THE breeze was fresh, the ship in stays,
Each breaker hush'd, the shore a haze,
When Jack, no more on duty call'd,
His true-love's tokens overhaul'd:
The broken gold, the braided hair,
The tender motto, writ so fair,
Upon his 'bacco-box he views,
Nancy the poet, Love the muse :
'If you loves I as I loves you,
No pair so happy as we two.'
The storm-that like a shapeless wreck
Had strew'd with rigging all the deck,
That tars for sharks had given a feast,
And left the ship a hulk-had ceased:
When Jack, as with his messmates dear
He shared the grog, their hearts to cheer,
Took from his 'bacco-box a quid,
And spelt, for comfort, on the lid,
'If you loves I as I loves you,
No pair so happy as we two.'
The battle-that with horror grim,
Had madly ravaged life and limb,
Had scuppers drenched with human gore,
And widow'd many a wife-was o'er :
When Jack to his companions dear
First paid the tribute of a tear,
Then, as his 'bacco-box he held,
Restored his comfort, as he spell'd,
'If you loves I as I loves you,
No pair so happy as we two.'
The voyage-that had been long and hard,
But that had yielded full reward;
That brought each sailor to his friend,
Happy and rich—was at an end;
When Jack, his toils and perils o'er,
Beheld his Nancy on the shore,
He then the 'bacco-box display'd,
And cried, and seized the willing maid,
'If you loves I as I loves you,
No pair so happy as we two.'
The Standing Toast
THE moon on the ocean was dimm'd by a ripple, Affording a chequer'd delight,
The gay jolly tars pass'd the word for the tipple, And the toast, for 'twas Saturday night:
Some sweetheart or wife that he loved as his life Each drank while he wish'd he could hail her; But the standing toast that pleased the most
Was The wind that blows, the ship that goes, And the lass that loves a sailor!
Some drank the king and his brave ships,
And some the constitution,
Some, May our foes and all such rips
Own English resolution!
That fate might bless some Poll or Bess,
And that they soon might hail her;
But the standing toast, &c.
Some drank our queen, and some our land,
Our glorious land of freedom!
Some that our tars might never stand
For heroes brave to lead 'em!
That beauty in distress might find
Such friends as ne'er would fail her;
But the standing toast, &c.
THE topsails shiver in the wind,
The ship she casts to sea;
But yet my soul, my heart, my mind,
Are, Mary, moor'd with thee.
For though thy sailor's bound afar,
Still love shall be his leading star.
Should landmen flatter when we've sail'd,
O doubt their artful tales;
No gallant sailor ever fail'd,
If Love breath'd constant gales :
Thou art the compass of my soul
Which steers my heart from pole to pole.
Sirens in every port we meet,
More fell than rocks or waves;
But such as grace the British fleet
Are lovers and not slaves:
No foes our courage shall subdue,
Although we've left our hearts with you.
These are our cares, but if you're kind
We'll scorn the dashing main,
The rocks, the billows and the wind,
The power of France and Spain;
Now England's glory rests with you:
Our sails are full-sweet girls, adieu.
SWEET is the ship that under sail,
Spreads her white bosom to the gale,
Sweet, oh! sweet's the flowing can;
Sweet to poise the labouring oar,
That tugs us to our native shore,
When the boatswain pipes the barge to man;
Sweet sailing with a fav'ring breeze;
But oh! much sweeter than all these,
Is Jack's delight, his lovely Nan.
The needle faithful to the North,
To show of constancy the worth,
A curious lesson teaches man:
The needle time may rust, a squall
Capsize the binnacle and all,
Let seamanship do all it can ;
My love in worth shall higher rise,
Nor time shall rust, nor squalls capsize,
My faith and truth to lovely Nan.
When in the bilboes I was penn'd,
For serving of a worthless friend,
And every creature from me ran:
No ship performing quarantine,
Was ever so deserted seen,
None hail'd me, woman, child, nor man;
But though false friendship's sails were furl'd, Though cut adrift by all the world,
I'd all the world in lovely Nan.
I love my duty, love my friend,
Love, truth, and merit to defend,
To moan their loss who hazard ran;
I love to take an honest part,
Love beauty and a spotless heart,
By manners love to show the man;
To sail through life, by honour's breeze-
'Twas all along of loving these
First made me doat on lovely Nan.
"Sweet Annie frae the Sea-beach came'
SWEET Annie frae the sea-beach came,
Where Jockey's speel'd the vessel's side:
Ah! wha can keep her heart at hame,
When Jockey's toss'd aboon the tide?
speel'd] climbed.
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