He took and drank damnation unto Maynard and his crew, To himself and generation luck, then the glass away he threw. Brave Maynard said he'd have him, tho' he'd cannons nine or ten: Teach a broadside1 quickly gave him, killing sixteen valiant men. Maynard boarded him, and to it they fell with sword and pistols too; They had courage and did show it, killing of the pirate crew: Teach and Maynard on the quarter fought it out most manfully; Maynard's sword 2 did cut him shorter-by his head he there did die. Every sailor fought as long as he had power to wield his sword; Not a coward was there there, sirs-fear was driven overboard. Wounded men feli all about, sirs; 'twas a doleful sight to see: Nothing could their courage hinder-oh, they fought couragiously! When the bloody fight was over-we're told by a letter writ- Teach's head was by a lanyard hung to Maynard's sloop's bowsprit : 3 Thus they sail'd back to Virginia; and when the tale was told, How they kill'd the pirates many, they'd applause from young and old. ANONYMOUS. 1 The fight was maintained so close inshore that every now and then one or other of the combatants was aground. This was on the following day. 2 The truth is that Maynard's sword broke, and Teach was in the act of cutting him down when a bluejacket half-severed his head with a cutlass. 3 One version has it "made a cover to the Jack staff of the ship," which was not true; such a vessel, if she had a Jack. staff (upright on the stern, to fly the Union Jack on, in harbour), would have one so small that a man's head would almost break it down. Except for the errors pointed out this account is practically true. THE PRIVATEERSMAN'S LOVE-LETTER. SUSAN, I this letter send thee,- Since old London we forsook Five rich prizes have we took; The first merchant-ship we boarded— Search'd and plunder'd, then it sunder'd, Where the treasure was enclos'd Rich embroider'd silks we found, And more treasure, out of measure, Fortune she did still attend us, While we did so charge and fire, 1 It would appear that this piece was written about the end of the seventeenth or the beginning of the eighteenth century. It is one of a number that touch on privateering, though it is very doubtful if any one of them was written by a seaman, or by any person with inside knowledge. As a general thing this is one of the best, which, to judge by its versification and language, did not come, as so many of the ballads of those days did, from an illiterate hand. 2 From this it seems that Nantes was then famous for its "brandy-wine," which, according to the rhymester, was of exceptional value. But the contest was not long; Then we enter'd,1 bravely ventur'd, Love, we'll plunder French and Tory,3 Dearest, when I first did leave thee, To improve thee, for I love thee Love, this promise is not broken: A rich chain and a diamond ring; And ten times more I have in store, Like a lady thou shalt flourish; Gold and treasure, love and pleasure, Love, the world shall thee admire, I declare it, thou shalt wear it, Dearest, though we now are parted, E'er before thee, I adore thee- 1 Boarded. ANONYMOUS. 2 Damage. 3 Tories were then mostly Jacobites, therefore, to the common mind, in league with Louis and Catholicism. THE SALCOMBE SEAMAN AND THE PROUD PIRATE.1 A LOFTY ship from Salcombe came Blow high, blow low, and so sail'd we : "Masthead, masthead!" is the captain's hail— "Look out and about! D'ye see a sail?". "There's a ship a-looming straight ahead". "Her colour's aloft and it blows out red "- "O ship ahoy! and where do you steer?". "Are you a man-o'-war or a privateer? ". "I am neither the one nor the other," said she- “But I'm a pirate out looking for my fee". "I am a jolly pirate, out for gold " Blow high, blow low. "I'll send my mate to rummage your hold On the coast of Barbary. Then the gruntling guns flash'd out and roar'd— Till that pirate's masts went overboard On the coast of Barbary. 1 This song-for as such it must have been written-and its forerunner, "The Saylor's Onely Delight," are particularly interesting on account of their similar construction to that of the "Chanties," which followed them. It appears to have been no more than a song. Y They fir'd round-shot till the pirate's deck- Was blood and spars and broken wreck— "Oh, do not haul the red flag down! "Blow high, blow low. "But keep all fast until we drown ". On the coast of Barbary. They call'd for kegs of wine and drank- They sang old songs until she sank— So let us brew long cans of flip- And drain them all to that Salcombe ship— Ay, drain our cans to the lads of fame- Who sank that pirate, to his shame— On the coast of Barbary. ANONYMOUS. THE PIRATE. O'ER the glad waters of the dark-blue sea, |