity to find,
They fly fo far, they leave the day behind.
Describe their fleet abandoning the sea,
And all their merchants left a wealthy prey:
Our firft fuccefs in war nake Bacchus crown,
And half the vintage of the year our own.
The Dutch their wine, and all their brandy lose,
Difarm'd of that from which their courage grows;
While the glad English, to relieve their toil,
In healths to their great leader drink the spoil.
His high command to Afric's coaft extend,
And make the Moors before the English bend:
Those barb'rous pirates willingly receive
Conditions fuch as we are pleas'd to give.
Deserted by the Dutch, let nations know
We can our own and their great bus'ness do;
False friends chastise, and common foes restrain,
Which worse than tempests did infeft the main.
Within those Streights make Holland's Smyrna fleet
With a fmall fquadron of the English meet;
Like Falcons these, those like a num'rous flock
Of fowl, which scatter to avoid the shock.
There paint confusion in a various shape;
Some fink, fome yield; and, flying, some escape. 60
Europe and Africa, from either fhore,
Spectators are, and hear our cannon roar ;
While the divided world in this agree,
Men that fight fo deserve to rule the sea.
But, nearer home, thy pencil ufe once more,
And place our navy by the Holland shore:
The world they compafs'd while they fought with But here already they resign the main :
Thofe greedy mariners, out of whose way
Diffufive Nature could no region lay,
At home, preferv'd from rocks and tempefts, lie,
Compell'd, like others, in their beds to die.
Their fingle towns th' Iberian armies preft;
We all their provinces at once invest;
And in a month ruin their traffick more
Than that long wat could in an age before.
But who can always on the billows lie? The wat'ry wilderness yields no supply. Spreading our fails, to Harwich we refort, And meet the beauties of the British court. Th' illuftrious Duchefs, and her glorious train, (Like Thetis with her nymphs) adorn the main. The gazing fea-gods, fince the Paphian Queen* Sprung from among them, no fuch fight had seen. Charni'd with the graces of a troop so fair, 85 Thofe deathlefs pow'rs for us themselves declare, Refolv'd the aid of Neptune's court to bring, And help the nation where such beauties spring: The foldier here his wafted ftore fupplies, And takes new valour from the ladies' eyes.
Mean-while,like bees, when flormy winter 's gone,
The Dutch (as if the fea were all their own)
Defert their ports, and, falling in their way,
Our Hamburg merchants are become their prey.
Thus flourish they, before th' approaching fight, 95 As dying tapers give a blazing light.
To check their pride, our fleet half victuall'd goes, Enough to serve us till we reach our foes; Who now appear so numerous and bold, The action worthy of our arms we hold. A greater force than that which here we find Ne'er prefs'd the ocean, nor employ'd the wind. Reilrain'd awhile by the unwelcome night, Th' impatient English searce attend the light. But now the morning, (heav'n severely clear!) 105 To the fierce work indulgent does appear; And Phœbus lifts above the waves his light, That he might fee, and thus record, the fight. As when loud winds from diff'rent quarters rush, Vaft clouds encountʼring one another crush ; 110 With fwelling fails fo, from their fev'ral coasts, Join the Batavian and the British hofts.
For a lefs prize, with less concern and rage,
The Roman fleets at A&tium did engage;
They for the empire of the world they knew, 115
These for the Old contend, and for the New.
At the first flock, with blood and powder flain'd,
Nor heav'n nor fea their former face retain'd:
Fury and art produce effects so strange,
They trouble Nature, and her visage change.
Where burning fhips the banish'd sun supply,
And no light fhines but that by which men die,
There York appears! so prodigal is he
Of royal blood as ancient as the fea!
Which down to him fo many ages told,
Has thro' the veins of mighty monarchs roll'd!
The great Achilles march'd not to the field
Till Vulcan that impenetrable fhield
And arms had wrought; yet there no bullets flew,
But fhafts and darts which the weak Phrygians threw.
Our bolder hero on the deck does ftand
Expos'd, the bulwark of his native land;
Defenfive arms laid by as ufelefs here,
Where massy balls the neighb'ring rocks do tear.
Some pow'r unfeen those princes does protect, 135
Who for their country thus themselves neglect.
Against him first Opdam his squadron leads,
Proud of his late fuccefs against the Swedes,
Made by that action, and his high command,
Worthy to perifh by a prince's hand.
The tall Batavian in a vaft fhip rides,
Bearing an army in her hollow fides;
Yet, not inclin'd the English ship to board,
More on his guns relies than on his sword;
From whence a fatal volley we receiv'd;
It mifs'd the Duke, but his great heart it griev'd;
Three worthy persons * from his fide it tore,
And dy'd his garment with their scatter'd gore.
Happy! to whom this glorious death arrives,
More to be valu'd than a thousand lives!
On fuch a theatre as this to die,
For fuch a cause, and such a witness by!
* Earl of Falmouth, Lord Muskerry, and Mr. Boyle.
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