Wars > Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)

        The Battle of Trafalgar.

             Printed and sold by Jennings, Water-lane,
                                 Fleet-street, Louden.

COME all you British heroes come listen to my song,
It is of a noble battle by our brave seaman won,
The twentieth of October, that was the very day,
The combin'd fleet from Cadiz, my boys, did put to sea.
The Eurylas made the signal, the Defence she did repeat,
The Mars and the Collossus convey'd it to our fleet ;
It was off Cape St. Mary's, nine leagues from the shore,
When the signal they saw down for Cadiz they bore.
On Sunday the twentieth, so early in the morn,
We espied our enemy, my boys, four leagues astern,
But the day it being foggy we lost them all again,
And on the 21st my lads, we met them on the main.
But that day clos'd in a temple of fame,
Emblazon'd with glory was our Admiral's name ;
For the ships of the line they had thirty-three,
In number, my boys, they had six more than we.
Come Britons all to glory, bold Nelson did say,
And I will be the first, my lads, that will lead the way ;
The Victory. Beleisle, Temerare, and Tennant too
Among the French and Spaniards they made a noble shew.
The Monitor and the Conqueror, Mars and Coilossus also,
The Achilles and the Ajax gave them a dreadful blow,
Then the Africa and the Neptune soon open'd their eyes,
For twenty-one ships on that day to us became a prize,
Next the Britannia and the Revenge, Dreadnought,
Orion, too,                                                (rue,
The Defiance and Belerophon soon made the French to
Then the partiate and Thunder so sweetly play'd a tune,
The bold Defence, Leviathan, made them haul their co-
lours down.                                      (did roar,
Now our shot did fly like hail, and our great guns aloud
Mauy thousands stood viewing us upon the Spanish shore,
They thought us for to conquer, but our British tars said
nay,
Your nation's colours well pull down upon that very day.
But to brave British seamen I have one sad tale to tell,
We have lost brave admiral Nelson, he in this battle fell,
And many more brave seamen was in this battle slain,
That now lays buried in the deep, all in the briny main,
O quarters, O quarters, so loudly they did roar,
Saying bold Britons we have struck, we can fight no more,
Twenty-one sail of the line we did take that day, (away,
And one of them we there did burn, the rest they run
Here's a health to Admiral Collingwood for he's a valiant
man,
To all the captains of the fleet, we toast them every one
Unto officers and seamen that ne'er refuse to stand,
For to fight for Old England's good at the word of com-
mand,                                                    (weep,
Now may the widows and children that's left behind to
For the loss of their husbands that is buried in the deep,
May God be their protector, husband, and father too,
Let us hope that they may find relief, no more sorrow for
to know.