An Excellent new Song
ENTITLED
Captain Glen.
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THere was a ship and a ship of fame,
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Launchd off the stocks bound to the main,
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With a hundred and fifty brisk young men,
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Was pickd and chosen every one.
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William Glen was our captains name,
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He was a tall and a brisk young man;
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As good a sailor as went to sea.
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For he was bound to New Barbary.
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The first of April when we set sail,
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Blest with a sweet and a pleasant gale,
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For we were bound to New Barbary
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With all our whole ships company.
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We had not sailed one day but two,
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Till all our whole ships jovial crew
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All fell sick but sixty three
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As we went to new Barbary.
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One night the captain he did dream
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There came a voice and said to him,
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Prepare you and your company,
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Tomorrow night you must be with me.
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This wakd the captain in a fright,
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It being the third watch of the night,
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Then for his boatswain he did call,
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And told to him the secret all.
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When I in England did remain
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The holy sabbaths I did prophane,
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In drunkenness I took delight,
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Which doth my trembling soul affright.
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Theres one thing more Ive to rehearse,
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Which I shall mention in this verse,
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A knight I slew in Staffordshire
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All for the love of a lady fair.
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Now its his ghost, I am afraid,
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That hath to me these tidings bred;
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Altho the king has pardond me
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Hes daily in my company.
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O worthy captain, since its so,
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No mortal of it eer shall know:
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So keep the secret in your breast,
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And pray to God to give you rest.
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They had not sailed a league but three,
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Till raging grew the roaring sea
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Ther rose a tempest in the skies,
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Which filld our hearts with great surprize.
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Our main mast sprang by the break of day,
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Which made our rigging all give way
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This did our seaman sore affright,
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The terrors of the fatal night.
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Up then bespake our foremast man,
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As he did by the fore-yard stand,
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He cryd the Lord receive my soul:
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So to the bottom he did fall.
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The sea did wash both fore and aft,
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Till scarce one soul on board was left,
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Our yards was split and our rigging tore,
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The like you never seed before.
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The boatswain then he did declare
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The captain was a murderer,
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Which did enrage the whole ships crew,
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Our captain overboard we threw.
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Our treacherous captain being gone,
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Immediately there was a calm,
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The winds did cease and the raging sea
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As we went to new Barbary.
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Now when we came to the Spanish shore
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Our goodly ship for to repair,
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The people all amazd to see
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Our dismal case and misery.
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But when our ship was in repair
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To fair England our course did steer,
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And when we came to London town
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Our dismal case was there made known.
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Now many wives their husbands lost,
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Which they lamented to their cost,
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And caused them weep bitterly,
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Their tidings from new Barbary.
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A hundred and sixty brisk young men
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Did to our goodly ship belong;
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Of all our whole ships company,
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Our number was but seventy three.
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Now seamen all where eer you be,
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I pray a warning take by me:
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As you love your lives still have a care
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You never sail with a murderer.
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Tis never more I do intend
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For to cross oer the raging main,
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But live in peace in my own country.
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And so I end my tragedy.
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