A waterman came up to her, "Now, young woman," said he, "If you weep on so, you will make Eye-water in the sea." "Alas! they've taken my beau, Ben, To sail with old Benbow;" And her woe began to run afresh, As if she'd said, Gee woe! Says he, "They've only taken him To the Tender-ship, you see;" "The Tender-ship," cried Sally Brown, "What a hard-ship that must be! "Oh! would I were a mermaid now, For then I'd follow him; But oh!--I'm not a fish-woman, And so I cannot swim. "Alas! I was not born beneath The Virgin and the Scales, So I must curse my cruel stars, And walk about in Wales." Now Ben had sailed to many a place That's underneath the world; But in two years the ship came home, And all her sails were furled. But when he called on Sally Brown, To see how she went on, He found she'd got another Ben, Whose Christian name was John. "O Sally Brown, O Sally Brown, How could you serve me so, I've met with many a breeze before, But never such a blow." Then reading on his 'bacco box, He heaved a bitter sigh, And then began to eye his pipe, And then to pipe his eye. And then he tried to sing "All's Well," But could not though he tried: His head was turned, and so he chewed His pigtail till he died. His death, which happened in his berth, At forty-odd befell: They went and told the sexton, and The sexton toll'd the bell. ----T. Hood. FAITHLESS NELLY GRAY |Ben Battle was a soldier bold, And used to wars alarms; But a cannon-ball took off his legs, So he laid down his arms! Now as they bore him off the field, Said he, "Let others shoot, For here I leave my second leg, And the Forty-second Foot!" The army-surgeons made him limbs: Said he,--"They're only pegs: But there's as wooden members quite As represent my legs! '' Now Ben he loved a pretty maid, Her name was Nelly Gray; So he went to pay her his devours, When he'd devoured his pay! But when he called on Nelly Gray, She made him quite a scoff; And when she saw his wooden legs, Began to take them off! "Oh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray! Is this your love so warm? The love that loves a scarlet coat, Should be more uniform!" She said, "I loved a soldier once, For he was blithe and brave; But I will never have a man With both legs in the grave! "Before you had those timber toes, Your love I did allow, But then, you know, you stand upon Another footing now!" "Oh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray! For all your jeering speeches, At duty's call, I left my legs In Badaj os's -breaches!' "Why then," said she, "you've lost the feet Of legs in war's alarms, And now you cannot wear your shoes Upon you feats of arms! " "Oh, false and fickle Nelly Gray! I know why you refuse:--