Sacred Texts Legends & Sagas England Index Previous Next
288A.1 COME, sound up your trumpets and beat up your drums, And let’s go to sea with a valiant good cheer, In search of a mighty vast navy of ships, The like has not been for these fifty long year. Raderer two, tandaro te, Raderer, tandorer, tan do re. 288A.2 queen she provided a navy of ships, With sweet flying streamers, so glorious to see, Rich top and top-gallants, captains and lieutenants, Some forty, some fifty, brass-pieces and three. 288A.3 They had not saild past a week on the seas, Not passing a week and days two or three, But they were aware of the proud emperor, Both him and all his proud company. 288A.4 When he beheld our powerful fleet, Sailing along in their glory and pride, He was amazed at their valour and fame, Then to his warlike command[er]s he cry’d. 288A.5 These were the words of the old emperor: Pray who is this that is sailing to me? If he be king that weareth a crown, Yet I am a better man than he. 288A.6 ‘It is not a king, nor lord of a crown, Which now to the seas with his navy is come, But the young Earl of Essex, the Queen’s lieutenant, Who fears no foes in Christendom.’ 288A.7 ‘Oh! is that lord then come to the seas? Let us tack about and be steering away; I have heard so much of his father before That I will not fight with young Essex today.’ 288A.8 O then bespoke the emperor’s son, As they were tacking and steering away, ‘Give me, royal father, this navy of s[h]ips, And I will go fight with Essex today.’ 288A.9 ‘Take them with all my heart, loving son, Most of them are of a capital size; But should he do as his father has done, Farewel thine honour and mine likewise.’ 288A.10 With cannons hot and thundering shot, These two gallants fought on the main, And as it was young Essex’s lot, The emperor’s son by him was taen. 288A.11 ‘Give me my son,’ the emperor cry’d, ‘Who you this day have taken from me, And I’ll give to the[e] three keys of gold, The one shall be of High Germany.’ 288A.12 ‘I care not for thy three keys of gold, Which thou hast profferd to set him free, But thy son he shall to England sail, And go before the queen with me.’ 288A.13 ‘Then have I fifty good ships of the best, As good as ever were sent to the sea, And eer my son into England sail, They shall go all for good company.’ 288A.14 They had not fought this famous battle, They had not fought it hours three, But some lost legs, and some lost arms, And some lay tumbling in the sea. 288A.15 Essex he got this battle likewise, Tho ’twas the hotest that ever was seen; Home he returnd with a wonderful prize, And brought the emperor’s son to the queen. 288A.16 O then bespoke the prentices all, Living in London, both proper and tall, In a kind letter, sent straight to the queen, For Essex’s sake they would fight all.
288B.1 ‘’TRR-+-rrS, old England, old England, I bid thee adieu, The drums and the trumpets command me frae shore; And you lusty fellows, both valiant and true, Will you venture with me where loud cannons roar?’ 288B.2 ‘O Billy, O Billy, talk not of the seas, But stay at home with me on the shore; I’ll do my endeavour thy fancy to please, And there’s others to go where loud cannons roar.’ 288B.3 ‘O Nelly, O Nelly, I must to the seas, For there is no gold to be had upon shore; There’s honour, and gold, and riches likewise, To the man that doth die where loud cannons roar.’ 288B.4 ‘Remember the winds, love, remember the waves, Remember the dangers that are upon seas; Remember there is neither coffin nor grave To the man that doth die where loud cannons roar.’ 288B.5 ‘Remember old Benbow, and think on his blows; Remember the dangers he felt upon seas; He lost both his legs by one shot of his foes; He lost his sweet life, yet his honour’s the more.’ 288B.6 ‘Remember proud Shawfield, that honoured knight, Who came with his navy to the Spanish shore; At the rock of Salem his life took a flight, And with him there died some hundreds more.’ 288B.7 ‘Our queen she has builded a navy of ships, And they are arrayed all right gloriously; With top and top-gallant, with captain, lieutenant, Some fifty, some sixty, brass pieces and three.’ 288B.8 ‘Well, since you’ll go, may my blessing advance, And carry you safely from Flanders to Spain, And when you’ve conquered that tyrant in France, Then my blessing return you to old England again.’ 288B.9 They had not sailed one hour upon sea, Not one hour passing days two or three, Till up came the bold emperour, The bold emperour of High Germanie. 288B.10 ‘O who is this?’ the bold emperour cries, ‘Who is this that comes sailing to me? I’m sure he’s knight, or a king of crown, O I’m sure I am a far better fellow than he.’ 288B.11 ‘I am neither a knight, nor a king of a crown, But here, with my navy, on board I am come; For I am Lord Essex, the Queen’s lieutenant, Who never feard foe in all Christendom.’ 288B.12 Out and spoke the bold emperour’s son, All as they were mounting and hyeing away; ‘O father, lend me your navy of ships, And I’ll go fight with Lord Essex today.’ 288B.13 ‘O son, I’ll lend thee my navy of ships, And they are all of a capable size; But if he be as good as his old father was, Adieu to your honour, and mine likewise.’ 288B.14 O they have fought on at a terrible rate, Until it drew nigh to the cool of the day, And as it fell in young Essex’s lot, The bold emperour’s son he’s taen prisoner away. 288B.15 ‘O give me my son,’ the bold emperour cried, ‘O give me my son thou hast taken from me, And you shall have three keys of gold, And one of them opens High Germanie.’ 288B.16 ‘What value I thy three keys of gold, Or any proud offer thou canst give to me? For up to old England thy son he must go, And stand before our queen’s high majesty.’ 288B.17 ‘’Tis I have fifteen ships of the best, And other fifteen distant on sea; Since up to old England my son he must go, Then we’ll all go together for good companie.’