Admiral Hosier's GHOST. To the TUNE of, Come and Listen to my Ditty.
LONDON: Printed for Mr. Webb, near St. Paul's. 1740. (Price Six-pence.)
Admiral Hosier's GHOST.
I.
AS, near
Porto-Bello lying,
On the gently swelling Flood,
At Midnight, with Streamers flying,
Our triumphant Navy rode,
There, while
Vernon sate, all glorious
From the
Spaniards late Defeat,
And his Crew, with Shouts victorious
Drank Success to
Englands Fleet,
II.
On a sudden, shrilly Sounding,
Heideous Yells and Shrieks were heard;
Then, each Heart with Fears confounding,
A sad Troop of Ghosts appear'd;
All in dreary Hammocks shrouded,
Which for winding Sheets they wore;
And with Looks by Sorrow clouded,
Frowning on that hostile Shore.
III.
On them gleam'd the Moon's wan Lustre,
When the Shade of
Hosier brave,
His Pale Band was seen to muster,
Rising from their wat'ry Grave:
O'er the glimmering Wave he hy'd him,
Where the
Burford rear'd her Sail,
With three thousand Ghosts beside him,
And in Groans did
Vernon hail.
IV.
"Heed, oh heed! my fatal Story,
"I am
Hosier's injur'd Ghost;
"You who now have purchas'd Glory
"At this Place where I was lost;
[Page 5]"Tho' in
Porto Bello's ruin
"You now triumph, free from Fears,
"Yet to hear of my undoing,
"You will mix your Joys with Tears.
V.
"See yon mournful Spectres sweeping,
"Ghastly, o'er this hated Wave,
"Whose wan Checks are Stain'd with Weeping;
"These were
English Captains brave;
"And these Numbers pale and horrid,
"Were my Sailors once so bold,
"Lo, each hangs his drooping Forehead,
"While his dismal Fate is told.
VI.
"I, by twenty Sail attended,
"Did this
Spanish Town affright,
"Nothing then its Wealth defended
"But my Orders not to fight;
"Oh that, with my Wrath complying,
"I had cast them in the Main,
"Then, no more unactive lying,
"I had low'red the Pride of
Spain.
VII.
"For resistance I could fear none,
"But with twenty Ships had done,
"What thou, brave and happy
Vernon,
"Did'st atchieve with Six aloneâ–ª
"Then the Bastimento's never
"Had our foul Dishonour seen,
"Nor the Sea the sad Receiver
"Of these gallant Men had been.
VIII.
"Thus, like thee, proud
Spain dismaying,
"And her Galleons leading home,
"Tho' condemn'd for disobeying,
"I had not a Traytors Doom.
"To have fall'n, my Country Crying,
"He has play'd an
English Part,
"Had been better far than Dying,
"Of a griev'd and broken Heart.
IX.
"Unrepining at thy Glory,
"Thy successful Arms we hail,
"But remember our sad Story,
"When to
Britain back you sail!
[Page 7]"All your Country's Foes subduing,
"When your Patriot Friends you see,
"Think on Vengeance for my ruin,
"And for
England sham'd in me.
FINIS.