Naval songs and ballads

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Poetry; Sea songs -- Great Britain

The barbarous pirates upon Tunis strand
    Felt the effects of his revenging hand.
    The Spaniards lately fear’d the name of Blake,
    As once their children did the name of Drake.
    What shall I say? his last attempt so bold
    At the Canaries, it cannot be told
    Unto its worth; that done with gallantry
    He makes his exit with a plaudite;
    And having done to Spaine abundant harms,
    Comes home in peace and dyes free from allarms:
    The George the first ship bore him out, and then
    The mournfull she that brought him back agen.
    Oh that some Virgil, for his greater glory,
    Would please to write his everlasting story;
    Or else some Homer bravely to reherse
    His glorious actions in heroick verse;
    For me to limne the noble act h’ as done,
    Is but to light a candle to the sun:
    That task I’le leave to some more able hand
    That view’d his action both by sea and land;
    And though in blacks I may not mourn his end,
    Yet none shall more bemone him as a friend.
    Or’e death he is victorious, and he
    Bequeaths it us as his last legacy.

    Now unto God be everlasting prayse,
    That thus in peace hath finished his dayes:
    And since his fatall thred is quite spun out,
    Let’s draw the curtains, put the candle out,
    And let us leave him to his silent tomb,
    Free from all troubles, clos’d up in the womb
    Of Mother Earth let him in quiet rest,
    Till he enjoy the choycest and the best
    Of his desires, in glory for to see
    His Saviour Christ to all eternity.


EPITAPH ACROSTICK

    R est here in peace the sacred dust
    O f valiant Blake, the good, the just,
    B elov’d of all on every side;
    E ngland’s honour, once her pride,
    R ome’s terror, Dutch annoyer,
    T ruth’s defender, Spain’s destroyer.

    B ring no dry eyes unto this place:
    L et not be seen in any case
    A smiling or an unsad face.
    K indle desires in every brest
    E ternally with him to rest.
                  By GEO. HARRISON, Gent.

On board the _Dunbar_ in the Downs, Aug. 11, 1657.




_THE VALIANT SEAMAN’S CONGRATULATION TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY KING
CHARLES II._

With their wonderfull heroical atchievements, and their fidelity,
loyalty, and obedience.


   To the tune of _Let us drink and sing, and merrily troul the bowl_.
         Or, _The stormy winds do blow_. Or, _Hey Ho, my Hony_.

    Great Charles, your English seamen upon our bended knee,
    Present ourselves as freemen, unto your Majesty,
    Beseeching God to blesse you where-ever that you go,
    So we pray, night and day, _when the stormy winds do blow_.

    In darkest nights, or shipwracks, alwayes we are on our guard:
    Of French or Turkish pirats, we never were afraid.
    But cal’d stout English sea-men where-ever that we go,
    For we make, them to quake, _when the stormy winds do blow_.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

Naval songs and ballads

Great Britain -- History, Naval -- Poetry; Sea songs -- Great Britain

The barbarous pirates upon Tunis strand
    Felt the effects of his revenging hand.
    The Spaniards lately fear’d the name of Blake,
    As once their children did the name of Drake.
    What shall I say? his last attempt so bold
    At the Canaries, it cannot be told
    Unto its worth; that done with gallantry
    He makes his exit with a plaudite;
    And having done to Spaine abundant harms,
    Comes home in peace and dyes free from allarms:
    The George the first ship bore him out, and then
    The mournfull she that brought him back agen.
    Oh that some Virgil, for his greater glory,
    Would please to write his everlasting story;
    Or else some Homer bravely to reherse
    His glorious actions in heroick verse;
    For me to limne the noble act h’ as done,
    Is but to light a candle to the sun:
    That task I’le leave to some more able hand
    That view’d his action both by sea and land;
    And though in blacks I may not mourn his end,
    Yet none shall more bemone him as a friend.
    Or’e death he is victorious, and he
    Bequeaths it us as his last legacy.

    Now unto God be everlasting prayse,
    That thus in peace hath finished his dayes:
    And since his fatall thred is quite spun out,
    Let’s draw the curtains, put the candle out,
    And let us leave him to his silent tomb,
    Free from all troubles, clos’d up in the womb
    Of Mother Earth let him in quiet rest,
    Till he enjoy the choycest and the best
    Of his desires, in glory for to see
    His Saviour Christ to all eternity.


EPITAPH ACROSTICK

    R est here in peace the sacred dust
    O f valiant Blake, the good, the just,
    B elov’d of all on every side;
    E ngland’s honour, once her pride,
    R ome’s terror, Dutch annoyer,
    T ruth’s defender, Spain’s destroyer.

    B ring no dry eyes unto this place:
    L et not be seen in any case
    A smiling or an unsad face.
    K indle desires in every brest
    E ternally with him to rest.
                  By GEO. HARRISON, Gent.

On board the _Dunbar_ in the Downs, Aug. 11, 1657.




_THE VALIANT SEAMAN’S CONGRATULATION TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY KING
CHARLES II._

With their wonderfull heroical atchievements, and their fidelity,
loyalty, and obedience.


   To the tune of _Let us drink and sing, and merrily troul the bowl_.
         Or, _The stormy winds do blow_. Or, _Hey Ho, my Hony_.

    Great Charles, your English seamen upon our bended knee,
    Present ourselves as freemen, unto your Majesty,
    Beseeching God to blesse you where-ever that you go,
    So we pray, night and day, _when the stormy winds do blow_.

    In darkest nights, or shipwracks, alwayes we are on our guard:
    Of French or Turkish pirats, we never were afraid.
    But cal’d stout English sea-men where-ever that we go,
    For we make, them to quake, _when the stormy winds do blow_.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Naval songs and ballads

Naval songs and ballads

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