58. Now pafs'd, on either fide they nimbly tack; 59. On high-rais'd decks the haughty Belgians ride, 60. And as the built, fo diff'rent is the fight; Our dreaded admiral from far they threat, Whose batter'd rigging their whole war receives: All bare, like fome old oak which tempefts beat; He ftands, and fees below his fcatter'd leaves. 62. Heroes of old, when wounded, shelter fought; At this excess of courage, all amaz'd, The foremost of his foes awhile withdraw: With fuch refpect in enter'd Rome they gaz'd, Who on high chairs the god-like fathers faw. 64. And now, as where Patroclus' body lay, Here Trojan chiefs advanc'd, and there the Greek; Ours o'er the Duke their pious wings display, And theirs the nobleft fpoils of Britain feek. 65. Mean 65. Mean-time his busy mariners he haftes, Straight to the Dutch he turns his dreadful prowy 67. They charge, recharge, and all along the fea Did a like fate with loft 7 Creufa meet. 68. The night comes on, we eager to pursue 69. In th' English fleet each ship resounds with joy, And flumbering fmile at the imagin'd flame. 6 Among other remarkable paffages in this engagement, the undaunted refolution of vice-admiral Berkley was particularly admired. He had many men killed on board him, and tho' no longer able to make refiftance, yet would obftinately continue the fight, refufing quarter to the laft. Being at length fhot in the throat with a mufketball, he retired to his cabbin, where, ftretching himself on a great table, he expired; and in that pofture did the enemy, who afterwards took the fhip, find the body covered with blood. 7 Did a like fate with loft Creufa meet. Æneas, while Troy was in a flame, bore off his father Anchifes on his back, and his fon Iulus in his hand his wife Creufa following, was divided from him in the confufion as he was near the city gate, nor did ever after fee her, as he tells queen Dido in the second book of the Eneid, ver. 736, &c. 70. Not 1 70. Not fo the Holland fleet, who tired and done, 71. In dreams they fearful precipices tread: Or fhipwreck'd, labour to fome diftant fhore: 72. The morn they look on with unwilling eyes, Till from their main-top joyful news they hear Of fhips, which by their mould bring new fupplies, And in their colours Belgian lions bear. 73. Our watchful general had difcern'd from far This mighty fuccour, which made glad the foe: He figh'd, but like a father of the war, His face fpake hope, while deep his forrows flow. 74. His wounded men he firfts fends off to fhore, Never till now unwilling to obey: They, not their wounds, but want of ftrength deplore, And think them happy who with him can stay. 75. Then to the reft, Rejoice, faid he, to-day; In you the fortune of Great-Britain lies: Among fo brave a people, you are they Whom heaven has chofe to fight for fuch a prize. 76. If number English courages could quell, We fhould at first have fhun'd, not met our foes: Whose numerous fails the fearful only tell: Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows. 77. He faid, nor needed more to fay: with hafte Solicit every gale to meet the foe. 78. Nor did the encourag'd Belgians long delay, 79. Our little fleet was now engag'd so far, That, like the fword-fish in the whale they fought: The combat only feem'd a civil war, Till through their bowels we our paffage wrought. 80. Never had valour, no not ours, before Done ought like this upon the land or main, Where not to be o'ercome was to do more Than all the conquefts former kings did gain. 81. The mighty ghofts of our great Harries rofe, To fee this fleet among unequal foes, By which fate promis'd them their Charles fhould rife. 82. Mean-time the Belgians tack upon our rear, And raking chase-guns through our fterns they fend: Close by their fire-fhips, like jackals, appear, Who on their lions for the prey attend. 83. Silent in fmoke of cannon they come on: In 8 Cacus, the fon of Vulcan, is fabled to have reigned king of a province in Spain, where his tyranny roufing the refentment of Hercules, he was by the latter attacked and totally defeated, efcaping only In these the height of pleas'd revenge is fhewn, Sometimes from fighting fquadrons of each fleet, And English fires with Belgian flames contend. Now at each tack our little fleet grows lefs; And like maim'd fowl, fwim lagging on the main : Their greater lofs their numbers fcarce confefs, While they lofe cheaper than the English gain. 86. Have you not feen, when whiftled from the fift, Straight flies at check, and clips it down the wind? 87. The daftard crow that to the wood made wing, 88. Among the Dutch thus Albemarle did fare: 89. Yet pity did his manly fpirit move, To fee thofe perifh who fo well had fought; And generously with his defpair he strove, Refolv'd to live till he their fafety wrought. only with fifty followers to a cave in the fide of a steep mountain. Here being closely rent up, and in want of provifions, Cacus, by his art, taught his people to vomit fire and fmoak, under cover of which they retreated thro' the midft of their enemies. VOL. I. F 90. Let |