Two Suffolk Friends Part 2

J. D.

Fifteen years after my father had penned this note, and more than two years after his death, I received from a West Indian reader of 'Maga,'

who had heard it sung by a naval officer (since deceased), the following version of the second sea-song:--

"Cruising in the Channel with the wind North-east, Our ship she sails nine knots at least; Our thundering guns we will let fly, We will let fly over the twinkling sky-- Huzza! we are homeward bound, Huzza! we are homeward bound.

And when we arrive at the Plymouth Dock, The girls they will around us flock, Saying, 'Welcome, Jack, with your three years' pay, For we see you are homeward bound to-day'-- Huzza! we are homeward bound, Huzza! we are homeward bound.

And when we come to the --- {42} Bar, Or any other port in so far, Old Okey meets us with a smile, Saying, 'Drink, my lads, 'tis worth your while'-- Huzza! we are homeward bound, Huzza! we are homeward bound.

Ah! but when our money's all gone and spent, And none to be borrowed, nor none to be lent, Old Okey meets us with a frown, Saying, 'Get up, Jack, let John sit down, For I see you are outward bound,'

For, see, we are outward bound."

III.

ONE OF JOHN DUTFEN'S "QUEERIES."

I am werry much obligated to yeou, Mr Editer, for printin' my lines. I hain't got no more at spresent, so I'll send yeou a queery instead. I axed our skule-master, "What's a queery?" and he saa, "Suffen {43a} queer," so I think I can sute yeou here.

When I was a good big chap, I lived along with Mr Cooper, of Thraanson.

{43b} He was a big man; but, lawk! he was wonnerful paad over with rheumatics, that he was. I lived in the house, and arter I had done up my hosses, and looked arter my stock, I alluz went to bed arly. One night I h'ard {43c} my missus halloin' at the bottom of the stairs.

"John," sez she, "yeou must git up di-rectly, and go for the doctor; yar master's took werry bad." So I hulled {43d} on my clothes, put the saddle on owd Boxer, and warn't long gittin to the doctor's, for the owd hoss stromed along stammingly, {43e} he did. When the doctor come, he saa to master, "Yeou ha' got the _lump-ague_ in yar lines; {43f} yeou must hiv a hot baath." "What's that?" sez master. "Oh!" sez the doctor, "yeou must hiv yar biggest tub full o' hot water, and laa in it ten minnits." Sune as he was gone, missus saa, "Dew yeou go and call Sam Driver, and I'll hit {44a} the copper." When we c.u.m back, she saa, "Dew yeou tew {44b} take the mashin'-tub up-stairs, and when the water biles yeou c.u.m for it." So, byne by we filled the tub, and missus saa, "John, dew yeou take yar master's hid; {44c} and Sam, yeou take his feet, and drop 'im in." We had a rare job to lift him, I warrant; but we dropt him in, and, O lawk! how he did screech!--yeou might ha' h'ard 'im a mile off. He splounced out o' the tub flop upon the floor, and dew all we could we c.o.o.n't 'tice him in agin. "Yeou willans," sez he, "yeou've kilt me." But arter a bit we got him to bed, and he laa kind o' easy, till the doctor c.u.m next mornin'. Then he towd the doctor how bad he was. The doctor axed me what we'd done. So I towd him, and he saa, "Was the water warm?" "Warm!" sez I, "'twould ommost ha' scalt a hog." Oh, how he did laff! "Why, John bor," sez he, "yeou must ha' meant to bile yar master alive." Howsomdiver, master lost the _lump-ague_ and nivver sed nothin'

about the tub, 'cept when he saa to me sometimes kind o' joky, "John bor, dew yeou alluz kip {44d} out o' hot water."

JOHN DUTFEN. {44e}

This story has a sequel. My father told it once at the dinner-table of one of the canons in Norwich. Every one laughed more or less, all but one, the Rev. "Hervey Du Bois," a rural dean from the Fens. He alone made no sign. But he was staying in the house; and that night the Canoness was aroused from her sleep by a strange gurgling sound proceeding from his room. She listened and listened, till, convinced that their guest must be in a fit, she at last arose, and listened outside his door. A fit he was in--sure enough--of laughter. He was sitting up in bed, rocking backwards and forwards, and ever and again ejaculating, "Why, John bor, yeou must ha' meant to bile yar master alive." And then he went off into another roar.

IV. CAPTAIN WARD.

"That piece of song, That old and antique song we heard last night."

--'Twelfth Night,' II. iv.

This old song was lately taken down from the lips of an old Suffolk (Monk Soham) labourer, who has known it and sung it since he was a boy. The song is of much repute in the parish where he lives, and may possibly be already in print. At all events it is a genuine "old and antique" song, whose hero may have been one of the sea captains or rovers who continued their privateering in the Spanish Main and elsewhere, and upon all comers, long after all licence from the Crown had ceased. The Rainbow was the name of one of the ships which formed the English fleet when they defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, and she was re-commissioned, apparently about 1618. The two verses in brackets are from the version of another labourer in my parish, who also furnished some minor _variae lectiones_, as "robber" for "rover," "Blake" for "Wake," &c.

RECTOR.

Come, all ye valiant soldiers That march to follow the drum, Let us go meet with Captain Ward When on the sea he come.

He is as big a rover As ever you did hear, Yeou hain't h'ard of such a rover For many a hundred year.

There was three ships come sailing From the Indies to the West, Well loaded with silks and satins And welwets of the best.

Who should they meet but Captain Ward, It being a bad meeting, He robbed them of all their wealth, Bid them go tell the King.

["Go ye home, go ye home," says Captain Ward, "And tell your King from me, If he reign King of the countrie, I will be King at Sea."]

Away went these three gallant ships, Sailing down of the main, Telling to the King the news That Ward at sea would reign.

The King he did prepare a ship, A ship of gallant fame, She's called the gallant Rainbow-- Din't yeou niver hear her name?

She was as well purwided As e'er a ship could be, She had three hundred men on board To bear her company.

Oh then the gallant Rainbow Sailed where the rover laid; "Where is the captain of your ship?"

The gallant Rainbow said.

"Here am I," says Captain Ward, "My name I never deny; But if you be the King's good ship, You're welcome to pa.s.s by."

"Yes, I am one of the King's good ships, That I am to your great grief, Whilst here I understand you lay Playing the rogue and thief."

"Oh! here am I," says Captain Ward; "I value you not one pin; If you are bright bra.s.s without, I am true steel within."

At four o'clock o' the morning They did begin to fight, And so they did continue Till nine or ten at night.

[Says Captain Ward unto his men, "My boys, what shall we do?

We have not got one shot on board, We shall get overthrow.]

"Fight you on, fight you on," says Captain Ward, "Your sport will pleasure be, And if you fight for a month or more Your master I will be."

Oh! then the gallant Rainbow Went raging down of the main, Saying, "There lay proud Ward at sea, And there he must remain."

"Captain Wake and Captain Drake, And good Lord Henerie, If I had one of them alive, They'd bring proud Ward to me."

Appended was this editorial note: "The date of Captain Ward is approximately established by Andrew Barker's 'Report of the two famous Pirates, Captain Ward and Danseker' (Lond. 1609, 4to), and by Richard Daburn's 'A Christian turn'd Turke, or the tragical Lives and Deaths of the two famous Pyrates, Ward and Dansiker. As it hath beene publickly acted' (Lond. 1612, 4to).

And the next week there was the following answer:--

"Having found that in Chappell's 'Popular Music of the Olden Time'

there was mention made of a tune called 'Captain Ward,' I wrote to Mr Chappell himself. He says about the ballad: 'For "A famous sea-fight between Captain Ward and the Rainbow" see Roxburghe Collection, v. 3, fol. 56, printed for F. Coles, and another with printer's name cut off in the same volume, fol. 654; an edition in the Pepys Collection, v.

4, fol. 202, by Clarke Thackeray and Pa.s.singer; two in the Bayford, [643, m. 9 / 65] and [643, m. 10 / 78]. These are by W. Onbey, and the second in white letter. Further, two Aldermary Church Yard editions in Rox. v. 3, folios 652 and 861. The ballad has an Elizabethan cut about it, beginning, "Strike up, you l.u.s.ty Gallants."

If I remember rightly, Ward was a famous pirate of Elizabeth's reign, about the same time as Dansekar the Dutchman.'

"I went down myself to Magdalene, and saw the copy in the Pepysian Library there. It is entirely different from that in the 'Suffolk N.

and Q.,' though at the same time there are slight resemblances in expression. As ballads they are quite distinct. I suppose the other copies to which Mr Chappell refers are like the Pepysian, which begins as he says, 'Strike up, ye l.u.s.ty Gallants.'

"W. ALDIS WRIGHT.

"CAMBRIDGE."

V.

A SOVEREIGN REMEDY.