She clothed herselfe from the top to the toe,
In buffe of the bravest, most seemelye to showe;
A faire shirt of male2 then slipped on shee:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?
A helmett of proofe shee strait did provide,
A strong arminge-sword shee girt by her side,
On her hand a goodly faire gauntlett put shee:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree ?
Then tooke shee her sworde and her targett in hand,
Bidding all such, as wold, bee of her band;
To wayte on her person came thousand and three:
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?

"My soldiers," she saith, "soe valiant and bold,
Nowe followe your captaine, whom you doe beholde;
Still formost in battel myselfe will I bee:"
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?

10

15

20

Then cryed out her souldiers, and loude they did say,
"Soe well thou becomest this gallant array,
Thy harte and thy weapons soe well do agree,
Noe mayden was ever like Mary Ambree."

26

Shee cheared her souldiers, that foughten for life,
With ancyent and standard, with drum and with fife,
With brave clanging trumpetts, that sounded so free;
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?

30

"Before I will see the worst of you all

To come into danger of death or of thrall,

This hand and this life I will venture so free:"

35

Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree ?

Shee led upp her souldiers in battaile array,

Gainst three times theyr number by. breake of the daye;
Seven howers in skirmish continued shee:
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?

40

2 A peculiar kind of armour, composed of small rings of iron, and worn under the clothes. It is mentioned by Spenser, who speaks of the Irish gallowglass, or foot-soldier, as "armed in a long shirt of mayl." (View of the State of Ireland.)

She filled the skyes with the smoke of her shott,
And her enemyes bodyes with bullets soe hott;
For one of her owne men a score killed shee:
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?

And when her false gunner, to spoyle her intent,
Away all her pellets and powder had sent,

45

Straight with her keen weapon shee slasht him in three:

Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree ?

Being falselye betrayed for lucre of hyre,
At length she was forced to make a retyre;
Then her souldiers into a strong castle drew shee:
Was not this a brave bonny lasse, Mary Ambree?
Her foes they besett her on everye side,
As thinking close siege shee cold never abide;
To beate down the walles they all did decree:
But stoutlye deffyd them brave Mary Ambree.

50

55

Then tooke shee her sword and her targett in hand,
And mounting the walls all undaunted did stand,
There daring their captaines to match any three :
O what a brave captaine was Mary Ambree!

60

"Now saye, English Captaine, what woldest thou give To ransome thy selfe, which else must not live?

Come yield thy selfe quicklye, or slaine thou must bee:" Then smiled sweetlye brave Mary Ambree.

"Ye captaines couragious, of valour so bold,

65

Whom thinke you before you now you doe behold ?" "A knight, sir, of England, and captaine soe free, Who shortelye with us a prisoner must bee."

"No captaine of England; behold in your sight
Two brests in my bosome, and therfore no knight:
Noe knight, sirs, of England, nor captaine you see,
But a poor simple mayden called Mary Ambree."
“But art thou a woman, as thou dost declare,
Whose valor hath proved so undaunted in warre?
If England doth yield such brave maydens as thee,
Full well may they conquer, faire Mary Ambree."

VOL. I.

2 D

70

75

The prince of Great Parma heard of her renowne
Who long had advanced for Englands faire crowne;
Hee wooed her and sued her his mistress to bee,
And offerd rich presents to Mary Ambree.
But this virtuous mayden despised them all :
"Ile nere sell my honour for purple nor pall;
A mayden of England, sir, never will bee
The whore of a monarcke," quoth Mary Ambree.
Then to her owne country shee backe did returne,
Still holding the foes of faire England in scorne;
Therfore English captaines of every degree
Sing forth the brave valours of Mary Ambree.

80

85

XX.

Brave Lord Willoughbey.1

Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby of Eresby, had, in the year 1586, distinguished himself at the siege of Zutphen, in the Low Countries. He was, the year after, made general of the English forces in the United Provinces, in room of the Earl of Leicester, who was recalled. This gave him an opportunity of signalizing his courage and military skill in 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 encomiums on English valour, hath always been a favourite with the people.

"My lord Willoughbie (says a contemporary writer) was one of the queenes best swordsmen: he was a great master of the art military. I have heard it spoken, that had he not slighted the court, but applied himself to the queene, he might have enjoyed a plentifull portion of her grace and it was his saying, and it did him no good, that he was none of the Reptilia; intimating, that he could not creepe on the ground, and that the court was not his element; for, indeed, as he was a great souldier, so he was of suitable magnanimitie, and could not brooke the obsequiousnesse and assiduitie of the court.”(Naunton.)

Lord Willoughbie died in 1601. Both Norris and Turner were famous among the military men of that age.

The subject of this ballad (which is printed from an old black-letter copy, with some conjectural emendations), may possibly receive illustration from what Chapman says, in the dedication to his version of

1 Lord Willoughby was the son of the noble lady who figures as the heroine of the well-known ballad, The Duchess of Suffolk's Calamity.Editor.

Homer's Frogs and Mice, concerning the brave and memorable retreat of Sir John Norris, with only 1000 men, through the whole Spanish army under the Duke of Parma, for three miles together.

Of brave Lord Willoughboy.

For seven hours, to all mens view,
This fight endured sore,

Until our men so feeble grew

That they could fight no more;