The Sweet Trinity
1.
Sir Walter Raleigh has built a ship,
In the Netherlands;
Sir Walter Raleigh has built a ship,
In the Netherlands;
And it is called the Sweet Trinity,
And was taken by the false gallaly.
Sailing in the Lowlands.
2.
‘Is there never a Seaman bold
In the Netherlands;
Is there never a Seaman bold
In the Netherlands;
That will go take this false gallaly,
And to redeem the Sweet Trinity?
Sailing in the Lowlands.
3.
Then spoke the little Ship-boy,
In the Netherlands;
Then spoke the little Ship-boy,
In the Netherlands;
‘Master, master, what will you give me,
And I will take this false gallaly,
And release the Sweet Trinity?
Sailing in the Lowlands.
4.
‘I’ll give thee gold, and I’ll give thee fee,
In the Netherlands;
I’ll give thee gold, and I’ll give thee fee,
In the Netherlands;
And my eldest daughter, thy wife shall be.
Sailing in the Lowlands.’
5.
5.1 ‘set his breast’: perhaps this simply means he breasted the water; but see Glossary of Ballad Commonplaces, First Series, xlvi.
He set his breast, and away he did swim,
Until he came to the false gallaly.
6.
He had an augur fit for the nonce,
The which will bore fifteen good holes at once.
7.
Some were at cards, and some at dice,
Until the salt water flashed in their eyes.
8.
Some cut their hats, and some cut their caps,
For to stop the salt water gaps.
9.
He set his breast, and away did swim,
Until he came to his own ship again.
10.
‘I have done the work I promised to do,
I have sunk the false gallaly,
And released the Sweet Trinity.
11.
‘You promised me gold, and you promised me fee,
Your eldest daughter my wife she must be.’
12.
‘You shall have gold, and you shall have fee,
But my eldest daughter your wife shall never be.’
13.
‘Then fare you well, you cozening Lord,
Seeing you are not so good as your word.’
14.
And thus I shall conclude my song,
Of the sailing in the Lowlands,
Wishing all happiness to all seamen both old and young,
In their sailing in the Lowlands.