XX. Brave Lord Willoughbey....................................................................................
Peregrine Bertie, Lord Willoughby of Eresby[1] 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 Homer'sFrogs 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.
THE fifteenth day of July,
With glistering spear and shield,
A famous fight in Flanders
Was foughten in the field:
The most couragious officers
Were English captains three;
But the bravest man in battel
Was brave Lord Willoughbèy.
The next was Captain Norris,
A valiant man was hee:
The other Captain Turner,
From field 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 bow-men,
And we will keep them out:
You musquet and calliver men,
Do you prove true to me,