XX.

BRAVE LORD WILLOUGH BEY.

Peregrine Bertie lord Willoughby of Erefty had in the year 1586, diftinguished him/elf at the fiege of Zutphen, in the Low Countries. He was the year after made general of the English forces in the United Provinces, in room of the earl of Leicester, who was recalled. This gave him an opportunity of fignalizing his courage and military skill in feveral actions against the Spaniards. One of thefe, greatly excyge rated by popular report, is probably the Jubject of this old ballad, which, on account of its flattering encomiums on Englifh valour, bath always been a favourite with the people.

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"My lord Willoughbie (fays a contemporary writer) was one of the queenes beft fwordsmen: .... he was a great "mafter of the art military...... I have heard it fpoken, "that bad he not flighted the court, but applied himself to "the queene, he might have enjoyed a plentifull portion of "her grace; and it was his faying, and it did him no good, "that he was none of the REPTILIA; intimating, that he "could not creepe on the ground, and that the court was not "his element; for in leed, as he was a great fuldier, fo he was of fuitable magnanimitie, and could not brook the ob fequioufneffe and affiduitie of the court." (Naunton ) Lord Willoughbie died in 1601.—Both Norris and Turner were famous among the military men of that age.

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The fubject of this ballad (which is printed from an old black-letter copy, with fome conjectural emendations,) may poffibly receive illuftration from what CHAPMAN fays in the Dedicat. to his verfion of Homer's Frogs and Mice, concerning the brave and memorable Retreat of Sir John Norris, with only 1000 men, thro' the whole Spanish army, under the duke of Parma, for three miles together.

THE

HE fifteenth day of July,

TH

With gliftering spear and shield,

A famous fight in Flanders
Was foughten in the field:
The most couragious officers
Were English captains three;
But the bravest man in battel
Was brave lord Willoughbèy.

The next was captain Norris,

A valiant man was hee:

The other captain Turner,

From field would never flee.

With fifteen hundred fighting men,

Alas! there were no more,

10

They fought with fourteen thousand then,
Upon the bloody fhore.

15

Stand to it noble pikemen,

And look you round about :
And fhoot you right you bow-men,
And we will keep them out:
You mufquet and calliver men,
Do

you prove true to me,
I'le be the formost man in fight,

Says brave lord Willoughbèy.

VOL. II.

20

Then quoth the Spanish general,
Come let us march away,

I fear we shall be spoiled all

If here we longer stay;

For yonder comes lord Willoughbey

With courage fierce and fell,

He will not give one inch of way

For all the devils in hell.

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And then the fearful enemy
Was quickly put to flight,
Our men perfued couragiously,
And caught their forces quite;
But at last they gave a fhout,

Which ecchoed through the sky,
God, and St. George for England!

The conquerers did cry.

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70

This

To the fouldiers that were maimed,

And wounded in the fray,

The queen allowed a pension
Of fifteen pence a day;
And from all costs and charges
She quit and fet them free:

And this fhe did all for the fake
Of brave lord Willoughbèy.

Then courage, noble Englishmen,
And never be dismaid;

If that we be but one to ten,
We will not be afraid

To fight with foraign enemies,
And set our nation free.

And thus I end the bloody bout
Of brave lord Willoughbèy.

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XXI, VIC