XVIII.

MARY AMBRE E.

In the year 1584, the Spaniards, under the commend of Alexander Farnese prince of Parma, began to gain great advantages in Flanders and Brabant, by recovering many frong-holds and cities from the Hollanders, as Ghent, (called then by the English GAUNT,) Antwerp, Mechlin, &c. See Stow's Annals, p. 711. Some attempt made with the affiftance of English volunteers to retrieve the former of thoje places probably gave occafion to this ballad. I can find no mention of our heroine in hiftory, but the following rhymes rendered her famous among our poets. Ben Jonson often mentions her, and calls any remarkable virago by her name. See his Epicene, firft acted in 1609. Act 4. fc. 2. His Tale of a Tub, Act 1. fc. 4. And his mafque intitled The Fortunate Ifies, 1626, where he quotes the very words of the ballad,

MARY AMBREE,
(Who marched fo free
To the fiege of Gaunt,
And death could not daunt,
As the ballad deth vaunt)
Were a braver tight, &c.

She is also mentioned in Fletcher's Scornful Lady, Aa 5. fub finem.

My large gentlewoman, my MARY AMBREE, "had I but feen into you, you should have had another bedfellow."

Printed

Printed from an ancient black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection, compared with another in the Editor's folio MS. The full title is, "The valorous acts performed at Gaunt by "the brave bonnie lafs Mary Ambree, who in revenge of her lovers death did play her part moft gallantly. The "tune is, The blind beggar, &c."

HEN captaines couragious, whom death colde not daunte,

WHE

Did march to the fiege of the cittye of Gaunte,

They muftred their fouldiers by two and by three,
And formoft in battele was Mary Ambree.

When brave Sir John Major * was flaine in her fight, 5
Who was her true lover, her joy, and delight,
Because he was flaine most treacherouslìe,.
Then vowd to revenge him Mary Ambree,

She clothed herfelfe from the top to the toe
In buffe of the braveft, moft feemelye to howe;
A faire shirt of male then flipped on shee;
Was not this a brave bonny lafs, Mary Ambree?

A helmett of proofe shee ftrait did provide,
A ftrong arminge fword fhee girt by her fide,
On her hand a goodly faire gauntlett had thee;
Was not this a brave bonny lafs, Mary Ambree.

O 3

* So MS. Serjeant Major in PC,

ΤΟ

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Then

Then tooke fhee her sworde and her targett in hand,
Bidding all fuch as wolde, bee of her band

To wayt on her perfon came thousand and three :
Was not this a brave bonny lafs, Mary Ambree ? 20

My fouldiers fo valiant and faithfull, fhee fayd,
Nowe followe your captaine, no longer a mayd;
Still formoft in battel myselfe will I bee:

Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

Then cryed out her fouldiers, and thus they did fay, 25
Soe well thou becomeft this gallant array,

Thy harte and thy weapons foe well doe agree,
Noe mayden was ever like Mary Ambree,

Shee cheared her fouldiers, that foughten for life,
With ancyent and ftandard, with drum and with fife, 30
With brave clanging trumpetts, that founded so free;
Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

Before I will fee the worft of you all

To come into danger of death, or of thrall,

This hand and this life I will venture fo free ;

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Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

Shee led upp her fouldiers in battel arraye,

Gainft three times theyr number by breake of the daye ; Seven howers in fkirmish continued fhee:

Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

40

She

She filled the skyes with the fmoke of her shott,
And her enemyes bodyes with bulletts foe hott;
For one of her owne men a fcore killed fhee:
Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

And when her falfe gunner, to spoyle her intent,
Away all her pelletts and powder had spent,
Straight with her keen weapon fhee flafht him in three:
Was not this & brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree ?

Being falfelye betrayed for lucre of hyre,

At length fhe was forced to make a retyre;
Then her foldiers into a strong caftle drew fhee:
Was not this a brave bonny laffe, Mary Ambree?

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50

Her foes they besett her on every fide,
As thinking close fiege shee cold never abide;

To beate down her walles they all did decree;

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But ftoutlye deffyd them brave Mary Ambree.

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

Now faye, English captaine, what woldest thou give
To ransome thy felfe, which else must not live?
Come yield thyfelfe quicklye, or flaine thou must bee.
Then fmiled fweetlye, faire Mary Ambree.

04

60

Now

Now captaines couragious, of valour foe bold,
Whom thinke you before you that you doe behold?
A knight, fir, of England, and captaine foe free,
Who fhortelye with us a prisoner must bee.

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No captaine of England; behold in your fight
Two brefts in my bofome, and therfore noe knight: 70

Noe knight, firs, of England, nor captaine you fee,

But a poor fimple mayden, calld Mary Ambree.

But art thou a woman, as thou doft declare,
Whofe valour hath provd foe undaunted in warre?
If England doth yield such brave maydens as thee,
Full well may they conquer, faire Mary Ambree ?

The prince of Great Parma heard of her renowne,
Who long had advanced for Englands faire crowne ;
Hee wooed her and fued her his mistress to bee,
And offerd rich prefents to Mary Ambree.

But this virtuous mayden despised them all,
Ile nere fell my honour for purple nor pall:
A mayden of Englande, fir, never will bee
The whore of a monarcke, quoth Mary Ambree.

Then to her owne country fhee backe did returne,
Still holding the foes of faire England in fcorne:
Therfòre English captaines of every degree
Sing forth the brave valours of Mary Ambree.

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XIX, BRAVE