The fight was off the Frenchman’s land; We forced them back upon the strand; For we fought till not a stick would stand Of the gallant Arethusa. And now we’ve driven the foe ashore, Never to fight the Britons more, Let each fill a glass To his fav’rite lass, A health to the captains and officers true, And all that belong to the jovial crew On board of the Arethusa. ―――― THE ARIEL’S CREW, SIR. Come every jolly rower bold, Whose heart is cast in honour’s mould, While Nuneham’s glories I unfold, Huzza for the Ariel’s crew, Sir. She is a vessel tight and brave As ever skimm’d the ruffled wave; Her lads are staunch to their fav’rite launch, And when the race shall try our fire, Sooner than yield we’ll all expire, The dauntless “Ariel” crew, Sir. ’Twas in the Regatta she went out In Nuneham’s reach to cruise about, Three rival boats, in show so stout, Bore down on the “Ariel” crew, Sir; The “Isis” bold straight ahead did ply, The sprightly “Ariel” seemed to fly; Not an arm, nor a back, nor a nerve did she slack; Though the foemen laugh’d, and thought it was stuff, Knowing not the handful of lads how tough Were the dauntless “Ariel” crew, Sir. Eight strong-arm’d men on their oars did bend, The stoutest Oxford Town could send; We eight bold youngsters did contend, The plucky “Ariel” crew, Sir. Our cockswain hail’d the “Isis,” “Ho,” The Isis-men roared out “Hallo!” “You’ll ne’er win the cup, so you’d better give it up;” “No, no,” cries the “Ariel,” “that can’t be, For I mean to lug it along with me, For the use of the ‘Ariel’ crew, Sir.” The race was off the Nuneham shore, (Such a race as ne’er was seen before,) We pressed them hard, and beat them sore, The youthful “Ariel” crew, Sir. And now we’ve beat the rival crew, And shown what skill and pluck can do, Let each fill a glass to his fav’rite lass: Here’s a health to Maclean and conservatives all, And may success and honour befall The lads of the “Ariel” crew, Sir,! G. V. Cox. August, 1839. [“Oxford, in the long vacation 1839, was enlivened by a Nuneham Regatta, a conservative festivity, at which Mr. Maclean (M.P. for Oxford City, and M.A. of Balliol College) was the presiding genius, as well as the chief payer of the piper. I am tempted to introduce here a parody on the famous song of ‘The Gallant Arethusa,’ in honour of the nine young gentlemen, natives of Oxford, who, as the crew of the ‘Ariel’ carried off the chief honours of this regatta.” p. 309, _Recollections of Oxford_. 1789-1860, by G. V. Cox.]