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50 A CENTURY OF BALLADS
and incapacity to serve in the future. The fourth died." The song, as now extant, contains no reference to the treachery and punishment of the captains, and it is probable that the original edition of the lyric was a very much longer one.
Dr. Boyce's "Hearts of Oak' has already been briefly mentioned. The words of this song were written by David Garrick. The title was originally " Heart of Oak," Hearts being a later corruption which has crept in regardless of the fact that it destroys the sense of the expression. A fine old song, the first verse is worth recalling here :—
Come, cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer, To add something more to this wonderful year ; To honour we call you, as free men, not slaves, For who are so free as the sons of the waves ?
Heart of oak are our ships,
Jolly tars are our men ;
We always are ready,
Steady, boys, steady, We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
The " wonderful year" referred to in the lyric is 1759> the year of Pitt's greatest triumphs, Minden, Quiberon, and Quebec.
There is one other sea song which must be mentioned before we come to Dibdin, and that is the famous "Bay of Biscay." The composer, John Davy, was a native of Devonshire, and |
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