Broadside ballad entitled 'Trade's Release: or, Courage to the Scotch-Indian-Company'

Transcription

TRADE'S RELEASE:
OR,                                          
Courage to the SCOTCH-INDIAN-COMPANY.

Being an Excellent New BALLAD; To the Tune of The Turks are all Confounded.               

Come, rouse up your Heads, Come rouse up anon!
Think of the Wisdom of old Solomon,
And heartily Joyn with our own Paterson,
To fetch Home INDIAN Treasures :
Solomon sent afar for Gold,
Let us do now as he did of old,
Wait but three Years for a Hundred-fold
Of Riches and all Pleasures.

His Throne with Gold was overlaid,
He hundreds of Shields and Targets had
Of beaten Gold, and ( as is said )
Gold Vessels all for Drinking:
Cedars he made as the Sycamore-Tree,
Silver as Stones abounding to be,
And TRADE from all Incumbrance free;   
For Reason rul'd his thinking.

So the wisdom of our Parliament
Have jointly agreed, with a very good Intent,
By their ACT together with th' Royal Assent,
to free TRADE from Taxation:
Now since our Freedom they did restore,
Well quickly visit the Indian-Shoar,
And thence return with such Cargoes of Ore
As must enrich this Nation.

Saint-Andrew's Flag then without delay      
We'll over all the World display;
We'll many a River, Crick and Bay
Find out by Navigation;
In which our selves well soon Invest,
As having never been Possest
By any that can in the least
Pretend Preoccupation.

And as choice of Plantations abroad we can find;
To our undertaking e'en Nature seems kind,
In having our Nation dispos'd and designd
For TRADE, by its situation:
For to Portus-Salutis from our Habour at Leith,
And round by the Lewis till you come to Roseneath
There are store of good Bays, where free from all skaith
Our Shipping may ne'r miss a station.

And now while that matter runs fresh in my Head,
Let us think of our own Home-Subjects of Trade;
Rare Fishings of all sorts, all-North from the Tweed,
And plenty of Corns and Provision,
Our fine Manufactures of Woolen and Threed,
Our Salt, Coals, Marble; our Iron and Lead;
Pray then what should ail us, but to Thrive with all speed,
If we banish all Seeds of Division.

No River by Nature was ever brought forth,
From the East to the West the South to the North,
More adapted to Trade than our Clyde and our Forth,
When both shall in one be united:
We'll make both the INDIES pay Tribute to Clyde,
From whence we'll diffuse it upon our Forth's side,
And many more Things which never were try'd,
May at Home to our Trading be fitted.

Then come along Lads then, Come, come, come,
Why should we longer thus linger at home?
While extending the bounds of Christendom
Must be Groun'd with Riches and Glory:
But to carry our noble Atchievement on,
Our Purses and Strength we must all Joyn in One,
We must never remember the Distinction
Of Papist, Whig, or Tory.

Since by Nature and Law we are equally free,
Wherever true Merit is found, let it be
Rewarded most nobly in every Degree,
Without regard to Compactions:
Let Vice and Oppression be cloathed with shame,
Let brave Undertakings our Breasts all inflame,
Let Liberty, Property Religion and Fame      
Be mainly the Scope of our Actions.

For if ever great things to do we propose.
We must cherish our Friends, and vanquish our Foes
By Rules of Justice; but scorn to impose
Such Tricks as now are in Fashion:
By regular steps well bravely advance            
Till the Trade of all EUROPE to us we enhaunce;
Then adieu to the blustring Grandeur of FRANCE
Or any imperious Nation.

To SCOTLAND'S just and never-dying Fame,
We'll in ASIA, AFRICA and AMERICA proclame
Liberty! Liberty! nay, to the shame
Of all that went before us;
Wherever we Plant, TRADE shall be free,
In three Years time, I plainly foresee,
GOD BLESS THE SCOTTISH-COMPANY
Shall be the Indian-Chorus.            

No Brawle, no Murmure, no Ccmplaint,
No Cause of any Discontent,
Where Patersonian-Government
Shall once commence a Footing;
His wholesome Laws being publish'd there,
Shall harmeless keep their Goods and Gear,
And free their Persons from all Fear
Of Thummikin or Booting.

         
The Muscovite, Tartar, Turk and the Pope,
The Sophi, Mogul, and Morocco, I hope,
To the Charm of our Laws must yeild and give up,
Their absolute Sway and Dominions:
Then the Spainiards, and French, and Portugueze,
Venetians and Dutch, and Genoese,
And th' English themselves perhaps may please
To alter their narrow Opinions.

The Gospel in the INDIES well propagate,
But not by such Ways as attempted of Late,
By Jesuits-Guile, nor vain pompous State,
Nor bloody inquisition
There's one way more yet left for Us,
A way Divine and Glorious,
Which can not fail; and that is thus:
By Peace, Love, and Contrition.

Then Sawny, and Johnny, and Jemmy, and all,
Whose Names are Enrol'd in the INDIAN-HALL,
Prepare and be ready to answer the Call
Of our brave Sea-Commanders:
Come follow me quiclly, our Admiral is gone
On board of SAINT-INDREW, I've heard a Gun,
You belong to the NEPTUN, and I to the SUN,
We'l try who dare withstand us.

Well truckle no longer to Friend or to Foe,
But be ev'ry one's Friend that to us will be so;
Well build our Success wherever we go,
On the Justice of our Undertaking:
May evil betide them that evil do think;
Mean while (pray-thee Sawny) forget not to Drink,
Bon-voyage to Our FLEET, I'm resolved to skink,
One Brimmer or Two at our parting.

Now Malice and Envy are rampant with Rage,
To see Us so frankly our Purses engage,
Beyond Expectation; from which they presage,
In TRADE some strange Revolution:
Since by LAW to suppress us, none well dare move,
Gross Lyes and new Stories they dayly improve,
As hoping by such to make our Minds rove,
But well shew them a firm Resolution.   

Should our Neighbours still offer, instead of their Aid
To crush our Adventurers, (as it is said)
Or send us more Cox-combs in grave Masquerade
To sow and nourish Sedition:
May they never thereafter taste Pudding or Beef,
May Poverty seize their Traders in chief,
May they labour in Streights, and beg our Relief,
Till we pity at last their Condition.

And if any unnatural Son of a Scot,
Has basely against us engaged to Plot,
May he live in Disgrace, and at last may his Lot
Be to dance aloft in a Halter;
Let his Off-Spring beg both Abroad and at Home,
May the Curse of their Parent pronunce their Doome,
May they never be cherish'd wherever they come,
With either Food or Shelter.

            
May the Plague, and the Pox, and the Gravel, & Gout,
Seize them all over within and without,
May they never find Ease till their Candle go out,
Who labour to destroy us.
Let nothing disturb us, come let us go on,
And mind the Business which now were upon;
If JEHOVAH be for us, tho' but he alone,
Who is't that can annoy us?

Tho' Calumny, Malice, and Envy combine,
To strike at the Root of this noble Design,
Yet bravely to push it, well never decline,
in spite of all Banter or Bully:
Come the Work is near ended that well is begun,
Here's a Cup of Success to the RISING-SUN,
If any refuse it all over the Town,
May he soundly be kick'd for a Cully.

We'll Statues of Brass and Pyramides raise,
Well drink to the Health, and sing to the Praise,
Of our Nobles and Worthies, who made no delays
Our TRADE to free from Disaster:
Now that those who support it may scorn to relent,
That such as would crush it may'ye Cause to repent,
That Lyes may not fully what's honestly meant,
Is the Prayer of your Poet after.

               FINIS.

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