Broadside entitled 'A Poem on Lord Blakeney's Bravery at the Siege of Minorca'

Transcription

P    O    E    M

O N                  

Lord   BLAKENEY's

Bravery at the Siege of MINORCA

MOST high omniscient great, dread Lord above,
The source of wisdom, God of Peace and Love;
Deign to assist thy Servant's feeble Pen,
Now writing of the worthy, best of Men,
A Subject copious, and extensive too,
His Enemies will own the Facts are true:
That Hero BLAKENEY, brave's the Man I mean,
Whose matchless Deeds are manisestly seen:
No Mortal Eloquence can them express,
So Good, so Great, so Many, Numberless !
Mers's only Son of high immortal Fame,               
Noprune's not worthy now to use thy Name,         
He's chang'd his Honour for eternal Shame.            
But glorious Mov's that Honour will retrieve,
And, under God, good News we shall receive:
He's ost' been tried, of him the Nation's sure,
A Hawks or Warrts, France could ne'er endure.
And tho' Lord Anson they so much admire,
His Lordship's Visits they do not require:
Bestawen too, their Darling and Delight,
Lov'd best by them when farthest out of Sight.
If these brave Men had been in t'other's Place,
The Nation had not suffer'd such Disgrace.
Oh! was he in a Trance ? What was he doing ?
With Force superior see the Nation's Ruin.
Fifty.two Cannons and the Weather Gage,
Enough to put the Devil in a Rage.
Let not Hibernia's Glory be forgot,               
That Phanix bright, who never fear'd a shot:
When he the Flag first hoisted as a Token,
These gallant Words by Blakency bold were spoken.
There thou shalt stand, and ever there remain.
T ill all the French are gone, or I be slain!
I thought that B?g was sent to my Assistance
If he ne'er comes we'll make a stout resistance:
Let Balls, like Hailstones, briskly round them fly
Duke Richlieu and his Frenchman we desy.

Tho' long besieg'd doth unconcern'd appear,
As if no Enemies but Friends were there:
Marlborough said Eugene's Presence did inspire,
And Blakeney's did his Men with Vigour fire.
Powder and Ball pray give unto them Plenty,      
Bellona says, it is a wond'rous Dainty :                  
B?g, could not part with much 'twas choice orscanty.
Things that are costly delicate and rare,                  
Things that are costly, delicate and rare,
Men love to keep, they seldom Will it spare.
Self-Preservation sure behoves us all,
A Misconstruction if he quotes St. Paul.
Says Blakancy, let B?g quote Paul or Apollo
To Sight like Briton is the Rule I'll follow ;
And what they came on Purpose for to crave,
Tho' Balls are costly, Soldier's let them have
All that unto the Garrison belongeth,
If we should nothing eat for a whole Month.
Be kind and civil to your GallieNeighbour,
Send them to Heav'n quick, from Toil and Labours,
He ost' in Scotland shew'd a manly Part,
Which won the sure Affections of the Heart:
At Stirling-Costle did support the same,
And of the Rebel's Army made his Game ,
Had Succours came he'd kept Minorca oill.
And made his Foes subsorvient to his Will.
Eight Years five Months I served in the Place,
But never thought that this would be the Case.
May Crowns of Laurels hence adorn his Seat,
And for his Country all his Joys compleat:
Whilst pin'd with Anguish his detracting Foes,
Distinguish more the Virtues they'd oppose:
May Hawks strike Terror to the Gallic Fleet,
And with th'Almighty's Help them fairly beat;
May he and Blakeney home come Hand in Hand,
'Twill cause great Joy and Triumph o'er the Land.
Then drink Sucess to all the British Fleet,
May they the French o'erthrow whene'er they meet.

Composed by the Bearer, William Catton, of St. Ann's, Westminister, who serv'd his Majesty fifteen Years and
six Days in General Folliott's Regiment of Foot, and was discharged at the Reducement.

Having no Pension, Trade, or Friend,
I'm turn'd poor Poet, in the End.

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