Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-02

same to the French relief fund.
On the ses and at the Hogue, sixteen hundred an
ninety-.wo,
Did the English fight the French - woe
/. Frsncei
And, the thirty. first of May, helter-skelte
through the blue,
Like crowd of frightened porpoises shoal q
sharks pursue,
GANG crowding SHIP on ship to st. Nalo on tn
| Rance,
With the English feet in view.
Twas the squadron that escaped, with the Veto
First and foremost of the drove, in his grea
| ship, Damfreyille;
| Close on him, great and small
| Twenty-Five good ships in all
And they signaled to the place
| Help the winners of the racei
Get us guidance, give us harbor, take us quicl
or, quicker still.
Here's the English can and will"
Then the pilots of the place put out brisk ant
leaped on board;
'Why, what hope or chance have ships nk
| these to pass?" laughed they,
"R0eks 10 starboard, rocks to port all the MASSAGE
SCARED and scored,
Shall the Formidable here with her twelve anC
Think to make the liver mouth By the sinel,
| Trust TO enter where his ticklsh for a craft O.
| twenty tons,
| And with fiow at full beside?
Now It's slackest ebb Of tide.
1 Reach the mooring? Rather say
While rock stands or water runs,
| Not ship will leave the bayl
! Then was called a council straight:
| Brief and bitter the debate;
Here's the English at our heels; would you have
| -, them tase IN TOW
| All that's lefs us OF the feet, linked together
| stern and bow,
| For prize to Plymouth sound?
Better run the ships agroundr'
Ended DamfreyI his specify
'Not minute more to waitl
Let the captains all and each
Shove ashore, then blow up, burn the vessels on
| the beach,
France must undergo her fate''
''Give the word !" but no such word
| Was ever spoke or heard;
For up stood, for out stepped for in struck
amid all these
| captain? A lieutenant? A mate-hrst, second,
third?
No such man of mark, and meet
With his betters to compete!
But simple Breton sailor pressed by Tour
vile for the fleet
A poor casting pilot he HerVe Riel the Croifick-
csc.
And "What mockeTy or malice have we here =
cries Herve Riel;
"Are you mad, you Malouins? Are you cow
ards, fools or rogues?
Talk to me of rocks and shoals, me who took til q
soundings, tell
On my fingers every bank, every shallow, every
Twixt the ofhng here and Greve, where the
river disembogues?
Are you bought by English goldi Is it love the
lying's for?
Morn and eve, night and day,
Have plotted your bay,
Entered free and anchored fast at the foot Of Sci
idor.
Burn the fleet and ruin France? That were
worse than fifty Hogues!
Sirs, they know speak the truth! sirs, be
heve me, there's wayi
Only let me lead the line,
Have the biggest ship to steer,
Get this Formidable clear,
Make the others follow mine,
And lead them, most and least, by passage
know well,
Right to Solidor, past Greve,
And there lay them safe aud sound;
And if one ship misbeh&ve-
Keel 30 much AS crate the glound--
Why, I've nothing but my life; here's my head ~
cries Herve Riel.
Not mi lute more to wait,
steer US IN, then, small and grsa.!
Take the helm, lead the line, save the squadron ~
cries its chief
Captains, give the sailor plsce!
he is Admiral in brief,
Still the north wind, by Gods grace
See the noble fellows face
As the big ship, with bound,
clears the entry liz e hound,
Keeps the passage as its inch of way wers the
wide ees's profound;
See, sEfe through shoal and rock,
How they follow i'll 8 flock.
Not ship that misbehsyes, not keel that CRATES
the ground,
Not spar inst comes to grief
The peril, see, Is past,
All ars harbored 70 the last,
And Just as Herve Riel hollos anchor r-sure Is
Up the English come. too late.
So the storm subsidies to calm:
They see the green trees wave
On The heights oerlooking Greve;
Hearts that bed are staunched with balm,
"JEst our rapture 10 enhance,
Let the English rage the bay,
Gnash their teeth and glare asksnce,
As they c3nnonRde away!
Meath rampired so!idor pleasant riding on the
Rapcs!"
How hope succeeds DESPAIR on eash csptain's
coun enance;
OutEurst all with one accord
This is Paradise for Hell!
Let FraLc let Frances hing
Thank the nan that did the thing!"
What a shout, and al one word,
"Herve RIel,"
AS he stepped in front once more,
Not symptom OF surprise
In the frank blue Breton's eyes,
Just the same man as before.
Then said Dlmfreyine, "My friend,
must speak out at the end
Though find the speaking hard;
Praise is deeper than the lips;
You have saved the king his ships.
You must name your own reward,
Faith, our sun was near eclipsel
Demand whateer you will,
France remains your debtor still
Ask to hearts content, and have! or my names
not Damfreyille"
Then beam Of fun ouibroks
On tae bearded mouth that spoke,
As the honest heart laughed through
Thoss frank eyes Of Breton blue:
"Since l needs must say my say,
Since on board the cuty's done,
And from MILO Roads to Croisic Point what is
it but a run?
Since It's ask and Lave may
since the others 60 ashore
Come! good Whole holidsyi
Leave to 60 and see my wife, whom I call the
Belle Aurore.r
That he asked, and that he got-nothing more.
Name and deed alike are lost;
Not pillar nor post
In his Croisic keeps alive the feat as It befelI;
Not head in viii e and black
On single fishing smack,
In memory Of the man but for whom had gone to
wreck
AL that France saved from the fight whence
England bore the bell,
Go to Paris; rank On rank
Search the heroes flung pell-mell
On the Louvre, face and flank
You shall look long enough ere you come to
Herve Riel.
So for better and for worse
HeEye Riel, accept my versei
In my verse, Herve kie do thou once moro
Save the squsdron, honor France, love thy wife