250
HENRY MARTYN
Henry Martyn
HENRY MARTYN—A
[_]
Taken down by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould. a. From Matthew
Baker, an old cripple, Lew Down, Devon. b. From
Roger Luxton, an old man at Halwell, North Devon.
1
In merry Scotland, in merry Scotland
There lived brothers three;
They all did cast lots which of them should go
A robbing upon the salt sea,
2
The lot it fell on Henry Martyn,
The youngest of the three;
That he should go rob on the salt, salt sea,
To maintain his brothers and he.
3
He had not a sailed a long winter's night,
Nor yet a short winter's day,
Before that he met with a lofty old ship,
Come sailing along that way.
4
O when she came by Henry Martyn,
‘I prithee now, let us go!’
‘O no! God wot, that, that will I not,
O that will I never do.
5
‘Stand off! stand off!’ said Henry Martyn,
‘For you shall not pass by me;
For I am a robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain us brothers three.
6
‘How far, how far,’ cries Henry Martyn,
‘How far do you make it?’ said he;
‘For I am a robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain us brothers three.’
7
For three long hours they merrily fought,
For hours they fought full three;
At last a deep wound got Henry Martyn,
And down by the mast fell he.
8
'Twas broadside to a broadside then,
And a rain and hail of blows,
But the salt sea ran in, ran in, ran in,
To the bottom then she goes.
9
Bad news, bad news for old England,
Bad news has come to the town,
For a rich merchant's vessel is cast away,
And all her brave seamen drown.
10
Bad news, bad news through London street,
Bad news has come to the king,
For all the brave lives of the mariners lost,
That are sunk in the watery main.
Henry Martin
HENRY MARTYN—B
[_]
a. A broadside, Catnach, Seven Dials. b. Kidson, Traditional
Tunes, p. 31, 1891; from fishermen at Flamborough,
Yorkshire. c. Kidson, etc., p. 30; “sung by a very old
woman ... about ninety years ago.”
1
There was three brothers in merry Scotland,
In merry Scotland there were three,
And each of these brothers they did cast lots,
To see which should rob the salt sea.
2
Then this lot did fall on young Henry Martyn,
The youngest of these brothers three,
So now he's turnd robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain his two brothers and he.
3
He had not saild one long winter's night,
One cold winter's night before day,
Before he espied a rich merchant-ship,
Come bearing straight down that way.
4
‘Who are you? Who are you?’ said Henry Martyn,
‘Or how durst thou come so nigh?’
‘I'm a rich merchant-ship for old England bound,
If you please, will you let me pass by.’
5
‘O no! O no!’ cried Henry Martyn,
‘O no! that never can be,
Since I have turnd robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain my two brothers and me.
6
‘Now lower your topsails, you alderman bold,
Come lower them under my lee;’
Saying, ‘I am resolved to pirate you here,
To maintain my two brothers and me.’
7
Then broadside to broadside to battle they went
For two or three hours or more;
At last Henry Martyn gave her a death-wound,
And down to the bottom went she.
8
Bad news, bad news to England has come,
Bad news I will tell to you all,
'Twas a rich merchant-ship to England was bound,
And most of her merry men drownd.
Robin Hood
HENRY MARTYN—C
[_]
Motherwell's MS., p. 660; from the recitation of Alexander
Macdonald, coal-heaver, Barkip, parish of Dalry, Ayr;
a song of his mother's, a native of Ireland.
1
There were three brothers in bonnie Scotland,
In bonnie Scotland lived they,
And they cuist kevels themsells amang,
Wha sould gae rob upon the salt sea.
2
The lot it fell upon bold Robin Hood,
The youngest brither of the hale three:
‘O, I sall gae rob upon the salt sea,
And it's all to mauntain my two brothers and me.’
3
They hadna sailed a lang winter night,
A lang winter night scarselie,
Till they were aware of a tall, tall ship,
Coming sailin down under the lee.
4
‘O where are you bound for, my bonnie ship?’
Bold Robin Hood he did cry;
‘O I'm a bold merchantman, for London bound,
And I pray you, good sir, let us by.’
5
‘O no! O no!’ said bold Robin Hood,
‘O no such thing may be;
For I will gae in and plunder your ship,
And your fair bodies I'll drown in the sea.’
6
O he has gone in and plundered their ship,
And holes in her bottom bored three;
The water came in so thick and so fast
That down, down to the bottom gade she.
7
Bad news, bad news to old England is gone,
Bad news to our king, old Henrie,
That his merchant-goods were taken on board,
And thirty-five seamen drownd in the sea.
[Andrew Bodee]
HENRY MARTYN—D
[_]
Communicated by Mr George M. Richardson, as learned
by a lady in northern New Hampshire more than fifty years
ago from an aged aunt.
1
Three loving brothers in Scotland dwelt,
Three loving brothers were they,
And they cast lots to see which of the three
Should go robbing all oer the salt sea, salt sea,
Should go robbing all oer the salt sea.
2
The lot it fell to Andrew Bodee,
The youngest of the three,
That he should leave the other two,
And go robbing all oer the salt sea.
Andrew Bartin
HENRY MARTYN—E
[_]
Communicated by Miss
Louise Porter Haskell as derived from Gen. E.P. Alexander
of South Carolina, and derived by him from the
singing of a cadet at West Point Military Academy in
the winter of 1856-7. Two or three slight corrections
have been made by Mrs A. C. Haskell, sister of Gen.
Alexander. This copy comes nearer than the others
to the original Andrew Barton; but sts 11-13 are derived
from Captain Ward, No 287, 8, 10.
1
Three bold brothers of merrie Scotland,
And three bold brothers were they,
And they cast lots the one with the other,
To see who should go robbing all oer the salt sea;
And they cast lots the one with the other,
To see who should go robbing all oer the salt sea.
2
The lot it fell on Andrew Bartin,
The youngest of the three,
That he should go robbing all oer the salt sea,
To maintain his two brothers and he.
3
He had not sailed but one long summer night,
When daylight did appear;
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
At last she came sailing quite near.
4
‘Who art? who art?’ says Andrew Bartin,
‘Who art thee comes sailing so nigh?’
‘We are the rich merchants of merrie England,
Just please for to let us pass by.’
5
‘Pass by? pass by?’ says Andrew Bartin,
‘No, no, that never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men drown in the sea.’
6
Now when this news reached merrie England—
King George he wore the crown—
That his ship and his cargo were taken away,
And his brave men they were all drowned.
7
‘Go build me a ship,’ says Captain Charles Stewart,
‘A ship both stout and sure,
And if I dont fetch this Andrew Bartin,
My life shall no longer endure.’
8
He had not sailed but one long summer night,
When daylight did appear,
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
And then she came sailing quite near.
9
‘Who art? who art?’ says Captain Charles Stewart,
‘Who art comes sailing so nigh?’
‘We are the bold brothers of merrie Scotland,
Just please for to let us pass by.’
10
‘Pass by? pass by?’ says Captain Charles Stewart,
‘No, no, that never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men carry with me.’
11
‘Come on! come on!’ says Andrew Bartin,
‘I value you not one pin;
And though you are lined with good brass without,
I'll show you I've fine steel within.’
12
Then they drew up a full broadside
And at each other let pour;
They had not fought for four hours or more,
When Captain Charles Stewart gave oer.
13
‘Go home! go home!’ says Andrew Bartin,
‘And tell your king for me,
That he may reign king of the merry dry land,
But that I will be king of the sea.’
