Pride and vanity of young women/The Boatswain of Dover

The BOATSWAIN of DOVER.

THere was a bold Boatswain in Dover did dwell,
And he had a wife, whom a taylor lov’d well,
For he was no sooner gone out of the way,
But a frolick the wife with the taylor would play.

It happen’d one night as she walk’d thro’ the street,
Her true love the taylor she chanced to meet,
My husband’s gone on board with the rest of his crew,
So my dear I will have a frolick with you.

It happen’d one morning about one o’clock,
The boatswain her hulband came home, & did knock,
Which frighten’d them both quit out of their sleep,
And he cries, loving woman, O! where shall I creep.

As they were pausing and pondering in bed,
A comical project came into her head,
There is a chest of my husband’s she cry’d,
Wherein you may get and most cunningly hide.

Then in it she tumbled him with his hat, wig, & hose,
And in it she fumbled the rest of his cloaths,
She locked him down, and she bid him lay still,
And said you’re as safe as a thief in a mill.

Then down stairs she went for to open the door,
Where she spy’d the bold boatfwain, & two or three more.
She straight did salute him & gave him a kiss,
And cry’d, loving husband, what’s the meaning of this.

My dear I’m not come to deprive you of rest,
But my dear loving wife, I must needs have my chest,
For we are going to sea with a prosperous gale,
Our anchor is weigh’d and our ship under sail.

When that poor Dicky this sad news did hear,
He was sorely beshit, and lay stinking for fear,
Have mercy dear woman, and shew some regard,
Or they’ll break all my bones and cut off my yard.

And if they do that I’m ruin’d, he said,
For I get more by it than I do by my trade.
Then up stairs two seaman so stout and so strong,
They whipt up the chest and carried it along.

They had not carried it quit out of the town,
But the weight of the chest made the sweet to run down,
They set the chest down themselves for to rest,
Say’s one to the other the De’il’s in the chest.

There was neither of them the chest could unlock,
Then came the bold boatswain and gave it a knock,
He unlocked the chest in the view of them all,
He look’d like a hog in a cobler’s stall.

O now my brave fellow, how came you here?
I fear you have cuckold, me head over ear,
So we’ll press this bold fellow and send him to sea,
He shall ne’er stay at home to make a cuckold of me.