5

10.

15

14. FROM THE 'VIRGINIAN VOYAGE.'

(1607.)

AN expression of the poetical enthusiasm that inspired the
Elizabethan voyagers.

E.P. II.

You brave heroique minds,

Worthy your countries' name,
That honour still pursue,

Go, and subdue,

Whilst loyt'ring hinds

Lurke here at home with shame.

Britons, you stay too long,
Quickly aboord bestow you,

And with a merry gale

Swell your stretch'd sail,
With vowes as strong
As the winds that blow you.

Your course securely steere,
West and by south forth keepe,
Rocks, lee-shores, nor sholes,
When Eolus scowles.

You need not feare,
So absolute the deepe.

And cheerfully at sea,
Success you still intice,

To get the pearle and gold,
And ours to hold,

Virginia,

Earth's only paradise.

When as the luscious smell
Of that delicious land,

с

RALEIGH was celebrated as a scholar, statesman, and warrior. He wrote his 'History of the World' whilst in confinement in the Tower of London; born 1552, beheaded 1618.

BUT who can speak

The numerous worthies of the maiden-reign ?
In Raleigh mark their every glory mixed;

Raleigh, the scourge of Spain! whose breast with all
The sage, the patriot, and the hero burned.
Nor sunk his vigour when a coward-reign
The warrior fettered, and at last resigned,
To glut the vengeance of a vanquished foe.

35

309

Then, active still and unrestrained, his mind
Explored the vast extent of ages past,

10

And with his prison-hours enriched the world;
Yet found no times, in all the long research,
So glorious, or so base, as those he proved;
In which he conquered, and in which he bled.
JAMES THOMSON (1700-1748).

16. THE HONOUR OF BRISTOL.

(1626.)

Showing how the Angel Gabriel of Bristol fought with three ships, who boarded as many times, wherein we cleared our decks and killed five hundred of their men and wounded many more, and made them fly into Cales (Cadiz), when we lost but three men, to the Honour of the Angel Gabriel of Bristol. To the tune, Our Noble King in his Progress.

ATTEND you and give ear awhile, and you shall understand Of a battle fought upon the seas by a ship of brave command.

The fight it was so famous that all men's hearts did fill And make them cry, 'To sea, with the Angel Gabriel!'

5

The lusty ship of Bristol sailed out adventurously
Against the foes of England, her strength with them to

try:

Well victualled, rigged, and manned, and good provision still,

Which made men cry, 'To sea, with the Angel Gabriel!'

The Captain, famous Netherway (so was he called by name):

The Master's name John Mines-a man of noted fame: 10 The Gunner, Thomas Watson, a man of perfect skill: With other valiant hearts in the Angel Gabriel.

They waving up and down the seas upon the ocean main, 'It is not long ago,' quoth they, 'since England fought with Spain:

Would we with them might meet, our minds for to fulfil !

We would play a noble bout with our Angel Gabriel!'

15

They had no sooner spoken, but straight appeared in sight

20

Three lusty Spanish vessels, of warlike force and might;
With bloody resolution they sought our men to spill,
And vowed to make a prize of our Angel Gabriel.
Our gallant ship had in her full forty fighting men :
With twenty pieces of ordnance we played about them

then ;

With powder, shot, and bullets, we did employ them still,

And thus began our fight with the Angel Gabriel.

Our Captain to our Master said, 'Take courage, Master bold!'

25

Our Master to the seamen said, 'Stand fast, my hearts of gold!'

The Gunner unto all the rest, 'Brave hearts, be valiant

still!

Let us fight in the defence of our Angel Gabriel !'

Then we gave them a broadside, which shot their mast

asunder,

And tore the bowsprit off their ship, which made the Spaniards wonder,

And caused them to cry, with voices loud and shrill, 'Help, help, or else we sink, by the Angel Gabriel!'

30

Yet desperately they boarded us, for all our valiant shot, Threescore of their best fighting men upon our decks were got;

And then at their first entrance full thirty did we kill, 35 And thus we cleared the decks of the Angel Gabriel.

With that their three ships boarded us again with might and main,

But still our noble Englishmen cried out, 'A fig for Spain !'

Though seven times they boarded us, at last we showed our skill,

And made them feel the force of our Angel Gabriel. 40

Seven hours this fight continued, and many brave men lay dead;

With purple gore and Spanish blood the sea was coloured red.

Five hundred of their men we there outright did kill,
And many more were maimed by the Angel Gabriel.

Then, seeing of these bloody spoils, the rest made haste away:

45

For why, they saw it was no boot any longer for to stay.

Then they fled into Calès, and there they must lie still, For they never more will dare to meet our Angel

Gabriel.

We had within our English ship but only three men slain,

And five men hurt, the which I hope will soon be well

again.

At Bristol we were landed, and let us praise God still, That thus hath blest our men and our Angel Gabriel.

CONTEMPORARY BALLAD.

(Probably by Lawrence Price.)

50