Sarnia

A poem from the Mercure newspaper, 20 October 1810.

Where England’s noble channel ebbs and flows,
At Neptune’s word, there sprung a favor’d Isle,
‘Twas happy Sarnia from the deep arose,
A fruitful vestige of the Norman soil.
The angry serpent, harmless and subdued,
Yea—Base envenom’d reptiles linger here,
Caesarea claim’d the ignominious brood,
And Neptune wafted all our reptiles there.
Audacious Gaul! While Cornet on the main,
While English Navies guard our shores around:
Boast of invasion, dare the seas again,
And boldly threaten this unconquer’d ground.
Now is the time, brave SAUMAREZ no more,
Supplys the Ensign of my Sarnia’s boast,
Its compass honor, where his thunders roar,
It nobly waves o’er Dania’s frozen coast.
Forbear, Oh Muse! The Hero to pursue,
Thy humble praises concentrate in one,
While others tell of England’s naval crew,
I tune the Lay to Gratitude alone.
O DOYLE, the blessings that we here command
To thy protection ever proud we owe:
With thee we’ll dare the sacrilegious band.
Led on by Doyle we’ll rout the coward foe.
Is this obscurity? No favor’d Isle!
While commerce adds her lustre to thy pain:
Those hills and Vales that alternately smile,
Will catch the Trav’ller’s eye and soothe his pain.