#A.# #a, b.# ‘Henry Martyn;’ taken down from recitation, by the Rev.
S. Baring-Gould.
#B.# #a.# A broadside, Catnach, Seven Dials. #b.# ‘Henry Martin,’
Kidson, Traditional Tunes, p. 31. #c.# The same, p. 30.
#C.# ‘Robin Hood,’ Motherwell’s MS., p. 660.
#D.# [‘Andrew Bodee’], from New Hampshire, U. S. A., communicated by
Mr George M. Richardson; two stanzas.
A copy edited from #A#, #B a#, with the addition of one stanza for a
“snapper,” is printed in Baring-Gould and Sheppard’s Songs and Ballads
of the West, No 53. Four traditional versions were obtained by Mr
Baring-Gould.
Three brothers in Scotland cast lots to determine which of them shall
rob on the sea to maintain them. The lot falls on the youngest, Henry
Martyn, #A#, #B#; Robin Hood, #C#; Andrew Bodee, #D#. The pirate meets
and stops an English ship the very first day (third, #A b#; fifth, #B#,
#C#). There is a brisk fight, and the English ship is sunk by shot, #A#,
#B#. She is plundered and then scuttled, #C#. In #A a#, Henry Martyn
gets a deep wound and falls by the mast.
The ballad must have sprung from the ashes of ‘Andrew Barton,’ of which
name Henry Martyn would be no extraordinary corruption. Only one copy,
#A a#, preserves the trait of Barton’s death, an incident not quite in
keeping with the rest of the story of the new ballad.
Robin Hood, #C#, is always at the service of any ballad-monger who wants
a name for his hero. But it will be remembered that he is credited with
taking a French ship in ‘The Noble Fisherman,’ No 148, and that is
enough to explain his appearance here. ‘Andrew Bodee’ may just
conceivably be a corruption of Andrew Wood, who displaces Patrick Spens
in two versions of No 58 (#A b#, #D#). Motherwell knew of a copy in
which the hero was called Roberton: MS., p. 660.
* * * * *
A
Taken down by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould. #a.# From Matthew Baker, an
old cripple, Lew Down, Devon. #b.# From Roger Luxton, an old man at
Halwell, North Devon.
1
In merry Scotland, in merry Scotland
There lived brothers three;
They all did cast lots which of them should go
A robbing upon the salt sea,
2
The lot it fell on Henry Martyn,
The youngest of the three;
That he should go rob on the salt, salt sea,
To maintain his brothers and he.
3
He had not a sailed a long winter’s night,
Nor yet a short winter’s day,
Before that he met with a lofty old ship,
Come sailing along that way.
4
O when she came by Henry Martyn,
‘I prithee now, let us go!’
‘O no! God wot, that, that will I not,
O that will I never do.
5
‘Stand off! stand off!’ said Henry Martyn,
‘For you shall not pass by me;
For I am a robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain us brothers three.
6
‘How far, how far,’ cries Henry Martyn,
‘How far do you make it?’ said he;
‘For I am a robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain us brothers three.’
7
For three long hours they merrily fought,
For hours they fought full three;
At last a deep wound got Henry Martyn,
And down by the mast fell he.
8
’Twas broadside to a broadside then,
And a rain and hail of blows,
But the salt sea ran in, ran in, ran in,
To the bottom then she goes.
9
Bad news, bad news for old England,
Bad news has come to the town,
For a rich merchant’s vessel is cast away,
And all her brave seamen drown.
10
Bad news, bad news through London street,
Bad news has come to the king,
For all the brave lives of the mariners lost,
That are sunk in the watery main.
* * * * *
B
#a.# A broadside, Catnach, Seven Dials. #b.# Kidson, Traditional
Tunes, p. 31, 1891; from fishermen at Flamborough, Yorkshire. #c.#
Kidson, etc., p. 30; “sung by a very old woman ... about ninety
years ago.”
1
There was three brothers in merry Scotland,
In merry Scotland there were three,
And each of these brothers they did cast lots,
To see which should rob the salt sea.
2
Then this lot did fall on young Henry Martyn,
The youngest of these brothers three,
So now he’s turnd robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain his two brothers and he.
3
He had not saild one long winter’s night,
One cold winter’s night before day,
Before he espied a rich merchant-ship,
Come bearing straight down that way.
4
‘Who are you? Who are you?’ said Henry Martyn,
‘Or how durst thou come so nigh?’
‘I’m a rich merchant-ship for old England bound,
If you please, will you let me pass by.’
5
‘O no! O no!’ cried Henry Martyn,
‘O no! that never can be,
Since I have turnd robber all on the salt seas,
To maintain my two brothers and me.
6
‘Now lower your topsails, you alderman bold,
Come lower them under my lee;’
Saying, ‘I am resolved to pirate you here,
To maintain my two brothers and me.’
7
Then broadside to broadside to battle they went
For two or three hours or more;
At last Henry Martyn gave her a death-wound,
And down to the bottom went she.
8
Bad news, bad news to England has come,
Bad news I will tell to you all,
’Twas a rich merchant-ship to England was bound,
And most of her merry men drownd.
* * * * *
C
Motherwell’s MS., p. 660; from the recitation of Alexander
Macdonald, coal-heaver, Barkip, parish of Dalry, Ayr; a song of his
mother’s, a native of Ireland.
1
There were three brothers in bonnie Scotland,
In bonnie Scotland lived they,
And they cuist kevels themsells amang,
Wha sould gae rob upon the salt sea.
2
The lot it fell upon bold Robin Hood,
The youngest brither of the hale three:
‘O, I sall gae rob upon the salt sea,
And it’s all to mauntain my two brothers and me.’
3
They hadna sailed a lang winter night,
A lang winter night scarselie,
Till they were aware of a tall, tall ship,
Coming sailin down under the lee.
4
‘O where are you bound for, my bonnie ship?’
Bold Robin Hood he did cry;
‘O I’m a bold merchantman, for London bound,
And I pray you, good sir, let us by.’
5
‘O no! O no!’ said bold Robin Hood,
‘O no such thing may be;
For I will gae in and plunder your ship,
And your fair bodies I’ll drown in the sea.’
6
O he has gone in and plundered their ship,
And holes in her bottom bored three;
The water came in so thick and so fast
That down, down to the bottom gade she.
7
Bad news, bad news to old England is gone,
Bad news to our king, old Henrie,
That his merchant-goods were taken on board,
And thirty-five seamen drownd in the sea.
* * * * *
D
Communicated by Mr George M. Richardson, as learned by a lady in
northern New Hampshire more than fifty years ago from an aged aunt.
1
Three loving brothers in Scotland dwelt,
Three loving brothers were they,
And they cast lots to see which of the three
Should go robbing all oer the salt sea, salt sea,
Should go robbing all oer the salt sea.
2
The lot it fell to Andrew Bodee,
The youngest of the three,
That he should leave the other two,
And go robbing all oer the salt sea.
* * * * *
#A. b.#
3^1. a sailed three winter’s nights.
3^2. When a little before the day.
3^3. He spied the king his gay gallant ship.