Dusky night/A Young Lady Turned Soldier

·

A new Song on a young Lady, who
⁠inliſted the 32d Regiment
⁠of Foot, for the love ſhe bore to a
⁠young Captain:
COME all you young lovers
and liſten a while
I will ſing you a long that will
⁠make you all ſmile,
It is of a young Lady,
⁠of fame and renown,
For the ſake of a Captain,
⁠for a ſoldier has gone.
This beautiful young creature,
⁠ſhe dreſſed herſelf neat,
All in man's apparel
⁠like an angel ſo neat,
And for to be a ſoldier
⁠to the corporal ſhe came,
So he gave her a ſhilling,

⁠in King George's Name,
Thou art a fine fellow,
⁠you are able and free
To ſerve as a ſoldier
⁠in the reg'ment with me
In the bold thirty ſecond
⁠that's loyal and true,
She ſaid, Sir, I am, and I'll
⁠go along with you.
Then away to the captain,
⁠which pleaſed her well,
Who down on the drum
⁠ten guineas did tell;
He ſaid, here young man,
⁠take it from the drum's head,
Then go with your corporal
⁠and he'll find you a bed.
She learned her exerciſe
⁠ſo wonderful well,
That few in the whole regiment
⁠could her excel,
Her arms and accoutrements
⁠ſo clean and ſo neat,
She behav'd like a ſoldier
⁠in all things complete.
Her love it was ſo great,
⁠for the young captain bold,

That unto him her ſecrets
⁠with joy ſhe did unfold;
All for the joke's ſake,
⁠he told the whole town,
That the corporal's recruit
⁠to a Woman had grown.
She had ſlept with the corporal
⁠a fortnight or more,
But by him ſhe was never
⁠diſcovered before;
Alas! alas! he cried aloud,
⁠ſhe did me trepan,
I've inlifted a young Lady
⁠I though was a man.
The ſoldiers they daily
⁠on him do make fun,
They always are a jeering him,
⁠for what he has done!
He was ſo much aſhamed,
⁠he begged leave to go away
Into another reg'ment,
⁠in his own he could not ſtay,
The colonel with laughter
⁠gave him his diſcharge,
Deſiring that theſe verſes might
⁠be printed at large;
Saying, mind my brave ſoldiers

⁠when you lift a recruit
You take him to the Doctor,
⁠that will end all diſpute.
This brave Lady for honour,
⁠in ſo venturing her life,
The captain thought proper,
⁠and made her his wife;
The bells they rung ſweetly,
⁠and the muſic did play,
And the colonel was Father,
⁠and gave her away.