The English Sailor's Resolution to Fight the Spaniards

Come all you jolly sailors bold,
Who always scorn to be controul'd ;
But freely us'd to range the seas,
And plow the ocean where they please ;
But now are oppos'd and plundered by those
Guarda Coastas belonging to Spain;
But this I can tell, would we thump them but well,
Our merchants might have their own again.

Our merchants have been long abus'd,
Our ships have been taken, our men misus'd;
And tho' we often did complain,
No restoration e'er could gain ;
But still are put by, with some fallacy,
Altho' we're masters of the main;
But this I can tell; wou'd we thump them but well,
Our merchants might have their own again.

'Cause Captain Jenkins did them oppose,
They cut off his ears and slit his nose,
And then his hands together bound,
And to the yard arm drew him up and down;
Then with a jear, they gave him his ear,
Saying ' Take it to your master' in disdain.
But our King I can tell, loves his subjects so well,
That he'll curb the haughty pride of Spain.

So insolent they did behave,
They of our sailors did make slaves,
And work'd all day hard as they cou'd.
With musty horse beans for their food,
Or else a little dish of stinking stock-fish ;
Not fitting unto the dogs to throw,
These men would delight to do themselves right,
If to war with the Spaniards we go.

Fifty-two sail of ships (they say)
In nine years time they've took away.
A very tragical account,
To what great sums must this amount;
Our rights to in[v]ade and spoil our trade,
High time for our merchants to complain.
I hope to see the day this long score they must pay,
And make them refund it all again.

For these vile crimes they've an excuse,
And say they suffer great abuse;
[line missing]
And bring their peices of eight away,
This I must own by some has been done,
But let them only have the blame ;
Tis hard to condemn all the rest for them,
For rogues will be rogues while the world remains.

Our gracious King and parliament
To right our merchants are fully bent;
For they have been too long abus'd,
And by false pretences have been amus'd.
But now I'm glad to find our Government so kind.
To redress our merchants who complain,
For this I can, etc.

With taking our ships they're not content,
But want our towns on the continent ;
As Georgia and Carolina brave,
They boast and brag they soon will have.
But we hope that our fleet their designs will defeat,
When they approach the coast of Spain,
For this I can, etc.

There's Giberaltar and Portmahone,
They very fain would make their own ;
It grieves them much, we've been told,
That two such places we should hold.
Giberalter's the key, 'tis well known of that sea
Call'd by the name of the Mediterain.
For this I can, etc.

Come jolly sailors, far and near,
To man our fleet with speed prepare;
With Admiral Haddock freely go,
True British valour for to show ;
And brave boys boldly fight our merchants for to right,
Free plunder, boys, will crown your pain,
For this I can tell, would we thump them but well,
Our merchants might have their own again.