Doth companye displease? "Yes, surelye, many one." Where doth Desire delighte to live? Doth either tyme or age Bringe him unto decaye? "No, no, Desire both lives and dyes Ten thousand times a daye.” Then, fond Desire, farewelle, I cannot give a better relation of the fact, which is the subject of the following ballad, than in an extract from the late Mr. Guthrie's Peerage; which was begun upon a very elegant plan, but never finished. Vol. i. 4to. p. 22. "The transactions which did the greatest honour to the earl of Surrey* and his family at this time, [a.d. 1511,] was their behaviour in the case of Barton, a Scotch seaofficer. This gentleman's father having suffered by sea from the Portuguese, he had obtained letters of marque for his two sons to make reprisals upon the subjects of * Thomas Howard, afterwards created Duke of Norfolk. Portugal. It is extremely probable, that the court of Scotland granted these letters with no very honest intention. The council-board of England, at which the earl of Surrey held the chief place, was daily pestered with complaints from the sailors and merchants, that Barton, who was called Sir Andrew Barton, under pretence of searching for Portuguese goods, interrupted the English navigation. Henry's situation at that time rendered him backward from breaking with Scotland, so that their complaints were but coldly received. The earl of Surrey, however, could not smother his indignation, but gallantly declared at the council-board, that while he had an estate that could furnish out a ship, or a son that was capable of commanding one, the narrow seas should not be infested. "Sir Andrew Barton, who commanded the two Scotch ships, had the reputation of being one of the ablest seaofficers of his time. By his depredations, he had amassed great wealth, and his ships were very richly laden. Henry, notwithstanding his situation, could not refuse the generous offer made by the earl of Surrey. Two ships were immediately fitted out, and put to sea with letters of marque, under his two sons, Sir Thomas* and Sir Edward Howard. After encountering a great deal of foul weather, Sir Thomas came up with the Lion, which was commanded by Sir Andrew Barton in person; and Sir Edward came up with the Union, Barton's other ship, [called by Hall, the Bark of Scotland]. The engagement which ensued was extremely obstinate on both sides; but at last the fortune of the Howards prevailed. Sir Andrew was killed fighting bravely, and encouraging his men with his whistle, to hold out to the last; and the two Scotch ships with their crews, were carried into the river Thames. [Aug. 2, 1511.] * Called by old historians Lord Howard, afterwards created Earl of Surrey in his father's life-time. He was father of the poetical Earl of Surrey. "This exploit had the more merit, as the two English commanders were in a manner volunteers in the service, by their father's order. But it seems to have laid the foundation of Sir Edward's fortune; for, on the 7th of April, 1512, the king constituted him (according to Dugdale) admiral of England, Wales, &c. King James 'insisted' upon satisfaction for the death of Barton, and capture of his ship: though' Henry had generously dismissed the crews, and even agreed that the parties accused might appear in his courts of admiralty by their attornies, to vindicate themselves." This affair was in a great measure the cause of the battle of Flodden, in which James IV. lost his life. In the following ballad will be found perhaps some few deviations from the truth of history: to atone for which it has probably recorded many lesser facts, which history hath not condescended to relate. I take many of the little circumstances of the story to be real, because I find one of the most unlikely to be not very remote from the truth. In part ii. v. 156, it is said, that England had before "but two ships of war." Now the Great Harry had been built only seven years before, viz. in 1504: which " was properly speaking the first ship in the English navy. Before this period, when the prince wanted a fleet, he had no other expedient but hiring ships from the merchants."-Hume. This ballad, which appears to have been written in the reign of Elizabeth, has received great improvements from the Editor's folio MS. wherein was an ancient copy, which though very incorrect, seemed in many respects superior to the common ballad; the latter being evidently modernised and abridged from it. The following text is however in some places amended and improved by the latter, (chiefly from a black-letter copy in the Pepys collection,) as also by conjecture. THE FIRST PART. 'WHEN Flora with her fragrant flowers Over the river of Thames past hee When eighty merchants of London came, And downe they knelt upon their knee. 5 10 "O yee are welcome, rich merchants ; 15 King Henrye frownd, and turned him rounde, And swore by the Lord, that was mickle of might, "I thought he had not beene in the world, Durst have wrought England such unright." 20 The merchants sighed, and said, alas! And thus they did their answer frame, Ver. 15, 83, robber. MS. 3 From the pr. copy. VOL. II. He is a proud Scott, that robbs on the seas, The king lookt over his left shoulder, And an angrye look then looked hee : "Have I never a lorde in all my realme, Will feitch yond traytor unto mee?" Yea, that dare I; lord Howard sayes; Yea, that dare I with heart and hand; If it please your grace to give me leave, Myselfe wil be the only man. Thou art but yong; the kyng replyed: Yond Scott hath numbred manye a yeare. "Trust me, my liege, Ile make him quail, 25 30 35 Or before my prince I will never appeare.” Then bowemen and gunners thou shalt have, To guide the great shipp on the sea. The first man, that lord Howard chose, V. 29, lord Charles Howard. MS. 40 45 |