Then said the dutchess to her dear,

O that we had some fire here.

Then did her husband so provide,

That fire and coals they got with speed:
She sat down by the fire-side,

To dress her daughter that had need:
And whilst she dress'd it in her lap,
Her husband made the infant pap.

Anon the sexton thither came,
Finding them there by the fire:
The drunken knave, all void of shame,
To drive them out was his desire;
And spurned out the noble dame,
Her husband's wrath he did inflame.

And all in fury as he stood,

He wrung the church keys out of his hand,

And struck him so that all the blood

His head run down as he did stand;

Wherefore the sexton presently
For aid and help aloud did cry.

Then came the officers in haste,

And took the dutchess and her child, And with her husband thus they past,

Like lambs beset with tygers wild, And to the governor were brought, Who understood them not in aught.

Then master Bertue brave and bold
In Latin made a gallant speech,
Which all their miseries did unfold,
And their high favour did beseech;

With that a doctor sitting by,
Did know the dutchess presently.

And thereupon arising strait,

With words abashed at this sight,
Upon them all that then did wait,
He thus broke forth in words aright:
Behold within your sight (quoth he)
A princess of most high degree.

With that the governor and all the rest,
Were much amaz'd the same to hear,
Who welcomed this new-come guest,

With reverence great, and princely cheer :

And afterwards convey'd they were,
Unto their friend prince Cassimere.

A son she had in Germany,

Peregrine Bertue call'd by name, Sirnam'd the good lord Willoughby,

Of courage great and worthy fame; Her daughter young that with her went, Was afterwards countess of Kent.

For when queen Mary was deceas'd,
The dutchess home return'd again,
Who was of sorrow quite releas'd,
By queen Elizabeth's happy reign:
Whose goodly life and piety,
We may praise continually.

ADMIRAL VERNON'S

ANSWER TO

Admiral Hosier's Ghost.

WRITTEN IN 1740,

By John Price, a land-waiter, in the port of Poole,

In Dr. Percy's "Reliques of Antient Poetry," vol. 2. p. 376. is an admirable ballad, intituled "Hosier's Ghost," being an address to Admiral Vernon, in Porto-Bello harbour, by Mr. Glover, the author of Leonidas. The case of Hosier was briefly this:

In April 1726, he was sent with a strong fleet to the Spanish West Indies, to block up the galleons in the ports of that country; but being restricted by his orders from obeying the dictates of his courage, he lay inactive on that station, until he became the jest of the Spaniards. He afterwards removed to Carthagena, and continued cruizing in those seas, till far the greater part of his crews perished by the diseases of that unhealthy climate. This brave man, seeing his officers and men thus daily swept away, his ships exposed to inevitable destruction, and himself made the sport of the enemy, is said to have died of a broken heart.—The ballad concludes,

"O'er these waves, for ever mourning,
"Shall we roam, depriv'd of rest,

"If to Britain's shores returning,

"You neglect my just request:

"After this proud foe subduing,
"When your patriot friends you see,
"Think on vengeance for my ruin,

"And for England-sham'd in me."

In 1739, Vice-Admiral Vernon was appointed commander in chief of a squadron then fitting out for destroying the settlements of the Spaniards in the West Indies; and, weighing anchor from Spit

head on the 23rd of July, arrived in sight of PortoBello, with six ships only, under his command, on the 20th of Nov. following. The next day he com◄ menced the attack of that town; when, after a most furious engagement, on both sides, it was taken on the 22nd, together with a considerable number of cannon, mortars and ammunition, and also two Spanish ships of war. He then blew up the fortifications, and evacuated the place for want of land forces sufficient to retain it; but first distributed 10,000 dollars, which had been sent to Porto-Bello for paying the Spanish troops, among the forces for their bravery.

The two houses of parliament joined in an address of congratulation upon this success of his majesty's arms; and the nation, in general, was wonderfully elated by an exploit, which was certainly magnified much above its intrinsic merit.

HOSIER! with indignant sorrow,
I have heard thy mournful tale;
And, if heav'n permit, to-morrow
Hence our warlike fleet shall sail.
O'er those hostile waves, wide roaming,
We will urge our bold design,
With the blood of thousands foaming,
For our country's wrongs and thine.

On that day, when each brave fellow,
Who now triumphs here with me,
Storm'd and plunder'd Porto-Bello,
All my thoughts were full of thee.
Thy disastrous fate alarm'd me;
Fierce thy image glar'd on high,
And with gen'rous ardour warm'd me,
To revenge thy fall, or die.

From their lofty ships decending,
Thro' the flood, in firm array,
To the destin'd city bending,

My lov'd sailors work'd their way.
Strait the foe, with horror trembling,
Quits in haste his batter'd walls;
And in accents, undesembling,
As he flies, for mercy calls.

Carthagena, tow'ring wonder!

At the daring deed dismay'd,
Shall ere-long by Britain's thunder,
Smoaking in the dust be laid.
Thou, and these pale spectres sweeping,
Restless, o'er this wat'ry round,

Whose wan cheeks are stain'd with weeping,
Pleas'd shall listen to the sound.

Still rememb'ring thy sad story,
To thy injur'd ghost I swear,
By my hopes of future glory,

War shall be my constant care:
And I ne'er will cease pursuing
Spain's proud sons from sea to sea,
With just vengeance for thy ruin,

And for England sham'd in thee.