The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #81115   Message #4206150
Posted By: Jim Dixon
27-Jul-24 - 07:51 PM
Thread Name: Songs about Nelson or Wellington
Subject: Lyr Add: BATTLE OF THE NILE
Found in The Roundelay: A Selection of Comic, Martial, Naval and Sentimental Songs (Doncaster: Thomas and Hunsley, [1815]), page 54:

BATTLE OF THE NILE.

ARISE, arise, Britannia's sons arise,
And join in the shouts of the patriotic throng:
Arise, arise, Britannia's sons arise,
And let the heavens echo with your song:
For the genius of Albion victory proclaiming,
Forth to the world our rights and deeds maintaining,
And the Battle of the Nile
Shall be foremost of the file,
And Nelson, gallant Nelson's name applauded shall be:

CHORUS: Then huzza, huzza! huzza, huzza, huzza, boys,
Mars guards for us what freedom did by charter gain;
Huzza, huzza! huzza, huzza, huzza, boys,
Britannia, still Britannia rules the main.

The proud sons of France, with insulting haughty scorn,
Had too long oppress'd the neighbouring independency,
And vainly did hope their conquest would be borne
In armaments triumphant o'er the sea;
But Nelson soon taught them in peals of British thunder,
To the flag of Royal George 'twas their duty to knock under;
And the battle of the Nile
Was decisive, and the spoil
Shall deck the lovely bosoms of each loyal British fair.

In council above rose the deity of war,
Determined to give true valour due renown,
And soon on the brow of each hardy British tar
Was planted a resplendent laurel crown;
While the loud trump of fame o'er earth and ocean sounded,
While How, Jarvis, Duncan, and Nelson's name resounded,
But the battle of the Nile,
Was the foremost of the file,
And all th' angelic choir sung the glories of that day:

Arouse, arouse, ye sons of mirthful sport,
And receive your protectors with open arms returning,
And view the spoil they with their blood have bought,
For the glory of this happy, happy isle,
A British seaman's name henceforward shall be penn'd,
A terror to his foe, and an honour to his friend.
At the battle of the Nile,
Our children shall smile,
And to ages yet unborn tell what England has perform'd.

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This can also be found in the Bodleian broadside collection, Firth b.25(238).