POETRY.

MINDEN DRUMS. (Aim= 18T, 1759.)

[lospeetfully dedicated to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Suffolk Regiment, the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, the Hampshire Regiment, and the King's Own (the Yorkshire Light Infantry), being the 12th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 37th, and 51st of the Line.] Do you never think of Minden and the old and gallant Line, When you hear the drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub P They were six red-coated regiments with their pig-tails mighty fine, The regiments that so gaily took the rub,

(rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub) ; It was Ferdinand of Brunswick, and he said, "When you advance, You shall set your drums a-rolling,"—but they saw the troops of France, And they took it that his Highness called on them to lead the dance, And they set their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Oh, they never looked behind them for support, reserve, or aid, When they set their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub; But because the ground in front of them invited a parade, So bare it was of boulder or of shrub, (rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub), Out they stepped upon it briskly, while the guns began to bark. They were six red-coated regiments, and they made a goodly mark, But they kept their files as steady as in old St. James's Park, And they kept their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub. • In this posture they proceeded nigh three-quarters of a mile, While they kept their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub, Till eleven jingling squadrons cantered out in haughty style, Th' infatuated islanders to drub, Oh, we saw their guidons tossing, and we heard their trumpets sound, (rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub); Aid we halted with precision, and the sergeants bustled round, Aud we volleyed at ten paces, and we blew them off the ground,— And we kept our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Then we cheerfully continued in good order on our course. And they heard our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub, And with snortings and with curvetings their fresh, unbroken horse

-Pranced down the British bullock-heads to drub,

(rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub) ; And their foot marched up on either wing our tactics to confound, Marched Aquitaine. marched old Touraine,—but the sergeants bustled round, And we volleyed at ten paces, and we blew them off the ground,— And we kept our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Then smartly we stepped off anew, while the great guns galled

us 130E0,

But they heard our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub, And their carbineers and cuirassiers with strange blasphemings swore This insular stupidity to drub, (rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub); Now in all King Louis' armies were no fighters more renowned, And they rode hard, and they rode straight.—but the sergeants bustled round, And we volleyed at ten paces, and we blew them off the ground,— 'And we kept our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Then it was the Prince of Conde, and he thought it bitter shame Still to bear our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub ; He was born the great-great-grandson of a captain of great fame, And, Lord ! he was a sturdy lion's cub,

(rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub); They were sixty reeling squadrons, but they rallied to him well, And like the devil upon our front, upon our flanks he fell ; But right and left we faced about, and we blasted him to Hell,—

So we kept our drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Now these six red-coated regiments were all gaiter, stock, and starch, (Can't you hear their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub ?), • Like a box of wooden soldiers made to march and countermarch, To polish and to pipeclay and to scrub, (rub-a-dub, nib-a-dab); They were animated ramrods, they were automatic planks, And noodles all were the officers, and boobies were the ranks, But they broke eight thousand cavalry with cannon on its fianks,* And they kept thew drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

Do you never think of Minden and the old and gallant Line, When you hear the drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub ? They were six red-coated regiments with their pigtails mighty • line, The regiments that so gaily took the rub, (rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub); They were George the Second's soldiers, they were worthy of their Prince, (In the famous fight at Dettingen no Frenchman saw him wince), Like the men that were before them, like the men that have been ' since, They could keep their drums a-rolling, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub.

FRANK TAYLOR.