Eliza Carthy Pretty Ploughboy Lyrics

It's of a brisk young ploughboy, he was ploughing on the plain
And his horses stood down in yonder shade
It was down in yonder grove he went whistling to his plough
And by chance there he met a pretty maid, pretty maid
And by chance there he met a pretty maid

And when her aged parents they both came for to know
That her love he was ploughing on the plain
They sent for the press gang and sent her love away
And they sent him to the wars to be slain, to be slain
And they sent him to the wars to be slain
So she sailed till she came to the very ship she thought her love lay in
And unto the Captain she did complain She says, "I'm come in search for my pretty ploughing boy
Who was sent unto the wars to be slain, to be slain
Who was sent unto the wars to be slain."

So four hundred bright guineas with her hand she did lay down
And so freely she told them out all o'er
Until she got her pretty ploughboy all in her arms
And she hugged him till she got him safe on shore, safe on shore
And she hugged him till she got him safe on shore

And she set those bells to ring and so sweetly she did sing
Just because she saved the lad that she adored, she adored
Just because she saved the lad that she adored