History & Politics

The Second Part of the Late and Terrible Fight on St. James's Day, 1666

by Anonymous (Naval Songs and Ballads) 16th–19th century

From Naval Songs and Ballads, ed. C. H. Firth (1908)

History & Politics

A Second Part I here indite
Of the English and Dutch bloody fight,
With a thump, thump, thump, thump, thump,
Thump, thump upon thump.
This only tells what was done since
The renowned Duke and famous Prince
Made the Seven-headed Beast to wince,
With a thump, etc.

As you the first so sing this too
To the French tune call'd Monsieur Ragou
With a thump, etc.
Or else because that this discourses
Of Beaufort's and De Ruyter's forces,
Call the tune the Dancing Hobby Horses,
With a thump, etc.

Sing not High English in Low Dutch,
Though now our foes are truly such,
With a thump, etc.
This must be sung, not said at all,
And they that sing must rise and fall :
In this ballad too the tune is all,-
With a thump, etc.

The terrible fight on St. James's Day
Ended with Ruyter's running away,
With a thump, etc.
The first part did th' officers prayse,
The Duke of York and King now saies
The sea-men too deserve some bays,
With a thump, etc.

For though the officers bear the bell
The private sea-men rang the Dutch knel,
With a thump, etc.
The Bores fought well, with brandy drunk ;
But in two houres their courage sunk,
And then like beaten stock-fish stunk,
With a thump, etc.

Goliath-like look'd Houndsfoot and Skellum,
But Monk and's fryers with sling and stones fell 'urn,
With a thump, etc.
Ruyter swears that Trump came not to ;s aid;
Trump swears Ruyter ran like coward, afraid.
We had done both their works had they staid,
With a thump) etc.

While Trump and Ruyter sneake in th' Welling
The brave English land at Uly and Schelling
With a thump) etc.
A thousand homes with eight score ships
We fired like so many chips,
And made the States to bite their lips,
With a thump) etc.

This was a most prodigious rap,
To loose five millions at a clap,
With a thump) etc.
We beg but one boon more, kinde Fates,
Their India fleet, and then, proud States,
Wee'l make you shit as small as rats,
With a thump) etc.

Old Rome neere did ought worth a doyt,
Compar'd with Holmes's brave exploit,
With a thump) etc.
The tale of ten years' war for Hellen
Homer had never thought worth telling
Had he but heard of Uly and Schelling,
With a thump) etc.

Twelve East-land ships did likewise fall in-
To the hands of stout Sir Thomas Alien,
With a thump) etc.
And now, in spite of Adelar
And Beaufort too, we've pitch and tarr
And ropes enough to end the warr
With a thump) etc.

Our victory hath but one flaw,
The unhappy loss of the Breda,
Without any thump, etc.
On the Dutch coast she ran aground,
And without men was strangely found :
They merit hanging if not drown'd,
With a thump, etc.

This vessel's luck was never good ;
In her five captains lost their blood,
With a thump, etc.
At her mishap we must not grutch ;
'Twas Heaven's will it should be such,
Because that the ship's name was Dutch.
With a thump, etc.

Alas ! alas ! poor baffi'd Hans,
The Dane can't ayd thee, nor dares France.
Thou, thou hast had thump upon thump,
Thump) thump upon thump.
The Monsieur's fleet a mangy crew is.
Monk's brave boys eat beef and brewis,
Cry, ' A f—— for Denmark and King Lewis ! '
With a thump, etc.

Bow then to Charles, distressed States,
After so many broken pates,
With a thump, thump still upon thump, etc.
Beg peace, or next your banks shall rue,
And we will give the Divel his due ;
He shall take Monsieur, the sea drown you ;
'Then are ye both thumpt, and mumpt, and mumpt, etc.

Now, to conclude, I will take care,
As ballads use to end with prayer,
With a thump, etc. ;
For ballads made of the old fashion
Should still conclude with supplication
For King and Queen, and the whole nation,
With a thump, etc.

God bless the Swede, he's not our foe,
And Spain's King too, though France say no ;
They both wish the Dutch well thumpt, thumpt, etc.
Heaven send our fleet auspicious gales,
Our King and Queen a Prince of Wales,
And then let who will bite their nayles
When we all our foes have thumpt and mumpt, etc.

MLA

Anonymous (Naval Songs and Ballads). “The Second Part of the Late and Terrible Fight on St. James's Day, 1666.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-naval-songs/18/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Naval Songs and Ballads). “The Second Part of the Late and Terrible Fight on St. James's Day, 1666.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-naval-songs/18/.

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