Attend, you sons of high renown,
To these few lines which I pen down:
I was born to wear a stately crown,
And to rule a wealthy nation.
I am the man that beat Beaulieu,
And Wurmser's will did then subdue;
That great Archduke I overthrew;
On every plain my men were slain.
Grand treasures, too, I did obtain,
And got capitulation.

I did pursue the Egyptians sore,
Till Turks and Arabs lay in gore;
The rights of France I did restore
So long in confiscation.
I chased my foes through mud and mire
Till in despair my men did tire.
Then Moscow town was set on fire,
My men were lost through winter frost;
I ne'er before received such blast
Since the hour of my creation.

To Leipsic town my soldiers fled
Monmartre was strewn with Prussian dead,
We marched them forth, inveterate,
To stop a bold invasion.
Farewell, my royal spouse, once more,
And offspring great, whom I adore!
And may you that great throne restore,
That is away, without delay!
Those kings of me have made a prey,
And caused my lamentation.


abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Jones, Lewis, 1998, Miss Broadwood's Delight, Ferret Publ., Sutton Coldfield

Notes:
This song is taken from Lewis Jones' publication "Miss Broadwood's Delight", obtainable from Ferret Publications. For further details see their web site.


Lucy Broadwood got this song from Henry Burstow of Horsham in 1893. He sang "Bello" and "Grand traverse too"; "Beaulieu" and "Grand treasures too" are Miss Broadwood's guesses at the original terms. When the song appeared in The Journal of the Folk Song Society (vol I issue 4 1902, 166-7) she guessed at "reverses" for "traverse". The song also appeared in English Traditional Songs and Carols (1908, 34-5), from whence it is quoted in the Ferret publication.

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