t But who the expected husband husband is? Comes in his pale shroud, bleeding after? Pale as he is, here lay him, lay him down, And crown my careful head with willow. Pale tho' thou art, yet beft, yet best beluv'd, Pale, pale indeed, O luvely luvely youth, And lye all night between my breifts, No youth fhall ever lye there after. Return, return, O mournful, mournful bride, Thy luver heeds none of thy fighs, 110 115 He lyes a corps in the Braes of Yarrow. XXV. AD XXV. ADMIRAL HOSIER'S GHOST, was a Party Song written by the ingenious author of LEONIDAS *, on the taking of Porto Bello from the Spaniards by Almiral Vernon, Nov. 22, 1739.-The cafe of Hofier, which is here fo pathetically reprefented, was briefly this. In April, 1720, that commander was fent with a Strong feet into the Spanish Weft-Indies, to block up the gal leons in the ports of that country, or should they prefume to come out, to feize and carry them into England: be accordingly arrived at the Baftimentos near Porto Bello, but being em ployed rather to overawe than to attack the Spaniards, with whom it was probably not our intereft to go to war, he continued long inactive on that fiation, to his own great regret. He afterwards removed to Carthagena, and remained cruizing in thefe feas, till far the greater part of his men perished deplorably by the difeafes of that unhealthy climate. This brave man. Seeing his beft officers and men thus daily fwept away, his hips expofed to inevitable deftruction, and bimfelf made the port of the enemy, is faid to have died of a broken heart. Such is the account of Smollett, compared with that of other lefs partial writers. The following fong is commonly accompanied with a Second Part, or Anfuser, which being of inferior merit, and ap▪ parently written by another hand, hath been rejected. A S near Porto-Bello lying On the gently fwelling flood, At midnight with streamers flying Our triumphant navy rode; An ingenious Correfpendent informs the Editor, that this Ballad hith been alfo attributed to the late Lord Bath. Th There while Vernon fate all-glorious From the Spaniards' late defeat: And his crews, with fhouts victorious, Drank fuccefs to England's fleet: On a fudden fhrilly founding, Hideous yells and shrieks were heard ; All in dreary hammocks fhrouded, On them gleam'd the moon's wan luftre, Heed, oh heed our fatal ftory, I am Hofier's injur'd ghoft, You, who now have purchas'd glory, At this place where I was loft! * Admiral Vernon's shipu Tho' in Porto-Bello's ruin You now triumph free from fears, When you think on our undoing, You will mix your joy with tears. See these mournful spectres fweeping 30 Whose wan cheeks are ftain'd with weeping; 35 Thefe were English captains brave. Mark thofe numbers pale and horrid, Those were once my failors bold: Lo, each hangs his drooping forehead, I, by twenty fail attended, Did this Spanish town affright; Nothing then its wealth defended But my orders not to fight. Oh! that in this rolling ocean I had caft them with disdain, 40 45 And obey'd my heart's warm motion To have quell'd the pride of Spain! For refiftance I could fear none, But with twenty fhips had done. 50 What thou, brave and happy Vernon, Then Then the bastimentos never Had our foul dishonour feen, Nor the fea the fad receiver $5 Of this gallant train had been, Thus, like thee, proud Spain difinaying, I had met a traitor's doom, He has play'd an English part, Had been better far than dying Unrepining at thy glory, Thy fuccessful arms we hail; And let Hofier's wrongs prevail. Hence with all my train attending From their oozy tombs below, 60 65 79 |