Full charged with England's thunder,
And plough the distant main.

"But Kempenfelt is gone,
His victories are o'er,
And he, and his eight hundred
Shall plough the wave no more."

Admiral Kempenfelt was writing in his cabin when the ship sank; his
first captain tried to inform him of their situation, but the heeling of
the ship so jammed the cabin doors that he could not open them: thus the
admiral perished with the rest. It seems Cowper thought the Royal George
might be recovered; other people were of the same opinion.

[Illustration: BLOWING UP OF THE ROYAL GEORGE.]

In September of the year in which the vessel sank, a gentleman, named
Tracey, living in the neighborhood, by means of diving-machines,
ascertained the position and state of the ship, and made proposals to
government to adopt means of raising her and getting her again afloat.
After a great many vexatious delays and interruptions on the part of
those who were to have supplied him with assistance, he succeeded in
getting up the Lark sloop. His efforts to raise the Royal George were so
far successful, that at every time of high tide she was lifted from her
bed; and on the 9th of October she was hove at least thirty or forty
feet to westward; but the days were getting short, the boisterous winds
of winter were setting in, the lighters to which Tracey's apparatus was
attached were too old and rotten to bear the strain, and he was forced
to abandon the attempt.