My Lord Willoughbies Welcome Home
An Elizabethan ballad concerning a battle in the
Low Countries in the 1590's. The tune was quite popular at the time
and Dowland even wrote a lute piece based upon it. This text is drawn
from Percy's, Reliquairies of English Poetry.
My Lord Willoughbies Welcome Home
To the tune of Lord Willoughby
The fifteenth day of July, with glist'ning
speare & shield,
A famous fight in Flanders was foughten in
the field:
The most couragious officers were the English
captains three,
But the bravest in the Battel was brave Lord
Willoughby.
The next was Captain Norris a valiant man
was he;
The other Captain Turner, that from field
would never flee;
With fifteen hundred fighting men, alas,
there was no more,
They fought with forty thousand then, upon
that bloody shore.
"Stand to it, noble Pike-men, and look you
round about;
And shoot you right, you Bow-men, and we
will keep them out;
You Musquet and Calliver men, do you prove
ture to me,
I'le be the foremost man in fight," says
brave Lord Willoughby.
And then the bloody enemy they fiercely did
assail,
They fought it out most furiously not doubting
to prevail,
The wounded men on both sides fell most piteous
for to see,
Yet nothing could the courage quell of brave
Lord Willoughby.
For seven hours in all mens view the fight
endured sore,
Until our men so feeeble grew that they could
fingt no more,
And them upon dead horses full savourly they
eat
And drank the puddle water, they could no
better get.
And when they fed so freely, they kneeled
on the ground,
And praised God devoutely for the courage
they had found,
And beating up their colours the fight they
did renew,
And turning toward the Spanyards, a thousand
more they slew.
The sharp steel-pointed Arrows and
Bullets thick did flye;
Then did our valiant Souldiers charge on
most furiously,
Which made the Spaniards waver, they thought
it best to flee,
They fear'd the stout behaviour of brave
Lord Willoughby.
Then quoth the Spanish general, "Come let
us march away,
I fear we shall be spoiled all, if that we
longer stay,
for yonder comes Lord Willoughby, with courage
fierce and fell:
He will not give one inch of way for all
the Devils in Hell."
And then the fearful enemy was quickly put
to flight,
Our men pursued courageously and rout their
forces quite,
And at last they gave a shout, which echoed
through the sky,
"God and St. George for England!" the conquerors
did cry.
This news was brought to England will all
the speed might be,
And then our gracious Queen was told of this
same victory,
Oh, this is brave Lord Willoughby my love
that ever won,
Of all the Lord of honour, tis he great deed
hath done.
For souldiers that were maimed and wounded
in the fray,
Our Queen allowed a pension of fifteen pence
a day,
Besides all costs and charges she quit and
set them free,
And this she did all for the sake of brave
Lord Willoughby.
Then courage, noble English men, and never
be dismaid,
If that we be but one to ten we will not
be afraid
To fight with forraign Enemies, and set our
Country free,
And thus I end the bloody bout of brave Lord
Willoughby.
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