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BRYAN AND PEREENE.
A WEST INDIAN BALLAD;
Founded on a real Fact, that happened a few Years ago in the Island of ST. CHRISTOPHER.
1 THE north-east wind did briskly blow,
2 The ship was safely moor'd,
3 Young Bryan thought the boat's crew slow,
4 And so leapt over-board.
5 Pereene, the pride of Indian dames,
6 His heart long held in thrall,
7 And whoso his impatience blames,
8 I wot, ne'er lov'd at all.
9 A long, long year, one month and day,
10 He dwelt on English land,
11 Nor once in thought would ever stray,
12 Though ladies sought his hand.
13 For Bryan he was tall and strong,
14 Right blythsome roll'd his een,
15 Sweet was his voice whene'er he sung,
16 He scant had twenty seen.
17 But who the countless charms can draw,
18 That grac'd his mistress true;
19 Such charms the old world never saw,
20 Nor oft I ween the new.
21 Her raven hair plays round her neck,
22 Like tendrils of the vine;
23 Her cheeks red dewy rose buds deck,
24 Her eyes like diamonds shine.
25 Soon as his well known ship she spied,
26 She cast her weeds away,
27 And to the palmy shore she hied,
28 All in her best array.
29 In sea-green silk so neatly clad,
30 She there impatient stood;
31 The crew with wonder saw the lad
32 Repel the foaming flood.
33 Her hands a handkerchief display'd,
34 Which he at parting gave;
35 Well pleas'd the token he survey'd,
36 And manlier beat the wave.
37 Her fair companions one and all,
38 Rejoicing crowd the strand;
39 For now her lover swam in call,
40 And almost touch'd the land.
41 Then through the white surf did she haste,
42 To clasp her lovely swain;
43 When, ah! a shark bit through his waist:
44 His heart's blood dy'd the main!
45 He shriek'd! his half sprang from the wave,
46 Streaming with purple gore,
47 And soon it found a living grave,
48 And, ah! was seen no more.
49 Now haste, now haste, ye maids, I pray,
50 Fetch water from the spring:
51 She falls, she falls, she dyes away,
52 And soon her knell they ring.
53 Now each May-morning round her tomb
54 Ye fair, fresh flowrets strew,
55 So may your lovers scape his doom,
56 Her hapless fate scape you.
About this text
Author: James Grainger
Themes:
love; places; animals; death
Genres:
ballad metre
References:
DMI 31253
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Source edition
Mendez, Moses. A collection of the most esteemed pieces of poetry: that have appeared for several years. With variety of originals, by the late Moses Mendez, Esq; and other contributors to Dodsley's collection. To which this is intended as a supplement. London: printed for Richardson and Urquhart, 1767, pp. 144-147. [8],320p. ; 8⁰. (ESTC T124631; DMI 1073; OTA K099398.000) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 148].)
Editorial principles
The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.