Selected quad for the lemma: water_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A50419
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To His Royall Highnesse, the Duke of Yorke on our late sea-fight.
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Mayne, Jasper, 1604-1672.
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1665
(1665)
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Wing M1479; ESTC R17842
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2,789
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10
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TO HIS ROYALL HIGHNESSE The DUKE OF YORKE On our late Sea-fight WARRE the Supreme Decider of a Cause Where wrongs are grown too bold and strong for Lawes And where no power of Justice can prevaile Lesse then an armed Fleet and conquering Sayle Ingag'd our English Okes which long had stood The peacefull shades and Glories of the Wood And whose large ribs afforded harmlesse Beames For other Buildings then what float on streames In Nobler and more Hostile shapes to meet A farre more numerous but ignobler Fleet. And having first appeal'd to Heaven did fight Their Countries sufferings with their Princes might Both Navies when they sirst appear'd in view Lookt like two Forrests which in Waters grew But when their threatning Wings by Windes inspir'd Drew neer they lookt like guarded Castles fir'd The Wide-mouth Canons loud Defiance spoke Like burning AEtna's which from Broadsides broke Or like Vesuvius whose Sulphureous-Breath Did vomit flames wrapt up in Clouds of Death The Engineer who first found out the skill Of teaching powder like the Plague to kill And to the furious Sword by which Men fall Added new waies of Death the murdring Ball Might here his horrid Wit and Art admire By seeing Bullets shot from rankes of Fire Destruction manag'd by strict rules and formes And Ruine caught to fly in leaden stormes Slaughters for slaughters in straight Lines return'd And Ships by Ships in well set order burn'd Each Vessel with a steering Pilot sunke But where the steerer was Hollandicke drunke Never did horror in more various dresse The severall Fates of dying men expresse They whom their wooden Walls secur'd a while Found their Defence chang'd to their funerall pile The greedy Ocean in his ravenous Wombe Swallow'd a Caper like a flaming Tombe Where the inclos'd did by two deaths expire At once drown'd by the Sea and burnt by fire Bodies dismembred did the Hatches spred Here lay a Legge shot off there Arme and Head At the last Day 't would pose a Schoolmans Wit How Limbs thus scatter'd should unite and knit The Sea was dreadfull on whose trembling waves The living swamme for Life the dead for Graves The Waters which once drown'd a numerous Host In waves of blood on the Arabian coast Were not more red the floating bodies such Only AEgyptians were here turn'd to Dutch Ships which had oftvyed Travels with the Sun Out-sail'd his lines beyond his Tropicks run And measur'd all the distance of the way Where East begins and West shuts up the Day From the Worlds adverse Hemispheres did here To fight the Empire of the Sea appeare Opposing Reparation against Stealth And Monarchy against a Commonwealth The English Courage which with bended Yew At Agincourt vast Legions overthrew And with their feather'd shafts sent from a string At Poictiers conquer'd France and took their King Like Valour of Inheritance which runnes From Warlike parents in the brest of sonnes Possest our Seamens Hearts who did farre more Then their bold Fathers on the land and shore There Archers with their Bowes maintain'd the fight Here Cannons might the greatest Courage fright Yet our men like true Souldiers of the blood Outfac'd the danger and untrembling stood Nay with the same Alacritie did fight As Bridegrooms feast upon their Marriage night Despis'd their Wounds and for more Wounds did crie And call'd it conquest for their Prince to die Nor did they owe this Courage to the Vine Or take their Inspiration from their Wine No Zealand Liquor brew'd at Amsterdam VVarm'd their cold hearts with Artificiall flame Our sober valours beat their drunken who Came doubly Arm'd with Guns and Brandee too And who compell'd to fight against their will Made their Recruits of Courage from the Still The Battle of Lepanto was a Theme For vulgar Wits a Sea-fight in a Dreame VVhere the Corinthian and the Affrick shores Saw Christian Boates ingage with Turkish Oares Like children of the Sea the Belgicke powers United in one strength here fronted ours The Timber of all Nations here did meet Like all Religions in this Belgicke Fleet. The Duca Oke and French nay English Wood Against our Oke in Opposition stood Trees bought of Traytors in rebellious times Added new Treason to the sellers Crimes And falne from their first Loyalty did bring Sides which bore Armes against their Native King Forgetting like their New-made States aboard What Country Trees they were or who their Lord. The Clouds above where Thunders are begot Heard greater Thunders from our Cannons shot And seeing other Clouds put out the light Wonder'd to see Noone thus transform'd to Night Taking at once from the Speactators Eye The sight both of the Fighters and the Skie This Darknesse which did from black Lightnings Spring Made conquest hover with a doubtfull Wing Whil'st in this Smoke confusion feares did rise How to distinguish Friends from Enemies But when the silent Guns left off to play And parting Mists once more recall'd the Day Bright Victorie came to our Sea-mens view Whose work was not to fight now but pursue And chace the theevish-Fleet or flying rout Home to their Den from whence they Theeves came out Great Providence whose Justice long did sleep On this great day show'd VVonders in the Deep It was a day of Judgment where the guilt Of English blood at sad Amboina spilt The Robberies at Guinye and Bantam With all the Villanies of Amsterdam VVhose Piracies did through the Ocean run As farre as VVindes blow or Eyes see the Sun And where the States by plunder'd Merchants Wealth Grew to be High and Mighty Lords in stealth For satisfaction and Revenge did call In every sir'd Ship and sunk Admirall Old Thefts committed on the Indian shoares Here paid their publick Debts and clear'd their scores Mean time to show the Justice of our Cause Who fought with those who broke all Nations Lawes The Elements did on our side conspire Like Seas in pension or like listed Fire The Starres fought in their Courses and the Winde Helpt to assist the Quarrell of Mankind O Royall Charles whose Territories lie Both in your Subjects Hearts and in the Skie Since like your other Subjects kept in pay Where you command the Windes and Seas Obey Base Dutch whose Linage is the same with Frogs Created out of mists and hatcht from Boggs Could you believe the Elements were made To serve as Engines to your cousening Trade Or that the Waters were at your Command Whorobb'd the Fish of Water Sea of Land Whose very Dwellings stand on pilfer'd Ground Your Country one great Theft which Seas once drownd Or that the breath of Heaven would be confin'd To swell your Sailes and be Piraticke Winde How durst you thus all Countries rights invade And call your Thefts and Usurpations Trade You might as well Monopolize the Skies And claime the Sun-beams as your Marchandize Forbid the Tides to rolle or winds to blow But where your Capers saile or long Boats row As thus bind up the Worlds great Rode in Chaines And make the Sea a servant to your Gaines And now Great Prince whose celebrated Name Fill'd France and Flanders with your early Fame Which did deserve the stile of Generall Even then when Ladies might you Lady call Had the great Prince of Poets Homer seen This Sea-fight you had his Achilles been And held a place among his Warlike Kings Whose lasting Quill immortall Battles sings Or had Augustus when from Actium fleet He rode in Triumph through the Roman street Leading his Captives through a shining Arch Through which Himself did crown'd with Lawrel march Seen this daies Fight which Actium did outdoe He had resign'd his Arch and Bayes to you Who by your Conquest set the Waters free And sav'd the Ocean from Captivitie Cur'd Trade and Merchants of the Dutch Disease And crown'd your Brother Monarch of the Seas Whose new Dominions now will reach as farre As the Pole-artick and Ant-artick starre And your great Actions will as farre be told As Menfetch Easterne Spice or Westerne Gold The End OXFORD Printed by HENRY HALL for RIC DAVIS 1665.