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(A Ballad of 1691)
I THAT was a brave old epoch, | |
| Our age of chivalry, | |
| When the Briton met the Frenchman | |
| 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. | |
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II 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, against rumours vast | |
| That filled the wild wood’s gloom, | |
| With all New England’s flower of youth, | 15 |
| Fierce for New France’s doom. | |
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III And the brave old scarce three 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. | |
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IV It was a brave old battle | 25 |
| That surged around the fort, | |
| When D’Hosta fell in charging, | |
| And ’twas 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. | |
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V And those were brave old orders | |
| The colonel gave to meet | |
| That forest force, with trees entrenched, | 35 |
| Opposing the retreat; | |
| ‘De Callières’ strength behind us, | |
| And beyond ’s your Richelieu; | |
| We must go straightforth at them; | |
| There is nothing else to do.’ | 40 |
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VI 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 honour of our King!’— | |
| ‘Sir, I am here to answer you!’ | |
| Valrennes cried, forth stepping. | |
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VII 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!’ | |
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