III With such glad hearts did our despairing men 112 The Dutch, who came like greedy hinds before To reap the harvest their ripe ears did yield, Now look like those, when rolling thunders roar And sheets of lightning blast the standing field. 113 Full in the Prince's passage, hills of sand And dangerous flats in secret ambush lay, Where the false tides skim o'er the covered land And seamen with dissembled depths betray. 114 The wily Dutch, who, like fallen angels, feared This new Messiah's coming, there did wait, And round the verge their braving vessels steered To tempt his courage with so fair a bait. 115 But he unmoved contemns their idle threat, His cold experience tempers all his heat, And inbred worth does boasting valour slight. 116 Heroic virtue did his actions guide, And he the substance, not the appearance, chose; To rescue one such friend he took more pride Than to destroy whole thousands of such foes. 117 But when approached, in strict embraces bound He joys to have his friend in safety found, Which he to none but to that friend would owe. 118 The cheerful soldiers, with new stores supplied, 119 Thus reinforced, against the adverse fleet, Still doubling ours, brave Rupert leads the way; With the first blushes of the morn they meet And bring night back upon the new-born day. 120 His presence soon blows up the kindling fight, T21 The Dutch too well his mighty conduct know 122 The wind he, shares, while half their fleet offends And doubly harmed he double harms bestows. 123 Behind, the General mends his weary pace So glides, &c. From Virgil: Quum medii nexus extremæque agmina caudæ Fourth day's battle. 124 The increasing sound is borne to either shore And for their stakes the throwing nations fear, Their passion double with the cannons' roar, And with warm wishes each man combats there. 125 Plied thick and close as when the fight begun, 126 And now, reduced on equal terms to fight, 127 The warlike Prince had severed from the rest Already battered 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. 129 Their opened sides receive a gloomy light, Without, grim Death rides barefaced in their sight 130 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. 131 So have I seen some fearful hare maintain A course, till tired before the dog she lay, Who, stretched behind her, pants upon the plain, Past power to kill as she to get away: 132 With his lolled tongue he faintly licks his prey; The Prince unjustly does his stars accuse, 134 This lucky hour the wise Batavian takes And warns his tattered fleet to follow home; Proud to have so got off with equal stakes, Where 'twas a triumph not to be o'ercome s. 135 The General's force, as kept alive by fight, 136 He casts a frown on the departing foe And sighs to see him quit the watery field; His stern fixed eyes no satisfaction show For all the glories which the fight did yield. His Majesty repairs the jicet. 137 Though, as when fiends did miracles avow, He stands confessed even by the boastful Dutch; He only does his conquest disavow And thinks too little what they found too much. 138 Returned, he with the fleet resolved to stay; No tender thoughts of home his heart divide; For realms are households which the great must guide. 139 As those who unripe veins in mines explore 140 So looks our Monarch on this early fight, 141 Heaven ended not the first or second day, Yet each, was perfect to the work designed: 142 In burdened vessels first with speedy care His plenteous stores do seasoned timber send; Thither the brawny carpenters repair And as the surgeons of maimed ships attend. 143 With cord and canvas from rich Hamburg sent And English oak sprung leaks and planks restore. |