Or, A true relation of a Famous and Bloody Battel fought in
Flanders, by the noble and valiant Lord Willoughby, with 1,500
English against 40,000 Spaniards, where the English obtained a
notable victory, for the glory and renown of our Nation
The fifteenth day of July
with glistering speare and shield,
A famous fight in Flanders
was foughten in the field:
The most couragious officers
was English Captains three
But the bravest man in Battel
was brave Lord Willoughby .
The next was Captain Norris ,
a valiant man was he;
The other Captain Turner
that from field would never flee:
With fifteen hundred fighting men,
alas! there was no more,
They fought with forty thousand then
upon the bloody shore.
" Stand to it, noble Pike-men,
and look you round about;
And shoot you right, you Bow-men,
and we will keep them out:
You Musquet and Calliver men,
do you prove true to me,
I'le be the foremost man in fight,
says brave Lord Willoughby .
And then the bloody enemy
they fiercely did assail:
And fought it out most valiantly,
not doubting to prevail:
The wounded men on both sides fell,
most piteous for to see,
Yet nothing could the courage quell
of brave Lord Willoughby .
For seven hours to all men's view
this fight endured sore,
Until our men so feeble grew,
that they could fight no more:
And then upon dead Horses
full savourly they eat,
And drank the puddle water,
for no better they could get.
When they had fed so freely,
they kneeled on the ground,
And praised God devoutly,
for the favour they had found:
And bearing up their Colours,
the fight they did renew,
And turning toward the Spaniard ,
five thousand more they slew.
The sharp steel-pointed Arrows,
and Bullets thick did flye,
Then did our valiant Souldiers
charge on most furiously:
Which made the Spaniards waver,
they thought it best to flee,
They fear'd the stout behaviour
of brave Lord Willoughby .
Then quoth the Spanish General,
" Come, let us march away,
I fear we shall be spoiled all,
if that we longer stay:
For yonder comes Lord Willoughby ,
with courage fierce and fell,
He will not give one inch of ground,
for all the Devils in Hell."
And then the fearful enemy
was quickly put to flight,
Our men pursued courageously,
and rout their forces quite:
And at last they gave a shout,
which ecchoed through the sky,
" God and St. George for England! "
the conquerors did cry.
This news was brought to England ,
with all the speed might be,
And told unto our gracious Queen,
of this same Victory:
" O this is brave Lord Willoughby ,
my love hath ever won,
Of all the Lords of honour,
'tis he great deeds hath done."
For Souldiers that were maimed,
and wounded in the fray,
The Queen allowed a Pension
of eighteen pence a day:
Beside, all costs and charges
she quit and set them free,
And this she did all for the sake
of brave Lord Willoughby .
Then courage, noble English men,
and never be dismaid,
If that we be but one to ten,
we will not be afraid
To fight the forraign Enemies,
and set our Country free,
And thus I end this bloody bout
of brave Lord Willoughby .
Flanders, by the noble and valiant Lord Willoughby, with 1,500
English against 40,000 Spaniards, where the English obtained a
notable victory, for the glory and renown of our Nation
The fifteenth day of July
with glistering speare and shield,
A famous fight in Flanders
was foughten in the field:
The most couragious officers
was English Captains three
But the bravest man in Battel
was brave Lord Willoughby .
The next was Captain Norris ,
a valiant man was he;
The other Captain Turner
that from field would never flee:
With fifteen hundred fighting men,
alas! there was no more,
They fought with forty thousand then
upon the bloody shore.
" Stand to it, noble Pike-men,
and look you round about;
And shoot you right, you Bow-men,
and we will keep them out:
You Musquet and Calliver men,
do you prove true to me,
I'le be the foremost man in fight,
says brave Lord Willoughby .
And then the bloody enemy
they fiercely did assail:
And fought it out most valiantly,
not doubting to prevail:
The wounded men on both sides fell,
most piteous for to see,
Yet nothing could the courage quell
of brave Lord Willoughby .
For seven hours to all men's view
this fight endured sore,
Until our men so feeble grew,
that they could fight no more:
And then upon dead Horses
full savourly they eat,
And drank the puddle water,
for no better they could get.
When they had fed so freely,
they kneeled on the ground,
And praised God devoutly,
for the favour they had found:
And bearing up their Colours,
the fight they did renew,
And turning toward the Spaniard ,
five thousand more they slew.
The sharp steel-pointed Arrows,
and Bullets thick did flye,
Then did our valiant Souldiers
charge on most furiously:
Which made the Spaniards waver,
they thought it best to flee,
They fear'd the stout behaviour
of brave Lord Willoughby .
Then quoth the Spanish General,
" Come, let us march away,
I fear we shall be spoiled all,
if that we longer stay:
For yonder comes Lord Willoughby ,
with courage fierce and fell,
He will not give one inch of ground,
for all the Devils in Hell."
And then the fearful enemy
was quickly put to flight,
Our men pursued courageously,
and rout their forces quite:
And at last they gave a shout,
which ecchoed through the sky,
" God and St. George for England! "
the conquerors did cry.
This news was brought to England ,
with all the speed might be,
And told unto our gracious Queen,
of this same Victory:
" O this is brave Lord Willoughby ,
my love hath ever won,
Of all the Lords of honour,
'tis he great deeds hath done."
For Souldiers that were maimed,
and wounded in the fray,
The Queen allowed a Pension
of eighteen pence a day:
Beside, all costs and charges
she quit and set them free,
And this she did all for the sake
of brave Lord Willoughby .
Then courage, noble English men,
and never be dismaid,
If that we be but one to ten,
we will not be afraid
To fight the forraign Enemies,
and set our Country free,
And thus I end this bloody bout
of brave Lord Willoughby .