To stay, unless he rul'd the sea,
He thought would not be right, sir,
And Continental troops, said he,
On islands should not fight, sir.
Another cause with these combin'd
To throw him in the dumps, sir,
For Clinton's name alarmed his mind,
And made him stir his stumps, sir.
Lord Howe came up, soon afterwards, with the British fleet, and made a pretence of blockading the French in Boston harbor, but prudently withdrew when he saw the French were ready to put to sea again. The latter abandoned all attempt to coöperate with the Americans and sailed away for the West Indies.
RUNNING THE BLOCKADE
[September, 1778]
When the French fleet lay
In Massachusetts bay
In that day
When the British squadron made
Its impudent parade
Of blockade;
All along and up and down
The harbor of the town,—
The brave, proud town
That had fought with all its might
Its bold, brave fight
For the right,
To win its way alone
And hold and rule its own,
Such a groan