The Mouth of the Nile

It was in the forenoon, on the first day of August,
One thousand seven hundred and ninety eight,
After a long pursuit, we o?ertook the Toulon fleet,
And soon we let them know we came for to fight;
We tried their skill, and we put them in the mill,
They knew not what to think of our fleet for awhile,
When brave Nelson gave command, altho? he?d but one hand,
British sailors jumped for joy at the mouth of the Nile,

When our guns began to play, with many a loud huzza,
We resolved to conquer or to die to a man,
And when out sails were bended, old England depended,
Waiting a return from the Mediteranian;
Our bull-dogs they did roar, and into them did pour.
With rattling broadsides which made Nelson to smile,
When brave Nelson gave command, altho? he?d but one hand,
British sailors jump?d for joy at the mouth of the Nile.

The night coming on we formed a plan,
To set fire to one hundred and twenty guns
We selected with skill, and into them did thrill,
We secured our shipping and laughed and their fun;
About twelve o?clock at night, it was a brilliant sight,
Which caused us to muzzle our bulldogs for awhile,
The l?Orient blew up, while round went the cup,
To the glorious memorandum of the mouth of the Nile.

Altho? Providence supported the minutes of the night,
No tongue can tell, nor no pen can write,
Among the jolly tars, brave Nelson got a scar,
Yet Providence protected him through a cruel fight;
So the French may repine, we took nine of their line,
Burnt and sank all but two, which escaped for a while,
Before the fray began, we resolved to a man,
For to conquer or to die at the mouth of the Nile.

So now the battle?s o?er, and the Toulon fleet no more,
Great news shall be sent to George our King,
And all the kingdoms in Europe shall join us in chorus,
The bells shall ring and the bonfires shall blaze;
Rule Britannia shall be sung in country and in town,
While our sailors hand in hand round their cans to sing,
Bonaparte for the pldge of all Egypt for his wage,
And he?ll ne?er forget brave Nelson at the mouth of the Nile.