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My name is Captain Kid, who has sail' [who has sail'd], My name is Captain Kid, who has sail'd; My name is Captain Kid. What the laws did still forbid Unluckily I did while I sail'd [while I sailed, etc.]. Upon the ocean wide, when I sail'd, etc., Upon the ocean wide, when I sail'd, Upon the ocean wide I robbed on every side, With most ambitious pride, when I sail'd. My faults I will display while I sail'd, etc., My faults I will display while I sail'd; My faults I will display, Committed day by day [A line lost.] Many long leagues from shore when I sail'd, etc., Many long leagues from shore when I sail'd, Many long leagues from shore I murdered William More, And laid him in his gore, when I sail'd, Because a word he spoke when I sail'd, etc., Because a word he spoke when I sail'd, Because a word he spoke, I with a bucket broke His scull at one sad stroke, while I sail'd.[2] I struck with a good will when I sail'd, etc., I struck with a good will when I sail'd; I struck with a good will, And did a gunner kill As being cruel still when I sail'd. A Quida merchant[3] then while I sail'd, etc., A Quida merchant then while I sail'd, A Quida merchant then I robbed of hundreds ten, Assisted by my men, while I sailed. A banker's ship of France,[4] while I sailed, etc., A banker's ship of France, while I sailed, A banker's ship of France Before us did advance: I seized her by chance, while I sailed. Full fourteen ships I see when I sailed, etc., Full fourteen ships I see when I sailed; Full fourteen ships I see, Merchants of high degree; They were too hard for me when I sailed.[5] We steered from sound to sound while we sailed, We steered from sound to sound while we sailed; We steered from sound to sound, A Moorish ship we found; Her men we stript and bound while we sailed. Upon the ocean seas while we sailed, etc., Upon the ocean seas while we sailed, Upon the ocean seas A warlike Portuguese In sport did us displease, while we sailed. At famous Malabar when we sailed, etc., At famous Malabar when we sailed, At famous Malabar We went ashore, each tar, And robbed the natives there, when we sailed. Then after this we chased, while we sailed, Then after this we chased, while we sailed, Then after this we chased A rich Armenian, graced With wealth, which we embraced, while we sailed. Many Moorish ships we took while we sailed, Many Moorish ships we took while we sailed, Many Moorish ships we took; We did still for plunder look; All conscience we forsook while we sailed. I, Captain Cullifoord, while I sailed, etc., I, Captain Cullifoord, while I sailed, I, Captain Cullifoord, Did many merchants board, Which did much wealth afford, while we sailed. Two hundred bars of gold, while we sail'd, etc., Two hundred bars of gold, while we sailed, Two hundred bars of gold And rix dollars manifold We seized uncontrolled, while we sailed. St. John, a ship of fame,[6] when we sailed, etc., St. John, a ship of fame, when we sailed, St. John, a ship of fame, We plundered when she came, With more that I could name, when we sailed. We taken was at last, and must die, etc., We taken was at last, and must die; We taken were at last, And into prison cast: Now, sentence being past, we must die. Tho' we have reigned awhile we must die, etc., Tho' we have reigned awhile we must die; Tho' we have reigned awhile, While fortune seemed to smile, Now on the British Isle we must die. Farewel the ocean main, we must die, etc., Farewel the ocean main, we must die; Farewel the ocean main: The coast of France or Spain We ne'er shall see again; we must die. From Newgate now in carts we must go, etc., [From Newgate now in carts we must goe;] From Newgate now in carts, With sad and heavy hearts, To have our due deserts we must go. Some thousands they will flock when we die, Some thousands they will flock when we die, Some thousands they will flock To Execution Dock, Where we must stand the shock and must die. |
[1] Of this ballad, contemporary with Kidd's execution, there is a unique copy in the famous collection of pamphlets belonging to the Earl of Crawford, from which it is reprinted in Professor Firth's Naval Songs and Ballads, pp. 134-37, published by the Navy Records Society. By oral transmission it had wide currency in New England. There are bits of it in Palfrey, New England, IV. 185, and in Watson's Annals of Philadelphia, ed. 1830, p. 464; and the editor remembers hearing his Salem grandmother sing parts of it. Professor George L. Kittredge says that the Harvard College Library has a broadside of this American version, printed in Boston about 1810-1820, which, with some differences in the order of stanzas, is printed in Dr. E.E. Hale's New England History in Ballads, pp. 40-46. The original version, which we print, purports to be written between sentence and execution, May 9-23, 1701, and follows closely the chief incidents brought out in the trials, and in the documents which precede.
[2] See [doc. no. 87], [note 3]. Captain Kidd, says the record of the trial (State Trials, V. 290), called Moore "a lousy dog". "Says William Moore, 'If I am a lousy dog, you have made me so; you have brought me to ruin, and many more'. Upon his saying this, says Captain Kid, 'Have I ruined you, ye dog?' and took a bucket bound with iron hoops and struck him on the right side of the head, of which he died next day."
[3] See [document 76], [note 9].
[4] I.e., a French fishing ship, bound to the banks of Newfoundland. See the second paragraph of [doc. no. 76], Kidd's statement.
[5] The reference is to Kidd's projected, but abandoned, attack on the "Mocha fleet" at Babs Key, near the mouth of the Red Sea.
[6] This ship I do not identify; the name is perhaps due to misunderstanding of a passage in the trials.