Captain Farmer

The muse and the hero together are fir'd,
The same noble views have their bosoms inspir'd;
As freedom they love, and for glory contend,
The muse o'er the hero still mourns as a friend;
His name from the jaws of oblivion to save,
The muse shall immortalize Farmer the brave.

His ship was the Quebec, fatal, glorious name,
The source to Britannia of sorrow and fame.
We've twice to our cost that name ill-omen'd found,
But now we've no balsam to heal this fresh wound,
For then tho' Wolfe's loss to our joy gave a check,
Whilst we morn'd for the chief we rejoic'd for Quebec.

At daybreak, ere Phcebus had shed his blest light,
Three sail he espy'd, and prepar'd for to fight;
October the 6th, anno seventy-nine,
With a forty-gun ship he in battle did join ;
At nine in the morning began the fierce fray,
Which without intermission held most of the day.

Five hours and upwards the action did last;
The shrouds were all torn, and they lost every mast;
Tho' thicker than hail the dread bullets did fly
Yet still to his men gallant Farmer did cry,
'Fight away, my brave boys; I will spend my last breath
Ere I'll yield to the foe: give me conquest or death.'

At length the proud foe was constrain'd to retire;
They steer'd to some distance and slackened their fire.
The victory, Hibernia, had then been thy son's,
But the sails of the Quebec were fir'd by her guns.
Then all was distraction, confusion, despair:
The vessel took fire and blew up in the air.

Thus fell gallant Farmer, the generous and brave ;
The Rambler in vain strove his life for to save.
Her long boat she hoist out for to take up the crew,
But the sea rose too high, and too hard the wind blew.
Seventeen she picked up on the waves that did float;
The barbarous enemy fir'd at the boat.

Ye sons of Hibernia, for valour renown'd,
The praises of Farmer, your hero, resound ;
His name bright shall shine. Then a truce to all grief;
Vernon, Warren, Tyrrell shall welcome the chief,
And the brave British Cornwall with pleasure shall crown
An Hibernian whose exit resembled his own.

Taught by his great example let's danger defy;
For the sake of our country let's conquer or die.
May our navy triumphant ride over the main,
And check .the presumption of Gallia and Spain ;
And, oh ! may some hero rise ere 'tis too late,
Chastise insolent Jones, and revenge Farmer's fate !