SELECT POETRY.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 128, 11 August 1871, Page 2

SELECT POETRY.

BRAVE LOED WILLOUGHBY.

Lord "Willoughby was the son of the D;..chess of Suffolk whose extraordinary adventures while in exile, during Ihe rc ii-n of Queen Mary, form the subject of a ballad, entitle! "The Duchess of Suffolk's Calamity." "With reference to the following ballad Percy pays: —'"Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby of Eresby, had, ill the year 1580, distinguished himself at the siege of Zutphen, in the Low Countries. He was the year after made General of the English Forres in the United Provinces, in room cf the Karl of Leicester, whiS was recalled. Tiiis gave him an opportunity of signalising his courage and his military skill 111 several actions against the -{Spaniards. One of these, greatly exaggerated by popular report, is probably the subject of this old ballad, which, on account of its flattering 4 enconiums on English valour, hath always been a favorite with the people. Lord Wil lough by did in 1601. Both Korris and 'Jurner were famous among the military men of that age.*' The fifteenth day of July, With glistering spear and shield, A famous tight in i< landers Was foughttn in the field : The most courageous officers Were English captains three ; But the bravest man in battle Was brave Lord Willoughbey The next was Captain Norris, A valiant man was 1 e ; The other Captain Turner, From held would never flee. With fifteen hundred fighting men, Alas ! there were no more, They fought with fourteen thousand then, Upon the bloody shore. " Stand to it, noble pikemen, And look you round about: And shoot you right, you bowmen, And we will keep them out. You musket and caliver* men, Do you prove true to me: I'll be the foremost man in fight," Says brave Lord Willoughbey. And then the bloody enemy They fiercely did assail, And fought it out most furiously, Not doubting to prevail. The wounded men on both sides fell, Most piteous for to see, Ypt nothing could the courage quell ' Of brave Lord Willoughbey. For seven hours, to all men's view, This light endured sore, Until our men so feeble grew That they could light no more; And then upon dead horses, Full savoux'ly they eat, And drank the puddle water, They could no better get. When they, had fed so freely, They kneeled on the ground, And praised Cod devoutly i or the favor they had found ; And beating up their colors, The tight they tlid renew, And turning tow'rds the Spaniard, A thousand more they slew. The sharp steel-pointed arrows, And builets thick did fly ; Then did our valiant soldiers Charge on most furiously ; "Which made the Span:arus waver ; They, thought ij, best to flee ; They feared the stot.t behaviour Of brave Lord WLloughbey. Then quoth the Spanish General, "Come, let us march away ; I fear we shall be spoiled ail If here we longer stay ; For yonder comes Lord Willoughbey, With courage tierce 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 fight, Our men pursued' courageously And caught their forces quite ; But at the last they gave a shout, Which echoed through the air ; "Col and St. George for England !" The conquerors did cry. This news was brought to England With ail the speed might le, And eoon our gracious Queen was told Of this same victory. "0 this is brave Lord Wiroughbey, My love that ever w on ; Of all tlie lords of honor, 'Tis he great deeds hath donp." To the soldiers that were maimed And \\ ouiided in the fray, The Queen allowed a pension Of lifteen pence a uay ; And from all costs and charges Slie quit and set them free : And this she did a.l for the sake Of brave Lord "Willoughbey, Then courage, noble Englishmen, And never be dismas ed : If that we be but one to to ten, We will not be afraid To iight with foreign enemies, And set our nation free ; And thus I en l the b'oody bout Of brave Lord Wiliougnbey. * Pistol or blunderbuss.