For your cowardly tricks at Sinope Bay,
Most dearly we will make you pay,
For our tars will show you bonny play,
While commanded by brave Charley.
For tho' brave Nelson, he is dead,
Our tars will be to victory led.
By one brave heart we have instead,
And that brave heart is Charley's.
Our gallant tars, etc.
England and France they will pull down
The Eagle and Imperial Crown,
And his Bear-like growls we soon will drown,
With, Let us give it him, Charley.
For while England and France go hand in hand
They conquer must by sea and land,
For no Russian foe can e'er withstand,
So brave a man as Charley.
Our gallant tars, etc.
Despotic Nick, you've been too fast,
To get Turkey within your grasp,
But a Tartar you have caught at last,
In the shape of our tars and Charley.
Then here's success with three times three,
To all true hearts by land or sea,
And this the watchword it shall be,
Mind, and give it to them, Charley.
Our gallant tars led by Napier,
May bid defiance to the Bear.
While hearty shouts will rend the air,
With, Mind, and give it to him, Charley.
VII
THE ARETHUSA
Come all ye jolly sailors bold,
Whose hearts are cast in honour's mould,
While England's glory I unfold,
Huzza to the Arethusa.
She is a frigate tight and brave,
As ever stemmed the dashing wave;
Her men are staunch
To their fav'rite launch,
And when the foe shall meet our fire,
Sooner than strike we'll all expire,
On board of the Arethusa.
'Twas with the spring-fleet she went out,
The English Channel to cruise about,
When four French sail, in show so stout,
Bore down on the Arethusa.
The fam'd Belle Poule straight ahead did lie,
The Arethusa seem'd to fly,
Not a sheet, or a tack,
Or a brace did she slack,
Tho' the Frenchman laugh'd, and thought it stuff,
But they knew not the handful of men, so tough,
On board of the Arethusa.
On deck five hundred men did dance,
The stoutest they could find in France,
We, with two hundred, did advance
On board of the Arethusa.
Our captain hail'd the Frenchman, ho!
The Frenchman then cried out, hallo!
"Bear down, d'ye see
To our Admiral's lee."
"No, no," said the Frenchman, "that can't be";
"Then I must lug you along with me,"
Says the saucy Arethusa.
The fight was off the Frenchman's land,
We forc'd them back upon their strand;
For we fought till not a stick would stand
Of the gallant Arethusa.
And now we've driven the foe ashore,
Never to fight with Britons more,
Let each fill a glass
To his favourite lass!
A health to our captain, and officers true,
And all that belong to the jovial crew,
On board of the Arethusa.