From Whitefriars, or, The Days of Charles the Second: An Historical Romance, Third Edition, Vol. 1 by Emma Robinson (London: Henry Colburn, 1844), page 77:


NELL GWYN'S SONG.

The sea, the sea, is England's,
And England's shall remain,
Tho' the might of France, and the world, advance
To contest our ocean reign!
Quoth gallant Blake, as he spread his sails,
And his cannon shook the waves;
Fire away, boys! for the day is ours,
Or here, lads, foam our graves.
Fire away, boys! quoth he again,
For the sea, the sea, is England's,
And England's shall remain!

The fresh winds blowing loud and strong,
The Spaniard fled—which rare is—
And we chased them far, and we chased them long,
Till they anchor'd in Canaries.
Quoth our admiral, as their castles blazed
With guns, like a stormy night,
Do they think to frighten us? fire away, boys,
For old England's might and right!
Fire away, boys! quoth he again;
For the sea, the sea, is England's,
And England's shall remain!

We sunk, and burned, and we took them all,
With gold and spices laden,
And our sweethearts each had a jolly haul,
For each loved his English maiden;
But as home we came—quoth our admiral,
I'm going, lads, aloft!
And he died with a smile, but his dying word
Was, Fire away, boys! now board her! soft!
Fire away, boys! quoth he again,
For the sea, the sea, is England's,
And England's shall remain.