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TAKING OF THE PRINCISSA 175
And our poor tradesmen full employ'd,
To their great satisfaction. Then let us all in love unite, And stand for the King and country's right; Boldly with proud Spain we'll fight,
And thus end all distraction. |
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THE TAKING OF THE PRINCISSA.
You brave English sailors that plow the ocean wide,
There are no better fellows in all the world beside;
Give ear unto a bloody fight to you I will display
Between a Spanish man-of-war, and the Kent, near Cator Bay.
The Lennox and the Orford was cruising thereabout,
And by a Spanish man-of-war they quickly were spy'd out.
Under French colours she down upon us bore,
Thinking we were two merchant ships which had of riches store ;
The third she thought a man-of-war our convoy for to be,
And soon she tho't to have taken us, if not more force than she;
But whilst our English man-of-war did preparations make,
And when that she came up with her, it prov'd a sad mistake.
She carried five hundred seamen, four hundred marines, Most of them Irish fellows, who fought with [courage keen]; Seventy-four guns she mounted, all of the largest size, With which she thought of our ships to make a noble prize, But she was much mistaken, as plainly doth appear, For we have made a prize of her, and she's arrived here.
The Lennox, Captain Manning, receiv'd the first broadside, Which carried away his foremast, and his bowsprit beside; This sad unhappy accident he would no longer stay; He was so sore disabled, was forc'd to bear away ; But for to shew his courage bold altho' distressed sore, He did a thundering broadside into the Spaniard pour.
The next run up the Kent, with Captain Durell bold, Who gave to them a good broadside, like jolly hearts of gold, Which scar'd the Spanish captain so, he was just going to strike, •So certainly he had it done, but for an Irish tike, Which was his first lieutenant, who with the men combin'd; He said ' I'll fight the ship myself, the captain we'll confine. |
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