coupled with Joan d' Arc, the celebrated Pucelle d' Orleans. A bold virago stout and tall As Joan of France, or English Mall. This ballad is printed from a black-letter copy in the Pepys' collection, improved from the Editor's folio MS. and by conjecture. The full title is, "The valorous acts performed at Gaunt by the brave bonnie lass Mary Ambree, who in revenge of her lovers death did play her part most gallantly. The tune is, The blind beggar, &c." WHEN captaines couragious, whom death cold not Did march to the siege of the citty of Gaunt, When brave Sir John Major* was slaine in her sight, Who was her true lover, her joy, and delight, 6 She clothed herselfe from the top to the toe In buffe of the bravest, most seemelye to showe; 10 A faire shirt of male † then slipped on shee; *So MS. Serjeant Major, in PC. A peculiar kind of armour, composed of small rings of iron, and A helmett of proofe shee strait did provide, 15 Then tooke shee her sworde and her targett in hand, 20 My soldiers, she saith, soe valiant and bold, Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree? Then cryed out her souldiers, and loude they did say,25 Thy harte and thy weapons soe well do agree, Shee cheared her souldiers, that foughten for life, With ancyent and standard, with drum and with fife, 30 With brave clanging trumpetts, that sounded so free; Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree ? Before I will see the worst of you all To come into danger of death, or of thrall, worn under the clothes. It is mentioned by Spencer, who speaks of the Irish gallowglass, or foot-soldier, as "armed in a long shirt of mayl." (View of the State of Ireland.) This hand and this life I will venture so free: Shee led upp her souldiers in battaile array, 35 Gainst three times theyr number by breake of the daye; Seven howers in skirmish continued shee: Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree? 40 She filled the skyes with the smoke of her shott, And when her false gunner, to spoyle her intent, 45 Away all her pellets and powder had sent, Straight with her keen weapon shee slasht him in three: Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree? Being falselye betrayed for lucre of hyre, At length she was forced to make a retyre; Her foes they besett her on everye side, Then tooke shee her sword and her targett in hand, And mounting the walls all undaunted did stand, 50 55 There daring their captaines to match any three: 60 Now saye, English captaine, what woldest thou give Ye captaines couragious, of valour so bold, 65 No captaine of England; behold in your sight But art thou a woman, as thou dost declare, The prince of Great Parma heard of her renowne Who long had advanced for Englands faire crowne; Hee wooed her and sued her his mistress to bee, And offerd rich presents to Mary Ambree. But this virtuous mayden despised them all, 80 A mayden of England, sir, never will bee The whore of a monarcke, quoth Mary Ambree. Then to her owne country shee backe did returne, 85 XX. Brabe Lord Willoughbey. Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby of Eresby had, in the year 1586, distinguished himself at the siege 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 signalizing his courage and military skill in several actions against the Spaniards. One of these, greatly exaggerated by popular report, is probably the subject of this old ballad, which, on account of its flattering encomiums on English valour, hath always been a favourite with the people. 66 My lord Willoughbie (says a contemporary writer) was one of the queenes best swordsmen : . . . . he was a great master of the art military.... I have heard it ... spoken, that had he not slighted the court, but applied himself to the queene, he might have enjoyed a plentifull portion of her grace; and it was his saying, 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 |