Peter Robins, his website

The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)

Variant 286A

1
SIR WALTER RAWLEIGH has built a ship,
In the Neatherlands
Sir Walter Rawleigh has built a ship,
In the Neather-lands
And it is called The Sweet Trinity,
And was taken by the false gallaly.
Sailing in the Low-lands
2
`Is there never a seaman bold
In the Neather-lands
Is there never a seaman bold
In the Neather-lands
That will go take this false gallaly,
And to redeem The Sweet Trinity?'
Sailing, etc.
3
Then spoke the little ship-boy;
In the Neather-lands
Then spoke the little ship-boy;
In the Neather-lands
`Master, master, what will you give me
And I will take this false gallaly,
And release The Sweet Trinity?'
Sailing, etc.
4
`I'll give thee gold, and I'le give thee fee,
In the Neather-lands
I'll give thee gold and I'le give thee fee,
In the Neather-lands
And my eldest daughter thy wife shall be.'
Sailing, etc.
5
He set his breast, and away he did swim,
Until he came to the false gallaly.
6
He had an augor fit for the [n]once,
The which will bore fifteen good holes at once.
7
Some ware at cards, and some at dice,
Until the salt water flashd in their eyes.
8
Some cut their hats, and some cuth their caps,
For to stop the salt-water gaps.
9
He set his breast, and away did swim,
Until he came to his own ship again.
10
`I have done the work I promised to do,
For I have sunk the false gallaly,
And released The Sweet Trinity.
11
`You promised me gold, and you promised me fee,
Your eldest daughter my wife she must be.'
12
`You shall have gold, and you shall have fee,
But my eldest daughter you wife shall never be.'
For sailing, etc.
13
`Then fare you well, you cozening lord,
Seeling you are not so good as your word.'
For sailing, etc.
14
And thus I shall conclude my song,
Of the sailing in the Low-lands
Wishing all happiness too all seamen both old and young.
In their sailing in the Low-lands

The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)

Variant 286B

1
THERE was a gallant ship, and a gallant ship was she
Eck iddle du, and the Lowlands low
And she was called The Goulden Vanitie.
As she sailed to the Lowlands low
2
She had not sailed a league, a league but only three,
Eck, etc.
When she came up with a French gallee.
As she sailed, etc.
3
Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he;
`What will you give me if I sink that French gallee?'
As ye sail, etc.
4
Out spoke the captain, out spoke he;
`We'll gie ye an estate in the North Countrie.'
As we sail, etc.
5
`Then row me up ticht in a black bull's skin,
And throw me oer deck-buird, sink I or swim.'
As ye sail, etc.
6
So they've rowed him up ticht in a black bull's skin,
And have thrown him oer deck-buird, sink he or soom.
As they sail, etc.
7
About, and about, and about went he,
Until he cam up with the French gallee,
As they sailed, etc.
8
O some were playing cards, and some were playing dice,
When he took out an instrument, bored thrity holes at twice.
As they sailed, etc.
9
Then some they ran with cloaks, and some they ran with caps,
To try if they could stap the saut-water draps.
As they sailed, etc.
10
About, and about, and about went he,
Until he cam back to The Goulden Vanitie.
As they sailed, etc.
11
`Now throw me oer a rope and pu me up on buird,
And prove unto me as guid as your word.'
As ye sail, etc.
12
`We'll no throw you oer a rope, nor pu you up on buird,
Nor prove unto you as guid as our word.'
As we sail, etc.
13
Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he;
Then hang me, I'll sink ye as I sunk the French gallee.
As ye sail, etc.
14
But they've thrown him oer a rope, and have pu'd him up on buird,
And have proved unto him far better than their word.
As they sailed, etc.

The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)

Variant 286C

1
`I HAVE a ship in the North Countrie,
And she goes by the name of the The Golden Vanity;
I'm afraid she will be taken by some Turkish gallee,
As she sails on the Low Lands Low.'
2
Then up starts our little cabin-boy,
Saying, Master, what will you give me if I do them destroy?
`I will give you gold, I will give you store,
You shall have my daughter when I return on shore,
If ye sink them in the Low Lands Low.'
3
The boy bent his breast and away he jumpt in;
He swam till he came to this Turkish galleon,
As she laid on the Low Lands Low.
4
The boy he had an auger to bore holes two at twice;
While some were playing cards, and some were playing dice,
He let the water in, and it dazzled in their eyes,
And he sunk them in the Low Lands Low.
5
The boy he bent his breast and away he swam back again,
Saying, Master take me up, or I shall be slain,
For I have sunk them in the Low Lands Low.
6
`I'll not take you up,' the master he cried;
`I'll not take you up,' the master replied;
`I will kill you, I will shoot you, I will send you with the tide,
I will sink you in the Low Lands Low.'
7
The boy he swam round all by the starboardside;
They laid him on the deck, and it's there he soon died;
Then they sewed him up in an old cow's-hide,
And they threw him overboard, to go down with the tide,
And they sunk him in the Low Lands Low.

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