Maiden's choice/The maiden's choice

THE MAIDEN'S CHOICE.

O Daughter! O daughter! marry a man,
That gets his living all on the land;
'Tis do your endeavour, do all that you can,
That the first night he may be at your command.
⁠For don't marry with a sailor then,
⁠For they're a ranting, roaring sort of men, etc.

⁠For landmen they have money for to lend,
And what the sailors get they soon do spend;
Drinking at taverns, spending galore,
They spend their money when they come on shore.
⁠So do not marry with a sailor then,
⁠For they're a ranting, roaring sort of men, etc.

⁠For sailors they do curse and swear,
On board of men of war and privateers;
All their delight is to destroy and kill,
While the landmen they live so meek and mild.
⁠So do not marry with a sailor then,
⁠For they're a ranting, roaring sort of men, etc.

⁠Mother, you seem to take the landmen's part,
They'd all be sailors if they had good hearts;
Sailors they venture through many a storm,
To keep their country free from harm.
⁠So I do love them as I do my life,
⁠And hope to be some honest sailor's wife, etc.

⁠Our merchant trade would soon decay,
And so would ev'ry other trade beside,
If it were not for the sailors bold,
That cross the foaming billows wide.
⁠So I do love them as I do my life,
⁠And hope to be some honest sailor’s wife. etc.

⁠For sailors they do spend their money free,
When that they do come from the roaring sea,
And if they meet a pretty wench whom they adore,
They will send her both gold and silver store.
⁠So I do love them as I do my life,
⁠And hope to be some honest sailor's wife, etc.

⁠O daughter, O daughter, since that I find,
'Tis for a sailor bold your heart is inclin'd,
As for the landmen you cannot them adore,
So I never will persuade you any more;
⁠For I need must confess that the most of them,
⁠Are a very handsome sort of gentlemen.

Come, all you young fellows, be ruled by me,
⁠and spend not your money in waste,
For if that you do, you are surely undone,
⁠so away to your business in haste.