THE wind blew hard, the sea ran high,
The dingy scud drove 'cross the sky,
All was safe lash'd, the bowl was slung,
When careless thus Ned Haulyard sung:
A sailor's life's the life for me,
He takes his duty merrily;
If winds can whistle, he can sing,
Still faithful to his friend and king;
He gets beloved by all the ship,
And toasts his girl, and drinks his flip.
Down topsails, boys, the gale comes on,
To strike top-gallant yards they run,
And now to hand the sail prepared,
Ned cheerful sings upon the yard:
A sailor's life, &c.
A leak, a leak!—come, lads, be bold,
There's five foot water in the hold;
Eager on deck see Haulyard jump,
And hark, while working at the pump:
A sailor's life, &c.
And see! the vessel nought can save,
She strikes, and finds a wat'ry grave!
Yet Ned preserved, with a few more,
Sings as she treads a foreign shore:
A sailor's life, &c.
-unnumber'd perils past,
On land, as well as sea-at last
In tatters to his Poll and home
See honest Haulyard singing come:
A sailor's life, &c.
Yet for poor Haulyard what disgrace,-
Poll swears she never saw his face;
He damns her for a faithless she,
And singing goes again to see:
A sailor's life, &c.
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 drench'd 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 spelld',
"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."
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