Along the shelvy shore; Methinks the voice, from yonder coast,' Of Talleyrand I hear; "And what art thou who dar'st to boast A paltry Volunteer. Thy Comrades never fought for hire, Yet, since such spirit they display, BRITANNIA, EMPRESS OF THE SEA. Where'er their skulking course they ON snowy wings angelic Peace, fetch, And ruthless Myriads pour ;- How vain the swelling Consul's pride, How puny are their foes! Still is the toiling artist's hand, And hush'd are labour's sounds; While thro' the ranks that fill the land, "To arms, to arms," resounds; The well-train'd youth are on the wing, To guard their Country and their King, And bravely shield the British coast; While on their barks, full many a score Of loval Tars their thunders pour, And whelm the Gallic host. To Patriotism's prophetic eye, Such is Invasion's fate; To bless the world delighted came ;- CHORUS. And great Britannia, fav'rite of the skies, Knew how to estimate the prize. Now Gallic breasts, by envy own'd, To curb her glory and renown, And redemand the Tyrant's frown. waves, Despises threats from abject slaves. Their flags triumphant o'er it swell; Whose loss let poor Helvetia tell. Glorious Britannia, liberty is thine, And ever round thy throne shall shine. And they that fight, and they that fly, Oh! union fill each British heart ; Shall fall by those they hate. Alike the Consul, and his crew, When nerv'd by thee we matchless stand, To execute the grateful part, Defence of King, of laws, and land. Britons resolv'd, Britannia still shall be, Unrivall'd Empress of the sea. By Dr. GEORGE SHAW. HIGH where yon rock aspiring towers, Britain, thy holy guardian stands. First his prophetic prayer he pours, Then views with lofty scorn thy foe's audacious bands. O Thou, by whom the chosen race Eager to meet the fiend of France, Before thy haggard glance appears; In this green isle's protected ground: There Liberty in triumph reigns, Fresh as the verdure of the plains. No tribes like thine unhallow'd must intrude; Or welter round her sea-girt coast, and tinge the waves with blood. VOL. 1. View on her shores yon proud array, And measure back thy wat'ry way: O'er crowds of slaves, a fell usurper, reign, Monster! by Heaven's mysterious will, To fall on England's shore! by British hands to die! See o'er the gloomy tyrant's face The yellow paleness paler grow! INSTRUCTIONS For the conduct of VOLUNTEERS during Invasion; extracted from the Regimental Orders, issued by LIBut. COL. HOPE, to the first regiment of Royal Edinburgh Volunteers. IN the view of the regiment being called into actual service, the Lieutenant Colonel thinks it necessary to issue orders applicable to that event.-As it is the first duty of a commanding officer to attend to the health of those under his charge, the Lieutenant-Colonel assures the regiment, that he will not permit a single gentleman, officer, or private, to march out of Edinburgh on service, unless he is provided with a flannel under-dress. This is at all times the best clothing for a soldier; but for a winter campaign, in such a climate as this, and with constitutions not accustomed to hardships, it is essentially necessary, and on no account to be dispensed with. In this regiment, the officers cannot be permitted to have any indulgences or accommodation beyond the privates. They must therefore march with their whole baggage on their backs, of which the Lieutenant-Colonel shall set the example, never mounting his horse, but for the purpose of command. In camp or quarters no distinction of tents or rooms will be permitted. Officers and privates must fare alike, but the officers will mess together, as it will give opportunities, not otherwise to be easily obtained, of conversing on many points of regimental duty. The horses, which by the King's regulations, are allowed to the officers, will be appropriated to general purposes. The only exception to this is to be in favour of the chaplain, adjutant, and 2 Pair of thick worsted stockings, or 2 Pair of strong shoes, the other in the knapsack.] 1 Pair of worsted gloves. 1 Good warm blanket-one blanket easily covers two men, and to be so used, if the cold requires it. Comb, brush, and implements for shaving, but as few as possible, A piece of pipe clay and blacking ball. A few needles, and worsted and thread. Each gentleman may also bring with hin his ordinary great coat, as the blanket renders it less necessary to have proper watch coats. Each officer and private will also provide himself, and repair to the alarm post (on the north side of St. Andrew's Square, unless differently ordered), with four pound and a half of biscuit or bread. Haversacks, canteens, camp kettles, and bill-hooks, are to be issued to the regiment from the King's stores, Knapsacks will be furnished out of the regimental fund. On halting for the day or night, the Lieutenant Colonel, earnestly recommends, that no gentleman shall lie down to sleep while warm, or with wet feet-but, however fatigued, always to take time to cool gradually, and to put on his dry stockings and shoes. In case of being very wet, it is highly useful to rub the body and limbs with spirits, warm if possible, taking at the same time a mouthful, and not more, inwardly, diluted with warm water, if to be had. Gentlemen will see the propriety of not taking too much money with them. One or two guineas at most, part in silver, will be sufficient. As to the field, the LieutenantColonel has little to say. Much will be expected by their country from such a regiment. The Lieutenant-Colonel has no anxiety on the subject, except from its impetuosity. If the regiment were acting singly against another small body, this might produce no bad effect. -But acting in combination with other troops, perhaps in the centre of a line or chain of posts, all movements must be relative, and by rushing forward prematurely, the line may be broken, other regiments or posts exposed to be taken in flank, and the whole plans of the Commander disconcerted, by the necessity of supporting a body which has improperly pushed forward, or reinforcing the post it has quitted. The regiment, therefore, will recollect, that true courage consists as much in suffering as in acting as much, or more, in coolly facing danger, as in furiously rushing on it. There is little probability that the General will allow young and high spirited troops to be long galled by distant fire. The regiment may be assured, that they will be allowed to close with the enemy, whenever it can be done to advantage. Whenever that moment comes, the Lieutenant-Colonel reminds the regi ment of the instructions he has been inculcating on them at drill, to make their charge with the utmost steadiness and precision, so that all parts of the line, by coming in contact with the enemy at the same instant, may support one another. The leading company will take care not to hurry too much, but to carry on the line, so that each individual may preserve the entire command of his person; that he may be able freely to use his bayonet, not only to thrust, but to parry. If the charge is made with too great rapidity, the line will be broke, one part of the regiment will be cut to pieces before another comes up, and the whole will 342 rush rush on certain destruction; whereas, if the charge is made steadily and correctly, the superior strength and impetus of this regiment must bear down whatever is in its way. If the force of the enemy, in immediate contact with this regiment, be broken, the pursuit is by no means to be made without orders. It may be necessary to wheel to the right or left to support other parts of the line. In firing, the regiment will see the folly and danger of firing at random. If their fire is ineffectual, they may as well stand to be shot at with ordered arms. Every individual must take a steady aim, so as to be certain that his shot will take place in some part of the platoon opposite to him. If the smoke prevents the regiment from seeing the enemy's line distictly, they will always see the flash from the muzzles of their muskets, by which the regiment can direct its own fire. In short, let the object rather be to keep up a welldirected, than a very quick fire-always remembering, that as little time be lost in loading as possible. It will be the business of the supernumerary rank in the rear to look over the shoulders of the ranks in front, and to correct any error in the air. When prisoners are taken they are to be immediately disarmed and passed to the rear. If the regiment (which is not likely) should be charged in front by cavalry, they will on no account fire till ordered, and then only the two front ranks; the front rank taking aim at the horses, and the centre rank at the men. If the fire is reversed, and then given, within a few yards, in the faces of the cavalry, one half will drop, and the horses, in all probability, will carry the other half to the right about;-and, at all events, if the regiment will only receive them steadily, without breaking, though the whole may be overthrown, very few will be killed or hurt. Receiving a charge from cavalry, each rank will charge their bayonets, one over the other. The supernumerary rank to close well up to the rear, so that the cavalry may have no time to make a cut at them. Should the regiment be drawn up on a beach to oppose the landing of the enemy, it will probably be ordered to reserve its fire-as the horizontal fire of musquetry, against men well covered in boats, must be very ineffectual. In such cases, it is only cannon which can play on the enemy with effect.-The battalion, therefore, will reserve its fire till the boats take the ground, when each officer commanding a platoon will pour in his fire on the boat opposite to him, at the instant the enemy oppose themselves, by rising up in the boat in order to leap on shore-a well-directed fire against men so huddled together must be destructive, and the battalion will instantly give them the bayonet, before they have time to form and recover from their confusion. It is hardly possible that any troops can withstand this mode of attack; whereas, if met only by a distant fire from the heights, they will suffer little--will infallibly land and form, and press on with all the spirit and advantage which usually attend the assailants. This was precisely the error which the French committed, when opposing the landing of our troops in Egypt. Should the boats of the enemy be fitted with guns in their bows, the battalion will endeavour to shelter itself behind sand-hills, walls, or broken ground, while the enemy pull for the shore; and it will not be advanced to the beach, till the boats are nearly aground, when, of course, the enemy cannot, |