Barney'S Invitation[155]

Come all ye lads who know no fear, To wealth and honor with me steer In the Hyder Ali privateer, Commanded by brave Barney.

She's new and true, and tight and sound, Well rigged aloft, and all well found-- Come away and be with laurel crowned, Away--and leave your lasses.

Accept our terms without delay, And make your fortunes while you may, Such offers are not every day In the power of the jolly sailor.

Success and fame attend the brave, But death the coward and the slave, Who fears to plow the Atlantic wave, To seek the bold invaders.

Come, then, and take a cruising bout, Our ship sails well, there is no doubt, She has been tried both in and out, And answers expectation.

Let no proud foes whom Europe bore, Distress our trade, insult our shore-- Teach them to know their reign is o'er, Bold Philadelphia sailors!

We'll teach them how to sail so near, Or to venture on the Delaware, When we in warlike trim appear And cruise without Henlopen.

Who cannot wounds and battle dare Shall never clasp the blooming fair; The brave alone their charms should share, The brave are their protectors.

With hand and heart united all, Prepared to conquer or to fall, Attend, my lads, to honour's call, Embark in our Hyder Ali.

From an Eastern prince she takes her name, Who, smit with Freedom's sacred flame, Usurping Britons brought to shame, His country's wrongs avenging;

See, on her stern the waving stars-- Inured to blood, inured to wars, Come, enter quick, my jolly tars, To scourge these warlike Britons.

Here's grog enough--then drink a bout, I know your hearts are firm and stout; American blood will never give out, And often we have proved it.

Though stormy oceans round us roll, We'll keep a firm undaunted soul, Befriended by the cheering bowl, Sworn foes to melancholy:

While timorous landsmen lurk on shore, 'Tis ours to go where cannons roar-- On a coasting cruise we'll go once more, Despisers of all danger;

And Fortune still, who crowns the brave, Shall guard us over the gloomy wave A fearful heart betrays a knave-- Success to the Hyder Ali.

"A number of gentlemen having met in the evening [about April 1, 1782] at Crawford and Donaldson's insurance office in High street and, conversing on the subject of the captures making in the bay by the General Monk, just then arrived, it was resolved to raise a loan of money by which to fit out a vessel which might succeed to capture her. The money was obtained of the Bank of North America upon the responsibility of sundry individuals; the Hyder Ali was purchased of John W. Stanley and the command given to Capt. Barney; a crew of volunteers, chiefly from the regular service, was engaged, and a commission of a letter of marque procured. In a week the vessel was ready and sailed."--Watson's Annals of Philadelphia. The poem was included in the editions of 1786 and 1809. Why Freneau omitted this spirited lyric and also 'Barney's Victory over the Monk' from his edition of 1795 has never been explained.

Hyder Ali, a prince of Mysore, India, who defeated in 1767 the British troops and forced them to sue for peace. In 1780, assisted by the French, he invaded Carnatic, but was defeated the following year by Sir Eyre Coote. From his hostility to the English and his alliance with the French he was hailed with enthusiasm by the American patriots.