165..

This I foretel from your aufpicious care *,
Who great in fearch of God and nature grow;
Who beft your wife Creator's praise declare,
Since beft to praise his works is best to

know.

166.

O truly royal! who behold the law

And rule of beings in your Maker's mind: And thence, like limbecks, rich ideas draw, To fit the levell'd ufe of human-kind.

167.

665

670

But firft the toils of war we must endure,
And from the injurious Dutch redeem the

feas.

War makes the valiant of his right fecure,
And gives up fraud to be chaftis'd with ease.

168.

675

Already were the Belgians on our coaft, Whose fleet more mighty every day became By late fuccefs, which they did falfely boast, And now by first appearing feem'd to claim.

169.

Defigning, fubtil, diligent, and clofe,

They knew to manage war with wife de

Yet all thofe arts their vanity did cross,

And by their pride their prudence did betray.

170.

Nor staid the English long; but, well supply'd,
Appear as numerous as th' infulting foe :
The combat now by courage must be try'd, 685
And the fuccefs the braver nation fhow.

171.

There was the Plymouth fquadron now come in, Which in the Straights laft winter was abroad; Which twice on Bifcay's working bay had been, And on the midland fea the French had

aw'd.

690

172.

Old expert Allen, loyal all along,

Fam'd for his action on the Smyrna fleet: And Holmes, whofe name fhall live in epick fong,

While mufick numbers, or while verfe has

feet.

173.

Holmes, the Achates of the general's fight; 695 Who firft bewitch'd our eyes with Guinea gold:

Ver. 691. Old expert Allen, &c.] Sir Thomas Allen was. admiral of the white. DERRICK.

Ver. 695. Holmes, the Achates of the, &c.] Sir Robert Holmes was rear-admiral of the white, called the Achates from his eagerness to fupport the general. Achates was the faithful companion of Æneas. For an illuftration of the two laft lines of this ftanza, fee our notes to the Satire on the Dutch.

DERRICK.

As once old Cato in the Roman fight
The tempting fruits of Africk did unfold.

174.

With him went Sprag, as bountiful as brave, Whom his high courage to command had

brought :

Harman, who did the twice-fir'd Harry fave,

700

And in his burning fhip undaunted fought.

Ver. 699. With him went Sprag, &c.] Sir Edward Sprag ferved under Sir Jeremiah Smith, who carried the blue flag: he was drowned paffing from one fhip to another, in a fight with Van Tromp, on the eleventh of Auguft, 1672, bearing the character of a gallant officer, and an accomplished gentleman. DERRICK.

Ver. 700. his high courage] The courage haut of Spenfer and our elder poets, which Dryden no doubt had in mind. TODD.

Ver. 701. Harman, who did the twice-fir'd, &c.] These two lines cannot be more properly explained, than by the following extract from the London Gazette of the fourth of June, 1666.

"Alborough, June 2. This day is come in hither the Henry, "Captain Harman, commander, who parted from the fleet, "much difabled, at nine o'clock laft night, having had the luck, "it feems, to have a great part of the Dutch fleet upon her fingly, "which the fupported bravely, and forced her way quite through "them, though not without much damage, which the enemy

46

finding, endeavoured to clap a firefhip upon her, but the "nimbly ftruck him off: after which comes up one of their ❝ admirals, and faftened a fecond firefhip, with which the grap"pled long, but at last took fire in one of her quarters, which "yet fhe happily quenched. After this a third firefhip was laid on her, which, difabled as the was, the fo mauled with her "chace-pieces, that he cut thort her main-yard, and fo efcaped "him. She had feveral of her men killed and wounded; amongst these latter is the captain himself, but it is hoped "without danger. The fleet is in very good condition, not one of our veffels having been taken." DERRICK.

46

175.

Young Hollis on a mufe by Mars begot,
Born, Cæfar-like, to write and act great deeds:
Impatient to revenge his fatal fhot,

His right hand doubly to his left fucceeds.

176.

705

Thousands were there in darker fame that dwell, Whofe deeds fome nobler poem shall adorn: And, though to me unknown, they fure fought well,

Whom Rupert led, and who were British

born.

177.

710

Of every fize an hundred fighting fail:
So vaft the navy now at anchor rides,
That underneath it the prefs'd waters fail,
And with its weight it shoulders off the tides.

178.

Now, anchors weigh'd, the feamen fhout fo fhrill,

715

That heaven, and earth, and the wide ocean

rings:

Ver. 703.] Captain Hollis, of the Antelope fhip of war, loft a hand in this memorable fight: to his writings I confefs myfelf a ftranger. I believe it is the fame perfon who commanded the Cambridge under the name of Sir Fretchville Hollis, in 1672, when he was killed in another fea-fight with the Dutch.

DERRICK. Ver. 707. Thoufands were there in darker fame that dwell,] "Multi præterea quos fama obfcura recondit."

JOHN WARTON,

A breeze from weftward waits their fails to fill, And refts in those high beds his downy wings.

The wary

179.

Dutch this gathering ftorm forefaw, And durft not bide it on the English coaft: 720 Behind their treacherous fhallows they withdraw,

And there lay fnares to catch the British hoft.

180.

So the falfe fpider, when her nets are spread, Deep ambush'd in her filent den does lie: And feels far off the trembling of her thread, Whofe filmy cord should bind the struggling

fly.

181.

Then if at laft fhe find him fast beset,

726

She iffues forth, and runs along her loom : She joys to touch the captive in her net, And drag the little wretch in triumph

home.

182.

730

The Belgians hop'd, that, with disorder'd haste,
Our deep-cut keels upon the fands might run:
Or, if with caution leifurely were past,
Their numerous grofs might charge us one
by one.

Ver. 723. So the falfe] Elegantly expreffed, but hardly equal to Pope's Spider. Dr. J. WARTon.