Captain Ward

Come all ye jolly mariners
 That love to take a dram
 Let's go and seek for Captain Ward
 Who over the seas has come
 He is the greatest robber
 As you shall quickly hear
 There's not been such a robber found
 The last six hundred years
 The King he got a letter
 On the sixth of January
 Saying – Let bold Captain Ward come in
 With all his company
 If that you do let him in
 Until his tale is told
 For ransom he will offer you
 A twenty tons of gold
 No, no – says the King
 That can never be
 Captain Ward is a roober
 A robber on the sea
 Well, the King he has provided
 A ship of noble fame
 Called the Royal Rainbow
 If you would know her name
 She was as well provided for
 As any ship could be
 Full five hundred men on board
 To bear her company
 When the Royal Rainbow came
 Where Captain Ward did lie
 Who is the master of this ship
 The Rainbow's crew did cry
 The same am I – says Captain Ward
 Why, ashamed I never will be
 If you were the King's fair ship
 You're welcome unto me
 No, no – says the King
 That can never be
 Captain Ward is a roober
 A robber on the sea
 For I never robbed an English ship
 Just France's ships or Spain's
 Likewise the blackguard Dutchman
 That met upon the main
 Had I got a letter through
 This two weeks past, or three
 I would've spared Lord Essex's life
 This pains me grievously
 Six o' clock in the morning
 They began to fight
 So they did continue
 Till nine o' clock at night
 Fight on, fight on – says Captain Ward
 So well it pleases me
 If you fight a month or more
 Your master I will be
 Then the Royal Rainbow
 She fired on in vain
 Till full four hundred of her crew
 Upon the decks lay slain
 Go home, go home – says Captain Ward
 And tell your King from me
 He may rule King o'er all the land
 But Ward's the King on sea
 No, no – says the King
 That can never be
 Captain Ward is a roober
 A robber on the sea