English and Scottish Ballads Volume VII Part 16

The great Saint Philip, The pride of the Spaniards, 60 Was burnt to the bottom, And sunk in the sea; But the Saint Andrew, And eke the Saint Matthew, We took in fight manfully, 65 And brought them away.

Dub a-dub, &c.

The earl of Ess.e.x, Most valiant and hardy, With hors.e.m.e.n and footmen March'd towards the town; 70 The enemies which saw them, Full greatly affrighted, Did fly for their safeguard, And durst not come down.

Dub a-dub, &c.

"Now," quoth the n.o.ble earl, 75 "Courage, my soldiers all!

Fight, and be valiant, And spoil you shall have; And well rewarded all, From the great to the small; 80 But look that the women And children you save."

Dub a-dub, &c.

The Spaniards at that sight, Saw 'twas in vain to fight, Hung up their flags of truce, 85 Yielding the town; We march'd in presently, Decking the walls on high With our English colours, Which purchas'd renown. 90 Dub a-dub, &c.

Ent'ring the houses then, And of the richest men, For gold and treasure We searched each day; In some places we did find 95 Pye baking in the oven, Meat at the fire roasting, And men run away.

Dub a-dub, &c.

Full of rich merchandise, Every shop we did see, 100 Damask and sattins And velvet full fair; Which soldiers measure out By the length of their swords; Of all commodities, 105 Each one hath share.

Dub a-dub, &c.

Thus Cales was taken, And our brave general March'd to the market-place, There he did stand; 110 There many prisoners Of good account were took; Many crav'd mercy, And mercy they found.

Dub a-dub, &c.

When as our general 115 Saw they delayed time, And would not ransom The town as they said, With their fair wainscots, Their presses and bedsteads, 120 Their joint-stools and tables, A fire we made: And when the town burnt in a flame, With tan-ta-ra, tan-ta-ra-ra, From thence we came. 125

SIR JOHN SUCKLING'S CAMPAIGN.

"When the Scottish Covenanters rose up in arms, and advanced to the English borders in 1639, many of the courtiers complimented the king by raising forces at their own expense. Among these none were more distinguished than the gallant Sir John Suckling, who raised a troop of horse, so richly accoutred, that it cost him 12,000_l._ The like expensive equipment of other parts of the army made the king remark, that "the Scots would fight stoutly, if it were but for the Englishmen's fine cloaths." When they came to action, the rugged Scots proved more than a match for the fine showy English: many of whom behaved remarkably ill, and among the rest this splendid troop of Sir John Suckling's." PERCY.

This scoffing ballad, sometimes attributed to Suckling himself, is taken from the _Musarum Deliciae_ of Sir John Mennis and Dr. James Smith (p. 81 of the reprint, _Upon Sir John Sucklings most warlike preparations for the Scotish warre_). The former is said by Wood to have been the author. Percy's copy (_Reliques_, ii. 341) has one or two different readings.--The first stanza is a parody on _John Dory_.

Sir John got him an ambling nag, To Scotland for to ride-a, With a hundred horse more, all his own he swore, To guard him on every side-a.

No errant-knight ever went to fight 5 With halfe so gay a bravado, Had you seen but his look, you'ld have sworn on a book, Hee'ld have conquer'd a whole armado.

The ladies ran all to the windowes to see So gallant and warlike a sight-a, 10 And as he pa.s.s'd by, they began to cry, "Sir John, why will you go fight-a?"

But he, like a cruel knight, spurr'd on, His heart did not relent-a; For, till he came there, he shew'd no fear;[L15] 15 Till then why should he repent-a?

The king (G.o.d bless him!) had singular hopes Of him and all his troop-a: The borderers they, as they met him on the way, For joy did hollow and whoop-a. 20

None lik'd him so well as his own colonel, Who took him for John de Weart-a;[L22]

But when there were shows of gunning and blows, My gallant was nothing so peart-a.

For when the Scots army came within sight, 25 And all men prepared to fight-a, He ran to his tent; they ask'd what he meant; He swore he must needs goe s----- a.

The colonel sent for him back agen, To quarter him in the van-a, 30 But Sir John did swear, he came not there To be kill'd the very first man-a.

To cure his fear, he was sent to the rere, Some ten miles back, and more-a; Where he did play at tre trip for hay, 35 And ne'er saw the enemy more-a.

But now there is peace, he's returned to increase His money, which lately he spent-a; But his lost honor must still lye in the dust; At Barwick away it went-a. 40

15.

For till he came there, what had he to fear; Or why should he repent-a?

PERCY.

22. John de Wert was a German general of reputation, and the terror of the French in the reign of Louis XIII. Hence his name became proverbial in France, where he was called De Vert. PERCY.

THE BATTLE OF PHILIPHAUGH.

From _Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border_, ii. 177.

By a rapid series of extraordinary victories, (see _The Haws of Cromdale_, and _The Battle of Alford_ in the Appendix,) Montrose had subdued Scotland to the royal arms, from the Grampians to Edinburgh.

After taking possession of the capital, he marched forward to the frontiers, with the intention of completing the subjugation of the southern provinces, and even of leading his wild array into England to the support of King Charles. Having traversed the Border, and strengthened his army (greatly diminished by the departure of the Irish and many of the Highlanders) with some small reinforcements, Montrose encamped on the 12th of September, 1645, at Philiphaugh, a large plain, separated by the river Ettrick from the town of Selkirk, and extending in an easterly direction from a wooded hill, called the Harehead-wood, to a high ground which forms the banks of the river Tweed. Here the infantry were very conveniently disposed, while the general took up his quarters with all his cavalry at Selkirk, thus interposing a river between his horse and foot. This extraordinary error, whether rashness or oversight, was destined to be severely expiated. The very next morning, the Covenanters, under General David Lesly, recalled from England by the danger threatened their cause by the victories of Montrose, crossed the Ettrick and fell on the encampment of the infantry, unperceived by a single scout. A hopeless discomfiture was the natural consequence. Montrose, roused by the firing, arrived with a few of his cavalry too late to redeem the day, and beheld his army slaughtered, or scattered in a retreat in which he was himself fain to join. The fruit of all his victories was lost in this defeat, and he was never again able to make head in Scotland against the Covenanters.

The following ballad was first printed by Sir Walter Scott, with prefatory remarks which we have here abridged. It is preserved by tradition in Selkirks.h.i.+re, and coincides closely with historical fact.

On Philiphaugh a fray began, At Hairhead-wood it ended; The Scots out o'er the Graemes they ran, Sae merrily they bended.

Sir David frae the Border came, 5 Wi' heart an' hand came he; Wi' him three thousand bonny Scots, To bear him company.

Wi' him three thousand valiant men, A n.o.ble sight to see! 10 A cloud o' mist them weel conceal'd, As close as e'er might be.

When they came to the Shaw burn,[L13]

Said he, "Sae weel we frame, I think it is convenient 15 That we should sing a psalm."[L16]

When they came to the Lingly burn,[L17]

As daylight did appear, They spy'd an aged father, And he did draw them near. 20

"Come hither, aged father!"

Sir David he did cry, "And tell me where Montrose lies, With all his great army."

"But first you must come tell to me, 25 If friends or foes you be; I fear you are Montrose's men, Come frae the north country."

"No, we are nane o' Montrose's men, Nor e'er intend to be; 30 I am Sir David Lesly, That's speaking unto thee."

"If you're Sir David Lesly, As I think weel ye be, I am sorry ye hae brought so few 35 Into your company.

"There's fifteen thousand armed men[L37]