Valiant Dragoon- (Lon) 1800 T.Wise broadside
[Original title: "The valiant dragoo'n[sic], a new song" as printed by T. Wise, No, 89, Rosemary Lane, London c. 1800. Also printed in War Songs edited by Christopher Stone, 1906.
R. Matteson 2018]
The Valiant Dragoon
My Father is a Knight,
And a Knight of high Renown,
If I should wed a Soldier,
It will pull his Honour down.
Your Birth, and my Birth,
It never will agree,
So take it for a warning,
Bold Soldier, said she.
No warning, no warning,
No warning I'll take[1],
I will either live or die
For my true lover's sake.
Then hearing of these words,
Made her heart for to Bleed,
They went into the church,
And was married with speed.
As they was Returning,
From the church back again,
Then she Espy'd her Father,
With seven armed men.
I fear, says the Lady,
We both shall be slain,
I fear none of them all,
Says the valliant Dragoon.
Strike up, my dearest Jewel,
This is no time to prattle,
Yon see they're all fixed,
And ready for the Battle.
The Dragoon took his broad sword,
And made their bones to rattle,
The Lady Held the Horse,
While the Dragoon fought the Battle.
O hold your hand, dear Dragoon,
O hold your hand I pray,
For you shall have my daughter,
Ten thousand pounds in hand.
Strike up, says the Lady,
Your portion is too small,
So hold your hand, dear Dragoon,
For that shall not be all.
Come all you young Ladies,
That has money in store,
Do not dispise a Soldier,
Because they're poor.
For they are men of courage bold,
They wear the honoured crown,
So we give a health to George our King,
And the valiant Dragoon.
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1. This 2nd line is missing; the original first, "No warning, no warning, will I take" on same line. This line is Stone's arrangement which makes more sense.