Lyr Req: Admiral Blake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 06 Apr 15 - 05:34 PM

While we're on the subject I might as well put Fred Weatherly's song on Mudcat. The story about the broom was true I believe, but the whip part was presumably added later to make it a better story.

The Admiral's Broom.
FRED. E. WEATHERLY.


Van Tromp was an Admiral brave and bold,
The Dutchman's pride was he,
And he cried "I'll reign on the rolling main,
As I do on the Zuyder Zee!"
And as he paced his quarter-deck
And looked o'er the misty tide,
He saw old England like a speck,
And he shook his fist and cried:
"I've a broom at the mast!" said he,
"For a broom is the sign for me,
That wherever I go the world may know
I sweep the mighty sea."
"I've a broom at the mast!" said he,
"For a broom is the sign for me,
That wherever I go the world may know
I sweep the mighty sea."

Now Blake was an Admiral true as gold,
And he walked by the English sea;
And when he was told of that Dutchman bold,
A merry laugh laugh'd he.
He cried "Ho! Ho! And away we'll go,
Come aboard merry men, with me;
And we'll drive this Dutchman down below,
To the bottom of his Zuyder Zee,
His broom may be trim and gay,
But we'll haul it down today;
When he says he'll sweep the mighty deep,
'Tis a game that two can play!" (Rpt last four lines)

Then he cried, "Come here you Dutchman queer,
Today you must fight with me,
For while I ride the rolling tide,
I'll be second to none," said he,
So he blazed away at the Dutchman gay,
Till he made Mynheer to fall,
Then he hoisted a Whip to the mast of his ship,
And cried to his merry men all:
"I've a Whip at the fore," said he,
"For a whip is the sign for me,
That the world may know, wherever we go,
We ride and rule the sea!" (Rpt last four lines)

This song is available on 78 sung by Peter Dawson, and also appears on an early LP of sea songs by the same singer.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 10:16 AM

Tribute songs, epic poems, novels, - all well and good

.. but just how celebrated or infamous you need to be
to have a fish 'n' chip shop named after you ???

Can't be many notable folk singers & musicians ever accorded that level of honour...???

..well.. we can only strive....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Ged Fox
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 06:51 AM

To guest Dave, it would indeed have been strange, not to say treasonous, if Nell Gwynn had sung a song in praise of Blake.
"To their eternal infamy, the Stuarts disturbed Blake's grave. Blake had opposed the King's (Charles I) trial. He had disapproved the usurpation (by Cromwell.) When he found the sword prevail against law and right, he abandoned politics... giving up his genius to the service of his country against its foreign enemies. - Seventeen months after his landing at Dover, a command was issued by (Charles II) to tear open the vault, drag out the embalmed body, and cast it out into a pit in the Abbey yard."

Of course, there is nothing yet in this thread to suggest that the song was actually written earlier than the novel in which it appears, i.e. two hundred years after the Civil War.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 04:58 AM

Publication date should be 1908 of course
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 04:56 AM

All you ever wanted to know about Admiral Blake but were afraid to ask
From Firth' Naval Ballads, Printed for The Naval Records Society 1808
Jim Carroll

An Elegie on the Death of the Right Honourable Robert Blake, Esq., One of the Generals at Sea, who departedthe
7th of August, 1657, on board the George, near Plymouth Sound.

What means this silence, sirs ? what's here becom ?
Some heavy tidings sure hath struck you dumb.
Light griefs make teares distill out from the eye,
When great ones dull, and often stupifie.
What! is there none dare speak ?
Alas ! I feare It is too harsh to sound in English eare.
Must my misgiving soul divine the cause
Of your sad aspects ? Stay, for I must pause :
Is he that over Neptune once bore sway,
And 'gainst our foes did often get the day :
Is he that was to sea-men their delight,
And led them on most daringly to fight:
Is he whose face a terror strooke ; whose name
The darling was of Fortune and of Fame :
Is he that by example spent his breath,
And shew'd a new way how to out-face Death :
He that strook terror wheresoere he came,
And made his foes to tremble at his name—
Speak, is it true ? Is noble Blake then gone,
And left us here in dark oblivion ?
Is his seraphick soul then fled away,
Leaving nought but his ashes and his clay ?
Your silence seems to say so. Is he dead ?
Sure then your griefs cannot be numbered.
I see the lasting'st monuments must bend;
All things must have their period and end.
His brave example in our infant dayes
Of war, when he alone deserv'd the bayes ;
When by his virtue onely Lime held out
Against a potent foe both bold and stout.
Taunton her liberty to him doth owe,
His bounty onely did on her bestow.
Dunster, that pleasant seat, whose lofty tow'rs
E'ne peirc't the clouds, did stoop unto his pow'rs
Bridgewater gave him birth, for that fam'd more,
And honoured, then ere she was before.
His enemies did oft amaz'd stand
When he held up his sure dead-doing hand ;
And Death grew pale to see himself out-done
By one of mortall race.
The setting sun
Oft peep'd abroad, as oft did blush to see
Neptune forc't weare his sanguine livery.
Though Death did often strive him to affright
Yet he out-lookt him, made him mad with spight,
And when with open force he durst not seise him
In a consumption did at last surprise him.
His head a mint of reason was ; when he
Once spake he used no tautologie.
His arguments dilemmas were, which he
Confirm'd b' example out of history :
His own experience was so great that all
With one consent still clos'd in generall :
And for his intellectualls so rare
That few now living could with him compare.
A man that alwayes valued his word;
Bright honour ever shining on his sword :
To vice and basenesse ever most severe,
And to his friends and goodnesse very deare :
From affectation free, and, what was more,
A zealous enemy of the Scarlet Whore;
Whose able judgment in a hot dispute
Two of the stoutest champions did confute,
Deserving to be (by their own confession)
His countryes honour call'd ; twas their expression.
No charming syren could his ears entice,
Nor tempting Venus him allure to vice;
Nor Cleophis with her bewiching eyes
Ere put a period to his victories.
War was his mistris, he did her embrace ;
She hath a princely and majestick face;
She nurst him, bred him, made him her delight,
Conducted him in many a dreadful fight ;
He was her darling, she in him took pleasure,
He was her chiefest and her onely treasure.
Though threats on threats, and promises succeeded
From Royalty, yet he them never heeded.
Threats could not drive him, nor allurements high
Ere make him part with his integrity.
No sceptick in religion was he found,
His head and heart and principles were sound.
Constant beyond compare, and to his nation
A faithfull servant in his generation :
No faction would he heed, nor plots contrive,
Nor did he wish that ever they should thrive;
And midst our various changes still kept free,
Hating cold dullnesse, base neutrality.
Riches he valued not, nor them respect,
Nor glorious titles ever did affect.
Armes and the Arts did wondrously comply
In him to make a perfect harmony ;
In both admir'd, in both he did excell,
And liv'd and dy'd without a parallell.
His valour was diffused, and now dead,
He the Tenth Worthy may be reckoned
The civick, murall, and the navall crown
He has deserv'd, all due to his renown.
In peace he was a Seneca, in war
He out-did Mars, still prov'd a conqueror.
No chamber-musick squeaking in the night,
Nor noyce of vialls did him much delight;
The deep-mouth'd canons thundring in his eares
Was unto him the musick of the spheres :
Those bore the base, the whistling bullets they
Made up the treble on a fighting day ;
Small shot division play'd, whose nimble motion
Made many a soul drink up a sleepy potion :
This was the musick most did cheer his spirit,
And made him justly so much prayse to merit.
His noble, lively, active, vigorous fire
Ne're quencht in him untill he did expire.
Oh ! how my soul bemones my countryes losse,
Her onely genius gone ; oh ! 'tis a crosse
Beyond compare, now hardly felt, but when
Our sins a war on us shall bring agen,
Who then shall stand i' th' gap ?
His noble arme
Did quail our home-bred, forreign foes disarme.
May those succeed Elisha-like inherit
A double portion of Elijah's spirit.
The Hollander in bloudy lines can write
What harms he did them by the God of might;
The Portigalls, as every one doth know,
Their peace, their plenty, and their traffique owe
Unto his worth, when Rupert he was fain
To face about and get him home again ;
Loth to appear with his poor glow-worm light
When such a sun as this appear'd in sight.
The,barbarous pirates upon Tunis strand
Felt the effects of his revenging hand.
The Spaniards lately fear'd the name of Blake,
As once their children did the name of Drake,
What shall I say ? his last attempt so bold
At the Canaries, it cannot be told
Unto its worth ; that done with gallantry
He makes his exit with a plaudite;
And having done to Spaine abundant harms,
Comes home in peace and dyes free from allarms :
The George the first ship bore him out, and then
The mournfull she that brought him back agen.
Oh that some Virgil, for his greater glory,
Would please to write his everlasting story;
Or else some Homer bravely to reherse
His glorious actions in heroick verse;
For me to limne the noble act h' as done,
Is but to light a candle to the sun :
That task I'le leave to some more able hand
That view'd his action both by sea and land ;
And though in blacks I may not mourn his end,
Yet none shall more bemone him as a friend.
Or'e death he is victorious, and he
Bequeaths it us as his last legacy.
Now unto God be everlasting prayse,
That thus in peace hath finished his dayes :
And since his fatall thred is quite spun out,
Let's draw the curtains, put the candle out,
And let us leave him to his silent tomb,
Free from all troubles, clos'd up in the womb
Of Mother Earth let him in quiet rest,
Till he enjoy the choycest and the best
Of his desires, in glory for to see His Saviour Christ to all eternity.

EPITAPH ACROSTICK
R est here in peace the sacred dust
O f valiant Blake, the good, the just,
B elov'd of all on every side ;
E ngland's honour, once her pride,
R ome's terror, Dutch annoyer,
T ruth's defender, Spain's destroyer.
B ring no dry eyes unto this place :
L et not be seen in any case
A smiling or an unsad face.
K indie desires in every brest
E ternally with him to rest.

By Geo. HARRISON, Gent. On board the Dunbar in the Downs, Aug. n, 1657.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 05 Apr 15 - 04:05 AM

Is it strange that Nell Gwynn's song should contain such a glowing reference to Cromwell's Admiral? His exploits were fairly crucial to the outcome of the Civil War.

Subject: Lyr Add: NELL GWYN'S SONG (Emma Robinson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Apr 15 - 09:42 PM

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.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 03 Apr 15 - 10:22 AM

Thanks for that. There is a bit to click on in the Oxford Library page which says "Ask a librarian", so I might have a go at that after Easter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Anglogeezer
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 04:32 PM

Here is a link to a biography of the Reverand W. guise Tucker.
I don't think that songs chosen by him would truly reflect what was sung by "Jolly Jack"!
W Guise Tucker


The Royal Naval Songbook was published in London by Routledge& Sons in about 1870.
There is a copy in the University of Oxford library
Worldcat

Jake

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 12:50 PM

Purday's hymn tunes are still sung. Can't vouch for this one of course.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 02 Apr 15 - 12:38 PM

There is also a copy of the book in the British Library. I'm not aware that you can order photocopies from Plymouth Library. Last time I wanted a page copying from the British Library they would only copy the whole book which was far too expensive.

Assuming that the song in question is actually Nell Gwyn's song the only thing missing is the tune. I doubt that a 19C tune written by a chaplain would be very singable nowadays, so the only thing to do is put it to another tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,#
Date: 01 Apr 15 - 08:53 AM

https://www.webopac.plymouth.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?rcn=D07045353X&

There is one available for viewing at a library in Plymouth, UK. The site takes about 25 seconds to load, but the book is there.

Good luck with your search.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 12:55 PM

That could well be the case. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 08:16 AM

Purday was also a music publisher, as well as a composer (Z.T. Purday, presumably Z.T was an earlier generation).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 07:53 AM

Amazon has in its catalogue (albeit "Currently Unavailable"):

Admiral Blake, a song of the sea, written by the author of Whitefriars [J. Robinson, begins: "The Sea, the Sea is England's"] Unknown Binding – 1859
by Charles Henry Purday (author)

So I would assume that means lyrics by Robinson, set to music by Purday.

Purday was a writer of hymn tunes, but I think rarely lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 31 Mar 15 - 06:39 AM

The sea, the sea is England's is known as Nell Gwyn's song , or Blake's last cruise. It was published in 1851 in a book called Whitefriars, or The days of Charles the Second, a historical romance written by Emma Robinson. Whether this bears any relation to the song Admiral Blake could only be determined by having more information on that song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,#
Date: 30 Mar 15 - 01:18 PM

Google

"The Sea, the Sea is England's"

A page will come up and near the bottom is

The Athenaeum: Journal of Literature, Science, the Fine ...

Open that and you'll see three stanzas of a song which may be the one you're looking for.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,Dave
Date: 30 Mar 15 - 01:07 PM

It most definitely would be punkfolkrocker, Admiral Robert Blake, born Bridgewater, naval commander in Cromwell's time, led many great victories over Royalists, Dutch and Spanish, and in Nelson's estimation England's greatest ever naval commander.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 30 Mar 15 - 12:53 PM

.. is that the same Admiral Blake as "The Admiral Blake Fish Bar" in Bridgwater...???

Subject: Lyr Req: Admiral Blake
From: Rank
Date: 30 Mar 15 - 12:25 PM

A book recently appeared on eBay called The Royal Naval Songbook. This was edited by W Guise Tucker and was circa 1870. Unfortunately it went for more money than I was prepared to pay. The index however did list a song called Admiral Blake, which was attributed to C H Purday. Has anybody got a copy of this? It will be quite a rare book I think and I can't find any trace of it being published separately.

Rank