One of the valorous "Smiths" whom we shall miss Out of those nineteen who late rhymed to "pith;" But 'tis a name so spread o'er "Sir" and "Madam,” That one would think the first who bore it " Adam."

XXVI.

The Russian batteries were incomplete,

Because they were constructed in a hurry ;(1) Thus the same cause which makes a verse want feet, And throws a cloud o'er Longman and John Murray, When the sale of new books is not so fleet As they who print them think is necessary, May likewise put off for a time what story Sometimes calls " murder," and at others "glory."

XXVII.

Whether it was their engineer's stupidity,
Their haste, or waste, I neither know nor care,
Or some contractor's personal cupidity,
Saving his soul by cheating in the ware
Of homicide, but there was no solidity
In the new batteries erected there ;(1)
They either miss'd, or they were never miss'd,
And added greatly to the missing list.

XXVIII.

A sad miscalculation about distance

Made all their naval matters incorrect; Three fireships lost their amiable existence Before they reach'd a spot to take effect:

(1) [... " du défaut de perfection dans la construction des batteries; on voulait agir promptement, et on négligea de donner aux ouvrages la solidité qu'ils exigaicnt."- Hist. de la N. R. p. 203.]

The match was lit too soon, and no assistance

Could remedy this lubberly defect;

They blew up in the middle of the river, [ever. (1) While, though 't was dawn, the Turks slept fast as

XXIX.

At seven they rose, however, and survey'd
The Russ flotilla getting under way;
'Twas nine, when still advancing undismay'd,
Within a cable's length their vessels lay
Off Ismail, and commenced a cannonade,
Which was return'd with interest, I may say,
And by a fire of musketry and grape,

And shells and shot of every size and shape.(2)

XXX.

For six hours bore they without intermission
The Turkish fire, and aided by their own
Land batteries, work'd their guns with great precision:
At length they found mere cannonade alone
By no means would produce the town's submission,
And made a signal to retreat at one.

One bark blew up, a second near the works
Running, aground, was taken by the Turks. (3)

(1) ["On calcula mal la distance; la même esprit fit manquer l'effet de trois brûlots; on se pressa d'allumer la mêche, ils brûlèrent au milieu du fleuve, et, quoiqu'il fût six heures du matin, les Turcs, encore couchés, n'en prirent aucun ombrage. Hist. de la N. R. p. 203.]

(2) ["1er Dec. 1790. La flotille Russe s'avança vers les sept heures; il en était neuf lorsqu'elle se trouva à cinquante toises de la ville d'Ismaël: elle souffrit, avec une constance calme, un feu de mitraille et de mousqueterie..."-Ibid. p. 204.]

(3) [... près de six heures: les batteries de terre secondaient la flotille; mais on reconnût alors que les canonnades ne suffisaient pas pour réduire la place, on fit la retraite à une heure. Un lançon sauta pendant l'action, un autre dériva par la force du courant, et fut pris par les Turcs."— Ibid. p. 204.]

XXXI.

The Moslem, too, had lost both ships and men;
But when they saw the enemy retire,
Their Delhis (1) mann'd some boats, and sail'd again,
And gall'd the Russians with a heavy fire,
And tried to make a landing on the main;

But here the effect fell short of their desire :
Count Damas drove them back into the water
Pell-mell, and with a whole gazette of slaughter. (2)

XXXII.

"If" (says the historian here) "I could report
All that the Russians did upon this day,
I think that several volumes would fall short,
And I should still have many things to say;" (3)
And so he says no more-but pays his court

To some distinguish'd strangers in that fray; The Prince de Ligne, and Langeron, and Damas, Names great as any that the roll of Fame has. (4)

(1)" Properly madmen: a species of troops who, in the Turkish army, act as the forlorn hope."— D'HERBELOT.]

(2) "Les Turcs perdirent beaucoup de monde et plusieurs vaisseaux : à peine la retraite des Russes fut-elle remarquée, que les plus braves d'entre les ennemis se jetèrent dans de petites barques et essayèrent une descente : le Comte de Damas les mit en fuite, et leur tua plusieurs officiers et grand nombre de soldats."— Hist. de la N. R. p. 204.]

(3) [" On ne tarirait pas si on voulait rapporter tout ce que les Russes firent de mémorable dans cette journée; pour conter les hauts faits d'armes, pour particulariser toutes les actions d'éclat, il faudrait composer des volumes."— Ibid. p. 204.]

(4) "Parmi les étrangers, le Prince de Ligne se distingua de manière à mériter l'estime générale; de vrais chevaliers Français, attirés par l'amour de la gloire, se montrèrent dignes d'elle: les plus marquans étaient le jeune Duc de Richelieu, les Comtes de Langeron et de Damas." — Ibid. p. 204.]

XXXIII.

This being the case, may show us what Fame is: For out of these three "preux Chevaliers," how Many of common readers give a guess

That such existed? (and they may live now For aught we know.) Renown's all hit or miss; There's fortune even in fame, we must allow. 'Tis true, the Memoirs (1) of the Prince de Ligne (2) Have half withdrawn from him oblivion's screen.

XXXIV.

But here are men who fought in gallant actions
As gallantly as ever heroes fought,

But buried in the heap of such transactions

Their names are rarely found, nor often sought. Thus even good fame may suffer sad contractions, And is extinguish'd sooner than she ought:

Of all our modern battles, I will bet

You can't repeat nine names from each Gazette.

XXXV.

In short, this last attack, though rich in glory,
Show'd that somewhere, somehow, there was a fault,
And Admiral Ribas (known in Russian story)
Most strongly recommended an assault;

(1) ["Letters and Reflections of the Austrian Field-Marshal, Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligné, edited by the Baroness de Staël-Holstein," 2 vols. 1809.]

(2) [Charles Joseph, Comte de Ligne, was born at Brussels. Being, in 1782, sent by the Emperor Josepn II. on a mission to Catherine, he became a great favourite with her. She appointed him field-marshal, and gave him an estate in the Crimea. In 1788, he was sent to assist Potemkin at the siege of Oczakoff. He died in 1814.]

In which he was opposed by young and hoary,(1) Which made a long debate; but I must halt, For if I wrote down every warrior's speech,

I doubt few readers e'er would mount the breach.

XXXVI.

There was a man, if that he was a man,

Not that his manhood could be call'd in question, For had he not been Hercules, his span

Had been as short in youth as indigestion Made his last illness, when, all worn and wan, He died beneath a tree, as much unblest on The soil of the green province he had wasted, As e'er was locust on the land it blasted.

XXXVII.

This was Potemkin (2)—a great thing in days
When homicide and harlotry made great;
If stars and titles could entail long praise,
His glory might half equal his estate.

(1) "L'Amiral Ribas déclara, en plein conseil, que ce n'était qu'en donnant l'assaut qu'on obtiendrait la place: cet avis parut hardi; on lui opposa mille raisons, auxquelles il répondit par de meilleures."- Hist. de la N. R. p. 205.]

(2) [The following character of Prince Potemkin is from the pen of Count Ségur, who lived in habits of intimacy with him :-" In his person were collected the most opposite defects and advantages of every kind. He was avaricious and ostentatious, despotic and obliging, politic and confiding, licentious and superstitious, bold and timid, ambitious and indiscreet; lavish of his bounties to his relations, his mistresses, and his favourites, yet frequently paying neither his household nor his creditors. His consequence always depended on a woman, and he was always unfaithful to her. Nothing could equal the activity of his mind, nor the indolence of his body. No dangers could appal his courage; no difficulties force him to abandon his projects. But the success of an enterprise always brought on disgust.