Captain Rogers strove to rally But they from their quarters fled, While the roaring _Hyder Ali_ Covered o'er his decks with dead. When from their tops their dead men tumbled, And the streams of blood did flow, Then their proudest hopes were humbled By their brave inferior foe. All aghast, and all confounded, They beheld their champions fall, And their captain, sorely wounded, Bade them quick for quarters call. Then the _Monk's_ proud flag descended, And her cannon ceased to roar; By her crew no more defended, She confessed the contest o'er. Come, brave boys, and fill your glasses, You have humbled one proud foe, No brave action this surpasses, Fame shall tell the nations so-- Thus be Britain's woes completed, Thus abridged her cruel reign, 'Till she ever, thus defeated, Yields the sceptre of the main. [157] First published in the _Freeman's Journal_ May 8, 1782, with the following introduction: "Mr. Bailey: "Reading Capt. Barney's late gallant exploit in your and other newspapers, I could not restrain myself from scribbling the few following stanzas relative to that affair and descriptive not of what was really said or done in the most minute particulars but of what might be supposed to have passed in similar circumstances. Yours, RUSTICUS. "Dover, April 26, 1782. "To the Tune of the Tempest or Hosier's Ghost." The omission of this stirring lyric from the edition of 1795 I can ascribe only to accident. ON SIR HENRY CLINTON'S RECALL[158] The dog that is beat has a right to complain-- Sir Harry returns a disconsolate man, To the face of his master, the Lord's[159] oil-anointed, To the country provided for thieves disappointed. Our freedom, he thought, to a tyrant must fall, He concluded the weakest must go to the wall; The more he was flattered, the bolder he grew-- He quitted the old world to conquer the new. But in spite of the deeds he has done in his garrison, (And they have been curious beyond all comparison) He now must go home, at the call of his king, To answer the charges that Arnold may bring. But what are the acts that this chief has atchieved?-- If good, it is hard he should now be aggrieved, And the more, as he fought for his national glory, Nor valued, a farthing, the right of the story. This famous great man, and two birds[A] of his feather, In the _Cerberus_ frigate came over together; But of all the bold chiefs that re-measure the trip, Not two have been known to return in one ship.[160] [A] Generals Howe and Burgoyne.--_Freneau's note._ Like children that wrestle and scuffle in sport, They are very well pleased as long as unhurt, But a thump on the nose, or a blow in the eye, Ends the fray--and they go to their daddy and cry.