XIX. BRAVE LORD WILLOUGHBY. Peregrine Bertie lord Willoughby of Erefby had, in the year 1586, diftinguished himself at the fiege 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 Leiceper, who was recalled. This gave him an opportunity of fignalizing his courage and military ill in feveral actions against the Spaniards. One of thefe, greatly exaggerated by popular report, is probably the fubject of this old ballad, which on account of its flattering encomiums on Englih valour, hath always been a favourite with the common people. 66 My lord Willoughbie (fays a contemporary writer) was one of the queenes beft fwordsmen: .... he was a great mafter of the art military..... I have heard it spoken, "that had he not flighted the court, but applied himself to "the queene, be might have enjoyed a plentifull portion of "ber grace; and it was his faying, 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 fou!"dier, fo he was of juitable magnanimitie, and could net "brooke the obfequioufneffe and affiduitie of the court." See Naunton's fragm. Regal. Lord Willoughbie died in 1601. See his character in Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia.- Both the names of Norris and Turner are famous among thofe of the military men of that age. Printed from an ancient black-letter copv, THE 5 10 HE fifteenth day of July, With glistering fpear and fhield, A famous fight in Flanders Was foughten in the field: The moft 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 Stand to it noble pikemen, And look you round about: Says brave lord Willoughbèy, |