The Poems of Philip Freneau Volume II Part 23

"With four nine pounders, and twelve sixes "We will face that daring band; "Let no dangers damp your courage, "Nothing can the brave withstand.

"Fighting for your country's honour, "Now to gallant deeds aspire; "Helmsman, bear us down upon her, "Gunner, give the word to fire!"

Then yard arm and yard arm meeting, Strait began the dismal fray, Cannon mouths, each other greeting, Belched their smoky flames away: Soon the langrage, grape and chain shot, That from Barney's cannons flew, Swept the _Monk_, and cleared each round top, Killed and wounded half her crew.

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 gla.s.ses, You have humbled one proud foe, No brave action this surpa.s.ses, 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 pa.s.sed in similar circ.u.mstances.

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 s.h.i.+p.[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.

Sir Clinton, thy deeds have been mighty and many, You said all our paper was not worth a penny, ('Tis nothing but rags,[B] quoth honest Will Tryon, Are rags to discourage the Sons of the Lion?)

[B] See his Letters to Gen. Parsons.--_Freneau's note._

But Clinton thought thus--"It is folly to fight, "When things may by easier methods come right, "There is such an art as counterfeit-ation-- "And I'll do my utmost to honour our nation;

"I'll shew this d.a.m.ned country that I can enslave her, "And that by the help of a skilful engraver, "And then let the rebels take care of their bacon, "We'll play them a trick, or I'm vastly mistaken."

But the project succeeded not quite to your liking, So you paid off your artist and gave up bill striking; But 'tis an affair I am glad you are quit on, You had surely been hanged had you tried it in Britain.

At the taking of Charleston you cut a great figure, The terms you propounded were terms full of rigour, Yet could not foresee poor Charley's[C] disgrace, Nor how soon your own colours would go to the case.

[C] Cornwallis.--_Ib._

When the town had surrendered, the more to disgrace ye, (Like another true Briton that did it at 'Statia) You broke all the terms yourself had extended, Because you supposed the rebellion was ended;

Whoever the Tories marked out as a Whig, If gentle, or simple, or little, or big, No matter to you--to kill 'em and spite 'em, You soon had 'em up where the dogs couldn't bite 'em.

Then thinking these rebels were snug and secure, You left them to Rawdon and Nesbit Balfour: (The face of the latter a mask should be drawed on, And to fish for the devil my bait should be Rawdon.)

Returning to York with your s.h.i.+ps and your plunder, And boasting that rebels must shortly knock under, The first thing that struck you, as soon as you landed, Was the fortress at West-Point, where Arnold commanded.

Thought you, "If friend Arnold this fort will deliver, "We then shall be masters of all Hudson's river, "The east and the south losing communication, "The Yankies will die by the act of starvation."

So off you sent Andre (not guided by Pallas) Who soon purchased Arnold, and with him the gallows; Your loss I conceive than your gain was far greater, You lost a good fellow, and got a vile[161] traitor.

Now Carleton comes over to give you relief, A knight like yourself, and commander in chief, But the chief he will get, you may tell the dear honey, Will be a black eye, hard knocks, and no money.

Now with--"Britons, strike home!" your sorrows dispel, Away to your master, and honestly tell, That his arms and his artists can nothing avail, His men are too few, and his tricks are too stale.

Advise him at length to be just and sincere; Of which not a sympton as yet doth appear, As we plainly perceive from his sending Sir Guy The Treaty to break with our Gallic Ally.[162]

[158] First published in the _Freeman's Journal_, May 22, 1782. Sir Henry Clinton was superseded as Commander-in-Chief of the British armies in America by Sir Guy Carleton, who took command May 5, 1782.

[159] "Devil's."--_Ed. 1786._

[160] In 1775 Lord Howe was appointed Admiral of the British fleet in North America and leader of the commission to effect if possible a reconciliation with the colonists. With him were sent two major-generals, Clinton and Burgoyne, to conduct the war with vigor if war were found to be inevitable. The three leaders arrived in Boston May 25, 1775.

[161] "d.a.m.n'd."--_Ed. 1786._

[162] "Commission'd to steal, and commission'd to lie."--_Ed. 1786._

SIR GUY CARLETON'S ADDRESS TO THE AMERICANS[163]

From Britain's famed island once more I come over, (No island on earth is in prowess above her) With powers and commissions your hearts to recover!

Our king, I must tell you, is plagued with a phantom (Independence they call it) that hourly doth haunt him, And relief, my dear rebels, you only can grant him.