BRAVE WOLFE.

Come all you young men all, let this delight you
Come all you young men all, let nothing fright you.
Never let your courage fail, when your brought to trial
Nor let you fancy move at the first denial.

This brave undaunted youth, he crossed the ocean,
To free America, was his intention
He landed at Quebec with all his party
This city to attack, being brave & hearty.

Bold Wolfe drew ‘bout his men, in a line so pretty.
On the Plains of Abraham, before the city.
The French came marching down, in hope to beat him
With a double number round, resolved to beat him.

Montcalm & this brave youth, together talked
Between two armies they, like brother walked
Then each one to his post then did retire,
And then both numerous host, commenced their fire.

The drums did loudly beat, and the colors flying
The purple body stream, and them lay dying.
And shot from off his horse fell that great hero.
We’ll long lament his loss in tears & sorrow.

He lifted up his head as the guns did rattle,
And to his army said, How goes the battle?
Quebec is all our own, none can prevent it!
And then bold Wolfe replied - I die contented.

Via Carthy who learnt from Cyril Tawney (N.American)
Collected in 1958 by Kenneth Peacock from Isaac Freeman Bennett    [1896-1984] of St Paul's, NL, and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Vol 3, pp.986-987, by The National Museum of Canada (1965)


Tim Radford