A POEM On the famous Ship CALLED The Loyal London. Begun at the charge of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Commoners of the City of London, in the year 1665. and Lauched June 10. 1666. which they presented to His Majesty as a testimony of their Loyalty and dutiful affection; And built at Deptford by Captain Taylor. By WILLIAM SMITH. DOMINE DIRIGE NOS printer's or publisher's device LONDON, Printed for Nath: Brook, at the Angel in Cornhill, 1666. Committee appointed to take care for the building of the Ship LOYAL LONDON. 15. March 1664. Alder. Sir John Laurence Sir Tho: Adam's Sir Rich: Brown Sir John Frederick Sir John Robinson Sir An: Bateman Sir Tho: Bludworth Sir Wil Turner Sir R: Ford Sir R: Ryves Com. Sir Tho: Chambrelan Sir Wil: Bateman Sir A: Ingram Captain Ryves Col. Nevile Deputy Tivill Mr. N: Pening Deputy Canham Deputy Jefferies Major Stroud Sam: Foot Esq. Hen: Bainbrigg Esq. mort. Col. Clegat Mr. Tho: Pilkington Deputy Warren Deputy Throckmorton Tho: Culling Esq. Captain Birkin Deputy Lluellin and Mr. Jonathan Ash mort. Licenced June 15. 1666. Roger L'estrange. A POEM ON The Loyal London. WHen envious Fate, or Error had dissolved The former London, and herself involved, Her Men, her Guns, her Tackling in a cloak Of sudden lightning and sulphureous smoke, She roared out thus. Another (though I burn) Shall blossom from, and grace my watery Urn; A LOYAL LONDON, who shall long proclaim Her Prince's greatness, and her CITIES' fame. This mightier Phoenix now at length we have, The greater birth of her great Mother's grave. Th' Escurial of the Deep, whose State may bear As well as Titus' Amphitheatre, The name of Wonder; and deserves a room Above the ruins of the Carian Tomb. Her bulk's for use, her beauty strength doth hide; Those were th' effects of Luxury and Pride. Yet e'er kind Zephyr with officious gales Salutes her Canvas, or employs her sails; Before the wondering Nereids shall discern Her threatening Lion, or her guilded Stern; On the admiring Surges floating ere Among her Sister-wonders she appear, (Cathedrals high-aspiring heads at land Thus lift, and o'er the humbler Churches stand.) Her mighty timbers, and her large-sized beams. Thames first receives on his transparent streams, Glad to behold and bear this pompous load, His reed-environed head from's moist abode He now advanced, and thus begins to say, Whilst silver-footed Nymphs about him play. I'm He, whom th' Ocean most of all his Sons Does court; my crystal current gently runs, And sends such winged fortresses abroad As awe the world, and Thetis shoulders load. Iberian Pagus slight thy golden Oar; My fertile banks exceed thy barren shore. And Nereus knows my force o'er him prevails; His arms my Cables press, his back my Sails. To Pibers' awful Fasces yielding place, So once the Ocean did submit his Mace. Surrounding Drake about the vast globe rowls, Viewing the Arctic and Antarctic Poles, Yet his small Pinnace coasting did but show A vain Ludibrium on rough Neptune's brow. Built o'er the subdued billows to give Law, Both to encompass, and the world to awe, Here's SHE, whom uncontrolled Fates have chose To check the boldness of our Neighbouring foes; Whose solid planks, when on rude waves they pass, Contemn the fury of the thundering Brass. No Sea-exciting gusts or Storms she fears; Much louder tempests in herself she bears: Through foaming Neptune's boiling waves she glides, Aetna's enclosed in her armed sides; And trembling Holland her more dreadful finds Then raging storms raised by Autumnal winds: From out each Porthole a Vesuvius roars In massy Iron, and not in Cinder showers, Whose unperceived speed leave far behind Strong Corus o'er the slower Eastern Wind; Like wrathful Angels her loud Guns do breath On obvious Mortals unexpected Death; And She, as Sinon's Horse, bears armed men, Not by close plots, but open force to win; Whose Sterling valour in true worth doth shine Without the base allay of Brandywine. To move revenge, and to incite our rage What hoodwinked rashness did the Dutch engage? Deprived of Herrings (but our slighted store) Soon they will be so despicably poor, As when they made their Idolized thing, And first took Arms against their Catholic King; In whose Dominions Heaven's bright Cohorts have Their rise and set, their cradle and their grave. With equal folly, and with equal fate Mistaken Carthage urged the Roman State. Oh may I still the Loyal London see Triumphant o'er our foes return from Sea, A living Monument and a lasting story Of her great Masters and his city's glory! He having spoke in this, or such a strain, His aged head his floods receive again. Slightly encamped the Ancient Consuls lie, Their Evocati and Triarij nigh, Secured with treble fosses armed with stakes, Whilst at each port an ordered Cohort wakes Our better fenced Isle, which Thetis laves, Entrenched by Nereus with unconquered waves; A liquid Rampire of fierce surges arms, And we encamped within secure from harms. Defended thus by careful Nature's hand, Sole Umpiers of the Western world we stand; When with extended Sails rough Seas we sweep, Our sturdy Oaks re-florish in the deep. On tumid billows tossed with furious winds Our warlike SEAMAN steady footing finds, With Roman courage, Roman constancy, Intends to conquer, or intends to die; Protests that Quagmire Holland now doth quake, Fearing our arms will to one Chaos shake, Butter and Cheese, united Boors and Bogs, And pickle up Mijnhere with Eels and Frogs; His sober brain provoked, contemns vain fear, Nor needs the fury of the Grape or Beer; He without Brandy his true valour shows, Engaged heats, still fight fiercer grows; His daring heart and good success alike O'er the Dutch sinews a i'll Ague strike; The great Augustus once affrighted thus The weaker Angel of Antonius. We floating Forts (our Guardian Angels) send Our foe to vanquish, or assist our friend; Vainly the Friar his Brazen Head invokes, For Brazen walls we have brass-armed Oaks; Swift Oaks, whose flame-winked thunder can with ease Command the Ocean and the narrow Seas; And our successful Red Cross still did come From Sea victorious, and triumphant home. With equal courage and with equal fate, Our ancient TITLE we at land debate; Whilst our Victorious Armies twice advance The English Standard through the heart of France; France, on whose face our Swords have left more scars Then mighty Caesar in his ten years' wars. And Monseur, if you question this report, Read Crescy, Poitiers, Vernoil, Agincourt: They're your own Chronicles will tell you who On one poor Rump oft supped and dined too. Great Julius Eagles fixed their ravenous claws, When under various Princes, various Laws; We did our Conquest to a period bring, When France was subject to one Potent King. Majestic Rome did back his conquering cause, Rome to the wealthy East which then gave Laws; The French provoked Scotch with hostile rage, And sudden fury did our backs engage; His were old Soldiers, ours had seen no foe; And that Mercurial, aery Nation know, Our civil broils were the unhappy chance, Not Joan nor Charles, which thrust us out of France; It was ourselves, ourselves that overthrew! None could our Arms, but our own Arms subdue. 'Twas our Black Edward, shaked th' Iberian Crown, And dispossessed Pedro did enthrone; 'twas our stout Richard won the Holy Land, Both Prince and Victor did in Cyprus stand. To the King. BUt You, Great Prince, from whom do blossom forth All former virtues, and all former worth, Have propagated more the British powers Then our old Monarches, your great Ancestors. Our ancient Saxon King did sometime please O'er smaller limits of the narrow Seas To sit triumphant, view the neighbouring shores, Whilst Captive Kings tugged at his labouring oars. The Earth-environing Ocean doth obey The mild commands of your diffusive sway. How do our Annals Edward's fame advance For worsting once the Naval Force of France? Far higher must your great renown appear, Who worsted, and triumphed over Her, Whose avaricious domineering rage, You standing Neuter, might the world engage. In our Terrestrial Sphere long may you move, Your Subject's safety, and your Subjects love! Your watchful thoughts, and your unwearied care, Succeeding ages will with joy declare; Tell, how without th' expense of their own blood, Or sweat, You wisely have contrived their good; Cry out, oh Happy Age! even then alone Both Arms and Arts in full perfection shone! Then did the Sacred Nine sing in a strain Not much exceeded in Augustus' reign. To the City. I Know, oh stately City, my low praise, Nor disproportioned verse thy glory raise: If of thy Arms, or of thy Arts I sing, Or neighbouring fields blest with perpetual Spring; When Jove to seasons turned the fleeting year, He left that ancient privilege only here; Or if I say, the rarest things thou hast To feed the eye, or to provoke the taste; Yea, if Lucullus had but seen thy store, He must have thought's Luxurious Kitchen poor; Or of thy wholesome site for air and health, Or mighty traffic, or abundant wealth; Or thy old splendour, power, and great renown; Paulinus did see thee a famous Town; Or of thy River, which such Fleets doth bear, As Lumbardstreet shows us both Indies here; Or should I say, thou always wert the great Emporeum of our Kings, and regal Seat. To complete all, and now to serve thy King, Thou didst at last to full perfection bring This mighty Ship, this work of many days, To thy great credit and eternal praise; Although begun when scarce thou drew thy breath, In a sad night of horror and of Death; And she (I hope) will recompense alone The former London and the Prince, that's gone. The Prince, which (if the Muses can divine) May prove a Phoenix too; one shall outshine Her, built by the brave Liberality, And forward hearts of our Nobility; Whose worthy service shall for many years The Honour tell and Splendour of our Peers. That in their veins, this resolution shows, The ancient blood of their great Fathers flows. FINIS.