And there shall be ties which no distance can sever,
Thou land of our fathers, the dauntless and free;
Tho' the charms of each change smile around me, yet never
Shall the sigh be inconstant that's hallow'd to thee.
Thy full orb of glory will blaze o'er each contest—
Thy sons, e'er renown'd, be the dread of each foe—
Till thy tars chill with fear in the fight or the tempest,
And the pure streams of Heddon have ceas'd more to flow.
May commerce be thine—and from Tynemouth to Stella
May thy dark dingy waters auspiciously roll—
And thy lads in the keels long be jovial and mellow,
With faces as black as the keel or the coal.
O Albion! of worlds thou shalt e'er be the wonder,
Thy tough wooden walls, thy protection and pride,
So long as the bolts of thy cloud-rending thunder
Are hurl'd by the lads on the banks of Tyneside.
NORTHUMBERLAND FREE O' NEWCASSEL.
Composed extempore, on the Duke of Northumberland being presented with the Freedom of Newcastle.
BY THE SAME.
To that far-ken'd and wondrous place, Newcassel town,
Where each thing yen lucks at surprises,
Wiv a head full o' fancies, and heart full o' fun,
Aw'd com'd in to see my Lord Sizes.
In byeth town and country aw glowrin' beheld
Carousin' laird, tenant, an' vassal;
On axin' the cause o' sic joy, aw was tell'd,
'Twas Northumberland free o' Newcassel.
The guns frae the Cassel sent monny a peal—
My hair stood on end, a' confounded—
The folks on Tyne-brig set up monny a squeel,
And the banks o' Tyneside a' resounded.
In the Mute Hall, Judge Bayley roar'd out, "My poor head!—
Gan an' tell them not to myek sic a rattle."
Judge Wood cried out, "No—let them fire us half dead,
Since Northumberland's free o' Newcassel!"