What News on the Deck ho?
It blows a meer Storm;

She lies a try under her Mizen,
Why what tho' she does,
Will it do any Harm?

If a Bumper more does us all Reason:
The Bowl must be fill'd Boys,
In spight of the Weather,

Yea, yea, huzza, let's howl altogether;
Here's to thee Peter,

Thanks honest Joe,

About let it go;

In the Bowl still a Calm is

Where'er the Winds blow.

With full, &c.

XXIX

Rule Britannia

WHEN Britain first, at Heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main,

This was the charter of the land,

And guardian angels sung this strain: 'Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves! Britons never will be slaves.'

The nations not so bless'd as thee

Must in their turn to tyrants fall; While thou shalt flourish great and free, The dread and envy of them all.

Rule, Britannia, &c.

meer] absolute.

Still more majestic shalt thou rise,

More dreadful from each foreign stroke;
As the loud blast that tears the skies
Serves but to root thy native oak.
Rule, Britannia, &c.

Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tame;
All their attempts to bend thee down
Will but arouse thy generous flame,
And work their woe and thy renown.
Rule, Britannia, &c.

To thee belongs the rural reign;
Thy cities shall with commerce shine;
All thine shall be the subject main,
And every shore it circles thine.
Rule, Britannia, &c.

The Muses, still with freedom found,
Shall to thy happy coast repair;

Bless'd isle! with matchless beauty crown'd,

And manly hearts to guard the fair.

Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves!
Britons never shall be slaves!

JAMES THOMSON.

XXX

Hearts of Oak

COME cheer up my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something new to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?

Hearts of Oak are our ships, Hearts of Oak are our men,
We always are ready,

Steady, boys, steady,

We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.

We ne'er meet our foes but we wish them to stay,
They ne'er meet us but they wish us away;
If they run, then we follow, and drive them ashore,
For if they won't fight us, we cannot do more.
Hearts of Oak, &c.

Monsieur Thurot in the absence of Boyce,
Went over to Ireland to brag the dear boys;
Near Man, Elliot met him, and gave him a blow,
Which sent him to tell it to Pluto below.

Hearts of Oak, &c.

They talk to invade us, these terrible foes,
They frighten our women, our children, and beaux ;
But, if their flat bottoms in darkness come o'er,
Sure Britons they'll find to receive them on shore.
Hearts of Oak, &c.

We'll make them to run, and we'll make them to sweat,
In spite of the Devil and Russel's Gazette;
Then cheer up my lads, with one heart let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, our king.
Hearts of Oak, &c.

D. GARRICK.

XXXI

Tom Bowling

HERE, a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling,

The darling of our crew;

No more he'll hear the tempest howling,
For death has broach'd him to.
His form was of the manliest beauty,
His heart was kind and soft,
Faithful, below, he did his duty;
But now he's gone aloft.

Tom never from his word departed,

His virtues were so rare,

His friends were many and true-hearted,
His Poll was kind and fair:

And then he'd sing so blithe and jolly,
Ah, many 's the time and oft!
But mirth is turned to melancholy,
For Tom is gone aloft.

Yet shall poor Tom find pleasant weather,
When He, who all commands,

Shall give, to call life's crew together,
The word to pipe all hands.

Thus Death, who kings and tars despatches,
In vain Tom's life has doff'd,
For, though his body's under hatches,
His soul has gone aloft.

CHARLES DIBDIN.

XXXII

Ben Backstay

BEN BACKSTAY was a boatswain,
A very jolly boy,

No lad than he more merrily
Could pipe all hands ahoy.
And when unto his summons
We did not well attend,
No lad than he more merrily
Could handle a rope's end.

Singing Chip cho, cherry cho,
Fol de riddle ido. (bis.)

It chanced one day our captain,
A very jolly dog,

Served out to all the company

A double share of grog.
Ben Backstay he got tipsy,

Unto his heart's content,
And being half seas over,
Why overboard he went.
Singing Chip cho, &c.