Page:Poems that every child should know (ed. Burt, 1904).djvu/276

238 The Frenchmen's captain had a name I wish I could pronounce;

A Breton gentleman was he, and wholly free from bounce,

One like those famous fellows who died by guillotine

For honour and the fleur-de-lys, and Antoinette the Queen.

The Catholic for Louis, the Protestant for George,

Each captain drew as bright a sword as saintly smiths could forge;

And both were simple seamen, but both could understand

How each was bound to win or die for flag and native land.

The French ship was La Surveillante, which means the watchful maid;

She folded up her head-dress and began to cannonade.

Her hull was clean, and ours was foul; we had to spread more sail.

On canvas, stays, and topsail yards her bullets came like hail.

Sore smitten were both captains, and many lads beside,

And still to cut our rigging the foreign gunners tried.

A sail-clad spar came flapping down athwart a blazing gun;

We could not quench the rushing flames, and so the Frenchman won.