SIR ANDREW BARTON

1.

As it befell in midsummer-time, When birds sing sweetly on every tree, Our n.o.ble king, King Henry the Eighth, Over the river of Thames pa.s.sed he.

2.

He was no sooner over the river, Down in a forest to take the air, But eighty merchants of London city Came kneeling before King Henry there.

3.

'O ye are welcome, rich merchants, Good sailors, welcome unto me!'

They swore by the rood they were sailors good, But rich merchants they could not be.

4.

'To France nor Flanders dare we not pa.s.s, Nor Bordeaux voyage we dare not fare, And all for a false robber that lies on the seas, And robs us of our merchant's-ware.'

5.

King Henry was stout, and he turned him about, And swore by the Lord that was mickle of might; 'I thought he had not been in the world throughout That durst have wrought England such unright.'

6.

But ever they sighed, and said, alas!

Unto King Henry this answer again; 'He is a proud Scot that will rob us all If we were twenty ships and he but one.'

7.

The king looked over his left shoulder, Amongst his lords and barons so free; 'Have I never a lord in all my realm Will fetch yond traitor unto me?'

8.

'Yes, that dare I!' says my lord Charles Howard, Near to the king whereas he did stand; 'If that your Grace will give me leave, Myself will be the only man.'

9.

'Thou shalt have six hundred men,' saith our king, 'And choose them out of my realm so free, Besides mariners and boys, To guide the great ship on the sea.'

10.

'I'll go speak with Sir Andrew,' says Charles, my lord Howard, 'Upon the sea, if he be there; I will bring him and his ship to sh.o.r.e, Or before my prince I will never come near.'

11.

The first of all my lord did call, A n.o.ble gunner he was one; This man was three score years and ten, And Peter Simon was his name.

12.

'Peter,' says he, 'I must sail to the sea, To seek out an enemy; G.o.d be my speed!

Before all others I have chosen thee; Of a hundred gunners thou'st be my head.'

13.

'My lord,' says he, 'if you have chosen me Of a hundred gunners to be the head, Hang me at your main-mast tree If I miss my mark past three pence bread.'

14.

The next of all my lord he did call, A n.o.ble bowman he was one; In Yorkshire was this gentleman born, And William Horsley was his name.

15.

'Horsley,' says he, 'I must sail to the sea, To seek out an enemy; G.o.d be my speed!

Before all others I have chosen thee; Of a hundred bowmen thou'st be my head.'

16.

'My lord,' says he, 'if you have chosen me Of a hundred bowmen to be the head, Hang me at your main-mast tree If I miss my mark past twelve pence bread.'

17.

With pikes, and guns, and bowmen bold, This n.o.ble Howard is gone to the sea On the day before mid-summer even, And out at Thames' mouth sailed they.

18.

They had not sailed days three Upon their journey they took in hand, But there they met with a n.o.ble ship, And stoutly made it both stay and stand.

19.

'Thou must tell me thy name,' says Charles, my lord Howard, 'Or who thou art, or from whence thou came, Yea, and where thy dwelling is, To whom and where thy ship does belong.'

20.

'My name,' says he, 'is Harry Hunt, With a pure heart and a penitent mind; I and my ship they do belong Unto the New-castle that stands upon Tyne.'

21.

'Now thou must tell me, Harry Hunt, As thou hast sailed by day and by night, Hast thou not heard of a stout robber?

Men call him Sir Andrew Barton, knight.'

22.

But ever he sighed and said, 'Alas!

Full well, my lord, I know that wight; He robbed me of my merchant's-ware, And I was his prisoner but yesternight.

23.

'As I was sailing upon the sea, And Bordeaux voyage as I did fare, He clasped me to his arch-board, And robbed me of all my merchant's-ware.

24.

'And I am a man both poor and bare, And every man will have his own of me, And I am bound towards London to fare, To complain to my prince Henry.'

25.

'That shall not need,' says my lord Howard; 'If thou canst let me this robber see, For every penny he hath taken thee fro, Thou shalt be rewarded a shilling,' quoth he.

26.

'Now G.o.d forfend,' says Henry Hunt, 'My lord, you should work so far amiss: G.o.d keep you out of that traitor's hands!

For you wot full little what a man he is.

27.

'He is bra.s.s within, and steel without, And beams he bears in his top-castle strong; His ship hath ordnance clean round about; Besides, my lord, he is very well manned.

28.

'He hath a pinnace is dearly dight, Saint Andrew's cross, that is his guide; His pinnace bears nine score men and more, Besides fifteen cannons on every side.

29.

'If you were twenty ships, and he but one, Either in arch-board or in hall, He would overcome you every one, And if his beams they do down fall.'

30.

'This is cold comfort,' says my lord Howard, 'To welcome a stranger thus to the sea; I'll bring him and his ship to sh.o.r.e, Or else into Scotland he shall carry me.'

31.