First line "I pray give attention to what I will mention ..."
I PRAY give attention to what I will mention,
It was of a young damsel that lived by the sea-side,
Her name was Grace Darling, a female of renown,
And she with her father alone did reside.
She was brave and undaunted, possess'd of great courage
And her heart often beat in her breast we are told,
While the seas were in motion she ventured the ocean, :
Grace Horsley Darling that female so bold.
On the 5th of September the Forfarshire steamer,
Sailed from Hull to the port of Dundee,
With the ship's crew on board and forty-one passengers,
All hearts light and merry she put out to sea.
With the ship's crew and passengers, sixty in number,
On her passage she proceeded no gallant we're told,
While the Forfarshire steamer devoid of all danger,
Drank health to Grace Darling that female so bold.
In the dead of the night, on the 6th of September,
The crew and the passengers felt dreadful shocks,
And against Longstone Island with force so tremendous
The Forfarshire steamer she went on the rocks.
To pieces she went, while the crew fell a weeping,
And some to the bottom in death went so cold,
When the shrieks and the cries met the ears of that female,
Grace Horsley Darling, that female so bold.
In the dead of the night this undaunted young female,
O father, dear father, awake she did say,
Arouse from your slumber and launch the boat quickly,
And on the wide ocean haste, make no delay.
I fear there's a wreck, let us strive for to rescue
Some part of the crew from the sad deep and cold,
For their shrieks do appal me, their cries they do pierce me,
Cries Grace Horsley Darling, that female so bold.
Says her father, dear daughter, this night the salt waters
Are cold, and the seas they do run mountains high,
folly this night to attempt the billows,
I fear not the danger, dear father, she cries.
Then the boat was launched quickly, the billows were roaring,
To the wreck with her father she ventured we're told,
And lam of the sufferers she saved from drowning.
Did Grace Horsley Darling, that female so bold.
When all dangers were over her sweet bosom beat lightly,
And tears from her eyes in large torrents did fall,
She cries, we have only saved nine out of sixty,
And I wish, dearest father, I could have saved all.
Since their lived they did hazard on the tempestuous ocean,
That name shall be written in letters of gold,
Here's a health to that maiden the gallant young damsel,
To Grace Horsley Darling, that female so bold.