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IMPRESSMENT |
20J |
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THE LIGHTERMAN'S PRENTICE PREST AND SENT TO SEA.
A prentice I was at Wapping-new-stairs, And a smart young lad was I;
But that old blackguard old W------d,
He inform'd, and had forty shillings for me.
It was on the last day of February,
In the year of fifty-five :
He had me taken out of bed;
When ray friends heard it, lord ! how they cry'd.
My mother and my cousin both
They on board of the tender came with speed,
Arid thro' the grates to them I talk'd,
It was enough to make any heart to bleed.
My mother and my cousin both,
They in a boat did go ashore.
Then from the Tower we set sail,
For the Yarmouth rideing at the Nore.
In happen'd on a Sunday morning
We arrived at the Nore;
The commodore fir'd his signal gun
For the women all to go ashore.
And when unto the ship I went,
They put me in a great surprize ;
There I heard some swearing and some cursing,
And some damning their precious eyes,
To think that the commodore fir'd his signal
For all their wives to go ashore;
There was some crying and some sniffling,
Crying ' My dear, I shall see you no more.'
Then from the Nore we did set sail,
And unto Spithead we was bound.
It was a pretty sight to see
The lasses lin'd round Portsmouth town.
Then from the Yarmouth I was sent
On board of Captain, so-call'd by name;
There I fell sick on board of her,
And to Gosport hospital sent for the same.
There for three long months I stay'd,
And very bad I was indeed;
But I got well and away I went
On board of the Captain with speed.
I had not been on board her long |
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