Besides good mariners, and shipp-boyes,
To guide the great shipp on the sea."
The first man, that Lord Howard chose,
Was the ablest gunner in all the realm,
Thoughe he was threescore yeeres and ten;
Good Peter Simon was his name.
"Peter," sais hee, "I must to the sea,
To bring home a traytor live or dead:
Before all others I have chosen thee;
Of a hundred gunners to be the head."
"If you, my lord, have chosen mee
Of a hundred gunners to be the head,
Then hang me up on your maine-mast tree,
If I misse my marke one shilling bread."[3]
My lord then chose a boweman rare,
Whose active hands had gained fame.
In Yorkshire was this gentleman borne,
And William Horseley was his name.[4]
"Horseley," said he, "I must with speede
Go seeke a traytor on the sea,
And now of a hundred bowemen brave
To be the head I have chosen thee."
"If you," quoth hee, "have chosen mee
Of a hundred bowemen to be the head;
On your main-mast Ile hanged bee,
If I miss twelvescore one penny bread."
With pikes and gunnes, and bowemen bold,
This noble Howard is gone to the sea;
With a valyant heart and a pleasant cheare,
Out at Thames mouth sayled he.
And days he scant had sayled three,
Upon the voyage, he tooke in hand,
But there he mett with a noble shipp,
And stoutely made itt stay and stand.
"Thou must tell me," Lord Howard said,
"Now who thou art, and what's thy name;
And shewe me where thy dwelling is:
And whither bound, and whence thou came."
"My name is Henry Hunt," quoth hee
With a heavye heart, and a carefull mind;
"I and my shipp doe both belong
To the Newcastle, that stands upon Tyne."
"Hast thou not heard, nowe, Henrye Hunt,
As thou hast sayled by daye and by night,
Of a Scottish rover on the seas;
Men call him Sir Andrew Barton, knight!"
Then ever he sighed, and said "Alas!"