Ballads of the Fleet and Other Poems A New Edition With several Additional Pieces: By Rennell Rodd |
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| I. | I CHILDREN OF THE SEA
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| II. |
| III. |
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 | Ballads of the Fleet and Other Poems |  |
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I CHILDREN OF THE SEA
In the Medway mouth by Chatham the King's ships lay at ease,
The fleet that Tudor Henry built, who was lord of the narrow seas;
The fleet that Tudor Henry built, who was lord of the narrow seas;
Across the bay were the shipwrights' yards, where they laid the sturdy keel,
And there day through rang hammer stroke, and hissed the strident steel;
And there day through rang hammer stroke, and hissed the strident steel;
And there they bent the good ship's ribs, and trimmed the taper tree,
To lift the wide wings windward that bear men over sea;
To lift the wide wings windward that bear men over sea;
The old dismasted war-hulks, whose travelling days were done,
Lay moored in the quiet reaches, where they blistered in the sun.
Lay moored in the quiet reaches, where they blistered in the sun.
And many a shore-bird there had found a cranny for its nest,
And children's faces thronged the ports of those old barques at rest.
And children's faces thronged the ports of those old barques at rest.
In such an ark of olden days, moored hard by Chatham dock,
There was lodged a sturdy man of God, one Drake of Tavistock;
There was lodged a sturdy man of God, one Drake of Tavistock;
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A hard, unyielding Western man, who held with the stern new creed,
And deemed that the word was lifeless which did not prompt the deed;
And deemed that the word was lifeless which did not prompt the deed;
The creed that yet had its evil days of blood and of fire to face
Before the faith was 'stablished that has formed the English race.
Before the faith was 'stablished that has formed the English race.
He had seen his homestead burning long since, and fled for life
Across the Dartmoor highlands with his new-born child and wife;
Across the Dartmoor highlands with his new-born child and wife;
What time the Western counties rose, that famous Whitsuntide,
When stalwart Reformation men were on the losing side.
When stalwart Reformation men were on the losing side.
But now was peace in all the land through Edward's ebbing days,
Before the torch Queen Mary lit had set the shires ablaze;
Before the torch Queen Mary lit had set the shires ablaze;
And here of a Sunday morning, in sunshine, rain, or sleet,
The rough sea-folk would gather to the chaplain of the Fleet:
The rough sea-folk would gather to the chaplain of the Fleet:
For they that go abroad in ships are earnest men at prayer,
And they prayed as they would in their own plain way, and as yet none vexed them there.
And they prayed as they would in their own plain way, and as yet none vexed them there.
So half a score of sturdy lads grew up between the decks,
And paddled in the ebbing shoals, and played at raids and wrecks—
And paddled in the ebbing shoals, and played at raids and wrecks—
Their small black boats would bear them over the reaches wide,
Where the mimic billows tossed their manes when the home-wind met the tide,
Where the mimic billows tossed their manes when the home-wind met the tide,
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With quick young hands for tiller and sheet alert to the pulse of the breeze,
And frank young fearless laughter tuned to the tumbled seas;
And frank young fearless laughter tuned to the tumbled seas;
While the mother would watch with anxious eyes from the deck of their floating home
The track where the children guided a nutshell craft in the foam.
The track where the children guided a nutshell craft in the foam.
They were nursed on the cradling water by fostering wind and wave,
And as they had lived, so in after years in the sea they found their grave.
And as they had lived, so in after years in the sea they found their grave.
There, half in wonder and half in awe, they had heard grave men debate
Dark rumours of the death of kings, and tidings big with fate;
Dark rumours of the death of kings, and tidings big with fate;
And they saw the Kentish yeomen arm, and march with pike and sword,
When Wyatt mustered round his flag the servants of the Lord;—
When Wyatt mustered round his flag the servants of the Lord;—
They heard of the battles lost and won, and the good blood spilt in vain,
And the infant lips were taught to curse the league with Rome and Spain.
And the infant lips were taught to curse the league with Rome and Spain.
So years rolled on, and the eldest-born went forth and took his chance,
A 'prentice hand on a ketch that plied to the Channel ports and France.
A 'prentice hand on a ketch that plied to the Channel ports and France.
Dark days had set on England, dark days for such as Drake,
And lurid through the darkness shone the fagot and the stake;—
And lurid through the darkness shone the fagot and the stake;—
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It was little enough like boyhood's dream, a dreary life at the best,
With danger and toil for shipmates, and hunger oft as a guest;
With danger and toil for shipmates, and hunger oft as a guest;
It was little enough like boyhood's dream—when the light on a sunset sail,
To eyes that followed the outward bound, was more than a fairy tale;
To eyes that followed the outward bound, was more than a fairy tale;
To crouch chilled through on the dripping planks, and watch for the roving lights,
When green seas break on the dipping prow through the endless wintry nights,
When green seas break on the dipping prow through the endless wintry nights,
When the blast drives down from Bergen, and the cloud-banks blot the moon,
And the evil sea is a churning race from the chalk cliffs to the dune;
And the evil sea is a churning race from the chalk cliffs to the dune;
But the mariner's boy was taught his craft, and in service learned to rule,
And he braced his nerve and he trained his eye in a hard and thankless school.
And he braced his nerve and he trained his eye in a hard and thankless school.
He saw the lilied flag of Guise at Calais oust his Queen's,
And the fleet of England sail with Spain to battle at Grave-lines;
And the fleet of England sail with Spain to battle at Grave-lines;
And in the ports of Maas and Scheldt they found no better cheer,
There too the shadow of the cowl fell deeper year by year:—
There too the shadow of the cowl fell deeper year by year:—
For a great unrest had touched the time, the world's deep heart was stirred,
There rang across the northern blasts a voice that would be heard—
There rang across the northern blasts a voice that would be heard—
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A voice that shook the ocean shores where freedom wills to dwell,
From Zealand and the English cliffs to Nantes and La Rochelle:
From Zealand and the English cliffs to Nantes and La Rochelle:
The night of years broke into dawn, and now in a broader day
Men's conscience craved for warrant from those who bade obey;
Men's conscience craved for warrant from those who bade obey;
And lest this dire contagion spread, and free thought breathe again,
The Holy Office raised her flag in all the ports of Spain;
The Holy Office raised her flag in all the ports of Spain;
And through the Flemish sand-hills and up the Holland dykes
The hounds of God were on the trail to flesh the Spanish pikes.
The hounds of God were on the trail to flesh the Spanish pikes.
But where their withering mandate fell deep slumbering passions woke,
For simple men grew great of heart and turned against their yoke,
For simple men grew great of heart and turned against their yoke,
And deeds of high endeavour were no more to the favoured few,
But brain and heart were the measure of what every man might do.
But brain and heart were the measure of what every man might do.
The wronged took arms and sought redress at their own risk and fee,
Shook off their feet the bloody dust, and gathered in the sea;
Shook off their feet the bloody dust, and gathered in the sea;
The London merchants mounted guns, and armed the trading barque,
The boatmen left their nets and lines to follow de la Mark;
The boatmen left their nets and lines to follow de la Mark;
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So corsairs swept the narrow seas, and watched the highway south,
While justice in her ruder form spoke through the cannon's mouth;
While justice in her ruder form spoke through the cannon's mouth;
Long years the trembling nations paused, the red fires smouldered low,
While monarchs knew within their gates the internecine foe;
While monarchs knew within their gates the internecine foe;
Till there rose in island England a Queen, by God's own grace,
Who gathered in her ample heart the heart of all her race—
Who gathered in her ample heart the heart of all her race—
The race which, loving freedom, of their own free will obeyed,
Till champions mustered round her, and trust with trust repaid;
Till champions mustered round her, and trust with trust repaid;
She saw the crisis of the age, absorbed her nation's faith,
And faced a world's defiance with battle to the death.
And faced a world's defiance with battle to the death.
Through those dark years of doubt and stress the coaster plied her trade,
The preacher's lad grew great and strong—and so the man was made.
The preacher's lad grew great and strong—and so the man was made.
| Ballads of the Fleet and Other Poems | |