Gentleman Soldier, The
DESCRIPTION: Soldier brings woman into his sentry-box. They have sex; he prepares to leave. She asks him to marry her; he says he can't, as he's already married -- and "two wives are allowed in the army, but one's too many for me!" Nine months later she has a child.AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1905 (Reeves-Sharp)
KEYWORDS: adultery seduction sex abandonment pregnancy bawdy humorous soldier
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South),Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, pp. 40-41, "The Gentleman Soldier" (1 text, 1 tune)
GreigDuncan7 1471, "The Sentry" (4 texts plus a single verse on p. 507, 3 tunes)
Reeves-Sharp 92, "The Sentry" (1 text)
Roud #178
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Drumdelgie" (tune)
cf. "One Morning in May (To Hear the Nightingale Sing)" [Laws P14] (plot)
File: VWL040
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And here are the Digital Tradition lyrics. I checked it with the Southern Harvest edition of Constant Lovers, and the words are almost the same. Punctuation is different, though; and the DT lyrics have "you're" instead of "you are" in one place.
THE SENTRY BOX
'Twas on one Sunday evening on sentry did I stand
I fell in love with some pretty girl by shaking of her hand;
By shaking of her hand, my boys, and the passing of a joke,
I slipped her into the sentry box and roll'd her up in my cloak.
O! there we toss'd and tumbl'd till daylight did appear
Then I arose, put on my clothes, saying, "Fare you well my dear.
The drums they are a-beating and the fifes so sweetly play,
If it wasn't for that, dear Polly, along with you I'd stay."
If anyone comes a-courting you, you treat them with a glass -
If anyone comes a-courting you, say you're a country lass.
You need not even tell them that ever you pass'd a joke,
That ever you went in a sentry box wrapp'd up in a soldier's cloak.
"Now come, my valiant young soldier, O! won't you marry me?"
O! no, my dearest Polly, such things they never can be,
For married I am already and children I have three,
Two wives are allow'd in the army, but one is enough for me."
"O! now, my valiant young soldier, why hadn't you told me so?
My parents they'll be angry if ever they come to know. "
When nine long months was up and pass'd this this poor girl she brought
shame,
For she had a little militia boy and she could not tell his name.
From the Constant Lovers, Purslow
@soldier @seduction @bastard
filename[ SNTRYBOX
TUNE FILE: SNTRYBOX
CLICK TO PLAY
RG
