A New Song on the Gallant Behaviour of Captain O'Brian and Captain Taylor

Observe this true relation, and listen unto me;
'Tis of a bloody battle, lately fought upon the sea,
By brave Captain O'Brian and his bold English tars,
Commander of that gallant ship, the Temple man-of-war.

The pretty little Griffin did bear her company;
And as they were a-sailing by chance they did espy,
Nigh unto Martinico they did espy there fair,
Three privateers belonging to the French, and after them did steer.

O'Brian said, ' My English lads, now is the only time
To cool the lofty Frenchmen's pride as they sail in their prime';
They answered their captain, ' We will the Frenchmen scare,
We'll venture life and limbs with you in the Temple man-of-war.'

The wind it proved fair, and we after them did steer,
And in a little time, brave boys, we did to them draw near ;
A broadside then we gave them, which made the Frenchmen stare,
They little dream'd so nigh they'd got the Temple man-of-war.

The pretty little Griffin behaved most manfully,
Like showers of hail from our two ships our fiery balls did fly;
The privateers they all three struck to us immediately,
And from their batteries they fir'd, but could not us come nigh.

We turned [unto] their batteries and briskly fired away,
Until their guns and walls, brave boys, came tumbling in the sea;
Their forces they did run for fear, they were so sorely scar'd,
At the pretty little Griffin bold and the Temple man-of-war.

Then further in the harbour two ships we did espy,
Also a strong grand battery, and at them we let fly.
For four days we did stay there, and every night and morn
We did give them a grand salute, and we fired our evening guns.

Two batteries we did then destroy, and five ships took away,
And brought them safe to Guadaloupe, where now they all do stay.
There is but one [man] kill'd, behold, and five that wounded are,
In the pretty little Griffin bold and the Temple man-of-war.