Captain Barnwell/Captain Barnwell

CAPTAIN BARNWELL.

Alone as I was walking,
'twas on a summer's day,
I heard two lovers talking,
and she to him did say,
All in a mournful ditty,
she thus began her tale,
Which mov'd his heart in pity,
her true love to bewail.

O true-love, true-love Samuel,
now begins thy woe!
O true-love, true-love Sarah,
what makes you to say so?
My friends and brother Barnwell,
is so displeas'd at thee,
They say that they will slay thee
upon the mountains high.

O tell thy friends and brother,
I am not such a man!
I care not a straw for them,
let them do the worst they can:
Give me thy hand, sweet lassie,
and stand thee true to me,
And I will fight with Barnwell
upon the mountains high.

When you come on the mountains
by yourselves all alone,
You will be far from any town,
you'll be far from your own;
You'll be far from any city,
no one will you come nigh;
So use my brother kindly
upon the mountains high.

Vender stands Captain Barnwell,
a-bending of his bow;
He's wating for young Samuel,
all for to be his foe:
O come you here, young Samuel,
and unto me draw nigh,
For here I mean to slay thee
upon the mountains high.

O slay me not, says Samuel,
O slay me not, says he;
O slay me not, says Samuel,
are you so cowardly;
For this time, Captain Barnwell,
I've got no shots for thee:
So slay me not, says Samuel,
here so cowardly.

If you have no shots for me,
for that I do not care,
Except my sister's company
now thou wilt forswear;
And except thou wilt forsake
my sister's company,
It's here I mean to slay thee
upon the mountains high.

Then Samuel stood amazed,
not knowing what to say;
At length he stept up to him,
and his arrows took away;
He took his arrows from him,
his bow he broke in three:
Barnwell, where's the shot
that you had got for me.

When Barnwell lost his armour,
he cried out main,
It's for my sister Sarah
here I must be slain;
It's for my sister Sarah
here, I now must die;
My life is in the hands of Samuel,
upon the mountains high.

O say not so, says Samuel,
O say not so, said he;
Grant me but one only thing,
and I'll be kind to thee,
For to enjoy thy sister,
likewise the Courtier's Hall,
And I will use thee kindly
upon the mountains high.

So here comes Sarah Barnwell,
tripping o'er the plain;
Thinking to find her brother
or true-love to be slain;
Wringing her hands
and weeping her eyes.
Till she spied them coming
from off the mountains high.

Then Barnwell stept up to her,
and took her by the hand,
And gave her unto Samuel
in the place where he did stand
I do present my sister
be thy wedded wife,
And wish you prosperation
all the days of thy life.

For now I must own thou art
a better men than I;
'Twas in thy power to stay me
upon the mountains high.
Half of my lands and living
I freely give to thee,
Likewise my sister, sister Sarah
thy wedded wife shall be,
Because thou us'd me kindly
upon the mountains high.