ページの画像
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors][merged small]

And mickle debts, God knows, I owe,

' And every man doth crave his own,

And I am bound to London now;

Of our gracious king to beg a boon.'

Show me him, (said Lord Howard then,) 'Let me but once the villain see,

'And e'ery penny he hath from thee ta'en,

'I'll double the same with shillings three.' 'Now God forbid, (the merchant said,) '1 fear your aim that you will miss ; 'God bless you from his tyranny,

'For little you think what man he is.

'He is brass within, and steel without,

His ship most huge, and mighty strong, 'With eighteen pieces of ordnance, 'He carrieth on each side along : 'With beams for his top-castle, As being also huge and high, That neither English nor Portugal Can Sir Andrew Barton pass by.'

'Hard news thou show'st, (then said the lord,) 'To welcome strangers to the sea;

'But, as I said, I'll bring him aboard,
'Or into Scotland he shall carry me.'
The merchant said, 'If you will do so,
'Take counsel then I pray withall,
'Let no man to his top-castle go,

'Nor strive to let his beams down fall.

'Lend me seven pieces of ordnance then,

'On each side of my ship, (quoth he;)

' And to-morrow, my lord, 'twixt six and seven

Again I will your honour see:

'A glass I'll set, that may be seen,

6 Whether you sail by day or night; And to-morrow, be sure, before seven, 'You shall see Sir Andrew Barton, knight.

The merchant set my lord a glass,

So well apparent in his sight,
That on the morrow, as his promise was,
He saw Sir Andrew Barton, knight.
The lord then swore a mighty oath,

Now by the heavens that be of might,

"By faith, believe me, and by troth, I think he is a worthy knight.

Fetch me my lion out of hand,

(Saith the lord,) with rose and streamer high, 'Set up withall a willow wand,

• That merchant-like I may pass by.' Thus bravely did Lord Howard pass, And did on anchor rise so high;

No top-sail at all he cast,

But as a foe he did him defy.

Sir Andrew Barton seeing him
Thus scornfully to pass by,
As though he cared not a pin

For him and all his company;
Then call'd he for his men amain,

Fetch back yon pedlar now; (quoth he).

'And, ere this way he come again,
'I'll teach him well his courtesy.'

A piece of ordnance soon was shot,
By this proud pirate fiercely then,
Into Lord Howard's middle deck,

Which cruel shot kill'd fourteen men;
He call'd then Peter Simon, he,

'Look 'now' thy word do stand in stead, 'For thou shalt be hanged on main-màst, 'If thou miss twelve score one penny breadth.'

Then Peter Simon gave a shot,

Which did Sir Andrew mickle scare;

In at his deck it came so hot,

Kill'd fifteen of his men of war: Alas! (then said the pirate stout,) 'I am in danger now see; This is some lord, I greatly doubt, 'That is set on to conquer me.'

Then Henry Hunt, with rigour hot,
Came bravely on the other side,
Who likewise shot in at his deck,

And kill'd fifty of his men beside :
Then,' Out alas! (Sir Andrew cried,)
'What may a man now think or say?
"Yon merchant-thief that pierceth me,
'He was my prisoner yesterday.'

Then did he on Gordion call,

Unto the top-castle for to go,

And bid his beams he should let fall,
For he greatly fear'd an overthrow.

The lord call'd Horsely then in haste;

'Look that thy word now stand in stead,

For thou shall be hanged on main-màst,

'If thou miss twelve score a shilling breadth.*

Then up the mast-tree swerved he,

This stout and mighty Gordion;

But Horsely he, most happily,

Shot him undèr his collar-bone. Then call'd he on his nephew then, Said, Sister's sons I have no mo; 'Three hundred pound I will give to thee, 'If thou wilt to the top-castle go.'

Then stoutly he began to climb,

From off the mast scorn'd to depart;
But Horsely soon prevented him,

And deadly pierc'd him to the heart.
His men being slain, then up amain
Did this proud pirate climb with speed;
For armour of proof he had put on,
And did not dint of arrows dread.

'Come hither Horsely, (said the lord,)
'See thou thine arrows aim aright :
"Great means to thee I will afford,

"And if thou speed, I'll make thee knight'

Sir Andrew did climb up the tree,

With right good-will, and all his main;
Then upon the breast hit Horsely he,
Till the arrow did return again.

Then Horsely 'spied a private place,
With a perfect eye in a secret part;
His arrow swiftly flew apace,

And smote Sir Andrew to the heart.

Fight on, fight on, my merry men all, 'A little I am hurt, yet not slain; 'I'll but lie down and bleed a while, And come and fight with you again.

And do not, (said he,) fear English rogues, And of our foes stand not in awe; * But stand fast by St. Andrew's cross, ' Until you hear my whistle blow.— They never heard his whistle blow,

Which made them all full sore afraid, Then Horsely said, 'My lord, aboard; 'For now Sir Andrew Barton's dead.'

. Thus boarded they this gallant ship, With right good will, and all their main; Eighteen score Scots alive in it,

Besides as many more were slain. The lord went where Sir Andrew lay, And quickly then cut off his head: ' I should forsake England many a day, 'If thou wert alive as thou art dead.'

Thus from the wars Lord Howard came,
With mickle joy and triumphing;

The pirate's head he brought along,
For to present unto the king:

Who briefly then to him did say,

Before he knew well what was done,

'Where is the knight and pirate gay?

'That I myself may give the doom.'

[blocks in formation]
« 前へ次へ »