The Lady Turned Soldier

Come all you young lovers and listen a while,
I’ll sing you a song that will make you to smile,
‘Twas of a young lady of fame and renown,
For the sake of a Captain she a soldier has gone.
This beautiful creature she dressed herself neat,
All in man’s apparel like an angel so neat,
And for to be a soldier to the Corporal she came,
And he gave her a shilling in King George’s name.
You are a young fellow are you able and free,
To serve as a soldier in the regiment with me.
In the bold thirty-second, that’s royal and true,
She said, sir, I am, and I’ll go along with you.
Then away to the Captain, which pleased her well,
Down on the drum head her 10 guineas he did tell,
He said, here young man, take it from the drum head,
And go along with the Corporal he’ll find you a bed.
She learned her exercise wonderfully well,
That few in the regiment could her excel,
Her arms and accoutrements so clean and so neat,
She behav’d as a soldier in all things complete.
She lay with the corporal a fortnight or more,
By my him was never discerned before.
He cried, but alas she did me trepan,
I’ve listed a lady that I thought was a man.
The soldiers they daily on him made their fun,
Always ageering him for what he had done,
He was so ashamed, he beg’d leave to go away,
Into some other regiment, for in his own he could not stay.
The Cornal, with laughter, gave him his discharge,
Desiring those verses might be printed at large,
He said, my brave soldier, when you list a recruit,
Take him to the doctor, that will end all dispute.
This lady of honour so ventur’d her life,
That the captain thought proper to make her his wife,
The bells they did ring, the music did play,
The Cornal stood father, and gave her away.