Tempest - Captain Ward lyrics

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 This 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 robber 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 robber 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 Ess**'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 robber A robber on the sea No, no - says the King That can never be Captain Ward is a robber A robber on the No, no - says the King That can never be Captain Ward is a robber A robber on the sea