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 frangant 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 ahunting ride,
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over the river of Thames past he,
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Unto a mountaintop 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 fifthy 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 marchant-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 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 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 twelvescore 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 a 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 Henry 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 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 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 is 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 rob'd we 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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Show me him, said Lord Howard then,
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let me once the Villian 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 li[t]tle 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 hugh 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 shew'st, then said the Lord,
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to welcome Stranger 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 councel 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 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 Merchantlike 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 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 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 th[o]u miss twelvescore one penny breath.
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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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Yon 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 twelvescore a shilling's breath.
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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 his collar-bone:
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Then call'd he on his Nephew then,
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sad, Sister's 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 scorn'd to depart:
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But Horsely soon prevented him,
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and deadly pierc'd 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, I'll make thee Knight.
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Sir Andrew did climb up the tree,
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with right goodwill 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 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 awhile,
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and come and fight you again:
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And do not, said he, fear English Rogues,
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and of y[o]ur 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 goodwill and all their main,
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Eighteenscore 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 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 therefore the King he said,
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In lieu of what he hath from thee tane,
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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 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 pound 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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