English and Scottish Ballads Volume VII Part 8

54. from the printed copy.

91. The MS. has here archborde, but in Part II. v. 5, hachebord.

115. It should seem from hence, that before our marine artillery was brought to its present perfection, some naval commanders had recourse to instruments or machines, similar in use, though perhaps unlike in construction, to the heavy Dolphins made of lead or iron used by the ancient Greeks; which they suspended from beams or yards fastened to the mast, and which they precipitately let fall on the enemies' s.h.i.+ps, in order to sink them, by beating holes through the bottoms of their undecked triremes, or otherwise damaging them.--PERCY.

THE SECOND PART.

The merchant sett my lorde a gla.s.se, Soe well apparent in his sight, And on the morrowe, by nine of the clocke, He shewed him Sir Andrewe Barton, knight.

His hachebord it was hached with gold, 5 Soe deerlye dight it dazzled the ee; "Nowe by my faith," Lord Howarde sais, "This is a gallant sight to see.

"Take in your ancyents, standards eke, So close that no man may them see; 10 And put me forth a white willowe wand, As merchants use to sayle the sea."

But they stirred neither top nor mast;[L13]

Stoutly they past Sir Andrew by; "What English churles are yonder," he sayd, 15 "That can soe litle curtesye?

"Now by the roode, three yeares and more I have been admirall over the sea, And never an English nor Portingall Without my leave can pa.s.se this way." 20 Then called he forth his stout pinnace; "Fetch backe yond pedlars nowe to mee: I sweare by the ma.s.se, yon English churles Shall all hang att my maine-mast tree."

With that the pinnace itt shott off; 25 Full well Lord Howard might it ken; For itt stroke down my lord's fore-mast, And killed fourteen of his men.

"Come hither, Simon," sayes my lord, "Looke that thy word be true, thou said; 30 For at my main-mast thou shalt hang, If thou misse thy marke one s.h.i.+lling bread."

Simon was old, but his heart itt was bold; His ordinance he laid right lowe, He put in chaine full nine yardes long, 35 With other great shott, lesse and moe, And he lette goe his great gunnes shott; Soe well he settled itt with his ee, The first sight that Sir Andrew sawe, He see his pinnace sunke in the sea. 40

And when he saw his pinnace sunke, Lord, how his heart with rage did swell!

"Nowe cutt my ropes, itt is time to be gon; Ile fetch yond pedlars backe mysell."

When my lord sawe Sir Andrewe loose, 45 Within his heart hee was full faine; "Nowe spread your ancyents, strike up drummes, Sound all your trumpetts out amaine."

"Fight on, my men," Sir Andrewe sais, "Weale, howsoever this geere will sway; 50 Itt is my lord admirall of England, Is come to seeke mee on the sea."

Simon had a sonne, who shott right well, That did Sir Andrewe mickle scare; In att his decke he gave a shott, 55 Killed threescore of his men of warre.

Then Henrye Hunt, with rigour hott, Came bravely on the other side; Soone he drove downe his fore-mast tree, And killed fourscore men beside. 60 "Nowe, out alas!" Sir Andrewe cryed, "What may a man now thinke or say?

Yonder merchant theefe, that pierceth mee, He was my prisoner yesterday.

"Come hither to me, thou Gordon good, 65 That aye wast readye att my call; I will give thee three hundred pounds, If thou wilt let my beames downe fall."

Lord Howard hee then calld in haste, "Horselye, see thou be true in stead; 70 For thou shalt at the maine-mast hang, If thou misse twelvescore one penny bread."

Then Gordon swarved the maine-mast tree, He swarved it with might and maine; But Horseley with a bearing arrowe, 75 Stroke the Gordon through the braine; And he fell unto the haches again, And sore his deadlye wounde did bleede: Then word went through Sir Andrews men, How that the Gordon hee was dead. 80

"Come hither to mee, James Hambilton, Thou art my only sisters sonne; If thou wilt let my beames downe fall, Six hundred n.o.bles thou hast wonne."[L84]

With that he swarved the main-mast tree, 85 He swarved it with nimble art; But Horseley with a broad arrowe Pierced the Hambilton thorough the heart.

And downe he fell upon the deck, That with his blood did streame amaine: 90 Then every Scott cryed, "Well-away!

Alas a comelye youth is slaine!"

All woe begone was Sir Andrew then, With griefe and rage his heart did swell; "Go fetch me forth my armour of proofe, 95 For I will to the topcastle mysell.

"Goe fetch me forth my armour of proofe, That gilded is with gold soe cleare; G.o.d be with my brother John of Barton!

Against the Portingalls hee it ware. 100 And when he had on this armour of proofe, He was a gallant sight to see; Ah! nere didst thou meet with living wight, My deere brother, could cope with thee."

"Come hither, Horseley," sayes my lord, 105 "And looke your shaft that itt goe right; Shoot a good shoote in time of need, And for it thou shalt be made a knight."

"Ile shoot my best," quoth Horseley then, 109 "Your honour shall see, with might and maine; But if I were hanged at your maine-mast, I have now left but arrowes twaine."

Sir Andrew he did swarve the tree, With right good will he swarved then, Upon his breast did Horseley hitt, 115 But the arrow bounded back agen.

Then Horseley spyed a privye place, With a perfect eye, in a secrette part; Under the spole of his right arme He smote Sir Andrew to the heart. 120

"Fight on, my men," Sir Andrew sayes,[L121]

"A little Ime hurt, but yett not slaine; Ile but lye downe and bleede a while, And then Ile rise and fight againe.

Fight on, my men," Sir Andrew sayes, 125 "And never flinche before the foe; And stand fast by St. Andrewes crosse, Untill you heare my whistle blowe."

They never heard his whistle blow, Which made their hearts waxe sore adread: 130 Then Horseley sayd, "Aboard, my lord, For well I wott Sir Andrew's dead."

They boarded then his n.o.ble s.h.i.+pp, They boarded it with might and maine; Eighteen score Scots alive they found, 135 The rest were either maimed or slaine.

Lord Howard tooke a sword in hand, And off he smote Sir Andrewes head; "I must have left England many a daye, If thou wert alive as thou art dead." 140 He caused his body to be cast Over the hatchbord into the sea, And about his middle three hundred crownes: "Wherever thou land, this will bury thee."

Thus from the warres Lord Howard came, 145 And backe he sayled ore the maine; With mickle joy and triumphng Into Thames mouth he came againe.

Lord Howard then a letter wrote, And sealed it with seale and ring; 150 "Such a n.o.ble prize have I brought to your grace As never did subject to a king.

"Sir Andrewes s.h.i.+pp I bring with mee, A braver s.h.i.+pp was never none; Nowe hath your grace two s.h.i.+pps of warr, 155 Before in England was but one."[L156]

King Henryes grace with royall cheere Welcomed the n.o.ble Howard home; "And where," said he, "is this rover stout, That I myselfe may give the doome?" 160

"The rover, he is safe, my leige, Full many a fadom in the sea; If he were alive as he is dead, I must have left England many a day.

And your grace may thank four men i' the s.h.i.+p 165 For the victory wee have wonne; These are William Horseley, Henry Hunt, And Peter Simon, and his sonne."

"To Henry Hunt," the king then sayd, "In lieu of what was from thee tane, 170 A n.o.ble a day now thou shalt have, Sir Andrewes jewels and his chayne.

And Horseley thou shalt be a knight, And lands and livings shalt have store; Howard shall be Erle Surrye hight,[L175] 175 As Howards erst have beene before.

"Nowe, Peter Simon, thou art old, I will maintaine thee and thy sonne; And the men shall have five hundred markes For the good service they have done." 180 Then in came the queene with ladyes fair, To see Sir Andrewe Barton, knight; They weend that hee were brought on sh.o.r.e, And thought to have seen a gallant sight.

But when they see his deadlye face, 185 And eyes soe hollow in his head, "I wold give," quoth the king, "a thousand markes, This man were alive as hee is dead.

Yett for the manfull part hee playd, Which fought soe well with heart and hand, 190 His men shall have twelvepence a day, Till they come to my brother kings high land."

13. i.e. did not salute.

84. pounds. MS.

121-4. This stanza occurs also in _Johnie Armstrang_, vol. vi. p. 44.

156. That is the Great Harry, built in 1504, at an expense of fourteen thousand pounds. "She was," says Hume, "properly speaking, the first s.h.i.+p in the English navy. Before this period, when the prince wanted a fleet, he had no other expedient than hiring or pressing s.h.i.+ps from the merchants."

175-6. ... Erle of Nottingham, And soe was never, &c. MS.

FLODDEN FIELD.

From Ritson's _Ancient Songs_, ii. 70.

"The battle of Flodden, in Northumberland, was fought the 9th of September, 1513, being the fifth year of King Henry the Eighth (who, with a great army, was then before Terouen in France), between Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, commander-in-chief of the English forces, and James the Fourth, King of Scots, with an inferior army of 15,000 men, who were entirely routed with great slaughter, their heroic sovereign being left dead upon the field.