A true Relation of the Life and Death of Sir Andrew Barton, a Pyrate
and Rover on the Seas. Tune of, Come follow my Love,
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WHen Floria with her fragrant flowers,
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bedeckt 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 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 espy'd,
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with fifty sail come towards him,
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Who then no sooner were arriv'd,
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but on their knees did thus complain:
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An't 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 merchant-ware.
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Vext was the King, and turning him,
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said to the Lords of high degree,
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Have I ne'r a Lord within my realm,
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dare fetch that traytor unto me?
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To him reply'd 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 spoke King Henry,
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I fear, my Lord, you are too young,
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No whit at all, my liege, 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 so ever 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 sailors 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 call'd 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 call'd 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 i'll hanged be,
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if twelve score I miss one shilling's 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 curb'd with winter's piercing cold,
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tho' it was the stormy time of year;
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Not long he had been on sea,
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more in days than number three,
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But one Harry Hunt there he espy'd,
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a merchant of New-castle was he;
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To him Lord Howard call'd out a main,
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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 land:
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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 scottish rover on the sea,
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his name is Andrew Barton, Knight?
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Then the merchant sigh'd 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 Burdeax voyage to take so far,
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I met with Sir Andrew Barten thence,
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who robb'd 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 e'ry penny he hath from thee ta'en,
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i'll 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 steal without,
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his ship most huge and mighty strong,
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With eighteen pieces of ordinance
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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 show'st, then said the Lord,
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to welcome strangers to the sea:
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But as I said, i'll bring him aboard,
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or into Scotland he shall carry me.
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The merchant said, if you will do so,
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take council 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 ordinance 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 I set as may be seen,
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whether you sail by day or night:
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And tomorrow 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 tho' he cared not a pin
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for him and his company;
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Then called he his men amain,
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Fetch back yon pedlar now, quoth he,
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And e're this way he comes again,
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i'll 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 and 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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Thus 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 ordinance 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 kill'd 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 shalt be hanged on main-mast,
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if thou miss twelvescore one penny breadth,
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Then Peter Simon gave a shot,
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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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kill'd fifteen of his men of war:
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Alas, 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 other 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 cry'd,
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What may a man now think or say?
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You merchant-thief that pierceth me,
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he was my prisoner yesterday.
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Then did he on Gordion call,
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unto the top-castle for to go,
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And bid his beams he should let fall,
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for he greatly fear'd an overthrow.
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The lord call'd Horsely now in haste,
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Look that thy word stand instead,
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For thou shalt be hanged on main-mast,
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if thou miss twelve score a shilling's breadth,
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Then up mast-tree swerved he,
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this stout and mighty Gordion;
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But Horsely he most happily
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shot him under his collar-bone:
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Then call'd he on his nephew then,
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Said, Sister's sons I have no mo,
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Three hundred pound I 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 scorn'd to depart:
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But Horsely soon prevented him,
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and deadly pierc'd 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 armor 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 still afford,
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and if thou speedst, i'll make thee 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 spy'd a private place,
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with a perfect eye in a secret part,
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His arrow swiftly 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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I'll but lie 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. Andrew's 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 sore afraid,
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Then Horsely said, My Lord aboard,
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for now Sir Andrew Barton's 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 wert 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 pirate's head he brought along
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for to present unto our king:
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Who briefly unto 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 Peter's 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 therefore the king he said,
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in lieu of what he hath from thee tane,
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I'll give to thee a noble a day;
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Sir Andrew's 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 Peter's 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 thee 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 act he deserveth well:
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Ninety pounds 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 King's high land.
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