%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Gosport TRAGEDY: / OR, / The perjur'd Ship-Carpenter. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/19/2016 35483

The University of California makes a claim of copyright only to original contributions made by Early Modern Center participants and other members of the university community. The University of California makes no claim of copyright to the original text. Permission is granted to download, transmit or otherwise reproduce, distribute or display the contributions to this work claimed by The University of California for non-profit educational purposes, provided that this header is included in its entirety. For inquiries about commercial uses, please contact:

Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1 Peggy's gone over Sea Peg and the Soldier; Peggy's Gone Over Sea with the Soldier Peggy's gone over Sea IN Gosport of late there a Damsel did dwell, / For wit and for beauty did many excell. Houghton Library Hazlitt EC65 Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 76 1: 77 The Gosport TRAGEDY: / OR, / The perjur'd Ship-Carpenter. The Gosport TRAGEDY: OR, The perjur’d Ship-Carpenter. The Gosport TRAGEDY: OR, The perjured Ship-Carpenter. ?-?

This document follows the guidelines specified for TEI.

XML Generated Automatically at 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM Using EMC

XBallad Parsing Engine developed by Carl G Stahmer.

TEI Template developed by Gerald Egan and Modified by Carl Stahmer

All apostrophes are encoded as '.

Any dashs occurring in line breaks have been removed;

All dashs are encoded as ‐ and all em dashes as —.

 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/19/2016 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America crime death maritime supernatural/ magic violence Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM XBallad King, Joyce Created XML Version of Ballad 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM Transcription Supervisor Palmer, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM Transcriptionist Two Lazzarin de Morais, Rebecca Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/19/2016 4:16:04 PM Transcriptionist One Chung, Daniella Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/9/2016 Checker Katie Adkison Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/26/2015 Checker Rachel LevinsonEmley Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/19/2015 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/30/2015 Checker Rachel LevinsonEmley Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The <hi rend="bold">Gosport</hi> TRAGEDY:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The perjur'd Ship-Carpenter.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Tune of Peggy's gone over Sea.</hi></seg>
IN Gosport of late there a Damsel did dwell, For wit and for beauty did many excell. A young Man did Court her for to be his Dear, And he by his Trade was a Ship Carpenter. He cry'd my dear Molly if you will agree, And will consent, Love, for to marry me, Your love it will ease me of Sorrow and care, If you will but marry a Ship Carpenter With blushes more charming than roses in June, She answer'd sweet William to wed i'm too young, Young Men they are fickle i see very plain. If a Maid she is kind they will quickly disdain. They flatter and how they their charms do adore, If they gain their consents they care for no more, The beautifullest Woman that ever was born, When a Man has enjoy'd her her Beauty he'll scorn, My charming sweet Molly why do you say so, Thy Beauty's the Heaven to where i would go, If in that fair Harbour I chance for to steer, I there will cast Anchor and stay with my Dear. I ne'er shall be cloy'd with the charms of my love, My Love is as true as the sweet Turtle Dove, And all that I crave is to marry my Dear, And when you're my own then no danger i'll fear.
The life of a Virgin sweet William i prize, For Marriage brings Sorrow and Trouble likewise, I am loath for to venture and therefore forbear, For i will not marry a Ship Carpenter, For in time of Wars to sea you must go, And leave Wife and Child in sorrow and woe, The Seas they are perilous therefore forbear, For I will not, etc, But yet all in vain she his Suit did deny, For still he did press her to love to comply, At length with his cunning he her heart did betray, And to lewd desires he led her astray, But when that with Child the young damsel did prove The tidings immediately she sent to her love, And by the kind Heavens he swore to be true, Saying i will not marry no other but you, This past on a while at length as we hear, The King he wants Sailors to sea he must steer, Which grieved the young Damsel indeed to the heart To think with sweet William so soon she must part. She said my dear William e'er you go to sea, Remember your Vows you made unto me, But if you forsake me i never shall rest, And why will you leave me with sorrow opprest.
With the kindest expressions he to her did say, I'll marry dear Molly e'er i go away, And if that to Morrow to me you will come, The Licence i'll bring, love, and all shall be done. With the kindest embraces they parted that Night, She went for to meet him next morning by light, He said, my dear charmer, you must go with me, Before we are marry'd a Friend for to see. He led her thro' Groves and Vallies so deep, At length this fair Damsel began for to weep, Saying William I fancy you lead me astray, On purpose my Innocent life to betray. He said that is true and there's none can you save, For i all this night have been digging your Grave, Poor harmless Creature when she heard him say so, Her Eyes like the Fountains began for to flow. A Grave and Spade standing by she did see, She said must this Grave be a bride-bed to me, Oh perjured Creature and worst of all Men, Heaven sure will reward you when i'm dead & gone, O pity my Infant and spare my sweet life, Let me go distressed if i'm not your Wife, O take not my Life least my soul you betray, Must i in my Bloom be thus hurry'd away? Hands white as Lilles in sorrow she wrung, Intreating for Mercy crying what have i done, To you my Dear William that makes you severe. To Murder your true Love that Loves you so dear. He said here's no time now dispuring to stand, And instantly taking the Knife in his hand, He pierced her heart while the blood it did flow, Then into the Grave her fair Body did throw. He cover'd her Body, then Home he did come, Leaving none but small Birds her Death to bemoan; On board of the Bedford he enter'd straitway, Which now lies at Portsmouth bound out for the Sea. For Carpenter's Mate he was enter'd, as we hear, Fitted for his Voyage, he away then did steer; But as in his Cabbin one Night he did lie, The Voice of his True Love he heard for to cry. O! perjured William, awake now and hear The Words of your Love who lov'd you so dear; This Ship out of Portsmouth it never shall go 'Till I am reveng'd for this sad overthrow. Thus spoke, she vanish'd with Shrieks and Cries, And flashes of Lightning did dart from her Eyes, Which put the Ships Crew in a trembling fear, There was none saw the Ghost, but the Noise did hear. Charles Steward, a Young Man of Courage so bold, One Night he was going down into the Hold, A beautiful Creature to him did appear, And she in her Arms had a Baby so fair. Being merry in Drink, he goes to Embrace The Charms of that so lovely beautiful Face; But to his surpriz[e], she did vanish away, So he goes to the Captain without more delay. And told him the Story, which when he did hear, The Captain said, some of my Men I do fear
Has done some Murder, and if it be so, Our Ship in great Danger to sea it will go. One at a Time, then his merry Men all, Into the great Cabbin to him he did call. Saying my brave Sailors, this News I do hear, Does really surprize me with Horror and Fear. This Ghost which appear'd in dead of the Night, Which all our brave Sailors does sorely affright, I fear has been wrong'd by some of the Ships Crew, And therefore the Person I fain now would know. Then William affrighted did tremble with fear, And began by the Powers above for to swear He nothing at all of the Matter did know, But as from the Captain he went for to go, Unto his surprize, he his True Love did see, With that he immediately fell on his Knee, Saying, here is my True Love, Oh! where shall I run, O! save me, or else my poor Soul is undone. The Murder he then did confess out of Hand, Crying, now before me my Molly does stand; Dear injured Ghost, your Pardon I crave, And soon I will follow the down to thee Grave. No one but this Wretch did behold this sad sight, Then raving distracted he dy'd in the Night; As soon as her Parents these Tydings did hear, They sought for the Body of their Daughter so dear. Near a Place call'd Southampton, a Valley so deep, The Body was found, while a many did weep At the Fate of the Damsel, and her Baby fair, And in Gosport Church they did bury her there. I hope that this may be a warning to all Young Men how poor Innocent Maids they enthrall; You young Men be constant, and true to your Love, Then Blessings indeed will attend from above.