Virtue & beauty in danger, or, King Edward courting the London virgin/The Female Sea Captain

THE FEMALE SEA CAPTAIN.

COME all you brisk damsels of Sunderland fair,
Come listen a while and I’ll to you declare,
’Tis of a brisk damsel you quickly shall hear.
Who ventur’d her life for the fake of her dear.

In man’s apparel well rigged was she,
She was, gallantly rigged and fit for the sea,
She was gallantly rigged in royal eslate.
And aboard with sweet William she shipp’d herself straight;

This damsel was brought up to write and to read,
And also to cypher, if she flood in need,
She served two twelvemonths with all her whole heart,
And so bravely she learned the mariner’s art.

She served her Captain two twelvemonths and mere,
And at last they did steer from the fair English shore,
We espied a proud Frenchman, failing on the main,
Which caus’d us to hoist up our top-fails again.

Come let us live merry, come let our hearts live,
And now of our enemies let us observe:
We soon overtook them on the ocean so wide,
And the first salutation gave them broadside.

They gave us another as good as we sent,
For to sink each other it was our intent;
In the second broadside our Captain was slain,
This damsel was forc’d in his room to remain.

We fought her four hours in the battle so rare,
Till we scarce had a man in our ship that could steer:
We scaree had a man that could fire a gun,
For the blood out of our swab ho’ did run.

O quarters, O quarters, the Frenchmen cry’d,
No quarters, no quarters, the Damsel reply’d;
You have the best quarters that I can afford,
You must either sink, swim, or else come on board.

We sunk the proud French in the ocean so wide,
Their ship carried fifty brisk guns on her fide,
And our goodly ship carried just thirty three,
And so bravely as we overcame our enemy.

Come let us go home to Old England with speed,
Sweet William he knew not his true love indeed,
Nor did she make herself known unto him,
Until she had laid up the ship and paid off the men.

Come let us be merry, boys, here’s a glass of good wine,
Ye may drink to your true loves, and I’ll drink to mine;
Ye may drink to the gallant brisk damsei of fame,
Who went on board the New Frigate by name.

With that colour did strike in his face
He could not speak to'er for a pretty long space
He kiss’d her ,and call'd her his joy and his dear,
She said, it was true love that bade her not fear.

If you any more of this story would hear,
The King then he settled two hundred a year,
And all to maintain her in raiment of gold,
Because that she fought with courage so bold.