An ENCOMIUM,
OR
Congratulatory POEM
Occasionally Written, upon the Happy Successes of
Capt. Thomas Harman, Commander
Of his MAJESTIES Friggate, the TIGER.
With an Exact Relation of His late Signal Victory Off Cadis.
I shall, no Heathen Deity Implore:
Be those Idollaters who need it more.
The Subject will my Pen with Wit Infuse;
And of a Barren, ---- make a fruitfull Muse.
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BRAVE SIR John Harman, his great Name will be,
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A sacred Relique to Posterity:
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Which as a Favor each large Soul shall bind
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Upon his Arm, and so fresh Courage find.
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His Actions with thy Actions, shine so clear,
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Though but one Living, plainly both appear.
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Go on bold Youth inspird with his great Soul,
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Who coud his Passions, as his Men, Controul;
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Thou wantest nothing to attain that height
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Which he injoyd ---- But to be made a ----- Knight.
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Shoud we look back, and trace him from his Youth,
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Our highest Praises woud fall short of Truth.
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His early Rays like a red Sun did break,
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Man-hood shone through him, ere he well coud speak.
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If in his East he promised so much,
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Why shoud we wonder that his Acts are such.
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The rest --- and this his Southern! ---- scarce make good
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His promises, though with expence of Blood.
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He for his King and Country Nobly Fought,
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And gaind that Honor which the Other sought.
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But stay quick Muse, You in a little Room
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Woud crowd up all ---- You quite forget the Boom.*
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After so many Men in Boats destroyd,
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As Death with conquering, seemd almost cloyd:
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When Deaths more swift then Lightning flew ith Air,
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And turnd all hopes of Conquest, to dispair!
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When the Proud Turks defied us from their Wall,
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Then Honor did, to Noble Harman, call:
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Come Gallant Spark of Valour, now come forth,
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And with thy Native Courage, shew thy Worth;
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Give me thy Hand --- when this great work is done,
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Ile bring thee off --- as now I lead thee on.
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So, bravely Fought, fear not the thundring Showers,
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Know I Protect thy Life from all their Powers.
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Tis done! --- The Turks are shaken with the English -- shout
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An universal Joy flyes round about.
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Which gave a Shock to the poor trembling Town,
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As if the Fabrick had been tumbling down.
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*At Boagee
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where the
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seven Capital
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Ships of Ar-
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gier were
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destroyd.
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Now, now begins the dreadful Scene of Fate,
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Tryumphing Death, set open wide Hell-gate;
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And drove the Tawny-souls by hundreds in
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A just Reward for all their horrid Sin.
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Their best of Ships in sultry Flames appear,
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O, coud we make such Bon-fires all the year?
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How many Christian Captives, may thank Thee;
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Thou, thou the only Instrumental Cause
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Of giving Captives: Freedom; Pagans, Laws.
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When he was Convoy to a Mighty Fleet,
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And many Capers at one time did meet.
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His discreet Conduct to secure his own,
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Appeard, when of so many, Lost not one.
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When through all Dangers he had them Convayd,
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(And not as some, their Countrymen Betrayd.)
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A greater Action calls him now away,
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To give out Precepts how they shoud Obey.
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He a new Method took, and taught em how
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They must, and theirs; to Brittains Monarch bow.
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And though theyr always exercisd in War,
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He made them know we can Surpass um far?
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Witness, those Ships He took, and forcd a Shoar,
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And thirty Slaves by him condemnd to th Oar.
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In Barbary, what part so ere he came,
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They fright their Children with his very Name.
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From thence my Muse, shall Tack about, and stand
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For Caiz, the Magazine of every Land.
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Vice-Admiral de Wit, Cruceign about,
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But all in Vain, could find no Purchase out;
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In three days space, for Cai'z agen did Steer,
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But after him the Tiger came too near,
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For suddenly a strange Report was spread,
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That he for Safety into Harbor fled.
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Bold Evertson carreening in the Bay,
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Hearing in what a Case their Honor lay.
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Advisd de Wit immediately to send
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A Challenge, and so the Difference end:
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Hoping to gain Opinion from the Town,
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And by this Act, their former Actions Crown.
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Five Salli men
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of War burnt
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and taken with
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thirty Slaves.
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De Wit resolvd the next days Tryal, shoud
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Decide the Quarrel, though through streams of Blood.
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Harman obleidged now by Honors Laws,
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Coud do no less then Fight his Countrys cause;
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And now both sides in hast preparing be,
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Although the Dutch not questiond, Victory,
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Depending on his numbers, swoln with Pride,
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Since Evertson has him so well supplyd,
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With sevenscore Men, above his complement,
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Whose courages all Resolutely bent,
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And if in Looks, some certainty might be,
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Their manly-faces promisd Victory.
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Coud Strength have carried it, th Ingagement had
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Gone, on the Weaker-side but very bad.
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From such an Act, what Honor coud he gain,
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Though he had Sunk Her, and the Captain Slain:
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Unequal Numbers make a Conquest, none,
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For whats a Conquest when the Glorys gone.
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But now for Both, the Time to Action calls,
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While Multitudes are placed on the Walls,
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And on the Sandy Beach appear such Crowds,
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Their very shadows seem to darken Clouds!
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All gazing at the Champions going out,
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And of a suddain gave a lofty Shout;
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Although they had but little Wind before,
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Their Acclamations blow um from the Shoar.
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A pleasant Gale: and now two Leagues at Sea:
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(Both in their swelling Pride and Gallantry.)
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Both made a stand: when from the Shoar they cryd;
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Some for the English; most oth Flemmings side.
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The Weather-gage, the Tiger having got,
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And both so near, within a Pistolls shot,
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Did ring such peals of Thunder in his ear,
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As made him Curse he ever came so near,
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This first Broad-side, his Men and Ship so Toar:
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She like a Rack, They, weltring in their Gore.
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Those bravely Fought, which did a Live remain,
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As if they had the spirits of the Slain
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Fighting in them the Battail ore agen,
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For more like Devils they appeard, then Men:
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Inragd, as Furies, in Confusion Fought;
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Grown Desprate, rather Death, then Conquest, sought.
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But He, (as other good Commanders shoud)
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Esteemd One savd, more then a stream of Blood
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Drawn from the Foe: Such was his Noble care,
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Though he Destroyd ---- Yet he had rather spare.
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But to be short; he laid her soon Aboard
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Upon the Bough; and then the Tiger Roard:
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The fierceness of her Nature, now is shown:
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They, Enter shouting: But the other groan;
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Which from the shoar the sound Reverberates;
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And so they Ecco back their adverse Fates.
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Here give Me Leave, a little to Digress,
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And briefly show our Nations Happiness:
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In having such Commanders in the Fleet,
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Whose equal Judgements, with their Valours meet.
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At last Shes forcd to yield unto his Power:
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(The miserable Effects of one short Hour!)
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For in less time, the Battails wone and lost,
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Wh[i]ch so much Honor gaind, with little Cost;
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Re[?]al that word; the Cost was very great,
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Er[e] we injoyd the Victory Compleat.
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But if he well recovers of the Wound;
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Act[i]ve, with passive Valour, shall be Crownd,
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And so erect his Fame, on such a Base,
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As [n]either Time, nor Envy, shall deface.
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An[d] if one Unexperiencd can Devine,
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His Glories ner shall Set, but always Shine
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In Honors Orb, there fixt, our Friends to chear:
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Bu[t] Meteor-like; possess our Foes with fear.
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Su[c]h powerfull Influence upon thy Foes,
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Se[c]ures thy Friends, a joyful, sweet, Repose.
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