Of Danube's bank took formidable charge;
While two and twenty cannon duly set
Rose over the town's right side, in bristling tier,
Forty feet high, upon a cavalier. (1)

XIII.

But from the river the town's open quite,

Because the Turks could never be persuaded A Russian vessel e'er would heave in sight; (2) And such their creed was, till they were invaded, When it grew rather late to set things right.

But as the Danube could not well be waded, They look'd upon the Muscovite flotilla,

And only shouted, " Allah!" and "Bis Millah!"

XIV.

The Russians now were ready to attack;
But oh, ye goddesses of war and glory!
How shall I spell the name of each Cossacque
Who were immortal, could one tell their story?
Alas! what to their memory can lack?

Achilles' self was not more grim and gory
Than thousands of this new and polish'd nation,
Whose names want nothing but-pronunciation.

(1) ["Un bastion de pierres, ouvert par une gorge très-étroite, et dont les murailles son fort épaisses, a un batterie casematée et une à barbette; il défend la rive du Danube. Du côté droit de la ville est un cavalier de quarante pieds d'élévation à pic, garni de vingt-deux pièces de canon, et qui défend la partie gauche." Hist. de la N. R. p. 202.]

(2) ["Du côté du fleuve, la ville est absolument ouverte; les Turcs ne croyaient pas que les Russes pussent jamais avoir une flotille dans le Danube."- Ibid. p. 203.]

XV.

Still I'll record a few, if but to increase

Our euphony: there was Strongenoff, and Strokonoff, Meknop, Serge Low, Arsniew of modern Greece, And Tschitsshakoff, and Roguenoff, and Chokenoff, And others of twelve consonants apiece;

And more might be found out, if I could poke enough Into gazettes; but Fame (capricious strumpet), It seems, has got an ear as well as trumpet,

XVI.

And cannot tune those discords of narration,
Which may be names at Moscow, into rhyme;
Yet there were several worth commemoration,
As e'er was virgin of a nuptial chime;
Soft words, too, fitted for the peroration
Of Londonderry drawling against time,
Ending in "ischskin," "ousckin," " iffskchy," "ouski,”
Of whom we can insert but Rousamouski, (1)

XVII.

66

Scherematoff and Chrematoff, Koklophti,
Koclobski, Kourakin, and Mouskin Pouskin,
All proper men of weapons, as e'er scoff'd high
Against a foe, or ran a sabre through skin:

(1) ["La première attaque était composée de trois colonnes, commandées par les lieutenans-généraux Paul Potiemkin, Serge Lwow, les généraux-majors Lascy, Théodore Meknop. Trois autres colonnes avaient pour chefs le Comte Samoïlow, les généraux Elie de Bezborodko, Michel Koutousow; les brigadiers Orlow, Platow, Ribaupierre. La troisième attaque par eau n'avait que deux colonnes, sous les ordres des généraux-majors Ribas et Arséniew, des brigadiers Markoff et Tchépéga,” &c.-Hist. de la N. R. p. 207.]

Little cared they for Mahomet or Mufti,

Unless to make their kettle-drums a new skin Out of their hides, if parchment had grown dear, And no more handy substitute been near.

XVIII.

Then there were foreigners of much renown,
Of various nations, and all volunteers;
Not fighting for their country or its crown,
But wishing to be one day brigadiers:
Also to have the sacking of a town;

A pleasant thing to young men at their years. 'Mongst them were several Englishmen of pith, Sixteen call'd Thomson, and nineteen named Smith.

XIX.

Jack Thomson and Bill Thomson;-all the rest
Had been call'd "Jemmy," after the great bard;
I don't know whether they had arms or crest,

But such a godfather's as good a card.
Three of the Smiths were Peters; but the best

Amongst them all, hard blows to inflict or ward, Was he, since so renown'd" in country quarters At Halifax;" (1) but now he served the Tartars.

XX.

The rest were Jacks and Gills and Wills and Bills, But when I've added that the elder Jack Smith Was born in Cumberland among the hills,

And that his father was an honest blacksmith,

(1) [See the farce of" Love Laughs at Locksmiths.

I've said all I know of a name that fills

[smith,"

Three lines of the despatch in taking "Schmack

A village of Moldavia's waste, wherein

He fell, immortal in a bulletin

XXI.

I wonder (although Mars no doubt's a god I
Praise) if a man's name in a bulletin
May make up for a bullet in his body?

I hope this little question is no sin,
Because, though I am but a simple noddy,

I think one Shakspeare puts the same thought in The mouth of some one in his plays so doting, Which many people pass for wits by quoting.

XXII.

Then there were Frenchmen, gallant, young, and gay:
But I'm too great a patriot to record
Their Gallic names upon a glorious day;

I'd rather tell ten lies than say a word
Of truth;-such truths are treason; they betray
Their country; and as traitors are abhorr'd
Who name the French in English, save to show
How Peace should make John Bull the Frenchman's

foe.

XXIII.

The Russians, having built two batteries on
An isle near Ismail, had two ends in view;
The first was to bombard it, and knock down
The public buildings and the private too,

No matter what poor souls might be undone.
The city's shape suggested this, 'tis true;
Form'd like an amphitheatre, each dwelling
Presented a fine mark to throw a shell in.(1)

XXIV.

The second object was to profit by

The moment of the general consternation, To attack the Turk's flotilla, which lay nigh Extremely tranquil, anchor'd at its station: But a third motive was as probably

To frighten them into capitulation; (2) A phantasy which sometimes seizes warriors, Unless they are game as bull-dogs and fox-terriers.

XXV.

A habit rather blamable, which is

That of despising those we combat with, Common in many cases, was in this

The cause (3) of killing Tchitchitzkoff and Smith;

(1) [" On s'était proposé deux buts également avantageux, par la construction de deux batteries sur l'île qui avoisine Ismaël : le premier, de bombarder la place, d'en abattre les principaux édifices avec du canon de quarante-huit, effet d'autant plus probable, que la ville étant bâtie en amphithéâtre, presque aucun coup ne serait perdu."-Hist. de la Nouvelle Russie, p. 203.]

(2) ["Le second objet était de profiter de ce moment d'alarme pour que la flotille, agissant en même temps, pût détruire celle des Turcs. Un troisième motif, et vraisemblement le plus plausible, était de jeter la consternation parmi les Turcs, et de les engager à capituler."— Ibid. p. 203.] (3) ["Un habitude blâmable, celle de mépriser son ennemi, fut la cause."- Ibid. p. 203.]