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lxiv SONGS AND BALLADS |
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Pills to Purge Melancholy, v. 115). Added to this, Rooke's battle with Toulouse off Malaga on August 13, 1704, gained him neither credit nor popularity, and afforded an opportunity to the satirists, of which they made the most (ib. iv. 112, 113). Specimens of their satires are given on pp. 153, 154.
Nothing has survived on Leake's exploits excepting a rather poor ballad on the capture of a Spanish provision fleet in 1708 (p. 156). There is also a spirited ballad called The Sea-fight, or the French Prize Taken, published in 1707, which professes to describe an action between two single ships (p. 158). .
A contemporary poetaster, describing his voyage to Flanders, inserts some verses ' in the praise of those heroes commanding the fleet,' whom he thus commemorates:
' Russell and Benbow I own to be braves,
And Shovell, like Neptune bred up on the waves ;
Be it spoke to the praise of the bold Captain Jumper,
When he met a French ship he bravely would thump her ;.
Nor ever durst Lewis, or Duke of Burgundy
E'er look in the face of brave Sir John Mundy ;
Denbigh and Dursley are lords of great merit,
And Jennings possesseth an heroic spirit'
On reciting these verses to the captain of a man-of-war, with an appropriate compliment to the captain himself, the poet received an effusive welcome on board. The captain admitted that he was a hero too.
' I am of the blood of the bold Boanerges, And fear not the French when I meet them on surges ; . . . And if you are pleased for to leave your own nation Most proud I shall be of your sweet conversation.'
Incidentally the poet describes the ship setting sail: |
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