Old principles I did revoke,
Set confcience at a distance; Paffive-obedience was a joke, A jeft was non-resistance. And this is law, &c.
When gracious Ann became our queen,
The church of Englands glory,
Another face of things was seen,
And I became a tory:
Occafional conformists base,
I damn'd their moderation;
And thought the church in danger was,
By fuch prevarication.
And this is law, &c.
When George in pudding-time came o'er,
And moderate men look'd big, fir,
I turn'd a cat-in-pan once more,
And fo became a whig, fir,
And thus preferment I procur'd
From our new faiths-defender;
And almost ev'ry day abjur'd
The Pope and the Pretender.
And this is law, &c.
Th' illuftrious houfe of Hanover,
And Proteftant fucceffion;
To these I do allegiance swear-
While they can keep poffeffion:
For in my faith and loyalty,
I never more will faulter,
And George my lawful king fhall be
Until the times do alter.
And this is law I will maintain,
Until my dying-day, fir,
That whatsoever king fhall reign,
I'll be the vicar of Bray, fir.
BY MR. GEORGE ALEXANDER STEVENS.
EASE, rude Boreas, bluft'ring railer!
Lift ye landfmen, all to me!
Meffmates, hear a brother failor
Sing the dangers of the fea;
From bounding billows, firft in motion,
When the diftant whirlwinds rife,
To the tempeft-troubled ocean,
Where the feas contend with skies!
Hark! the boatswain hoarfely bawling,
By topfail-fheets, and haulyards ftand;
Down top-gallants quick be hawling,
Down your ftay-fails, hand, boys, hand!
Now it freshens, fet the braces,
The topfail-fheets now let go;
Luff, boys, luff! don't make wry faces,
Up your topfails nimbly clew.
Now all you on down-beds fporting,
Fondly lock'd in Beautys arms;
Fresh enjoyments wanton courting,
Safe from all but loves alarms ;
Round us roars the tempeft louder;
Think what fears our minds enthrall;
Harder yet, it yet blows harder,
Now again the boatswain calls!
The top-fail yards point to the wind boys,
See all clear to reef each courfe;
Let the fore-fheet go, don't mind boys,
Though the weather fhould be worse.
Fore and aft the fprit-fail yard get,
Reef the mizen, fee all clear,
Hands up, each preventure brace fet,
Man the fore-yard, chear, lads, chear!
Now the dreadful thunder roaring,
Peal on peal contending clash,
On our heads fierce rain falls pouring,
In our eyes blue lightnings flash.
One wide water all around us,
All above us one black sky,
Different deaths at once furround us,
Hark! what means that dreadful cry?
The foremaft's gone, cries every tongue out,
O'er the lee, twelve feet 'bove deck;
A leak beneath the cheft-tree's fprung out,
Call all hands to clear the wreck.
Quick the lanyards cut to pieces,
Come, my hearts, be ftout and bold; Plumb the well-the leak increases,
Four feet water in the hold.
While o'er the ship wild waves are beating,
We for wives or children mourn;
Alas! from hence there's no retreating
Alas to them there's no return.
Still the leak is gaining on us,
Both chain-pumps are choak'd below.
Heav'n have mercy here upon us!
For only that can fave us now.
O'er the lee-beam is the land, boys,
Let he guns c'erboard be thrown,
To the pump come ev'ry hand, boys,
See our mizen maft is gone.
The leak we've found it cannot pour faft,
We've lighten'd her a foot or, more, Up, and rig a jury foremaft,
She rights, the rights, boys, we're off shore.
Now once more on joys we're thinking,
Since kind Heav'n has fav'd our lives; Come, the can, boys! let's be drinking, To our sweethearts, and our wives. Fill it up, about ship wheel it,
Close to our lips a brimmer join, Where's the tempeft now, who feels it? None-the danger's drown'd in wine.
Being a relation of their perils and dangers, and of the extraordinary hazards they undergo in their noble adventures. Together with their undaunted valour, and rare conftancy in all their extremities: and the manner of their rejoycing on fhore, at their return home." Title.
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