If fortune then fail not, and our next voyage prove, The cans shall be fill'd with wine, ale, and beer. THE MARINER'S GLEE. From "Deuteromelia; or, the Second Part of Musick's Melodie," &c., 1609. WE be three poor mariners, Newly come from the seas; We spend our lives in jeopardy, While others live at ease. Shall we go dance the round, a round, Shall we go dance the round; And he that is a bully boy,1 Come pledge me on the ground. We care not for those martial men, To them we dance this round, a round, To them we dance this round; And he that is a bully boy, Come pledge me on the ground. 1 A bully does not here mean a braggart, but a jolly fellow—one fond of fun and frolic. "What sayest thou, bully Bottom?"-Midsummer Night's Dream. This and the preceding song are probably the earliest nautical songs in our language. YE GENTLEMEN OF ENGLAND. MARTYN PARKER. YE gentlemen of England, That live at home at ease, Ah! little do you think upon The dangers of the seas. Give ear unto the mariners, And they will plainly show All the cares and the fears When the stormy winds do blow. When the stormy, &c. If enemies oppose us When England is at war We fear not wound or scar; And the stormy winds do blow. Then courage, all brave mariners, Our merchants will employ us To fetch them wealth, we know; When the stormy winds do blow. When the stormy, &c. There is a more modern and considerably extended version of this song. The music by Dr. Calcott. TO ALL YOU LADIES NOW ON LAND. The EARL OF DORSET, born 1637, died 1706. To all you ladies now on land, We men at sea indite; But first would have you understand, The muses now, and Neptune, too, For though the muses should prove kind, Yet if rough Neptune rouse the wind, Roll up and down in ships at sea. With a fa, la, la, la, la. Then if we write not by each post, Nor yet conclude our ships are lost Our tears we'll send a speedier way- The king, with wonder and surprise, Will swear the seas grow bold; Because the tides will higher rise Than e'er they did of old: But let him know it is our tears Should foggy Opdam chance to know For what resistance can they find From men who've left their hearts behind? With a fa, la, la, la, la. Let wind and weather do its worst, Be ye to us but kind; Let Dutchmen vapour, Spaniards curse, "Tis then no matter how things go, To pass our tedious hours away, We throw a merry main, Or else at serious ombre play; But why should we in vain, Each other's ruin thus pursue? But now our fears tempestuous grow, Whilst you, regardless of our woe, Perhaps permit some happier man When any mournful tune you hear, As if it sigh'd with each man's care, Then think how often love we've made To you, when all those tunes were played, In justice you cannot refuse To think of our distress; When we, for hopes of honour, lose All those designs are but to prove With a fa, la, la, la, la. And now we've told you all our loves, Let's hear of no inconstancy, We have too much of that at sea. With a fa, la, la, la, la. On the 2nd of January, 1665, Mr. Pepys went by appointment to dine with Lord Brouncker, at his house in the Piazza, Covent-garden He says, "I received much mirth with a ballad I brought with me, made from the seamen at sea to their ladies in town; saying Sir William Pen, Sir George Askue, and Sir George Lawson made it." In 1665, Lord Buckhurst, afterwards Earl of Dorset, attended the Duke of York as a volunteer in the Dutch war, and was in the battle of June 3, when eighteen Dutch ships were taken, fourteen others were destroyed, and Opdam, the Admiral, who engaged the Duke, was blown up beside him, with all his crew. On the day before the battle, he is said to have composed the celebrated song, "To all you ladies now on land," with equal tranquillity of mind and promptitude of wit. Seldom any splendid story is wholly true. I have heard, from the late Earl of Orrery, who was likely to have had good hereditary intelligence, that Lord Buckhurst had been a week employed upon it, and only re-touched or finished it on the memorable evening. But even this, whatever it may subtract from his facility, leaves him his courage.-Johnson's Lives of the Poels. BLACK-EYED SUSAN. JOHN GAY, born 1688, died 1732. ALL in the Downs the fleet was moor'd, William, who high upon the yard The cord flies swiftly through his glowing hands, "O Susan, Susan, lovely dear, My vows shall always true remain, Let me kiss off that falling tear, We only part to meet again; Charge as ye list, ye winds, my heart shall be The faithful compass that still points to thee. Believe not what the landsmen say, Who tempt with doubts thy constant mind; They tell thee sailors, when away, In every port a mistress find; Yes, yes, believe them when they tell you so, The boatswain gave the dreadful word, They kissed, she sighed, he hung his head: Her lessening boat unwilling rows to land, Adieu! she cried, and waved her lily hand, HEARTS OF OAK. DAVID GARRICK, born 1716, died 1779. COME, cheer up, my lads! 'tis to glory we steer, To add something more to this wonderful year: To honour we call you, not press you like slaves, For who are so free as the sons of the waves? Hearts of oak are our ships, Gallant tars are our men, We always are ready: Steady, boys, steady! We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again, |