vaunting Belgians come to show Their numerous Navy by constraint did fight Thrice have the braver English made them know Their safety 's best pursu'd by hasty slight Twice their expecting people saw them come As prey before the English hunted home 13. Once when unlucky shot disabled quite Our Gen'rals Ships that they could not pursue They getting home brag'd they beat us out-right But to get home with them is to subdue And a Thanksgiving wisely they observ'd For that so many of them were preserv'd 14. But stay my Muse and on the peaceful shore Behold the martial combates on the Seas Such as no age ere veiwed heretofore Nor will succeeding times see after these Where God pays home ingratitude and pride Giving the Conquest to our juster side 15. His Royal Highness first in Person goes With him the brave Prince Rupert each of these More worth than all the Navy of our foes Whom the bold Opdam did not doubt to seise With what odds fought we them if richest prize Can whet the Valour of our Enemies 16. The Fleets engag'd and a fierce conflict grew The clouds of smoke obscur'd the midday Sun From thund'ring Canons storms of bullets flew Driving out souls while streams of blood do run From shatter'd bodies as sometimes you shall In sudden showres see rain from houses fall 17. The frighted Sun himself i' th' smoke doth shroud And threatens night so soon as day 's begun To do his office from no thundring cloud Lightning breaks forth but from the louder Gun When peaceful Heav'n denies its purer light To mortals rage by their own fire they fight 18. Forth from the deadly Engines sirie womb The sp'rit'ous Peter bursting rends the skies And flaming Sulpher raises foaming scum In boiling Seas the fish in water fries The Earth receiving the report doth quake But all this cannot English spirits shake 19. No wonder they did Deisie of old Their valiant Heroes who undaunted run Into the arms of Death resolv'd and bold For Fame and Honour they no peril shun But dangers which all others dread desie A noble soul 's a kind of Deity 20. But if these Heroes had so great renown Who stood in noiseless war pecking out life With flying Arrows hewing bodies down With Swords to let out souls a sporting strife What honours due to him who never shuns The deaths which flies so thick from roaring Guns 21. Guns whose report strikes fearful hearts with death And more with terror than with blows do slay Whose wind doth snatch from untouch't men their breath And passing by can whistle souls away Here cowards hearts dead in their breasts are found Though coming off at last without a wound 22. Guns whose loud thunder shakes the worlds huge frame Into convulsive fits and seems to threat A sudden dissolution of the same Before the wise Creator thinks it fit Yet among these our Worthies boldly stand With hearts unshaken shaking death by th' hand 23. Neptune rows'd with their noise comes up to see What on the surface of his Kingdom 's done Rising he shakes his head to see that he Cannot be Master of the Seas alone But that two daring Fleets are sighting for 't Without Commission from his watry Court 24. He looks upon them and the Dutch he knows Their Land was stol'n from him all their wealth His Tides bring in if nurselings proves his foes He will recover what they got by stealth He fears them not though valiant in a cup He thinks they cannot drink the Ocean up 25. But on the English casts a jealous eye Seeing them mantled all in fire and smoke He fears they will with him for Empire vie Gazing a while deep silence thus he broke What mean these daring mortals who are these Without my leave thus Lord it on the Seas 26. He spies the Duke and fears that Mars is come To ravish Thetis and to rule at Sea Yet thinks he I will send him whistling home And therefore bids the winds to come away But drawing nearer he beheld the Prince And his mistake with a far kinder sence 27. He smooths his ruffled brow and calms the air Comes mildly on doth thus the Duke salute Accept this Trident O thou fiercely fair And rule at Sea see it is Neptune's sute Let all the winds serve thy design and show To thee what reverence to me they owe. 28. Where e're my Trident's known or rule extends From Sea to Sea where e're my tides do flow And to each River which his tribute sends To me do thou a Conquerour still go Ride Sir in Triumph on the Ocean wide And tame these Hogen Mogens swelling pride 29. He said and on his Sea-green Couch sits down To see the issue of the kindling sight By this his Highness hot and eager grown Diffuses valour as the Sun doth light Till by his raies the English all on fire Make the Dutch Valour soon like smoke expire 30. They fire at greatest distance and the air Not us they beat and make the water fly They hope the noise us a far off will scare For they much fear that we will come too nigh But ours bear bravely up nor spent a shot Till almost certain that they loose it not 31. Now near enough discharged Canons send Pluto a present of Dutch souls who take A sudden leave of sprangling corpse and wend To lower shades over the Stygian lake Who came in hopes as high as Ships on float Now sail to their long home in Charon's Boat 32. When our brave Admiral on lofty deck Stands brandishing his Sword confronting death Whose influence to fear in all gives check And inspires valiant heat by his warm breath Whom as a noble prey Opdam espies And with a daring fierceness at him flies 33. Him others follow all the Duke engage Who life to his and death to their men throws From martial brows which with a smiling rage Strike awful love into his very foes Put five to one is odds yet so he shows His presence counter-vaileth four of those 34. Smith saw the unequal combate and straight flew With wind fill'd canvase wings the Duke to shield Himself between the Duke and Dutch he threw Nor gives them time to choose die flie or yield One broad side given unto Opdam blows Him up and blew away the other foes 35. Now bragging Opdam set in Chair of State As still alive though kill'd before some say With cosening shew his men to animate Sinks down in Triumph leading more the way To Stix and Acheron where such as shall Descend will find him Pluto's Admiral 36. Mean while Prince Rupert doth like lightning fall Among the scattered Squadrons of the Dutch VVhere he finds none makes way like Hanibal Who many fights have seen saw never such With murd'ring broad-sides opening passage wide His dreadful Frigate thorough them doth glide 37 Passing on either side he shares his shot To which Dutch Hulls so weak resistance make That speedy death enters
As threaten to Earth up the Sea with men So that our Ships may for the future strand On shelves of bodies not on shelves of sand Methinks I see the swelling billows boil Heat by the fire doth from the Guns recoil The roaring Guns which pierce the parting air With terror we on Land far distant hear They shake the massie Earth and thunder like Houses and Windows into trembling strike And each broad side which strikes my ear I think Now a brave Ship with braver Men doth sink Enraged Mortals striving to out-vie Thunder and Lightning in the lofty skie Darken the air with smoak but fire gives light Or they at noon-day would scarce see to sight Blood from the reeking Decks into the Main Pours down like water in a showr of Rain Discolouring the Ocean by its fall As if 't would turn it to a Red-Sea all Fire-ships set all on flames and make a show As Subterranean fires were from below Broke through the waves and one would think no doubt Fire strove to drink up Sea Sea to quench out The fire and men by their contentious action Put all the Elements into distraction But themselves rue most while the bloody sight Gives blood to them who do in war delight Now on the Decks some shriek with painful And others sinking are in deadly swounds wounds Here a Commander falls th' Opponents hollow The Souldiers soon in death their Leader follow Here from torn shoulder flies an arm and there From shatter'd thigh a leg the bullets tear Here wags a head off this mans brains are dasht Full in the next mans face his bowels pasht On his next neighbour and a third is found Groaning his soul out at a wide-mouth'd wound Here Bullets force drives a heart out which dies To mortals rage a bloody Sacrifice There a head from the bloody neck is rent Mounting as if to hit the Sun it meant Thus the Dutch heads we well may wish to rise And be lift up above their Enemies But I had rather we and they in Peace Might live and War might from all Nations cease Had not Astraea left the Earth and rage Possest mens bosomes in this Iron age Had not sin first divided men from God Then from themselves scattering all abroad To seek new Countries all had still been one Language and People letting Warr alone Sin is the onely make-bate in the World That hath all things into Contention hurl'd But since the Prince of Peace his happy birth Who came to reconcile both things on Earth And things in Heaven methinks those who professe Themselves his Subjects from all wars should cease One faith should be of force hearts to unite In love as much as e're one language might The second Adam should all his restore To the same concord which they had before By nature in the first and not pursue Their Christian Brethren like a Turk or Jew But what a grief 't is to good hearts to see Christians among themselves thus disagree And those for whom Christ spilt his blood life To shed each others blood in lust and strife That those who when they go to sight doe pray To the same God that each may have the day And both doe hope alike in death to be Translated hence to Heavens felicitie Should one another with such fury kill And râ—uch rejoyce each others blood to spill Good Lord how will Heav'n quietly hold those Souls who just now were here such deadly foes If some of either side to Heav'n do come And both to Dutch and English be their home Could Heav'n admit repentance grief and sorrow Find a place there those souls would surely borrow Time from their heav'nly joys this to repent And their unchristian feuds below lament Lament now Christians and leave of your slaughter There 's no bewailing but in Hell hereafter Yet 't is to be bewail'd that such a slood By Christian hands is shed of Christian blood Thus we contend to blood but all the while The holy Spirit grieves and Devils smile All the good Angels too are grieved for 't But your Contention makes the Devils sport And the slain carkases of Christians drest In blood and wounds make Lucifer a Feast And at these broils the Infidels do laugh Christians should weep but yet the most do quaff Such direful deeds just God thou sufferest Sinners for their transgressions to infest In times when blood and wounds make such ado O that our hearts were rightly wounded too And with just grief could bleed as fast as those Poor hearts who have been pierced by their foes Slack Christians slack your fury and employ Your noble Valour for a Victory More worthy praise than any you can gain By numbers of your Christian Brethren slain You Souldiers by Profession are your life A warfare and you must here live in strife But 't is a strife more with your selves than others ' Gainst certain foes and not your Christian brothers The World the Flesh the Devil these are those You must still combate with as mortal foes To your immortal bliss and these will find Tough work enough for the most warlike mind But while with Christian men we do contest We cherish and serve these foes in our brest The World rejoyces Devil takes delight Lusts of the flesh are pleas'd when Christians sight Le ts turn our force then against them and shew What noble acts our Valour there can do The Lord of Hosts our Captain is and will With Armour furnish you courage and skill You need not doubt success at all for he Who fights Gods battails shall have Victorie One lust subdued will you more glory gain Than he whose single Arm an Host hath slain For 't is more honour to o're-come within Our selves our lusts than Cities wall'd to win Great Alexander who subdued all Nations Continued slave still to his lustful Passions Be of good courage then subdue your sin And an eternal Crown and Kingdom win Or if the Warriours spirit can't be laid But it will still in blood and slaughter trade Let Christians valiant and victorious arm Turn to do Turks and Infidels the harm Which now amongst our selves we daily feel And let the Heathen fall upon our Steel There might be rais'd another holy War More truly holy than the first by far Not to get Canaan a Land accurst As well for Jews as Canaanites at first But the insulting Sultan to restrain Who hath so many thousand Christians slain And with his Hundred Thousands oft doth come Pouring destruction into Christendome Forraging wasting all with Fire and Sword Defying and blaspheming Christ our Lord. Leading away such as the Sword doth spare Into a bondage worse than death by far O that all Christian Princes could agree To hamper this Leviathan and free From his outragious Inroades all those Borders Of Christendom where he commits his murders The Asiatick Churches when I think upon Mention'd in Saint John's Revelation Oh how it grieves my heart to think that there
Where sometimes famous Christian Churches were Now Turkish Mosques do stand men adore The Imposture Mahomet where Christ before And those who yet retain a Christian name Have little else of Christ beside the same Their low estate allows no means to gain Such knowledge as is needful to retain Religion pure and perfect Besides must they To this great Turk the tenth child yearly pay The tenth is due O God! to thee alone And must an Infidel thy tribute owne This woe of all their woes is worst to see Their dearest children educated be In blinder Turcism made his Janizars Chief Souldiers against Christians in his Wars When cruel Herod mockt of the Wisemen slew So many Infants he did kindness shew Compared to this Turkish Tyranny For 't is a greater priviledge to die Innocent Martyrs and go hence to glory Than to be train'd up in the cosening story Of Mahomet Poor babes at once must you Be from Christs bosome and your Parents too By Tyrants-force thus miserably torn Better it were you never had been born Let us reflect and think did we now hear The approaching feet of Turkish Officer Entring to take away our darling child Oh what a plight should we be in how wild And quite beside themselves would surely be The tender Mothers of the Infantry Who that their senses have would not desire To see their tender Infants soul expire His brains dasht on the wall before his eyes And how the sprawling Corpse convulsing dies Rather than such should us of them bereave In thraldom and Idolatry to live But who do think on this with pity and Deplores not the sad state of Grecian Land Now then it were a noble enterprise If Christian Princes hearts and Arms would rise To pull down this proud Sultan and restore The Christian Faith where 't flourished before And free afflicted Greece once the Worlds eye From Turkish thraldom and Idolatry And all those Christian souls which yearly come Tribute and Captives from poor Christendome If th' English and Dutch Fleer would both combine T' assist the bold Venetian Worthy of Christian Valour they would make a designe The Vaunting Seigniour with his Gallies quake If throughout all Christendom were more Like those brave Knights of Malta who have swore Destruction to the Turks that would combine Quite to raze out the bloody Ottoman line Then Christendome might flourish and be free From Devastation and Captivitie God grant us Peace at home and send Us Victory abroad and end All Wars 'mong Christian men and cease The Plague his War with men In peace And health grant us to live that we Might still a happy Kingdom be But though the Lord in War on our side stood And gave us Victory for the price of blood Allaying this sore Judgment by success Which in the loss of lives makes grief go less Yet the Plague raging far and nigh destroyes With sweeping slaughter and doth damp our joys This casts my soul into a sad Reflection On the just Vengeance of such dire Infection REFLECTIONS ON THE PESTILENCE JER 9.9 Shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this WHen the just God did visit London first Our danger less our fears were at the worst In every place men stood upon their guard And against Citizens kept Watch and Ward Had we done so against our sins before Less had our danger been our safety more But when this dire Destruction still doth last And round about us fearfully doth wast Harden'd by custom we do nothing fear Our dangers greater but who sheds a tear Our hearts are stone were they of marble kind 'T were well marble sometimes we weeping find On the great City of this sinful Land London with wealth and folk abounding and With sin the cause of woe too God first pour'd The brimful Vial of his wrath and showr'd His ireful Judgments There his Angel drew The Sword of Vengeance and that people slew At first by Tens which soon to Hundreds come Then Thousands weekly sent to their long-home The frighted Citizens begin to fly From House and Habitation lest they die They leave their livelyhood to save their life And where they come their coming makes a strife Lest they bring death with them Towns are in arms To keep out Citizens as mortal harms Waggons and Coaches still in every Road Are met with which they and their Goods do load Where they shall shelter find they scarce do know Yet durst not stay at home where e're they go Some who did thure in stately Houses dwell Now gladly creep into a Countrey-cell And others wandering up and down the Fields No Town or Village them admittance yields Thus from the Rod of God poor Sinners fly Not from their Crimes for which they smart die Alas what boots it from the Plague to start And bear with you a worse Plague in your heart Running will not secure you you 're undone Unless you know how from your selves to run Had you your selves forsaken when at home You need not thus about the Countrey roame Had you fled from your Sins before as fast You need not from the Plague have made such hast Had you been just and honest in your Trade To deal uprightly had a Conscience made False weights and measures and deceitful wares the snares False oaths equivocations lies For simple buyers had you never us'd Nor with great prizes Customers amus'd For which i' th' Countrey you a Proverb are You ask say they just like a Londoner Had not your Shops been Dens of such as theive And lie in wait cunningly to deceive Nay oftentimes your cosening with a shew Of honesty and goodness cloaked too No Plague had likely nigh your dwellings come You might securely still have staid at home Had you but kept your Conscience so you might Your Shops with comfort free from deadly fright But when you turn out Conscience first no doubt Gods Judgments after 't justly turn you out And if you e're get home again beware More Plagues in store for Sinners still there are But for a while here they resolve to be Till London shall be from Contagion free But there Contagion is from which I fear You 'le never find the sinful City clean But now le ts think on those who stay behind Distrest in Body and Estate and Mind Who know not where to sly and fear to stay But yet must bear the burthen of the day A wrathful day a dismal time wherein Thousands receive the wages of their sin Some have no Friends to go to nor yet Coin To make them any some the Laws enjoyn To stay and do their Office some presume And others trust no Plague shall them consume But it increases spreads destroyes doth make Such as remain for fear of death to quake Now might you see red Crosses there great store And Lord have mercy upon many a doore The Wardsman standing as if he were
at ev'ry plot And sinking ships a shrieking farewel take And shiver'd splinters from torn planks that fly To many deaths make one shot multiply 83. Thorough he tacks about and soon returns And from loud Guns repeats the doom of wounds And death to them some sinks some takes some burns And hundreds makes fall into lasting swounds While his besieged batter'd Pinnace stood A floating Castle in a Sea of blood 39. Experience now doth give a just allay To his high metal both in him do meet So duly temper'd that he justly may Lead a Land Army or conduct a Fleet In Conduct wary and in Counsel grave In Courage fiery and in Conquest brave 40. Here gallant Holms too bold defiance gave To Trump and all his fury whom he made ' Twice quit his sinking ship his life to save Who in a Boat got home at last 't is said Where landing if the women could have catch't him For slaughter'd sons and husbands they 'd have scratch't him 41. Now all this time the ecchoing air resounds The noise of war to many aking hearts On trembling Holland and on English grounds Each wound in sympathizing bosomes smarts But now the routed Dutch invoke the winds Hoyse all their sails too slack for flying minds 42. All steer for nearest Ports where their folk stand Expecting them laden with spoils to come But see them with stretcht Canvase fly to Land And the pursuing English drive them home Whose guns and shouts strengthning the winds the more Hast fleeing Belgians to their wisht for shore 43. Got into Harbour there they skulking lie By our Triumphant daring Navy aw'd So creeps the tim'rous Hare to some wood by And squatted lies hearing the Hounds abroad From smitten brests now doleful cries rebound For sons and husbands not returned found 44. Mean while our crouded shore with shouts doth ring Of joyful people which with longing eye Behold the Vessels that doth tidings bring And Colours Trophies of our Victorie And conqu'ring Frigates bringing home their prize Make thundring Guns shake th' earth and rend the skies 45. Whose kind salute our watchful Forts return With as loud welcome and the watry store Proud of the Worthies on its waves are born Curvets and foams and gallops to the shore Where landed Captives and the taken prize Do take our hearts and captivate our eyes 46. Now see the fruit of pious management Of war and all affairs we kept a Fast Before the fight and Heav'n success hath sent Who sow in tears shall reap in joy at last Le ts owe our glory to Humiliation For humble Penitence exalts a Nation 47. What Prayers got let praises give to God Who in the first Engagement turn'd the wind To favour us and be to them a Rod With smoke repell'd to lash them almost blind Nor will our giving God the greatest glory At all eclipse mans honour in the story 48. In giving Thanks we do but sow the seeds Of future blessings and lay up in store That which in time a fruitful harvest breeds And praise for what heav'n gives bespeaks for more Thus do Thanks-givings Victories obtain And Conquests make Thanks-giving-days again 49. Now bragging Holland saw they could not beat The English by their single strength alone From France and Denmark they seek aid to get So hope to match us being three to one We dread them not our trust in God shall be There 's three in one can make our own beat three 50. Our King and Loyal hearts no help require From such consederates our Cause is good And God will blast our foes designs as fire Consumes with sudden blaze the thorny wood Though Nations compass us about we shall In Gods great Name we trust destroy them all 51. The faithless Dane first offer'd friendship here And during Treaty tempts us to his Port To seise the Belg'ans Indies anchor'd there A Squadron under Tyddiman go for 't And under sail to Berghen by the way Each Sea mans mind is laden with his prey 52. Arriv'd they see inclos'd in Rocks their prize First Clifford lands the Governour to treat Who knowledge of his Master's will denies Brib'd by the Dutch he means both Kings to cheat Yet bears us fair in hand if once he knows His Princes will he our design allows 53. Mean while he lets the Belgians plant on shore Their batt'ring Canons to defend their wealth And from his Castle murd'ring pieces roar Fir'd by the Dutch he saith got in by stealth Thus basely dealt with the bold English fall Pell mell to batter Castle Town and all 54 Enrag'd to see themselves thus Tantalize They seek to sink what 's past their pow'r to gain One on a Bed of Spices sweetly dies Others by broken Diamonds are slain Rich Odours fir'd in Ships now cloud the skies As Incense doth from kindled Censors rise 55. But this did not appease incensed minds Our batt'ring balls now shatter houses down Now thorough Castle-wals death entrance finds And folk now fear the Sea will take the Town What will not English spirits bravely dare To do for Ships to storm a Castle 's rare 56. By this the Governour seems to relent Desires to treat again pretending now Th' Agreement made betwixt the King is sent The order owns he first did disavow That what we in their Harbours take shall be Betwixt the Kings divided equallie 57. Now he invites ours to a fresh attempt But limitted with terms to frustrate it They saw his proffers did success exempt And wisely thought a new assault not sit Till they return'd he would secure the prey He promis'd they hoise sail and come away 58. Now whether Denmarks King new counsels took Or Berghens Governour his faith did sell Few day 's expired ere the Dutch forsook The Harbour uncontroul'd but a storm fell Whereby just Heav'n seeing our wrong did bring Part of the prize we fought for to our King 59. Nor shall perfidious Denmark lose his due Heav'n will his kindness unto us repay And he his double dealing erst shall rue When England shall of Holland win the day And then have leisure to remember friends Whose proffer'd leagues but serve their treach'rous ends 60. Mean time the slighted Swede may check the Dane And ballance him on the divided Sound Or ancient fame of Swedish valour gain By flowing Conquests on the Danish ground Whom he may soon in field subdue and then In Coppenhagen block him up agen 61. Nor wish we Munster's Bishop better fate Who got our coin and left us in the lurch By whose deceit we costly learn too late The German faith is not in Roman Church Which keeps no faith with Hereticks we know But did forget that they do count us so 62. Holland of France expects a kind Protector 'T is envy and not love that makes him such I doubt he 'l rather prove a sly projector And only help that he may rule the Dutch So once the Saxons did the Britains aid Until this Kingdom for