Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Additions and Corrections

250. Henry Martyn

P. 393. 'Andrew Bartin,' communicated by Miss Louise Porter Haskell as derived from Gen. E.P. Alexander of South Carolina, and derived by him from the singing of a cadet at West Point Military Academy in the winter of 1856-7. Two or three slight corrections have been made by Mrs. A.C. Haskell, sister of Gen. Alexander. This copy comes nearer than the others to the original Andrew Barton; but sts 11-13 are derived from Captain Ward, No 287, 8, 10.

1   Three bold brothers of merrie Scotland,
And three bold brothers were they,
And they cast lots the one with the other,
To see who should go robbing all oer the salt sea;
And they cast lots the one with the other,
To see who should go robbing all oer the salt sea.
2   The lot it fell on Andrew Bartin,
The youngest of the three,
That he should go robbing all oer the salt sea,
To maintain his two brothers and he.
That he should go robbing all oer the salt sea,
To maintain his two brothers and he.
3   He had not sailed but one long summer night,
When daylight did appear;
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
At last she came sailing quite near.
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
At last she came sailing quite near.
4   'Who art? who art?' says Andrew Bartin,
'Who art thee comes sailing so nigh?'
'We are the rich merchants of merrie England,
Just please for to let us pass by.'
'We are the rich merchants of merrie England,
Just please for to let us pass by.'
5   'Pass by? pass by?' says Andrew Bartin,
'No, no, that never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men drown in the sea.'
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men drown in the sea.'
6   Now when this news reached merrie England
King George he wore the crown
That his ship and his cargo were taken away,
And his brave men they were all drowned.
That his ship and his cargo were taken away,
And his brave men they were all drowned.
7   'Go build me a ship,' says Captain Charles Stewart,
'A ship both stout and sure,
And if I dont fetch this Andrew Bartin,
My life shall no longer endure.'
And if I dont fetch this Andrew Bartin,
My life shall no longer endure.'
8   He had not sailed but one long summer night,
When daylight did appear,
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
And then she came sailing quite near.
He saw a ship sailing far off and far round,
And then she came sailing quite near.
9   'Who art? who art?' says Captain Charles Stewart,
'Who art comes sailing so nigh?'
'We are the bold brothers of merrie Scotland,
Just please for to let us pass by.'
'We are the bold brothers of merrie Scotland,
Just please for to let us pass by.'
10   'Pass by? pass by?' says Captain Charles Stewart,
'No, no, that never can be;
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men carry with me.'
Your ship and your cargo I will take away,
And your brave men carry with me.'
11   'Come on! come on!' says Andrew Bartin,
'I value you not one pin;
And though you are lined with good brass without,
I'll show you I've fine steel within.'
And though you are lined with good brass without,
I'll show you I've fine steel within.'
12   Then they drew up a full broadside
And at each other let pour;
They had not fought for four hours or more,
When Captain Charles Stewart gave oer.
They had not fought for four hours or more,
When Captain Charles Stewart gave oer.
13   'Go home! go home!' says Andrew Bartin,
'And tell your king for me,
That he may reign king of the merry dry land,
But that I will be king of the sea.'
That he may reign king of the merry dry land,
But that I will be king of the sea.'
   21,etc. Bartyn. Gen. Alexander remarks that "the accent was on the last syllable."

  'Row tu me, row tu me,' says He-ne-ry Burgin,
'Row tu me, row tu me, I prah;
For I ha tarnd a Scotch robber across the salt seas,
Tu ma-i-ntn my tew brothers and me.'

Fragment of a Suffolk Harvest Home song, remembered by an old Suffolk divine. Contributed by Edward Fitzgerald to Suffolk Notes and Queries in the 'Ipswich Journal,' 1877-78; where another stanza follows which has no connection with the above. See 'Two Suffolk Friends,' by Francis Hindes Groome, Edinburgh and London, 1895, p. 79 f.

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