Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Poetry; Sea songs -- Great Britain
What, must we still wait on your leasure, or is not your money yet
coyn’d?
We mean to have some of your treasure for no children of us you
shall find:
We scorn for to wait on such puppies, we have other fish for to fry:
Then hang up your States, your masters and mates, _that sent you to
seas for to dye_.
Then leave of your jeering and mocking, and murmure at home and
repine,
’Tis better then for to be knocking upon the salt ocean brine:
Then cast up your caps and be merry, brave English boyes let them
flye,
And pray for King Charles and his navy, _and let the proud
Hollanders dye_.
_ENGLAND’S TRYUMPH, AND HOLLANDS DOWNFALL; OR, THE SECOND ROYAL
VICTORY._
Obtain’d upon the Hollanders fleet, in a sea-fight, by the King of
Great Brittains Royal Navy, under the conduct of his Highness Prince
Rupert, and His Grace, George Duke of Albemarle; as it was heroically
fought, and undoubtfully disputed on the 1, 2d, 3d and 4th of June,
1666.
To the tune of, _A Fig for France and Holland too_, etc.
String up your hearts, and tune your throats,
With merry and triumphant notes;
Send sorrow from your souls away,
You never had more cause for joy:
The creeple may cast away his crutch,
And dance the downfal of the Dutch.
Great Brittain now may take it’s ease,
King Charles is Soveraign of the seas.
The first and second day of June,
Put Holland’s trumpets out of tune;
Prince Rupert and the Duke to boot,
Have given the Dutch-men all the rout:
So bloudily they cut their coats,
And bruis’d and bang’d and burn’d their boats,
They ne’re will offer to displease,
King Charles their Soveraign of the seas.
If number would have won the day,
We were less numerous than they;
When sixteen Zealand ships came in,
If odds would doo’t, they needs must win:
For they were ninety-six compleate,
But who can save, whom Heaven will beat.
When God his mercy will express,
Unto the Soveraign of the seas.
The Duke with loyalty inrag’d,
With fifty, ninety-six ingag’d;
But thirty of the Dutch (to meet
Prince Rupert) then did quit their fleet,
Thinking to seize the Prince by slight,
Before their forces could unite:
But no such shallow plots as these,
Can cheat the Soveraign of the seas.
The Prince and Duke did nobly fayn,
Their loyal forces both combine;
And on the foaming billows curl’d,
They bid defiance to the world:
The Dutch ingage with all their powers,
And scatter on us shot like showers;
But ’tis not such poor powers, as these,
Can quell the Soveraign of the seas.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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