51 Together to the watery camp they haste, Whom matrons passing to their children show : Infants' first vows for them to heaven are cast, And future people bless them as they go. 52 With them no riotous pomp, nor Asian train, 53 Diffusive of themselves, where'er they pass, 54 Our fleet divides, and straight the Dutch appear, 55 The Duke, less numerous, but in courage more, 56 Both furl their sails, and strip them for the fight; 57 Borne each by other in a distant line, The sea-built forts in dreadful order move: So vast the noise, as if not fleets did join, 58 Now pass'd, on either side they nimbly tack; 59 On high-raised decks the haughty Belgians ride, 60 And as the build, so different is the fight; Their mounting shot is on our sails design'd: And through the yielding planks a passage find. 61 Our dreaded admiral from far they threat, Whose batter'd rigging their whole war receives: All bare, like some old oak which tempests beat, He stands, and sees below his scatter'd leaves. 62 Heroes of old, when wounded, shelter sought; 63 At this excess of courage, all amazed, The foremost of his foes awhile withdraw: 64 And now, as where Patroclus' body lay, Here Trojan chiefs advanced, and there the Greek ; 65 Meantime his busy mariners he hastes, His shatter'd sails with rigging to restore; Whose lofty heads rise higher than before. 66 Straight to the Dutch he turns his dreadful prow, More fierce the important quarrel to decide : Like swans, in long array his vessels show, Whose crests advancing do the waves divide. 67 They charge, recharge, and all along the sea They drive, and squander the huge Belgian fleet; Berkeley 1 alone, who nearest danger lay, Did a like fate with lost Creusa meet. 68 The night comes on, we eager to pursue The combat still, and they ashamed to leave: 69 In the English fleet each ship resounds with joy, And loud applause of their great leader's fame: In fiery dreams the Dutch they still destroy, And, slumbering, smile at the imagined flame. 70 Not so the Holland fleet, who, tired and done, Stretch'd on their decks like weary oxen lie; Faint sweats all down their mighty members run; Vast bulks which little souls but ill supply. 71 In dreams they fearful precipices tread: Or, shipwreck'd, labour to some distant shore: Or in dark churches walk among the dead; They wake with horror, and dare sleep no more. 1 Berkeley:' Vice-admiral Berkeley fought till his men were all killed, and was found in the cabin dead and covered with blood. 72 The morn they look on with unwilling eyes, Till from their main-top joyful news they hear Of ships, which by their mould bring new supplies, And in their colours Belgian lions bear. 73 Our watchful general had discern'd from far This mighty succour, which made glad the foe: He sigh'd, but, like a father of the war, His face spake hope, while deep his sorrows flow. 74 His wounded men he first sends off to shore, They, not their wounds, but want of strength deplore, 75 Then to the rest, Rejoice, said he, to-day; In you the fortune of Great Britain lies: Among so brave a people, you are they Whom Heaven has chose to fight for such a prize. 76 If number English courages could quell, We should at first have shunn'd, not met, our foes, Whose numerous sails the fearful only tell: Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows. 77 He said, nor needed more to say: with haste To their known stations cheerfully they go; And all at once, disdaining to be last, Solicit every gale to meet the foe. 78 Nor did the encouraged Belgians long delay, 79 Our little fleet was now engaged so far, That, like the sword-fish in the whale, they fought: The combat only seem'd a civil war, Till through their bowels we our passage wrought. 80 Never had valour, no not ours, before Done aught like this upon the land or main, Than all the conquests former kings did gain. 81 The mighty ghosts of our great Harries rose, By which fate promised them their Charles should rise. 82 Meantime the Belgians tack upon our rear, And raking chase-guns through our sterns they send : 83 Silent in smoke of cannon they come on: 84 Sometimes from fighting squadrons of each fleet, Deceived themselves, or to preserve some friend, Two grappling Etnas on the ocean meet, And English fires with Belgian flames contend. 85 Now at each tack our little fleet grows less; Cacus' see Virgil in Cowper's translation, 2d vol. of this edition. |