An ENCOMIUM, OR Congratulatory POEM Occasionally Written, upon the Happy Successes of Capt. Thomas Harman, Commander Of his MAJESTIE'S Friggate, the TIGER.  
With an Exact Relation of His late Signal Victory Offa Cadis.  
I shall, no Heathen Deity Implore:  
Be those idolaters who need it more.  
The Subject will my Pen with Wit Infuse;  
And of a Barren,— make a fruitful Muse.  

BRAVE SIR John Harman, his great Name will be,  
A sacred Relic to Posterity:  
Which as a Favour each large Soul shall bind  
Upon his Arm, and so fresh Courage find.  
His Actions with thy Actions, shine so clear,  
Though but one Living, plainly both appear.  
Go on bold Youth inspired with his great Soul,  
Who could his Passions, as his Men, Control;  
Thou wantest nothing to attain that height  
Which he enjoyed— But to be made a— Knight.   

Should we look back, and trace him from his Youth,  
Our highest Praises would fall short of Truth.  
His early Rays like a red Sun did break,  
Manhood shone through him,  he well could speak.  
If in his East he promised so much,  
Why should we wonder that his Acts are such.  
The rest— and this his Southern!— scarce make good  
His promises, though with expense of Blood.  
He for his King and Country Nobly Fought,  
And gained that Honour which the Other sought.   

But stay quick Muse, You in a little Room  
Would crowed up all— You quite forget the Boom. 
At Bo●gee where the seven Capital Ships of Argier were destroyed   
After so many Men in Beats destroyed,  
As Death with conquering, seemed almost cloyed:  
When Deaths more swift than Lightning flew i'th' Air,  
And turned all hopes of Conquest, to despair!  
When the Proud Turks defied us from their Wall,  
Then Honour did, to Noble Harman, call:  
Come Gallant Spark of Valour, now come forth,  
And with thy Native Courage, show thy Worth;  
Give me thy Hand— when this great work is done,  
I'll bring thee off— as now I lead thee on.  
So, bravely Fought, fear not the thundering Showers,  
Know I Protect thy Life from all their Powers.  
'Tis done!— The Turks are shaken with the English— shout  
An universal Joy flies round about.  
Which gave a Shock to the poor trembling Town,  
As if the Fabric had been tumbling down.   

Now ●●now gins the dreadful Scene of Fate,  
Try ●●phing Death, set open wide Hellgate;  
And drove the Tawny-souls by hundreds in  
A just Reward for all their horrid Sin.  
Their best of Ships in sultry Flames appear,  
O, could we make such Bonfires all the year?  
How many Christian Captives, now set Free,  
So many Christian Captives, may thank Thee;  
Thou, thou the only Instrumental Cause  
Of giving Captives Freedom; Pagans, Laws.   

When he was Convoy to a Mighty Fleet,  
And many Capers at one time did meet.  
His discreet Conduct to secure his own,  
Appeared, when of so many, Lost not one.  
When through all Dangers he had them Conveyed,  
(And not as some, their Countrymen Betrayed.)   

A greater Action calls him now away,  
To give out Precepts how they should Obey.  
He a new Method took, and taught 'em how  
They must, and theirs; to Britain's Monarch bow. 
To Sally.   
And though they're always exercised in War,  
He made them know we can Surpass 'em far?  
Witness, those Ships He took, and forced a Shoar,  
And thirty Slaves by him condemned to th' Oar. 
Five Salli men of War burnt and taken with thirty Slaves .  
In Barbary, what part so  he came,  
They fright their Children with his very Name.  
From thence my Muse, shall Tack about, and stand  
For Cat'z, the Magazine of every Land.  
Vice-Admiral de Wit, Cruceing about,  
But all in Vain, could find no Purchase out;  
In three days space, for Cat'z again did Steer,  
But after him the Tiger came too near,  
For suddenly a strange Report was spread,  
That he for Safety into Harbour fled.  
Bold Evertson careening in the Bay,  
Hearing in what a Case their Honour lay.  
Advised the Wit immediately to send  
A Challenge, and so the Difference end:  
Hoping to gain Opinion from the Town,  
And by this Act, their former Actions Crown.  
De Wit resolved the next days Trial, should  
Decide the Quarrel, though through streams of Blood.  
Harman obleidged now by Honour's Laws,  
Could do no less than Fight his Countries cause;  
And now both sides in haste preparing be,  
Although the  not questioned, Victory,  
Depending on his numbers, swollen with Pride,  
Since Evertson has him so well supplied,  
With sevenscore Men, above his compliment,  
Whose courages all Resolutely bend,  
And if in Looks, some certainty might be,  
Their manly-faces promised Victory.  
Could Strength have carried it, th' Engagement had  
Gone, on the Weaker-side but very bad,  
From such an Act, what Honour could he gain,  
Though he had Sunk Her, and the Captain Slain:  
Unequal Numbers make a Conquest, none,  
For what's a Conquest when the Glory's gone.  
But now for Both, the Time to Action calls,  
While Multitudes are placed on the Walls,  
And on the Sandy Beach appear such Crowds,  
Their very shadows seem to darken Clouds!  
All gazing at the Champions going out,  
And of a sudden gave a lofty Shout;  
Although they had but little Wind before,  
Their Acclamations blow 'em from the Shoar.  
A pleasant Gale: and now two Leagues at Sea:  
(Both in their swelling Pride and Gallantry.)  
Both made a stand: when from the Shoar they cried;  
Some for the English; most o'th' Flemings side.  
The Weather-gage, the Tiger having got,  
And both so near, within a Pistols shot,  
Did ring such peals of Thunder in his ear,  
As made him Curse he ever came so near,  
This first Broadside, his Men and Ship so Toar:  
She like a Rack, They, weltering in their Gore.  
Those bravely Fought, which did a Live remain,  
As if they had the spirits of the Slain  
Fight in them the Battle o'er again,  
For more like Devils they appeared, than Men:  
Enraged, as Furies, in Confusion Fought;  
Grown Desperate, rather Death, than Conquest, sought.  
But He, (as other good Commanders should)  
Esteemed One saved, more than a stream of Blood  
Drawn from the Foe: Such was his Noble care,  
Though he Destroyed— Yet he had rather spare.   

But to be short; he laid her soon Aboard  
Upon the Bough; and then the Tiger Roared;  
The fierceness of her Nature, now is shown:  
They, Enter shouting: But the other groan;  
Which from the shore the sound Reverberates;  
And so they Echo back their adverse Fates.  
Here give Me Leave, a little to Digress,  
And briefly show our Nation's Happiness:  
In having such Commanders in the Fleet,  
Whose equal Judgements, with their Valours meet.  
At last She's forced to yield unto his Power:  
(The miserable Effects of one short Hour!)  
For ●n less time, the Battles won and lost,  
Wh●ch so much Honour gained, with little Cost;  
Read that word; the Cost was very great,  
Er'● we enjoyed the Victory Complete.  
But if he well recovers of the Wound;  
Actve, with passive Valour, shall be Crowned,  
And so erect his Fame, on such a Base,  
As ●either Time, nor Envy, shall deface,  
And if one Unexperienced can Devine,  
His Glories ne'er shall Set, but always Shine  
In Honour's Orb, there fixed, our Friends to cheer:  
Bu● Meteor-like; possess our Foes with fear.  
Su●h powerful Influence upon thy Foes,  
Se●ures thy Friends, a joyful, sweet, Repose.   

Infreta dum fluvij current, dum montibus Vmbra.  
L●strabunt, connexa Polus dum Sydera posect:  
S●per honos, nomenque tuum, laudesque Manebunt.   Vergil. lib: I. AEneid. 
T. G. with Allowance.   

LONDON Printed by H. Bruges, 1674.