1804.3
The Briton's Alphabet
“C. Dibdin”
[Charles Dibdin][1]
The Hull Packet (February 14, 1804)

Tune—"A pox of your pother."—Midas.

A stands for Albion, the Queen of the Main;
B for the Britons she boasts in her train
C for the Consul invasion who drums;
And D for the drubbing he'll get when he comes.

E stands for the Ensign of Britain unfurl'd,
And F for her Fleets, which defy all the world;
Next G both for Granville and Gun-boats will tell,
And H for the Heroes who pepper'd 'em well.

I stands for Invasion, that won't stand at all,
K stands for the King, who stands up for us all;
L for Liberty stands, and our King will defend it
From M that's the Murd'rer of Jaffa, who'd end it.

N is NELSON, of whom our foes sadly complain,
O is Ocean, where often he'll beat 'em again;
P our Press, at whose freedom friend BONY looks grim,
But attacking it, Q's a Quietus for him.

R means our Roast-Beef, which no Frenchman shall touch,
And S is Sir SIDNEY, who'll shew 'em as much;
As our Tars and their Triumphs, T nobly appears,
While V stands as glorious for brave Volunteers.

As our Wooden Walls, W may claim some renown,
Which our foes, to invade us, must climb or knock down;
Then X, Y, and Z, means my song's at an end,
As all Frenchmen will soon be, to land who pretend.

Notes

1. Charles Dibden (1745-1814): dramatist and prolix song-writer. He wrote novels and many naval songs. According to the DNB: "he brought more men into the navy in war time than all the press-gangs could" (V, 910-911).