England's Tryumph, and Hollands Downfall ; or, the Second Royal Victory

String up your hearts, and tune your throats,
With merry and triumphant notes ;
Send sorrow from your souls away,
You never had more cause for joy :
The creeple may cast away his crutch,
And dance the downfal of the Dutch.
Great Brittain now may take it's ease,
King Charles is Soveraign of the seas.

The first and second day of June,
Put Holland's trumpets out of tune ;
Prince Rupert and the Duke to boot,
Have given the Dutch-men all the rout:
So bloudily they cut their coats,
And bruis'd and bang'd and burn'd their boats,
They ne're will offer to displease,
King Charles their Soveraign of the seas.

If number would have won the day,
We were less numerous than they ;
When sixteen Zealand ships came in,
If odds would doo't, they needs must win :
For they were ninety-six compleate,
But who can save, whom Heaven will beat.
When God his mercy will express,
Unto the Soveraign of the seas.

The Duke with loyalty inrag'd,
With fifty, ninety-six ingag'd;
But thirty of the Dutch (to meet
Prince Rupert) then did quit their fleet,
Thinking to seize the Prince by slight,
Before their forces could unite :
But no such shallow plots as these,
Can cheat the Soveraign of the seas.

The Prince and Duke did nobly fayn,
Their loyal forces both combine;
And on the foaming billows curl'd,
They bid defiance to the world :
The Dutch ingage with all their powers,
And scatter on us shot like showers ;
But 'tis not such poor powers, as these,
Can quell the Soveraign of the seas.

Almost as swiftly as desir'd,
Fourteen of theirs were took and fir'd ;
But their Vice-Admiral did meet,
Our Duke i' th' front of all his fleet:
They were so near they might have clutcht,
Almost shook hands, their yard-arms touch'd ;
But George's broad-side did displease,
The foe to th' Soveraign of the seas.

The fight was then so fierce and hot,
His hand was bruis'd, his breeches shot;
Yet though they came so hotly on,
As soon they vanished and were gon ;
Forty or fifty men of ours,
Were kill'd and knock'd down by their powers,
Yet some of these (though with much pain)
Appeared upon the decks again.

Prince Rupert like the god of war,
Through their fleet shot like a star ;
Whose influence like lightning shone,
And pierc'd the marrow through the bone:
The seas with bloud were much imbru'd,
The Dutch-men fled, our men pursu'd,
Till none were seen that could displease,
King Charles the Soveraign of the seas.

So long as we had powder, we
Pursu'd the Dutchmen through the sea;
And their du Ruiter, he in whom,
They builded all their hopes to come :
Four of their greatest ships were sunck,
They cry, ' The devil's in the Monck,'
Never such men appear'd alike these,
To guard the Soveraign of the seas.

A gallant ship of theirs was fyr'd,
With seventy six guns double tyr'd;
Our Henery, a ship of fame,
From three fire-ships escaped the flame :
And was so strong beset, that then
She lost at least one hundred men.
We must indure such hurts as these,
To guard the Soveraign of the seas.

By sea, so black and red a fight,
No time or age e'er brought to light;
The fire and water did contend,
Which should first bring them to their end:
More valiant men kill'd in three dayes,
Then three and twenty years can raise.
We can't afford such brunts as these,
To guard the Soveraign of the seas.

On Whitsunday the Duke did send
His men for cure, and ships to mend
Unto our English coast, where care
Is taken for their swift repair:
These cards thus dealt, out of the lump,
The Royal Katherine turn'd up trump.
A sacrifice which doth appease
The Royal Soveraign of the seas.

To summe up all, 'tis thought they are
Unfit to raise another war ;
'Tis much presum'd, 'cause they did fail,
When they had made out all their sayl:
These are some of those warlike tricks,
'Becket presag'd in sixty six.
Yet alwayes such events as these
Secure the Soveraign of the seas.