The Bold Princess Royal (2)

On the fourteenth of February we sailed from the land
On the bold "Princess Royal" bound for Newfoundland;
With forty brave seamen for our ship's company
From the eastward to the westward, and so sailed we.
With forty brave seamen for our ship's company
From the eastward to the westward, and so sailed we.

On the eighteenth of February so fair blew the sky
When the man from our masthead a sail he did spy,
She came bearing down on us for to see what we were
And under her mizzen-peak black colors she wore.
She came etc.

"Good Lord!" Cries our captain, "What shall we do now?
Here comes a bold pirate to rob us, I know!."
"Oh no!" cries our first mate, "That never can be so
We will shake out a reef, boys, and from her we'll go."
"Oh no etc.

In time this bold pirate she hove alongside
With a loud-speaking trumpet, "Whence come you"" she cried,
Our captain being aft, my boys, he answered her so:
"We are come from fair London and are bound for Callao"
Our captain etc.

"Then back your main-topsail and heave your ship to
For I have got some letters to send home by you."
"I will back my main-topsail and heave my ship to
But it will be in some harbopur, not alongside of you."
"I will back etc.

They chased us to windward, they chased us that day
They chased us to windward but could not make way;
They fired shots after us, but none could prevail
For the bold "Princess Royal" soon showed them her tail.
They fired etc.

"Thank God!" Cries our captain, "Now the pirates are gone
Go down to your grog, boys, go down everyone
Go down to your grog, boys, and be of good cheer
For it's while we have sea-room, brave boys, never fear."
Go down etc.

From Marrow Bones, Purslow
Collected from William Randall, Hursley, 1905
RG
oct96