Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Ireland: Vol. V. 1876–79.
The Battle of the Boyne
By Croker’s Historical Songs of IrelandJ
There was a grievous battle,
Where many a man lay on the ground,
By the cannons that did rattle.
King James he pitched his tents between
The lines for to retire;
But King William threw his bomb-balls in,
And set them all on fire.
Upon King William’s forces;
And often did cry vehemently
That they would stop their courses.
A bullet from the Irish came,
Which grazed King William’s arm;
They thought his Majesty was slain,
Yet it did him little harm.
His king would often caution
To shun the spot where bullets hot
Retained their rapid motion.
But William said, “He don’t deserve
The name of Faith’s defender,
That would not venture life and limb
To make a foe surrender.”
The enemy they descended;
But few of our brave men were lost,
So stoutly we defended.
The horse was the first that marchéd o’er,
The foot soon followed a’ter,
But brave Duke Schomberg was no more,
By venturing over the water.
King William thus accosted
His warlike men for to march on,
And he would be the foremost.
“Brave boys,” he said, “be not dismayed
For the losing of one commander;
For God will be our king this day,
And I ’ll be general under.”
To give our enemies battle;
Our cannon, to our foes’ great cost,
Like thundering claps did rattle.
In majestic mien our prince rode o’er,
His men soon followed a’ter;
With blows and shouts put our foes to the rout,
The day we crossed the water.
Have reasons to be thankful
That they were not to bondage brought,
They being but a handful.
First to the Tholsel they were brought,
And tied at Milmount a’ter,
But brave King William set them free,
By venturing over the water.
Had taken up their quarters,
And fenced themselves on every side,
Still waiting for new orders.
But in the dead time of the night
They set the field on fire,
And long before the morning light,
To Dublin they did retire.
After the French departed,
“I ’m glad,” said he, “that none of ye
Seeméd to be faint-hearted,
So sheathe your swords, and rest awhile,
In time we ’ll follow a’ter”:
These words he uttered with a smile,
The day he crossed the water.
Applaud our lives’ defender,
Who at the Boyne his valor showed,
And made his foes surrender.
To God above the praise we ’ll give,
Both now and ever a’ter,
And bless the glorious memory
Of King William that crossed the Boyne water.