Ode on England’s Naval Triumphs in the present War

Sublime to all the rising winds
BRITANNIA’S ensigns gaily stream;
From HOWE’S bright day proud Gallia finds
Her naval strength a vanish’d dream;
“That Britain rules the subject waves,
“And vows her sons shall ne’er be slaves.

When JERVIS, on the Atlantic deep,
Intrepid crush’d Iberia’s sails,
He taught St Vincent’s rocky steep,
Her torrid hills, and sultry vales,
“That great Britannia rul’d the waves,
“And vow’d her sons should ne’er be slaves.

And when illustrious DUNCAN stood
To France and Holland’s blended train,
In tyrant and apostate blood
Afresh he stampt the patriot strain,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.

But hark! from Afric’s glowing shores
What sounds exulting Glory brings!
How loud Britannia’s Lion roars,
How high her Genius soars--and sings
“Rule Britannia, &c.

The motley flag of France no more
Shall vaunting greet her bloody coast,
Before resistless NELSON’S power
It sunk!--appall’d!--o’erwhelm’d!--and lost!
“Rule Britannia, &c.

Invaded Egypt, at the sight,
Her grateful shores illumin’d wide;
Old Nile records that wondrous night,
Resounding o’er his purpled tide,
“Rule Britannia, &c.

Ye partners of that matchless hour,
Return, to future ages famed;
Return the charter’d song to pour
When NELSON and the Nile are named,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.

* * * * *

The flag of triumph yet again
Floats from the temple’s gilded height!
Gay fires ascend!--the patriot strain
Redoubled rends the vault of night!
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves!

On green Ierne’s menaced strand
Rebellion, darkly cowering, stood,
And heard the charter’d song expand
’Mid skies of flame, o’er seas of blood,
“Rule Britannia, &c.

Saw fell Invasion’s routed horde,
Victorious WARREN, strike to thee,
Loud as thy cannon’s thunder pour’d,
And hail’d redeem’d Ierne free,
Whose sons, while Britain rules the waves,
To haughty France shall ne’er be slaves.

O SOURCE OF MERCIES! to thy name
Shall Praise her grateful notes prolong,
That thus ascends, in high acclaim,
Thy favour’d nation’s hallow’d song,
“Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
“Britons never shall be slaves.”