Tragedy of Sir James the Rose (1815)/Hearts of Oak
HEARTS OF OAK.
Come, cheer up, my lads,
'tis to glory we ſteer,
To add something new
to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you,
don't press you, like ſtaves,
For who are so free
as the Sons of the Waves?
Hearts of Oak are our ſhips,
Hearts of Oak are our men,;
We always are ready,
Steady, boys, ſteady:
We'll fight, and we'll conquer
again and again.
We never meet our foes
but we wiſh them to stay;
They never meet us,
but they wiſh us away:
If they run, then we follow,
and run them a-ſhore,
For if they won't fight us,
we cannot do more.
Hearts of Oak, &'c.
They ſwear they'll invade us,
these terrible foes!
They frighten our women,
our children and beaux:
But ſhould their flat bottoms
in darkness get o'er,
Still Britons they'll find
to receive them on ſhore.
Hearts of Oak, &C.
We'll ſtill make them run,
And we'll ſtill make them ſweat,
In spite of the devil,
and Bruſſel's Gazette.
Then cheer up, my lads,
with one voice let us ſing,
Our ſoldiers, our ſailors,
our Statesmen and King.
Hearts of Oak, &c.