Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.

Subject: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 11:47 AM

Thomas Lurting
Words Lorcan Otway, from a true story by Thomas Lurting
Music Ye Rambling Boys of Pleasure (click).
All rights reserved Otway 2003

Just written this morning, probably will be tweeked abit when recorded... enjoy and comment.

Oh my name is Thomas Lurting, and a press gang has taken me
aboard a well found vessel, to fight the Irish on the sea
It was during the long Parliament, I was a lad of fourteen years
and amid the smoke and the thunder, I became a man immune to fears

I became a Bo'suns Mate and, two hundred sailors I did command
'til we pressed some Quaker fellows while fighting in a distant land
They would not conform to ship's service, when called upon to sing and pray
and I was told to beat them, but a voice within my hand did stay

And so it was I became convinced, and even my captain's sword I faced
But I was so changed completely, I was discharged with some small haste
for fear our gentle leadings, would spread like vines amongst our crew
and I was placed ashore then, to find my life begun anew

I joined a Quaker vessel, and was returning from Venice Town
while off Spanish May York, by Turk corsairs our Katch was found
we offered them no battle, but welcomed them as a Friend to me
and they ordered us to sail for, Algeria and our slavery

At length they grew to trust us, one night they all asleeping lay
And I crept amongst them all, to take their knives and swords away
we locked them in the cabin and, set sail upon our former course
but soon there came a great wailing, and with their captain this grim discourse

Should you take us to your home, England, there hanged we all will surely be
of this we are well frighten and beg of you some small pity
we spoke our crew together, and then in spite of all our fear
we would return our captives, to their own shore which they called Algear

We soon lay off their homeland our eyes searched for their men of war
Myself and two others chose to row the Turks to their bleak shore
We reached those stranger's sandy beach, and feared we all seized would be
for there were ten Turkish pirate men, and far from our ship we were but three

But we set them on their native land, and they embraced us with tears of joy
and waving as we rowed away, such was the love we did enjoy
we set our sails for England but our story had before us flew
and Charles our King, and the Duke of York, waited us, I tell thee true

King Charles viewed us darkly, "Why did you not bring these foes to me?"
Said I, unto Charles, "I thought, it better they dwell in their own country."
The king gazed at we Quakers as grim and stern as he could be,
then laughing he embrace-ed us, and here I will end my tale for thee

So rest in that which can do good, when evil shall a face to thee
let this be the way of all true Friends, when thee confronts adversity
fear not upon the wildest shore, but look lovingly in the strangers eye
and remember thy Friend Thomas Lurting, for now in my final peace I lie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: MMario
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 11:56 AM

looks good!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: Amos
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 11:57 AM

My god, what a story!!

There a few lines where the scansion needs tightening up: "amid the smoke and thunder..." is one. Is it possible that a Bosun's Mate would command 200 sailors even in a large vessel? Needs a fact-check, I think.

But what a fine ballad, and what a fine story!!

Is there a reference to the original tale somewhere out there?


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: IanC
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 11:59 AM

Here's the original.

:-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: MMario
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 12:06 PM

the 200 men figure is Tho. Lurting's own claim - so valid or not it should stand.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 03:10 PM

Oh, Larry! That is wonderful! As I find out more about my Quaker ancestors I enjoy more and more of these stories. Thank you so much.

I found out that one of mine went out west of Ohio, in 1821, when it was still considered wilderness. His friends were unable to go at the last minute. He carried no weapons. He often said that "an honest face was the best weapon among civilised or savage men." He crossed Indiana and made it to somewhere on the Illinois rier. He said his horse became quite cowardly and would stick close to him all night!

kat

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 03:26 PM

Great story and great song.

Just one pedantic thing - why Persia? That's a long long way from North Africa, and I couldn't find a mention of it in the story or the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 03:54 PM

I cannot think why the word "Persia" is in the thread title. In neither the ballad nor Lurting's account can I find that word mentioned, and he seems not to have been anywhere near Persia (modern Iran).

I was confused at first with the place name "May-York", but then it came to me that it's Majorca or Mallorca he's referring to.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 05:22 PM

May York is right, Majorca, Lurting has a lot of great almost pernunciations... and Persia... he refers to the pirates as Turks, from Algeria, so I presume that the whole north of africa, under the persian empire, to the British sailor of his day, was Turkey. Cheers, Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 05:26 PM

IanC! Thanks for the link! Ain't mudcat great, folks! I first heard of Lurting in a Quaker childrens story, where the king laughs rather than smiles, and in the account linked by IanC he refers to an eariler and longer version, so poetic licence, I hope in the earlier memory, he recalled the king laughing. I had to do a huge edit of the story, as it is a real ripping yarn.
Cheers
Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 06:22 PM

Oh, another thing, Amos... Rambling Boys of Pleasure is a very plyable tune, that verce, with the right phrasing fits the tune, but you have to get the emphasis right. CHeers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 06:25 PM

PS I also often put a comma to note the transition in the break in the line in the tune... so it would be... you ramblin boys of pleasure, give ear unto these lines i write... cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 06:25 PM

Turks would have been correct enough, since North Africa, including Algiers, was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire well into the 19th cenbtury. But Persia never was.

The song puts me in mind of "The Flying Cloud" - the same sweep of narrative. And here is th DT version oftaht song (Though I note the DT has the narrator as from just outside Dublin, when he's normally from Waterford down on the South Coast.)

Well done Larry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 07:13 PM

Another ripping good yarn McGrath, thanks for the link! Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: Amos
Date: 26 Mar 03 - 07:35 PM

QUite right about the 200 men -- and from the rest of the tale he was a reg'lr Cheif or WO at least.

Wow -- what a story!!


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: alanabit
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 02:31 AM

Getting into this storytelling lark, aren't you Larry? I enjoyed that and it cheered up my morning. It is a nice antidote to the horror stories currently emerging from the radio.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 27 Mar 03 - 02:56 AM

McGrath is right. The North African coast belonged to the Ottoman Empire, although later on the ties to the central power were loosened as it happened so often at the fringes of the realm.
The entire coast, called the Corsairs' Coast then, was a pest for European and American trade shipping because of the pirates of Turk, Arab, Berber and European origin (the Europeans were renegades).
In the 19th century the U.S. Navy fought at this coast, too; in the line "... to the Golf of Tripoli" (in Libya) the role of the USMC is remembered.
Larry, what a fine peaceful song this is! Just right for the times of this war your lonesome rider in the White House started some days before.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 02:46 AM

Because this is a heartening, peaceful song, I am sending it back to the top of the thread.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 01:37 PM

My dear friend Wilfred, great you liked the song, I am working on the thrid CD, Musing on Thomas Lurting. Just finished recording Lurting today. I will soon post the tweekings, when I sing, I find the exaples of modern speach that crept into the writing, so little changes like 200 men at my comand, or out bound from Venice Town, or I but a lad of 14 years.... no real serrious changes, but I will post the final version for those who cant wait for the CD to be out.
Cheers
Larry
Alababit... and do keep chearful, we plant seeds in the winter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Battle, Brits in Persia 17th century.
From: InOBU
Date: 28 Mar 03 - 04:08 PM

Post recording tweeking... the recording is sweet...

Thomas Lurting Words Lorcan Otway, from a true story by Thomas Lurting
Music Ye Rambling Boys of Pleasure.
All rights reserved Otway 2003

Oh my name is Thomas Lurting, and a press gang has taken me
on board of a well found vessel, to fight the Irish on the sea
It being in the time of the long Parliament, but a lad of fourteen years
and amid the smoke and the thunder, I became a man immune to fears

I became a Bos'uns Mate and, two hundred sailors where at my command
'til we pressed some Quaker fellows while fighting in a distant land
They would not conform to worship, when called upon to sing and pray
and I was told to beat them, but a voice within me my hand did stay

And so it was I became convinced, and even my captain's sword I faced
But I was so changed completely, I was discharged with some small haste
for fear our gentle leadings, would spread like vines amongst our crew
and I was placed ashore then, to find my life had begun anew

I joined a Quaker vessel, and was bound out from Venice Town
while off Spanish May York, by Turk corsairs our Katch was found
we offered them no battle, but welcomed them as a Friend to me
and they ordered us to sail for, Algeria and our slavery

At length they grew to trust us, one night they all asleeping lay
And I crept amongst them all, for to take their knives and swords away
we locked them in the cabin and, set sail upon our former course
but soon there came a great wailing, and their captain comenced this grim discourse

Should you take us to your home, Englishmen, there hanged we all will surely be
of this we are well frighten and beg of you some small pity
we spoke our crew together, and then in spite of all our fear
we would return our captives, to their own shore which they called Algear

We soon lay off their homeland our eyes searched for their men of war
Myself and two others chose to row the Turks to their bleak shore
We reached those stranger's sandy beach, and feared we all seize-ed would be
for there where ten Turkish pirate men, and far from our ship we were but three

But we set them on their native land, and they embraced us with tears of joy
and waving as we rowed away, such was the love we did enjoy
we set our sails for England but our story had before us flew
and Charles our King, and the Duke of York, awaited us, I tell thee true

King Charles viewed us darkly, "Why did you not bring these foes to me?"
Said I, "I thought, it better they dwell in their own country."
The king gazed at we Quakers as grim and stern as he could be,
then laughing he embrace-ed us, and here I will end my tale for thee

So rest in that which can do good, when evil shall show a face to thee
let this be the way of all true Friends, when thee confronts adversity
fear not upon the wildest shore, but lovingly look in the strangers eye
and remember thy Friend Thomas Lurting, for now in my final peace I lie.