In Dr. Percy’s “Reliques of Ancient Poetry,” vol. ii. p. 376. is an admirable ballad, intituled “Hosier’s Ghost,” being an address to admiral Vernon, in Porto-Bello harbour, by Mr. Glover, the author of Leonidas. The case of Hosier was briefly this:—
In April, 1726, he was sent with a strong fleet to the Spanish West Indies, to block up the galleons in the ports of that country; but being restricted by his orders from obeying the dictates of his courage, he lay inactive on that station, until he became the jest of the Spaniards. He afterwards removed to Carthagena, and continued cruizing in those seas, till far the greater part of his crews perished by the diseases of that unhealthy climate. This brave man, seeing his officers and men thus daily swept away, his ships exposed to inevitable destruction, and himself made the sport of the enemy, is said to have died of a broken heart. The ballad concludes—
“O’er these waves, for ever mourning,
Shall we roam, depriv’d of rest,
If to Britain’s shores returning,
You neglect my just request:
After this proud foe subduing,
When your patriot friends you see,
Think on vengeance for my ruin,
And for England—sham’d in me.”
In 1739, vice-admiral Vernon was appointed commander-in-chief of a squadron then fitting out for destroying the settlements of the Spaniards in the West Indies; and, weighing anchor from Spithead on the 23d of July, arrived in sight of Porto-Bello, with six ships only, under his command, on the 20th of November following. The next day he commenced the attack of that town; when, after a most furious engagement on both sides, it was taken on the 22d, together with a considerable number of cannon, mortars, and ammunition, and also two Spanish ships of war. He then blew up the fortifications, and evacuated the place for want of land forces sufficient to retain it; but first distributed ten thousand dollars, which had been sent to Porto-Bello for paying the Spanish troops, among the forces for their bravery.
The two houses of parliament joined in an address of congratulation upon this success of his majesty’s arms; and the nation, in general, was wonderfully elated by an exploit, which was certainly magnified much above its intrinsic merit.
Hosier! with indignant sorrow,
I have heard thy mournful tale
And, if heav’n permit, to-morrow
Hence our warlike fleet shall sail.
O’er those hostile waves, wide roaming,
We will urge our bold design,
With the blood of thousands foaming,
For our country’s wrongs and thine.
On that day, when each brave fellow,
Who now triumphs here with me,
Storm’d and plunder’d Porto-Bello,
All my thoughts were full of thee.
Thy disast’rous fate alarm’d me;
Fierce thy image glar’d on high,
And with gen’rous ardour warm’d me,
To revenge thy fall, or die.
From their lofty ships descending,
Thro’ the flood, in firm array,
To the destin’d city bending,
My lov’d sailors work’d their way.
Strait the foe, with horror trembling,
Quits in haste his batter’d walls;
And in accents, undissembling,
As he flies, for mercy calls.
Carthagena, tow’ring wonder!
At the daring deed dismay’d,
Shall ere long by Britain’s thunder,
Smoking in the dust be laid.
Thou, and these pale spectres sweeping,
Restless, o’er this watry round,
Whose wan cheeks are stain’d with weeping,
Pleas’d shall listen to the sound.