Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Sources; Pitt, William, Earl of Chatham, 1708-1778; Walpole, Robert, Earl of Orford, 1676-1745
As, near _Porto-Bello_ lying,
On the Gently swelling Flood,
At Midnight, with Streamers flying,
Our triumphant Navy rode,
There, while _Vernon_ sate all Glorious
From the _Spaniards_ late Defeat,
And his Crew with Shouts victorious
Drank Success to England's Fleet;
II.
On a sudden, shrilly sounding,
Hideous Yells and Shrieks were heard;
Then, each Heart with fear confounding,
A sad Troop of Ghosts appear'd;
All in dreary Hammocks shrouded,
Which for winding Sheets they wore;
And with Looks by Sorrow clouded,
Frowning on that hostile Shore.
III.
On them gleam'd the Moon's wan Lustre,
When the Shade of _Hosier_ brave
His Pale Bands was seen to muster,
Rising from their wat'ry Grave;
O'er the glimmering Wave he hy'd him,
Where the _Burford_[16] rear'd her Sail,
With three thousand Ghosts beside him,
And in Groans did _Vernon_ hail.
IV.
"Heed, oh heed our fatal Story!
"I am _Hosier's_ injur'd Ghost;
"You, who now have purchas'd Glory
"At this Place, where I was lost;
"Tho' in _Porto-Bello's_ ruin
"You now triumph, free from fears,
"When you think on our undoing,
"You will mix your Joy with Tears,
V.
"See these mournful Spectres sweeping,
"Ghastly, o'er this hated wave,
"Whose wan Cheeks are stain'd with _weeping_,
"These were English Captains brave;
"Mark those Numbers pale and horrid,
"Who were once my Sailors bold;
"Lo, each hangs his drooping forehead,
"While his dismal Fate is told.
VI.
"I by twenty Sail attended,
"Did this _Spanish_ Town affright,
"Nothing then its wealth defended,
"But my Orders not to fight;
"Oh that in this rolling Ocean
"I had cast them with disdain,
"And obey'd my heart's warm motion
"To reduce the Pride of _Spain_.
VII.
"For resistance I could fear none.
"But with twenty Ships had done,
"What thou, brave and happy _Vernon_,
"Hast achiev'd with Six alone.
"Then the Bastimentos never
"Had our foul Dishonour seen,
"Nor the Sea the sad Receiver
"Of this gallant train had been.
VIII.
"Thus, like thee, proud _Spain_ dismaying,
"And her Galleons leading home,
"Tho' condemn'd for disobeying,
"I had met a Traytor's Doom:
"To have fall'n, my Country crying
"He has play'd an _English_ part,
"Had been better far than Dying,
"Of a griev'd and broken Heart.
IX.
"Unrepining at thy Glory,
"Thy successful Arms we hail,
"But remember our sad Story
"And let _Hosier's_ wrongs prevail;
"After this proud Foe subduing,
"When your Patriot Friends you see,
"Think of Vengeance for my ruin,
"And for _England_ sham'd in me."
II. _GREAT BRITAIN'S GLORY; OR, THE STAY-AT-HOME FLEET._
A NEW BALLAD.
_Tune of, "Packington's Pound."_
+Source.+--First verse of original broadside in the British Museum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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