That they, whose pens are sharper than their swords,
30May yield in fact, what they denied in words.
Thus when th' amazed world our seas shall see
Shut from usurpers, to their own Lord free,
Thou may'st, returning from the conquered main,
With thine own triumphs be crown'd Sovereign.
A Salutation, &c.] The Sovereign, Sovereign of the Seas, or Royal Sovereign (I am not sure what name she bore during the Rebellion) is one of the famous literary ships of the English Navy. She was built in 1637 at Woolwich by Phineas and Peter Pett out of a whole year's ship-money; and if the means for raising her cost (£80,000) were unpopular, a great deal of pride was taken in the ship herself. Thomas Heywood wrote an account of her which has been frequently quoted. See, for instance, Mr. David Hannay's Short History of the Royal Navy, i. 172, 173. She was of 1637 tons burthen; was pierced for 98 great guns with many smaller murdering-pieces and chasers; and was most elaborately decorated, with carved stern, galleries, black and gold angels, trophies and emblems of all sorts—besides a baker's dozen of allegorical, mythological, and historical statues of personages from Cupid to King Edgar on horseback, as figureheads and elsewhere. She fought all through the Dutch wars; escaped the disgraceful disaster in the Medway; distinguished herself at La Hogue, where a great part is assigned to her by some accounts in chasing Tourville's Soleil Royal ashore; and was burnt by accident, not long after, at Chatham in 1696—her sixtieth year.
11 The 'radiant brow' is of course the gilded figurehead group. There was no actual 'Peace' among the allegories, but the Cupid, a 'child bridling a lion', might perhaps stand for her.
18 'Tire' is of course 'tier': the Sovereign was a three-decker. Professor Skeat approves the spelling, which occurs in Milton and elsewhere. But some would have a special word 'tire', not for the row but the actual 'fire' or 'shooting' (tir) of the guns—which would do well enough here.
19-22 King's own age would, after the event, have instanced this as an example of Fate granting prayers to the letter yet evading them in the spirit. The Sovereign did escape wind and wave, sand and rock, as well as the enemy, but only to perish otherwise.