The Sailors Account of the Action at Vigo

Muse will have her song ; hark! she merrily sings, .
The praise of a Queen that has beaten two Kings :
Of Ormond and Rook too, and how they fell on,
And flat as a flounder laid Monsieur and Don.
Bright Eugene and Marlborough shou'd live in our rime,
And other brave heroes too, had we but time :
But heroes excuse us, for now Muse and I go,
To raise to the stars the dead-doers at Vigo.
You Monsieurs and Dons', if with losses you meet,
Yet don't be discourag'd, we'll pay off your fleet.

Cries a hawk from the wing, the eagle-ey'd Hardy,
Game ! game ! royal game ! we shall take 'em all tardy :
In Vigo they ride, men of war, galleons,
The might of the Monsieurs and pride of the Dons :
Lead on, great commander, sink, burn, take the Plate;
Twill all be our own, if we don't come too late.
We'll brisk up old England with fame and with plunder :
We'll win't, tho' we charge thoro' lightning and thunder.
You Monsieurs and Dons, if with losses you meet,
Yet don't be discourag'd, we'll pay off your fleet.

Sir George sends the news to the stout Hogen Mogen,
Then squadrons we join without any proroguing :
Soon Vigo we reach, where a deodand cloak,
A cloke sent from heaven, wraps us and our oak.
Unseen we consult, and resolve to break in,
But not with our first rates, least the brine be too thin :
On the thirds high in view, are the first rate commanders,
This rums the brisk seamen, and brandys the landers:
You Monsieurs and Dons, if with losses you meet,
Ytt don't be discourag'd, we'II pay off your fleet.

My dear Baladina, let's stop and take breath :
One glass and no more then; for halting is death.
Here's a health to the Queen. I'll pledg't; one had said,
Sir, speech up your men that they may'nt be afraid.
Afraid ? And a speech ? says a sailor there by,
Sir, you slander the fleet, and your country bely.
Let cowards be speecht, that spur is here vain ;
The English need rather the curb and the rein.
You Monsieurs and Dons', if with losses you meet,
Yet don't be discourag'd, we'll pay off your fleet.

The Second Part.

Great Ormond first lands with his jolly marines,
Then fit to serve Anna the greatest of Queens :
In order they march, two thousand and all,
All handsom young men, all lusty and tall.
Of the Dons and their guns they do but make sport,
Defy their whole army, and ravish their fort:
They had blockt up their port with mast, cable, and chain,
But Hobson soon taught 'em 'twas labour in vain.
You Monsieurs and Dons, if with losses you meet,
Yet don't be discourag'd, we'll pay off your fleet.

Your boom is now cut, and your fort is now taken,
And now, rogues, where are you ? Now where is your bacon ?
Your Shaterino, we shall make him to skip ;
But, scorning to yield her, he burns his tall ship:
'Twas a forest alone, 'tw.as a new Rising Sun,
But alas ! this must set, as the former had done.
Surviving confounders against us still roar,
Excuse them this once and they'll do so no more.
You Monsieurs and Dons, if with losses you meet,
Yet dont be dismayed, we have paid off your fleet.

Now after work, wages, we'll laugh and relate,
O, what a rich cordial is plunder and plate!
Both Monsieurs and Dons had been many moons rigging
And thousands of hands many years had been digging:
But (O, 'tis to them a sad tale to be told !)
For us 'twas they rigg'd, and digg'd silver and gold.
The dreadful now quake, and the poor galleons
Surrender rich cargo to tars and dragoons.
But what is't to us if with losses they meet?
If we had their money, we paid off their fleet.

O, Britain, be thankful for such a good Queen !
The like since great El'zabeth never was seen :
Be thankful for statesmen who don't rob and starve us;
For sea and land worthies that fight to preserve us :
Be thankful for Ormond, the Churchills, and Rook;
But yet, let me tell you, God never will brook
Your cursing and swearing, your lying and cheating ;
These winds are contrary, they'll hinder defeating.
Let Lewis repent too ; for what can he gain,
Who looses his soul for the kingdoms of Spain.