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He was forced to make that promise only.
In the desart isle, lest he with hunger should die.
With a grim look the old man did appear,
Which made the court tremble, & fill’d them with fear,
Crying, What shall we do? Sure he’s not a man!
He will have our darling do all that we can.
He said, It is promis’d, and I’ll have my due;
There’s one babe for me and another for you:
I will have the first-born. come give him to me,
At which all the family wept bitterly.
The Babe’s Mother cry'd, I’m griev’d to the heart,
To think that I with such a dear Infant must part,
To one that should carry him, Lord knows where,
And perhaps in pieces my darling will tear.
With that she embrac’d him, and down the tears fell,
And then having kiss'd him, she bad him farewel,
Saving, It is for the sake of my husband that I,
Do part with my first-born, tho’ for him I die.
So then this grim Ghost to her husband did say,
Sir, Do you remember in Turkey one day?
You saw a dead man’s corpse lying on the ground,
And to have it buried, you gave fifty pound.
Sir, I am the Spirit of that dead body,
I saved your life for that great love to me;
You may keep your Babe, so God bless you all,
Then away it vanished out of the hall.
Being gone, the old Prince and his Princess likewise,
The Babe’s tender Parents with tears in their eyes,
With joy they embrac’d their darling young Son,
Saying, Child, hadst thou left us, we had been undone.
Now I’ll leave the court full of joy and great mirth,
To love one another while God gives them breath:
And now by the Factor we may see indeed,
No mortal can prevent what Fate has decreed.
Printed by J and M- Robertson,. Saltmarket, 1799.
