Tragedy of Jamie and Nancy of Yarmouth (NLS104186732)

THE

TRAGEDY

OF

JAMIE AND NANCY,

OF

YARMOUTH.

STIRLING.
Printed and Sold by M. Randall.

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Jamie and Nancy of Yarmouth.

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⁠ALL Lovers, I pray, lend an ear to my ſtory,
Take an example by this conſtant pair,
For love this young virgin did blaſt in her glory,
Beautiful Nancy of Yarmouth, we hear.
⁠She was a merchant's only daughter dear,
Heir unto fifteen hundred a year;
A young man courted her, call'd her his jewel,
The ſon of a gentleman who lived near.
⁠Many long years this maid he admir'd,
When but very young in love they agreed;
And when come of age this couple arrived,
Cupid an arrow between them diſplayed.
⁠Their tender hearts were linked together,
But when her parents the ſame did hear,
They to their charming beautiful daughter
Acted a part that was baſe and ſevere.
⁠Daughter, they ſaid, give o'or your proceedings,
If that againſt our conſent yon do wed,
For evermore we reſolve to diſown you,
If you wed with one that's ſo meanly bred.
Her mother ſaid, you have a great fortune,
Beſides you are beautiful charming and young,
You are a match, dear child, that is sitting
For any Lord that's in Chriſtendom.
⁠Then dis reply the young beautiful virgin,
Riches and to or I both do defy,
I am deprived of my deareſt lover,
Then him the world, with is all vanity,
⁠Jamie's the man that I do admire,
He is the riches that I do adore:
For to be great I never deſire,
My heart is fixed never to love more.
⁠Then ſaid her father, tis my reſolution,
Alto' I have no more daughters but thes,
if that with him you refolve for to marry,
Baniſh'd for ever from me thou ſhalt be.
⁠Well, cruel father, but this I deſire,
Grant me that Janie once more I may ſee,
Though you do part us, I ſtill will be loyal,
For done in the world. I admire but he
⁠For the young man he ſent in a paſſion,
Saying, For ever, Sir, now take your leave,
I have a match more fit for my daughter;
Therefore it is but a folly to grieve.
⁠Honoured father, ſaid the young lady,
Promise we are to each other in love;
Why of all comforts will ye bereave me?!
Our love is fix'd never to remove.
⁠Then faid her father, a trip to the ocean
You firſt ſhall go in a ſhip of my own;
And I'll conſent you ſhall have my daughter,
When unto Yarmouth you again return.
⁠Honoured Sir, then ſaid the two lovers
Since'tis your will, we are bound to obey;
Our conſtant hearts can never be parted,
But our eager deſire no longer can ſtay.
⁠Then ſaid kind Nancy, Behold, my dear Jamie,
Here take this ring, the pledge of our tow:-
With it my heart; keep it ſafe in your boſom :
Carry it with you wherever you go,
⁠Then in his arms he cloſe did it ſold her,
While chryſtal cars like a fountain did flow;
Crying. My heart in return I do give you,
And you ſhall be preſent wherever you go.
⁠When on the ocean. any dear I am failing,
The thoughts of any jewel with the compaſs I ſteer
Thele tedious long days ſwift time will devour,
and bring me ſafe home to my lovely dear.
⁠Therefore be conſtant, my dear lovely jewel,
For it that you fall unto me prove untrue,
My troubled ghoſt ſhall torment you forever;
Dead or alive I will have none but you.
⁠Her lovely arms round his neck ſhe twined,
Saying, My dear, when you are on the ſeas,
If that the waves into us ſhould prove cruel,
That we each other. no more may ſee.
⁠No man alive ſhall ever enjoy me,
Soon is the tidings of deach reach my ear,
Then like a poor unfortunate lover,
Down to the grave I will go to my dear
⁠Then with a ſorowfal ſigh he departes;
The wind next morning blow a pleaſant gale;
All things being ready, the farm'd Mary Galley
Away for Barbadoes the ſtraightway ſet fail.
⁠Jamie was flating upon the wide ocean,
and her cruel parents were plotting the while,
How that the heart of their beautiful daughter
with curſed gold they ſhould ſtrive to beguile
⁠Many a lord of fane birth and breeding,
Came for to court this young beautiful maid ;
But theſe rich preſents and proffer's ſhe ſlighted
Conſtant I'll be to my jewel, ſhe ſaid,
⁠Now for a while we will leave this fair miden,
And tell how things with her lover did do.
At length at Barbaloes the ſhip ſafe arrived,
But now obſerve the lovers' overthrow,
⁠Jamie was comely in every feature:
A Barbadoes lady whoſe fortune was great
So fixed her eyes that the cried, If I have not
This brave Engliſh ſailor, I'll die for his ſake.
⁠She then dreſt herſelf in gallant a tire,
With coſtly diamonds the platted her hair;
A hundred ſlaves dreſſed to run with her car;
She ſent for this young man to come unto her.
⁠Come handſome failor, ſhe cried, can you fancy
A lady whoſe fortune and riches are great?
You ſhall have a hundred ſlaves to attend you,
Muſic to charm you till you fall asleep.
⁠In robes of gold my dear, I will deck you,
Pearls and fine jewels I will lay at your feet.
In a fine gilded chariot you ſhall ride at pleaſure,
If you can love me, now anſwer me firaight.
⁠Amazed with wonder, a while he ſtood gazing,
Forbear, noble lady, at length he replied,
In England tre I've vow'd unto a young lady,
Uponmy return to make her my bride.
⁠She is a charming young beautiful creature,
She has my heart, I can love none more;
I bear in my eye her ſweet lovely feature,
No other creature on earth I adore.
⁠Hearing of this ſhe did rave in diſtraction,
Crying, Ufortunate maid, thus to love
One that does baſely ſlight all my glory,
And who any perſon he will not approve.
⁠Lords of renown. I their favor have ſlighted,
now I muſt languiſh for a ſailor bold,
I cannot blame him becauſe he is conſtant,
True love is better than ſilver or gold.
⁠A coſtly jewel to inſtantly gave him,
Then in her trembling hand ſhe took a knife;
One fatal ſtroke before they could ſave her,
Quickly put an end to her life.
⁠Great lamentation was made for this lady:
Jamie on board the ſhip he did ſteer
Unto Old England he homeward came ſailing,
With a longing deſire to meet with his dear.
⁠But when her father head he was returning
He wrote a letter to the batſwain, his friend,
Saging, a handſome reward I will give you,
If you the life of young Jamie will end.
⁠Void of all mercy and for ſake of the money,
The cruel boatſwain the ſame did compleat,
As they upon the deck one day were walking,
He ſuddenly tumbled him into the deep.
⁠In dead of the night, when all was aſleep,
His troubled ghoſt to his love did appear,
Crying, Ariſe my beautiful Nancy
Perform the vow that you made to your dear,
⁠You are my own therefore tarry no longer,
Seven long years for your ſake I did ſtay;
Hymen doth wait for to crown us with pleaſure,
The bride gueſts are ready, then came away.
⁠She cried, Who's there under my window?
Surely it is the voice of my dear!
Lifting her head from the ſoft dawny pillow,
Straight to the caſement ſhe did repair.
⁠By light of mpon which brightly was fining,
She ſpied her love, who' to her did fay,
Your parents are ſleeping, before they awake
Stir my dear creature, and come away.
⁠O Jamie, ſhe cried, if my father ſhould hear,
We both ſhall be ruin'd, I pray thee repair
. Jato the ſea ſide, I'll there meet with you;
With my two maids I'll meet with you there.
⁠Her night gown embroider'd with gold & ſilver,
Careleſsly round her body ſhe throws;
With her two maids who did attend her,
to meet her lover the inſtantly goes.
⁠Cloſe in his arms did the ſpirit infold her,
Jamie, ſhe ſaid, you are colder than clay!
Sure you're not the man that I did admire;
Paler than death you appear unto ma
⁠Yes, faireſt creature, I am your true love;
Dead or alive you know you're my own!
⟨I⟩ come for thy vow, my dear you muſt follow
My body now to a watery tomb.
⁠I, for your ſake, refus'a gold and ſilver;
Beauty and riches for you I deſpis'd;
A charming lady for me did expire:
For thinking on you I was deaf to her cries.
⁠Your cruel parents have been my undoing,
And now I do ſleep in a watery grave;
Now for my promiſe, my dear, I am ſuing,
Dead or alive now you I muſt have.
⁠The trembling lady was ſorely affrighted,
amazed ſhe ſtood on the brink of the ſea;
With eyes lifted up, ſhe cried, Cruel parents,
May you be requitted for your cruelty.
⁠She then cried aloud, My dear I am coming
Now into thy boſom I'll ſoon fall aſleep!
When ſhe had thus ſpoken, this unfortunate lad
She ſuddenly planged herſelf into the deep.
⁠When lo her father the maidens this told,
He wung his hands, ſaying, what have I done.
Oh deareſt child, it was thy cruel father
That did provide thee a watery tomb.
⁠Two or three days being the expired,
Theſe two unfortunate lovers were ſeen
In each other's arms, on the waves fleating
By the ſide of the ſhip, on the watery main.
⁠The cruel boatſwain ſtruck with horror
And furaight did confeſs the die he had done,
Shewing the letter which came from her father
which was the cauſe of theſe lovers dooin.
⁠On board of the ſhip he was tried for ordeal
And at the yard arm was hanged for the ſame.
Her father ſoon brake his heart for bis daughter
Before that the ſhip into harbour did come.

 

FINIS