The Benjamin’s Lamentation for their Sad Loss at Sea by Storms and Tempests
Being a brief narrative of one of his Majestie’s ships called the Benjamin, that was drove into harbour at Plymouth, and received no small harm by this tempest.
To the Tune of The Poor Benjamin.
Captain Chilver’s gone to sea,
I, boys, O boys!
With all his company, I!
Captain Chilver’s gone to sea,
With all his company,
In the brave Benjamin, O!
Thirty guns this ship did bear,
I, boys, O boys!
They were bound for Venice fair, I!
Thirty guns this ship did bear,
And a hundred men so clear,
In the brave Benjamin, O!
But by ill storms at sea,
I, boys, O boys!
Which bred our misery, I!
But by ill storms at sea
Were drove out o’ th’ way
In the brave Benjamin, O!
We had more wind than we could bear,
I, boys, O boys!
Our ship it would not steer, I!
We had more wind than we could bear,
Our masts and sails did tear
In the brave Benjamin, O!
The first harm that we had,
I, boys, O boys!
It makes my heart so sad, I!
The first harm that we had
We lost our fore-mast head:
O the poor Benjamin, O!
The seas aloud did roar,
I, boys, O boys!
We being far from shore, I!
The sea no favour shows
Unto friends nor foes,
O the poor Benjamin, O!
The next harm that we spy’d,
I, boys, O boys!
Then we to Heaven cry’d, I!
Down fell our main-mast head,
Which struck our senses dead
In the poor Benjamin, O!
Then we with seas were crost,
I, boys, O boys!
And on the ocean tost, I!
Thus we with seas was tost,
Many a brave man was lost
In the brave Benjamin, O!
The next harm that we had,
I, boys, O boys!
We had cause to be sad, I!
The next harm that we had
We lost four men from the yard
In the poor Benjamin, O!
Disabled as I name,
I, boys, O boys!
We were drove on the main, I!
So the next harm we had
We lost our rudder’s head
In the poor Benjamin, O!
Then we fell all to prayer,
I, boys, O boys!
The Lord our lives would spare, I!
Then we fell all to prayer,
And He at last did hear
Us in the Benjamin, O!
Although we sail’d in fear,
I, boys, O boys!
The Lord our ship did steer, I!
Our prayers so fervent were
That we had passage clear
Into brave Plimouth Sound, O!
We came in Plimouth Sound,
I, boys, O boys!
Our hearts did then resound, I!
When we came to Plymouth Sound
Our grief with joy was crown’d
In the poor Benjamin, O!
When we came all on shore,
I, boys, O boys!
Every man at his dore, I!
When we came all on shore
Our grief we did deplore
In the poor Benjamin, O!
You gallant young men all,
I, boys, O boys!
’Tis unto you I call, I!
Likewise brave seamen all,
Lament the loss and fall
Of the poor Benjamin, O!