Female Champion

In Three Parts.
I. The wandring Female in Man’s Apparel
II. Sorrow upon Sorrow, or, Mercy on the
Brink of Ruin.
III. The Thing desired obtain’d, after long
and tedious Travelling by Land, Dangers
at Sea, and sharp Hunger.

The Female Champion.

The wandering Female in Man’s Apparel.

Young Men and Damsels of this Land,
Draw near and listen unto me,
And you shall quickly understand,
The Scene of this my Tragedy.
A noble Squire, as we hear,
He had an only Daughter bright;
This Female as it will appear,
She in his Footman took Delight.
And when her Father this did know,
He forc’d this young Man to the Sea,
Which fill’d his Daughter’s Heart with Woe,
And caus’d her to weep bitterly.
Tho’ griev’d at Heart she nothing said
Unto her aged Parents dear;
In Man’s Cloaths she herself array’d,
And o’er the Seas her Course did steer.
When to Fort St. George she came,
Having a Rapier by her Side;
We understand this Love-sick Dame,
When got a shore did there abid.
And travelling through a Forest there,
Two Indian Men she chanc’d to meet,
Who like two Rogues resolved were,
In a vile Manner her to greet.
They fought to take away her Life,
But drawing of her Rapier then,
This Maiden for to end the Strife,
By fighting, kill’d one of these Men.
And as this Ruffian bleeding lay,
The other trembled for his Part,
Did like a Coward run away,
Which pleas’d the Female to the Heart.
And having thus manag’d her Tack,
Sheathing her Sword, went off in Haste,
And as by Chance she looked back,
Did see a frightful monstrous beast.
Tearing the dead Man on the Ground,
Which Sight fill’d her with great Surprize
In travelling to a Sea-Port Town,
This Female saw before her Eyes.
When she came there, she found we hear,
Two Ships then bound for Jamaica:
In one of them, as ’twill appear,
She as a Passenger did go.
And when to Port Royal she came,
One Day walking along the Street,
Her Father’s Man, John Banks by Name,
This Love chanced for to meet.
Not knowing her, he said, Young Man,
To an English Ship belonging I do,
The Thing it is so, we want a Hand,
If willing now, I will Ship you.
She smiling made him this Reply,
Ship-work I do not understand;
For my Passage, willing am I
To do my best and helping Hand.
Unto this Thing they both agreed,
On board he had this comely Dame;
Next morning they set Sail with speed,
And then for England straight they came.

PART II.

When they were on the foaming Deep,
A dreadful Storm did then arise,
Which made bold Mariners to weep,
And fill’d them all with great Surprize.
The Ship unto the Bottom went;
But having then a large Long-boat,
Those Mariners who did lament,
They boarded it and there did float,
So long ’till all their Food was done,
Which made the hungry Captain cry,
To feed the rest, let us kill one,
And try by Lot which first shall die.
Unto this Thing they all agreed.
Who went in Number Twenty-nine;
In a bag the lots were put with speed,
And when that they were drawn, we find
The Lot fell hard upon this Maid,
Fortune ran that she first must die:
To see this Lot, like one afraid,
She sigh’d and wept most bitterly.
Then Lots were drawen again to see
Which of them all must take the knife,
The bloody Butcher for to be,
To take away the Maiden’s Life:
Fortune run hard we understand,
For that young Man she loved so,
He was to take the Knife in Hand,
To strike the fatal bloody Blow.
He came to her to take the Stroke,
Another came the Blood to catch:
To see the Motion then she spoke,
And trembling a deep Sigh did fetch.
Saying, Friend, hold your Hand, I pray,
As I must die an untimely Death,
I have a word or two to say,
Before I do resign my Breath.
Must I who made an Indian bleed,
I have so many Danger past,
Now die a sacrifice to feed
Poor hungry starving Men at last
My Parents often begg’d of me
To stay at home but I would not;
Through Disobedience, now I see,
Destruction is to be my Lot.
She said to him, Young Man thou art
The Cause of this my Grief and Pain;
For loving thee I suffer smart,
And must among you here be slain;
Hearing these words he did her view,
And said. What are you, tell me pray?
Her answer was, This I will do,
I am a Maid in Man’s Array:
My Father is such a noble ‘Squire,
And I his only Daughter dear;
To have me once was thy Desire,
I speak it now before you here.
So then she shew’d him half a Ring.
Which when at home this Couple broke;
And seeing it, he knew this thing,
And with a Sigh these Words he spoke:
By this I know thou art my Love,
To see thee here much griev’d am I;
Compassion doth my Heart so move,
That in thy Room, my Dear, I’ll die.
So then they did each other embrace,
And while they kiss’d both wept amain;
The Tears ran down each other’s Face,
Like pearled Dew, or Drops of Rain.
Sharp Hunger being among them there,
The starving Captain thus did say,
Young Man with speed thyself prepare,
Thy Sweetheart’s bloody Debt to pay.
He said, I’ll first to my Prayers go,
To set my Heart in a good Frame;
When that is done, the fatal Blow,
With Expedition strike the same.
And when he had at Prayers been,
Cry’d out, As I must lose my Breath,
Lord Pardon me for all my Sins,
And fit me now to meet pale Death.
And when that he these words had spoke,
Cry’d out, Come Strike, my Work is done;
And as one went to strike the stroke
Through Providence they heard a Gun.
Which made him cry, Pray hold your Hand
For now Deliverence is near;
We now are nigh some Ship or Land,
For I indeed a Gun do hear.

PART III.

And as he said, they found it true;
In what Manner I’ll tell you now
Two English Ships in public View,
Appear’d upon their Star-board Bow.
Into those Ships they were convey’d,
And unto London sail’d in haste;
This Couple at a Tavern stay’d,
While that the Captain I protest,
Unto her aged Father went,
And said, Where is your Daughter pray?
This Squire then, who did lament,
With a deep Sigh these Words did say,
My Daughter, Sir is surely dead,
Two Years and more she has been gone;
To think of her I shake my Head,
She was a Child, I doated on.
The Captain said, Be of good Heart,
Good News of her I can you tell;
Your Child was near Death for her Part,
But now she is alive and well.
Of their sharp Hunger then he told,
And of this young Man’s Love to she
The Father said, If so, behold!
His Wife in Marriage she shall be.
This Couple was sent for with speed,
When come, her aged Father smil’d;
For Joy he kiss’d them both indeed,
And said, Thou art welcome home, dear Child.
Next Day they were in Marriage join’d,
And for a Portion, as ’tis told,
Her Father gave her, being kind,
Three thousand Pounds in shining Gold.
Now this Couple, who suffer’d so,
And was beset with Sorrow round,
Are both releas’d of all their Woes,
And are with Joy and Comfort crown’d.

FINIS.

*Transcriber’s note: Dugaw’s catalogue contains multiple variants of this ballad; this is the first of the variants listed. To review other variants of this ballad, please consult the Dugaw catalogue.

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BBO Roud Number: 552