Page:Constant lovers, or, Jemmy and Nancy of Yarmouth (1).pdf/10



trembling lady was sorely affrighted,

Amazed, she stood near the brink of the sea,

With eyes lift to heaven, she cried, Cruel parents,

Heaven requite you for your cruelty.

Indeed I promis’d, my dearest creature,

Dead or alive, I would be his own;

Now to perform my solemn vow I am ready,

And to follow him to his watery tomb.

The maids they heard the sad lamentation,

But the apparition indeed could not see;

Thinking the lady was fallen into distraction,

They strove to persuade her contented to be.

But still she cried, My dear, I am coming,

And in thy bosom I’ll soon fall asleep:

When she had spoke, this unfortunate lady

Suddenly plunged herself into the deep.

But when to her father the maids told the matter,

HoHe [sic] wrung his hands, crying, What have I done?

Oh! dearest child, it was thy cruel father

That did provide thee a watery tomb.

Two or three days then being expir’d,

These two unfortunate lovers were seen,

In each others arms they together were floating,

By the side of a ship, on the watery main.

The cruel boatswain was stricken with horror,

Straight did confess the sad deed he had done—