Indeed, my dear Molly, the Powers above Preserv’d me from dangers for thy tender love, For I have been where thundering cannons did roar, Their bullets like footballs flying from the shoar; The danger of tempest and cannon balls too I have undergone, I have undergone For the sake, love, of you. MOLLY. My dearest, it’s true, for the fault is in me, For thou wouldst have wed, but I said, ‘Go to sea.’ But when thou wert gone how my heart was opprest! I scarce had a minute of pleasure and rest, For by day all my fear was of danger to thee, And by night I did dream, and by night I did dream Still of storms on the sea. BILLY. My dear, thou dreamst right, for e’re we got home For several days we had storm after storm. We lost all our masts and our tackle to boot, In tempestuous nights on the ocean did float. But, thanks unto Heaven, we had no men lost, And the brave _Royal Sov’rain_, the brave _Royal Sov’rain_ Come safe to our coast. MOLLY. Oh my dear precious, my Billy, my joy, There’s nothing my happiness now can destroy; For since thou art [safe] from all cannon and storms Thy person to me has a million of charms. Oh, stay then on shore; never venture again Upon the rough seas, upon the rough seas, But with me, love, remain. BILLY. Thy love unto me now is dearer than life, And happie am I since thou wilt be my wife, And while I’m on shore still with thee I will stay, Imbracing thy charms, love, by night and by day, Till our admiral doth sail with the fleet on the main; Yet kind Providence, I hope, yet kind Providence, I hope, Brings me safe back again. _ADMIRAL BENBOW._ Oh, we sail’d to Virginia, and thence to Fayal, Where we water’d our shipping, and then we weigh’d all. Full in view on the seas, boys, seven sails we did espy; Oh, we manned our capstan and weigh’d speedily. The first we came up with was a brigantine sloop, And we ask’d if the others were as big as they look’d; But turning to windward as near as we could lie, We found there were ten men-of-war cruizing by. Oh! we drew up our squadron in very nice line, And boldly we fought them for full four hours’ time; But the day being spent, boys, and the night coming on, We let them alone till the very next morn. The very next morn the engagement prov’d hot, And brave Admiral Benbow receiv’d a chain shot; And when he was wounded to his merry men he did say, ‘Take me up in your arms, boys, and carry me away.’ Oh! the guns they did rattle, and the bullets did fly, But Admiral Benbow for help would not cry. ‘Take me down to the cockpit; there is ease for my smarts. If my merry men see me it will sure break their hearts.’