| |
| THAT was a brave old epoch, | |
| Our age of chivalry, | |
| When the Briton met the French-man | |
| At the fight of La Prairie; | |
| And the manhood of New England, | 5 |
| And the Netherlanders true | |
| And Mohawks sworn, gave battle | |
| To the Bourbon’s lilied blue. | |
| |
| That was a brave old governor | |
| Who gathered his array, | 10 |
| And stood to meet, he knew not what, | |
| On that alarming day. | |
| Eight hundred, amid rumors vast | |
| That filled the wild wood’s gloom, | |
| With all New England’s flower of youth, | 15 |
| Fierce for New France’s doom. | |
| |
| And the brave old half five hundred! | |
| Theirs should in truth be fame; | |
| Borne down the savage Richelieu, | |
| On what emprise they came! | 20 |
| Your hearts are great enough, O few: | |
| Only your numbers fail,— | |
| New France asks more for conquerors | |
| All glorious though your tale. | |
| |
| It was a brave old battle | 25 |
| That surged around the fort, | |
| When D’Hosta fell in charging, | |
| And ’t was deadly strife and short; | |
| When in the very quarters | |
| They contested face and hand, | 30 |
| And many a goodly fellow | |
| Crimsoned yon La Prairie sand. | |
| |
| And those were brave old orders | |
| The colonel gave to meet | |
| That forest force with trees entrenched | 35 |
| Opposing the retreat: | |
| “De Calliére’s strength’s behind us, | |
| And in front your Richelieu; | |
| We must go straightforth at them; | |
| There is nothing else to do.” | 40 |
| |
| And then the brave old story comes, | |
| Of Schuyler and Valrennes, | |
| When “Fight” the British colonel called, | |
| Encouraging his men, | |
| “For the Protestant Religion | 45 |
| And the honor of our King!”— | |
| “Sir, I am here to answer you!” | |
| Valrennes cried, forthstepping. | |
| |
| Were those not brave old races? | |
| Well, here they still abide; | 50 |
| And yours is one or other, | |
| And the second’s at your side; | |
| So when you hear your brother say, | |
| “Some loyal deed I ’ll do,” | |
| Like old Valrennes, be ready with | 55 |
| “I ’m here to answer you!” | |
| |
