125.

Ply'd thick and clofe as when the fight begun,
Their huge unwieldy navy wastes away:
So ficken waining moons too near the fun,
And blunt their crefcents on the edge of day.
126.

And now reduc'd on equal terms to fight,

Their fhips like wafted patrimonies show; Where the thin fcattering trees admit the light, And fhun each other's fhadows as they grow.

127.

The warlike prince had fever'd from the rest

Two giant fhips, the pride of all the main; Which with his one fo vigoroufly he prefs'd, And flew fo home they could not rise again.

128.

Already batter'd, by his leé they lay,

In vain upon the paffing winds they call:
The paffing winds through their torn canvass play,
And flagging fails on heartlefs failors fall.

129.

Their open'd fides receive a gloomy light,

Dreadful as day let into fhades below:
Without grim death rides barefac'd in their fight,
And urges entering billows as they flow.

130.

When one dire fhot, the laft they could fupply,
Close by the board the prince's main-mast bore:

Ail three now helpless by each other lie,

And this offends not, and those fear no more.

131.

So have I feen fome fearful hare maintain

A course, till tired before the dog the lay: Who ftretch'd behind her pants upon the plain, Paft power to kill,

as fhe to get away.
F 4

132. With

132.

With his loll'd tongue he faintly licks his prey;
His warm breath blows her flix up as the lies;
She trembling creeps upon the ground away,
And looks back to him with befeeching eyes.
133.

The prince unjustly does his ftars accufe,
Which hinder'd him to push his fortune on;
For what they to his courage did refuse,
By mortal valour never must be done.

134.

This lucky hour the wife Batavian takes,

And warns his tatter'd fleet to follow home: Proud to have fo got off with equal stakes, Where 'twas a triumph not to be o'ercome. 135.

The general's force as kept alive by fight,

Now not oppos'd no longer can purfue:
Lafting 'till heaven had done his courage right;,
When he had conquer'd he his weakness knew.
136.

He cafts a frown on the departing foe,

And fighs to fee him quit the watery field:
His ftern fix'd eyes no fatisfaction show,
For all the glories which the fight did yield.

137.

Though as when fiends did miracles avow,

He stands confefs'd e'en by the boastful Dutch: He only does his conqueft difavow,

And thinks too little what they found too much. 138.

Return'd, he with the fleet refolv'd to ftay;

No tender thoughts of home his heart divide; Domestic joys and cares he puts away;

For realms are houfholds which the great muft guide.

139. As

139.

As those who unripe veins in mines explore,
On the rich bed again the warm turf lay,
Till time digefts the yet imperfect ore,
And know it will be gold another day:

140.

So looks our monarch on this early fight,
Th'effay and rudiments of great fuccefs:
Which all-maturing time muft bring to light,.

73

While he like heaven does each day's labour bless, 141.

Heaven ended not the first or fecond day,

Yet each was perfect to the work design'd; God and kings work, when they their work furvey, A paffive aptness in all subjects find.

142.

In burden'd veffels firft with fpeedy care,

His plenteous ftores do season'd timber fend; Thither the brawny carpenters repair,

And as the furgeons of maim'd fhips attend,
143.

With cord and canyafs from rich Hamburgh fent,
His navies molted wings he imps once more:

Tall Norway fir, their mafts in battle, spent,
And English oak, fprung leaks and planks, reftore,
144.

All hands employ'd the royal work grows warm:
Like labouring bees on a long fummer's day,
Some found the trumpet for the reft to swarm,
And fome on bells of tafted lillies play.

145.

With glewy wax fome new foundations lay
Of virgin.combs which from the roof are hung:
Some arm'd within doors upon duty stay,

Or tend the fick, or educate the young.

146. So

146.

So here fome pick out bullets from the fides,
Some drive old okum through each feam and rift:
Their left hand does the calking iron guide,
The rattling mallet with the right they lift.
147.

With boiling pitch another near at hand,

From friendly Sweden brought, the feams in-ftops: Which well paid o'er, the falt fea waves withstand, And shakes them from the rifing beak in drops.

148.

Some the gall'd ropes with dawby marline bind,
Or fear-cloth mafts with ftrong tarpawling coats :
To try new throuds one mounts into the wind,
And one below their ease or ftiffness notes.

149.

Our careful monarch ftands in person by,
His new-caft cannons firmnels to explore:
The ftrength of big-corn'd powder loves to try,
And ball and cartridge forts for every bore.

150.

Each day brings fresh fupplies of arms and men,
And fhips which all laft winter were abroad;
And fuch as fitted fince the fight had been,
Or new from flocks, were fallen into the road.
151.

The goodly London in her gallant trim,
The Phoenix, daughter of the vanish'd old,
Like a rich bride does to the ocean fwim,
And on her fhadow rides in floating gold.

152.

Her flag aloft fpread ruffling to the wind,

And fanguine ftreamers feem the flood to fire: The weaver charm'd with what his loom defign'd, Goes on to fea, and knows not to retire.

153. With

153.

With roomy decks, her guns of mighty strength,
Whofe low-laid mouths each mounting billow laves:
Deep in her draught, and warlike in her length,
She feems a fea-wafp flying on the waves.

154.

This martial present, piously defign'd,

The loyal city give their beft-lov'd King: And with a bounty ample as the wind,

Built, fitted and maintain'd, to aid him bring.

155.

By viewing nature, nature's handmaid, art

Makes mighty things from fmall beginnings grow

Thus fishes first to shipping did impart,

Their tail the rudder, and their head the prow.
156.

Some log perhaps upon the waters swam,
An useless drift, which rudely cut within,
And hollow'd firft a floating trough became,
And cross fome rivulet paffage did begin.

157.

In fhipping fuch as this, the Irish kern,

And untaught Indian on the ftream did glide:
Ere fharp-keel'd boats to ftem the flood did learn,
Or fin-like oars did fpread from either fide.
158.

Add but a fail, and Saturn fo appear'd,

When from loft empire he to exile went,
And with the golden age to Tyber steer'd,
Where coin and commerce first he did invent.

159.

Rude as their fhips was navigation then;
No useful compass or meridian known;

Coafting, they kept the land within their ken,
And knew no North but when the Pole-ftar fhone.

160. Of