25.

Like hunted caftors, confcious of their store,

Their way-laid wealth to Norway's coafts they bring: There firft the North's cold bofom fpices bore, And winter brooded on the eastern spring.

26.

By the rich scent we found our perfum'd prey,
Which, flank'd with rocks, did clofe in covert lie:
And round about their murdering cannon lay,
At once to threaten and invite the eye.

27.

Fiercer than cannon, and than rocks more hard,
The English undertake the unequal war:
Seven ships alone, by which the port is barr'd,
Befiege the Indies, and all Denmark dare.

28.

These fight like husbands, but like lovers thofe :
These fain would keep, and those more fain enjoy:
And to fuch height their frantic paffion grows,
That what both love, both hazard to destroy.

29.

Amidst whole heaps of fpices lights a ball,
And now their odours arm'd against them fly:
Some preciously by fhatter'd porcelain fall,
And fome by aromatic fplinters die.

30.5

And though by tempefts of the prize bereft,
In heaven's inclemency fome ease we find:
Our foes we vanquish'd by our valour left,
And only yielded to the feas and wind.

31.

Nor wholly 3 loft we fo deferv'd a prey;
For ftorms repenting part of it reftor'd:
Which as a tribute from the Baltic fea,
The British ocean fent her mighty lord.

32. Go

3 The Dutch fhips on their return home being separated by a form, the rear and vice-admirals of the Eaft- India fleet, with four

men

32.

Go mortals now and vex yourselves in vain

For wealth, which fo uncertainly must come : When what was brought fo far, and with fuch pain, Was only kept to lose it nearer home.

33.

The fon, who twice three months on th' ocean toft,
Prepar'd to tell what he had pass'd before,
Now fees in English fhips the Holland coast,

And parents arms, in vain, ftretch'd from the shore. 34.

This careful husband had been long away,

Whom his chafte wife and little children mourn; Who on their fingers learn'd to tell the day On which their father promis'd to return.

35.

Such are the proud designs of human-kind,
And fo we fuffer fhipwreck every where !
Alas, what port can such a pilot find,

Who in the night of fate muft blindly steer!
36.

The undiftinguifh'd feeds of good and ill,

Heaven in his bofom from our knowledge hides: And draws them in contempt of human skill, Which oft for friends miftaken foes provides.

37.

Let 4 Munster's prelate ever be accurft,

In whom we feek the German faith in vain : Alas, that he should teach the English first,

That fraud and avarice in the church could reign! 38. Happy

men of war, were taken by five English frigates. Soon after four men of war, two firefhips, and thirty other merchantmen, being driven out of their courfe, joined our fleet inftead of their own, and were all taken. These things happened in 1665.

4 The famous Bernard Vanghalen, bishop of Munster, excited by Charles, marched twenty thousand men into the province of Overyffel, under the dominion of the republic of Holland, where he

committed

38.

Happy, who never truft a firanger's will,
Whofe friend fhip's in his intereft understood!
Since money given but tempts him to be ill,
When pow'r is too remote to make him good.

39.

Till now, alone the mighty nations ftrove;
The reft, at gaze, without the lifts did stand:
And threatning France, plac'd like a painted Jove,
Kept idle thunder in his lifted hand.

40.

That eunuch guardian of rich Holland's trade,
Who envies us what he wants pow'r t' enjoy;
Whofe noiseful valour does no foe invade,
And weak affiftance will his friends deftroy.

41.

Offended that we fought without his leave,

He takes this time his fecret hate to fhew: Which Charles does with a mind fo calm receive, As one that neither feeks nor fhuns his foe.

42.

With France, to aid the Dutch, the Danes unite:
France as their tyrant, Denmark as their flave.
But when with one three nations join to fight,
They filently confefs that one more brave.

43.

Lewis had chas'd the English from his shore?
But Charles the French as fubjects does invite:
Would heaven for each fome Solomon reftore,

Who, by their mercy, may decide their right.

committed great outrages, acting rather like a captain of banditti than the leader of an army. However, we must allow he had fome excufe for this conduct, when it is remembered that Charles neglected to make him the promised remittances. On which account alfo he was forced to clap up a peace, without giving us notice of his intention.

44. Were

44.

Were fubjects fo but only by their choice,

And not from birth did forc'd dominion take,
Our prince alone would have the public voice;
And all his neighbours realms would deferts make.
45.

He without fear a dangerous war pursues,
Which without rashness he began before:
As honour made him firft the danger chufe,
So ftill he makes it good on virtue's score.

46.

The doubled charge his fubjects love fupplies,
Who in that bounty to themselves are kind :
So glad Ægyptians fee their Nilus rife,
And in his plenty their abundance find.

47.

With equal pow'r he does two 5 chiefs create,
Two fuch as each feem'd worthieft when alone;
Each able to fuftain a nation's fate,

Since both had found a greater in their own.

48.

Both great in courage, conduct, and in fame,
Yet neither envious of the other's praise;
Their duty, faith, and int'reft too the fame,
Like mighty partners equally they raise.

49.

The prince long time had courted fortune's love,
But once poffefs'd did abfolutely reign:

Thus with their Amazons the heroes ftrove,

And conquer'd firft those beauties they would gain. 50.

The Duke beheld, like Scipio, with difdain,
That Carthage, which he ruin'd, rife once more;
And fhook aloft the fafces of the main,

To fright those flaves with what they felt before..
and Monk, duke of Albermarle.

5 Prince Rupert

51.

Together to the watery camp they haste,

Whom matrons paffing to their children shew; Infants first vows for them to heaven are cast, And future people blefs them as they go.

52.

With them no riotous pomp, nor Asian train,
To infect a navy with their gaudy fears;
To make flow fights, and victories but vain
But war feverely like itself appears.

53.

Diffufive of them felves, where'er they pafs,

They make that warmth in others they expect;
Their valour works like bodies on a glass,
And does its image on their men project.

54.

Our fleet divides, and straight the Dutch appear,
In number, and a fam'd commander, bold:
The narrow feas can scarce their navy bear,
Or crowded veffels can their foldiers hold.

55.

The Duke, lefs numerous, but in courage more,
On wings of all the winds to combat flies:
His murdering guns a loud defiance roar,
And bloody croffes on his flag-ftaffs rise.
56.

Both furl their fails, and strip them for the fight;
Their folded fheets difmifs the useless air:
Th' Elean plains could boast no nobler fight,
When ftruggling champions did their bodies bare.

57.

Borne each by other in a distant line,

The fea-built forts in dreadful order move:
So vaft the noife, as if not fleets did join,
But lands unfix'd, and floating nations ftrove.

58. Now