A True Relation of the Life and Death of Sir Andrew Barton
a Pyrate and Rover on the Seas. Tune, Come follow my Love, etc.
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WHen Flora with her fragrant flowers
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bedect the earth so trim and gay,
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And Neptune with his dainty showers
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came to present the month of May;
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King Henry would a-hunting ride,
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over the river of Thames past he,
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Unto a mountain top also
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did walk some pleasure for to see:
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Where forty Merchants he espyed,
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with fifty sail come towards him,
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Who then no sooner were arrivd,
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but on their knees did thus complain:
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Ant please your Grace, we cannot sail
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to France no voyage to be sure,
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But Sir Andrew Barton makes us quail,
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and robs us of our marchant-ware.
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Vext was the King, and turning him
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said to his Lords of high degree,
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Have I ner a Lord within my Realm
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dare fetch that Traytor unto me.
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To him replyd Charles Lord Howard,
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I will my Liege with heart and hand,
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If it please you grant me leave, he said,
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I will perform what you command.
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To him then speak King Henry,
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I fear, my Lord, you are too young.
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No whit at all, my Leige, quoth he;
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I hope to prove in valour strong:
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The Scotch Knight I vow to seek,
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in what place soever he be,
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And bring ashore with all his might,
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or into Scotland he shall carry me.
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A hundred Men, the King then said,
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out of my Realm shall chosen be,
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Besides Saylers and Ship-boys,
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to guide a great ship on the Sea;
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Bow-men and Gunners of good skill
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shall for this service chosen be,
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And they at thy command and will
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in all affairs shall wait on thee.
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Lord Howard calld a Gunner then,
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who was the best in all the Realm,
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His age was threescore years and ten,
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and Peter Simon was his name:
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My Lord calld then a Bow-man rare,
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whose active hands had gained fame,
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A Gentleman born in Yorkshire,
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and William Horsely was his name:
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Horsely, quoth he, I must to Sea
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to seek a Traytor with good speed;
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Of a hundred Bow-men brave, quoth he,
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I have chosen thee to be the Head.
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If you, my Lord, have chosen me
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of a hundred Men to be the Head,
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Upon the main-mast ill hanged be,
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if twelvescore I miss one shillings breadth.
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Lord Howard then of courage bold,
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went to the Sea with pleasant chear,
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Not curbd with winters piercing cold,
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though it was the stormy time of year,
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Not long he had been on the Sea,
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on more in days than number three,
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But [o]ne Henry Hunt there he espyd,
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a Merchant of New-castle was he,
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To him Lord Howard calld out amain,
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and strictly charged him to stand;
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Demanding then from whence he came,
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or where he did intend to[l]and:
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The Merchant then made answer soon,
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with heavy heart and careful mind,
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My Lord, my ship it doth belong
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unto New-castle upon Tine.
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Canst thou shew me, the Lord did say,
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as thou didst sail by day and night,
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A Scotish Rover on the Sea,
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his name is Andrew Barton, Knight?
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Then the Merchant sighd and said,
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with grieved mind and well-away,
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But over-well I know that Wight,
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I was his Prisoner yesterday;
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As I, my Lord, did sail from France,
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a Burdeaux-voyage to take so far.
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I met with Sir Andrew Barton thence,
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who robd me of my merchant-ware:
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And mickle debts God knows I owe,
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and every Man doth crave his own;
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And I am bound to London now,
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of our gracious King to beg a boon.
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Shew me him, said Lord Howard then,
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let me once the Villain see,
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And ery penny he hath from thee tane,
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ill double the same with shillings three.
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Now God forbid, the Merchant said,
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I fear your aim that you will miss:
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God bless you from his tyranny,
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for little you think what Man he is,
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He is brass within and steel without,
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his ship most huge and mighty strong,
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With eighteen pieces of ordnance
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he carrieth on each side along:
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With beams for his top-castle,
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as also being huge and high,
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That neither English nor Portugal
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can Sir Andrew Barton pass by.
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Hard news thou shewst, then said the Lord,
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to welcome Stranger to the Sea:
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But as I said ill bring him aboard,
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or into Scotland he shall carry me.
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The Merchant said, If you will d[o] so,
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take counsel then I pray withal,
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Let no Man to his top-castle go,
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nor strive to let his beams down fall:
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Lend me seven pieces of ordnance then
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of each side of my ship, said he,
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And tomorrow, my Lord,
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again I will your honour see:
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A glass ill set as may be seen,
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whether you sail by day or night;
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And to morrow be sure before seven
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you shall see Sir Andrew Barton, Knight.
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The Merchant set my Lord a glass
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so well apparent in his sight,
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That on the morrow, as his promise was,
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he saw Sir Andrew Barton, Knight.
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The Lord then swore a mighty oath,
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Now by the Heavens that be of might,
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By faith believe me, and by troth,
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I think he is a worthy Knight.
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Sir Andrew Barton seeing him
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thus scornfully to pass by,
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As though he cared not a pin
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for him and all his Company;
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Then called he his Men amain,
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Fetch back yon Pedler now, quoth he,
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[A]nd ere this way he comes again,
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ill teach him well his courtesie.
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Fetch me my lyon out of hand,
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saith the Lord, with rose & streamer high;
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Set up withal a willow-wand,
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that Merchant like I may pass by.
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[T]hus bravely did Lord Howard pass,
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and on anchor rise so high;
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No top-sail at last he cast,
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but as a Foe did him defie.
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A piece of ordnance soon was shot,
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by this proud Pirate fiercely then,
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Into Lord Howards middle deck,
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which cruel shot killed fourteen Men.
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He called then Peter Simon, he,
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Look how thy word do stand instead,
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For thou shall be hanged on main-mast,
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if thou miss twelvescore one peny breadth.
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Then Peter Simon gave a shou[t]
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which did Sir Andrew mickle scare,
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In at his deck it came so hot
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killd fifteen of his Men of war:
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Al[a]s, then said the Pirate stout,
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I am in danger now I see;
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This is some Lord, I greatly fear
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that is set on to conquer me[.]
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Then Henry Hunt, with rigour hot
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came bravely on the oth[e]r side,
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Who likewise shot in at his deck,
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and killed fifty of his Men beside:
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Then out, alas, Sir Andrew cryd,
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What may a Man now think or say,
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Yon Merchant-thief that pierceth me,
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he was my Prisoner yesterday.
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[W]hen did he on Gordian sail,
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into the top-castle for to go,
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[He] bid his beams he should set sail,
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[f]or he greatly feard an overthrow.
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[T]he Lord calld Horsel[y] now in haste,
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Look that thy word now stand instead,
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For thou shalt be hanged on main-mast,
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if thou miss twelvescore a shilling breadth.
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Then up mast-tree swerved he,
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this stout and mighty Gordian,
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But Horsely he most happily
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shot him under the collar-bone:
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Then calld he on his Nephew then,
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said, Sisters Sons I have no mo,
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Three hundred pound I will give thee,
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if thou wilt to top-castle go.
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Then stoutly he began to climb,
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from off the mast scornd to depart.
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But Horsely soon prevented him,
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and deadly piercd him to the heart.
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His Men being slain, then up amain
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did this proud Pirate climb with speed;
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For armour of proof he had put on,
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and did not dint of arrows dread:
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Come hither Horsely, said the Lord,
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see thou thy arrows aim aright,
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Great means to thee I will afford,
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and if thou speedst ill make the Knight:
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Sir Andrew did climb up the tree,
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with right good will and all his main;
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Then upon the breast hit Horsely he,
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till the arrow did return again:
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Then Horsely spied a private place,
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with a perfect eye in a secret part,
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His arrow swifly flew apace,
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and smote Sir Andrew to the heart:
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Fight on, fight on, my merry Men all,
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a little I am hurt, yet not slain,
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Ill but lye down and bleed a while,
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and come and fight with you again:
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And do not, said he, fear English Rogues,
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and of your Foes stand not in awe,
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But stand fast by St. Andrews cross,
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until you hear my whistle blow.
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They never heard his whistle blow,
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which made them all full sore afraid.
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Then Horsely said, My Lord aboard,
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for now Sir Andrew Bartons dead;
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Thus boarded they this gallant ship,
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with right good will and all their main,
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Eighteen score Scots alive in it,
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besides as many more was slain.
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The Lord went where Sir Andrew lay,
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and quickly thence cut off his head;
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I should forsake England many a day,
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if thou were alive as thou art dead.
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Thus from the wars Lord Howard came,
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with mickle joy and triumphing;
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The Pirates head he brought along
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for to present unto our King:
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Who briefly then to him did say,
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before he knew well what was done,
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Where is the Knight and Pirate gay,
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that I myself may give the doom.
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You may thank God, then said the Lord,
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and four Men in the ship, quoth he,
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That we are safely come ashore,
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sith you never had such an Enemy:
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That is Henry Hunt and Peter Simon,
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William Horsely and Peters Son;
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Therefore reward them for their pains,
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for they did service at their turn.
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To the Merchant then the King did say,
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In lieu of what he hath from the tune,
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I give to thee a noble a day,
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Sir Andrews whistle and his chain:
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To Peter Simon a crown a day;
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and half a crown a day to Peters Son;
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And that was for a shot so gay
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which bravely brought Sir Andrew down:
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Horsely I will make the a Knight,
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and in Yorkshire thou shalt dwell:
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Lord Howard shall Earl Bury hight,
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for this title he deserveth well:
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Seven shillings to our English Men,
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who in this fight did stoutly stand;
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And twelve-pence a day to the Scots, till they
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come to my Brother Kings high Land.
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