To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty.
The humble Address of the Company of his
Majestys Ship ORFORD.
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MOST Gracious Sovereign Lord, mayt please
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To accept the Homage of the SEAS,
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NEPTUNE who, under You, commands,
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Craves Leave to come, and kiss your Hands;
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And we, Your Servants, Sons to Him,
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Give you Three Chears from Stern to Stem,
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And pray, whilst we can splice a Rope,
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Youll live, the Anchor of our Hope.
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We mourn Your Royal Father dead,
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But Joy takes Place, that You succeed.
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Your Royal Conso[r]t, next, we hail;
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May She long ride in gentle Gale!
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And may Your Offspring never fail!
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Receive these Tributes as they run,
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Rough as the Elements were on,
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For theyre sincere, tho not for Show,
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Nor do they from mean Custom flow,
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But from the Sense of what we owe.
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Our Duty does not bounce and boil,
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Our Pens not dipt in Oxford Oil:
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We use no Tinsel Art to prove
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The Force and Ardour of our Love;
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But come, like open-minded Folk,
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To tell You, Were your Hearts of Oak,
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And true--as ever struck a Stroke.
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Nor shall we make our Paper sound
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With Twenty Shillings in the Pound,
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As lying TOTNESS did before;
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Tho, if we coud, we woud give more:
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But we will give You what we can,
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And all stand by You, to a Man.
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Do Tempests rage, and Bi[l]lows toss?
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Do Combinations make a Fuss?
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Well steer you, safe SIR, Thus, Boys, Thus.
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Speak, and well let your Thunder fly,
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And make the World dance BARNABY;
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Bring all Invaders to the Geers,
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And cut of all your Enmies Ears;
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Annex GIBRALTAR to Your Crown,
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And all Your Foreign Foes pull down;
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Make huffing PHIL. and CHARLES obey
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Your Scepter--Keep us but in Pay.
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If the King asks, Who are you then?
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We humbly answer Orfords Men:
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Who else dare ask, we answer bluff,
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Were ORFORDs Men; and thats enough.
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