The slow Levant came up too late;
No need had we to stir;
Her decks we swept with fire, and kept
The flies from troubling her.
We raked her again, and her flag came down,—
The haughtiest flag that floats,—
And the lime-juice dogs lay there like logs,
With never a bark in their throats.
With never a bark and never a bite,
But only an oath to break,
As we squared away for Praya Bay
With our prizes in our wake.
Parole they gave and parole they broke,
What matters the cowardly cheat,
If the captain's bride was satisfied
With the one prize laid at her feet?
A Yankee ship and a Yankee crew—
Constitution, where ye bound for?
Wherever the British prizes be,
Though it's one to two, or one to three,—
"Old Ironsides" means victory,
Acrost the Western ocean.
James Jeffrey Roche.
News of the peace did not reach America until February 11, 1815. It was hailed with rejoicing everywhere.
SEA AND LAND VICTORIES
With half the Western world at stake,
See Perry on the midland lake,
The unequal combat dare;
Unawed by vastly stronger pow'rs,
He met the foe and made him ours,
And closed the savage war.
Macdonough, too, on Lake Champlain,
In ships outnumbered, guns, and men,
Saw dangers thick increase;
His trust in God and virtue's cause
He conquer'd in the lion's jaws,
And led the way to peace.