The Yarmouth TRAGEDY; OR, The CONSTANT LOVERS.
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LOvers, I beg lend an Ear to this Story,
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See an Example in this constant Pair;
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How Love a Virgin did blast in her Glory,
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Beautiful Nancy of Yarmouth, we hear.
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She was a Merchant's charming Daughter,
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Heiress to fifteen hundred a Year.
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A young Man courted her to be his Jewel,
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Son to a Gentleman who lived near.
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Many Years he courted this Jewel;
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When Infants in Lov[e] they both agreed;
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And when to Age this Couple arrived,
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Cupid an Arrow b[e]tween them display'd.
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Their tender Hearts were linked together;
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But when her Parents the same did hear,
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They to their charming beautiful Daughter
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Acted a Part most base and severe.
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Bidding her give over her Intentions,
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For if against their Consent she did wed,
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Forevermore they resolv'd to disown her,
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If she wed one that was so meanly bred.
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Her Mother said, You are a great Fortune,
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Besides, you are young and handsome;
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You are a Match, dear Child, that is fitting
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For ever a Lord in Christendom.
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Then made answer this handsome Daughter,
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Riches and Honour I do defy;
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If I'm depriv'd of my dearest Lover,
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Then farewel World, it is all Vanity.
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Jemmy's the Man whom I do admire,
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He is the Riches whom I adore;
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To be a Great one I never desire,
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My Heart is fixed to have no more.
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Then said her father, 'Tis my Resolution,
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Altho' I have no more Daughters than thee,
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If that with him you resolve to marry,
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Banish'd for evermore thou shalt be.
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For the young Man he sent in a Passion,
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And said, For evermore now take thy leave,
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I have a Match more fit for my Daughter,
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Therefore it is in vain thus for to strive.
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Honoured Father, thus said the Maiden,
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Promis'd we are by the Powers above;
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Then of all Pleasures do not bereave me,
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Our Love is fixed never to remove.
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Then, said her Father, a Trip to the Ocean
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You shall go in a Ship of my own;
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And I consent you shall have my Daughter,
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When to fair Yarmouth you do return.
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Honoured Sir, then said the Lovers,
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Since 'tis your Will, we must obey;
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Our constant Hearts shall never be parted,
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But our Desires no longer must stay.
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Than Nancy said, dearest Jemmy,
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Here take this Ring the Pledge of my Vows,
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With it my Heart keep safe in your Bosom,
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And bear it with you wherever you go.
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Then close in his Arms he did enfold her,
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While Tears did down like Fountains flow
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Saying in return my Heart I will give you;
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you shall be present wherever I go.
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When on the Ocean I am a sailing,
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The Thoughts of you the Compass will steer,
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Till tedious Absence the Time will devour
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And bring me safe to the Arms of my Dear.
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Therefore be constant my dearest Jewel,
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For, by the Heavens, if thou art untrue,
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My Ghost shall haunt you forever:
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Dead or Alive I must have none but you.
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Her Arms then round his Neck she twined,
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Saying, when thou art on the Sea,
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If the Fates unto us should prove cruel,
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That we each other no more should see,
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No one alive shall ever enjoy me.
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When the Tydings of thy Death I hear,
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Then like a sad distracted Lover,
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Down to the Grave I will go with my Dear.
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Then with a dismal Sigh he departed,
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The Wind it blew a pleasant Gale;
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All being ready, the fam'd Mary Galley
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For the Island of Barbados did sail.
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Many Lords of high Birth and Breeding
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Came a Courting to this bright Maid:
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But their Presents and Favours she slighted,
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Constant I'll be to my Jemmy, she said.
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Now for a Time let's leave this Maiden,
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And shew how Things with her Lover did go.
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In fair Barb[a]dos the Ship was laden:
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But now observe his sad Overthrow.
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Jemmy was handsome in each Feature,
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A Barbados Lady, whose Fortune was great,
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Fix'd her Eyes on him, saying, If I have not
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This handsome Sailor, I die for his sake.
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She dressed herself in rich Attire,
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With rich Jewels she plaited her Hair;
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An Hundred Slaves for to attend her,
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She sent for the young Sailor there.
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Come noble Sailor, now can you love me?
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A Lady whose Honour and Riches are great,
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An hundred Slaves there are to a[t]tend thee,
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with Musick to lull thee to thy silent Sleep.
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In Robes of Gol[d] then I will deck thee,
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Pearls and rich Jewels I'll lay at thy Feet;
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In a Charriot of Gold you shall ride with Plea-sure
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if you can love me answer me strait.
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Amaz'd with Wonder, awhile he gazed,
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forbear, sweet Lady, then he cry'd;
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For in old England I've vow'd to a Lady
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at my Return to make her my Bride.
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She is a charming beautiful Creature
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and has my Heart, I can have no more;
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I bear in Mind her beauteous Features,
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no other Creature but her I adore.
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Hearing this, she rav'd in Distraction,
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crying, unfortunate Maid thus to love
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One that doth slight me and my Glory,
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and of my Person does not approve.
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Lords of Renown I have slighted
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now must I die for a Sailor bold.
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I must not blame him for being so constant,
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true Love is better than Silver and Gold.
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A curious Jewel then she gave him,
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within her Hand she held a Knife;
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One fatal Stroke ere they could stop her,
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did put an End to her tender Life
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Great Lamentation was made for the Lady,
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Jemmy on board the Ship did steer,
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And then to England he was a sailing
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with great Desire to meet his Dear.
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But her Father found he was coming,
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a Letter he writ to the Boatswain his Friend;
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Saying a handsome Reward I will give you
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if you the Life of young Jemmy will end.
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Quite void of Grace, and for sake of Money,
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the Boatswain did the same compleat;
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As they on the Deck were a walking,
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he tumbled him into the Deep.
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All in the Night when he was sleeping,
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his Ghost unto his Love did appear;
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Crying, arise, sweet beautiful Susan.
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perform the Vow you made to your Dear.
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You are my own, so tarry no longer,
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Seven long Years for thee I did stay:
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Jove does wait to crown us with Pleasure,
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the Bride Guests are ready so come away,
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Cries she, who's there under my Window?
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surely it is the Voice of my Dear;
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Lifting her Head from the downy Pillow,
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strait to the Casement she did repair.
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O Jemmy, she said, if my Father hears it,
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we shall be ruin'd both I fear;
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At the Sea-side there I will meet you,
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and with my Maids I will meet you there.
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Her Gown was embroider'd with Gold,
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carelesly round her Body she threw;
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And with both her Maids to attend her
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to meet her Love she did instantly go.
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Clo[s]e in his Arms then he enf[o]lds her;
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Jemmy, says she, you are colder than Clay.
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You are not the Man whom I admire,
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paler than Death you appear to me.
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Yes, fair Creature, I am your Lover,
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dead or alive you know you are mine;
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I came for your Vow, and you must follow,
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my Body unto the silent Grave.
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I for your Sake refus'd Gold and Silver,
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Riches and Jewels I did despise;
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A charming Lady did for me expire,
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thinking of thee I was deaf to her Cries.
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Your cruel Parents have been my Undoing.
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ansl now I sleep in a watry Tomb;
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Now for your Promise Dear I am suing,
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dead or alive you are my own.
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The trembling Lady was much affrighted,
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amaz'd she stood at the brink of the Sea,
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And with Eyes up-lifted said cruel Parents,
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you have been the Cause of my Misery.
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Certain it is I promis'd thee sweet Jewel,
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dead or alive for to be thy own;
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Now to perform my Vows I am ready,
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to follow thee to the watery Tomb.
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The Maidens heard her Lamentation,
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but the Apparition could not see;
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Thinking their Lady was in Distraction,
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strove to persuade her contented to be.
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But she cried dearest I'm coming,
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and in thy Arms I soon shall be,
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When she had spoke the unfortunate Lady
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plunged herself quite into the Sea.
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But when her Father heard of the same,
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he said, O! what have I done?
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My dearest Child, it was a cruel Father
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that provided thee a watery Tomb.
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Two or three Days being expired,
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these two unfortunate Lovers were seen
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In each others Arms in the Waves floating,
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by the Ship's Side in the watery Main.
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The cruel Boatswain struck with Horrow,
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then did confess the Fact he had done,
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Shewing the Letter he had from her Father,
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which was the Cause of these Lover's Doom
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On board of Ship he was try'd for Murder,
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at the Yard-Arm he was hang'd [fo]r the same;
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Her broke his Heart for his Daughter.
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before the Ship to the Harbour came.
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Thus cursed Gold caused Distraction,
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why should the Rich thus covet Gain?
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I hope this Story will be a Warning,
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that cruel Parents may not do the same.
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