And here is a master excelleth in skill, If fortune then fail not, and our next voyage prove, THE MARINER'S GLEE. From "Deuteromelia; or, the Second Part of Musick's Melodie," &c., 1609. WE be three poor mariners Shall we go dance the round, a round, Shall we go dance the round? And he that is a bully boy,* Come pledge me on this ground. We care not for those martial men But we care for those merchant-men To them we dance this round, a round, To them we dance this round; And he that is a bully boy, Come pledge me on this ground. This and the preceding are probably the earliest nautical songs in our language. * A bully does not here mean a braggart, but a jolly fellow-one fond of fun and frolic "What sayest thou, bully Bottom ?"-Midsummer's Night Dream. YE GENTLEMEN OF ENGLAND. MARTIN PARKER. The music by DR. CALCOTT. YE gentlemen of England That live at home at ease, When the stormy winds do blow. The sailor must have courage, No danger he must shun, His course he still must run. How dreadful 'tis below, Then we ride on the tide When the stormy winds do blow. If enemies oppose us When England is at War With any foreign nation, We fear not wound or scar; Our roaring guns shall teach 'em Our valour for to know, Clear the way, for the fray, Though the stormy winds do blow. Then courage, all brave mariners, When the stormy, &c. There are several versions of this song. The original and apparently the most ancient, is given with the old melody in Chappell's "Popular Music of the Olden Time;" Part VII., 293. The original ballad, in black letter, is in the Pepys collection, where it is entitled, "Saylers for my money-a new ditty composed in the praise of Saylers and Sea Affaires, &c." TO ALL YOU LADIES NOW ON LAND. The EARL OF DORSET, born 1637, died 1706.* To all you ladies now on land, But first would have you understand The Muses now, and Neptune too, We must implore to write to you. With a fa, la, la, la, la, For though the Muses should prove kind, Yet if rough Neptune rouse the wind, To wave the azure main, Our paper, pen, and ink, and we, With a fa, la, la, la, la. Then if we write not by each post, The king, with wonder and surprise, But let them know it is our tears Bring floods of grief to Whitehall-stairs. With a fa, la, la, la, la. On the 2nd of January, 1665, Mr. Pepys went, by appointment, to dine with Lord Brouncker at his house in the Piazza, Covent Garden. He says: "I received much mirth with a ballad I brought with me, made from the seamen at sea to their ladies in town: saying Sir William Pen, Sir George Askue, and Sir George Lawson, made it." In 1665, Lord Buckhurst, afterwards Earl of Dorset, attended the Duke of York as a volunteer in the Dutch war, and was in the battle of June 3, when eighteen Dutch ships were taken, fourteen others were destroyed, and Opdam, the admiral, who engaged the duke, was blown up beside him, with all his crew. On the day before the battle, he is said. to have composed the celebrated song, "To all you ladies now on land," with equal tran Should foggy Opdam chance to know, The Dutch would scorn so weak a foe, For what resistance can they find From men who've left their hearts behind? With a fa, la, la, la, la. Let wind and weather do its worst, Let Dutchmen vapour, Spaniards curse, 'Tis then no matter how things go, With a fa, la, la, la, la. To pass our tedious hours away, We were undone when we left you. With a fa, la, la, la, la. But now our fears tempestuous grow, Whilst you, regardless of our woe, Perhaps permit some happier man To kiss your hand or flirt your fan. With a fa, la, la, la, la. When any mournful tune you hear, As if it sigh'd with each man's care, quillity of mind and promptitude of wit. Seldom any splendid story is wholly true. I have heard from the late Earl of Orrery, who was likely to have had good hereditary intelligence, that Lord Buckhurst had been a week employed upon it, and only retouched or finished it on the memorable evening. But even this, whatever it may subtract from his facility, leaves him his courage.-JOHNSON's Lives of the Poets. This song has been set as a glee by Dr. Calcott; but is usually sung to an old English .melody, of which the author is unknown, Then think how often love we've made In justice you cannot refuse To think of our distress, When we, for hopes of honour, lose All those designs are but to prove With a fa, la, la, la, la. And now we've told you all our loves, In hopes this declaration moves Let's hear of no inconstancy, We have too much of that at sea. With a fa, la, la, la, la. BLACK-EYED SUSAN. JOHN GAY, born 1688, died 1732. The music arranged by LEVERIDGE, but adapted by him from an older melody. ALL in the Downs the fleet was moor'd, William, who high upon the yard Rock'd by the billows to and fro, The cord flies swithly through his glowing hands, "O Susan, Susan, lovely dear, My vows shall always true remain, We only part to meet again; Change as ye list, ye winds, my heart shall be |