{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch288.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch288.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch288.htm","text":"288A: The Young Earl of Essex\u2019s Victory Over the Emperor of Germany\n288A.1 COME, sound up your trumpets and beat up your drums,\nAnd let\u2019s go to sea with a valiant good cheer,\nIn search of a mighty vast navy of ships,\nThe like has not been for these fifty long year.\nRaderer two, tandaro te,\nRaderer, tandorer, tan do re.\n288A.2 queen she provided a navy of ships,\nWith sweet flying streamers, so glorious to see,\nRich top and top-gallants, captains and lieutenants,\nSome forty, some fifty, brass-pieces and three.\n288A.3 They had not saild past a week on the seas,\nNot passing a week and days two or three,\nBut they were aware of the proud emperor,\nBoth him and all his proud company.\n288A.4 When he beheld our powerful fleet,\nSailing along in their glory and pride,\nHe was amazed at their valour and fame,\nThen to his warlike command[er]s he cry\u2019d.\n288A.5 These were the words of the old emperor:\nPray who is this that is sailing to me?\nIf he be king that weareth a crown,\nYet I am a better man than he.\n288A.6 \u2018It is not a king, nor lord of a crown,\nWhich now to the seas with his navy is come,\nBut the young Earl of Essex, the Queen\u2019s lieutenant,\nWho fears no foes in Christendom.\u2019\n288A.7 \u2018Oh! is that lord then come to the seas?\nLet us tack about and be steering away;\nI have heard so much of his father before\nThat I will not fight with young Essex today.\u2019\n288A.8 O then bespoke the emperor\u2019s son,\nAs they were tacking and steering away,\n\u2018Give me, royal father, this navy of s[h]ips,\nAnd I will go fight with Essex today.\u2019\n288A.9 \u2018Take them with all my heart, loving son,\nMost of them are of a capital size;\nBut should he do as his father has done,\nFarewel thine honour and mine likewise.\u2019\n288A.10 With cannons hot and thundering shot,\nThese two gallants fought on the main,\nAnd as it was young Essex\u2019s lot,\nThe emperor\u2019s son by him was taen.\n288A.11 \u2018Give me my son,\u2019 the emperor cry\u2019d,\n\u2018Who you this day have taken from me,\nAnd I\u2019ll give to the[e] three keys of gold,\nThe one shall be of High Germany.\u2019\n288A.12 \u2018I care not for thy three keys of gold,\nWhich thou hast profferd to set him free,\nBut thy son he shall to England sail,\nAnd go before the queen with me.\u2019\n288A.13 \u2018Then have I fifty good ships of the best,\nAs good as ever were sent to the sea,\nAnd eer my son into England sail,\nThey shall go all for good company.\u2019\n288A.14 They had not fought this famous battle,\nThey had not fought it hours three,\nBut some lost legs, and some lost arms,\nAnd some lay tumbling in the sea.\n288A.15 Essex he got this battle likewise,\nTho \u2019twas the hotest that ever was seen;\nHome he returnd with a wonderful prize,\nAnd brought the emperor\u2019s son to the queen.\n288A.16 O then bespoke the prentices all,\nLiving in London, both proper and tall,\nIn a kind letter, sent straight to the queen,\nFor Essex\u2019s sake they would fight all.\n288B: The Young Earl of Essex\u2019s Victory Over the Emperor of Germany\n288B.1 \u2018\u2019TRR-+-rrS, old England, old England, I bid thee adieu,\nThe drums and the trumpets command me frae shore;\nAnd you lusty fellows, both valiant and true,\nWill you venture with me where loud cannons roar?\u2019\n288B.2 \u2018O Billy, O Billy, talk not of the seas,\nBut stay at home with me on the shore;\nI\u2019ll do my endeavour thy fancy to please,\nAnd there\u2019s others to go where loud cannons roar.\u2019\n288B.3 \u2018O Nelly, O Nelly, I must to the seas,\nFor there is no gold to be had upon shore;\nThere\u2019s honour, and gold, and riches likewise,\nTo the man that doth die where loud cannons roar.\u2019\n288B.4 \u2018Remember the winds, love, remember the waves,\nRemember the dangers that are upon seas;\nRemember there is neither coffin nor grave\nTo the man that doth die where loud cannons roar.\u2019\n288B.5 \u2018Remember old Benbow, and think on his blows;\nRemember the dangers he felt upon seas;\nHe lost both his legs by one shot of his foes;\nHe lost his sweet life, yet his honour\u2019s the more.\u2019\n288B.6 \u2018Remember proud Shawfield, that honoured knight,\nWho came with his navy to the Spanish shore;\nAt the rock of Salem his life took a flight,\nAnd with him there died some hundreds more.\u2019\n288B.7 \u2018Our queen she has builded a navy of ships,\nAnd they are arrayed all right gloriously;\nWith top and top-gallant, with captain, lieutenant,\nSome fifty, some sixty, brass pieces and three.\u2019\n288B.8 \u2018Well, since you\u2019ll go, may my blessing advance,\nAnd carry you safely from Flanders to Spain,\nAnd when you\u2019ve conquered that tyrant in France,\nThen my blessing return you to old England again.\u2019\n288B.9 They had not sailed one hour upon sea,\nNot one hour passing days two or three,\nTill up came the bold emperour,\nThe bold emperour of High Germanie.\n288B.10 \u2018O who is this?\u2019 the bold emperour cries,\n\u2018Who is this that comes sailing to me?\nI\u2019m sure he\u2019s knight, or a king of crown,\nO I\u2019m sure I am a far better fellow than he.\u2019\n288B.11 \u2018I am neither a knight, nor a king of a crown,\nBut here, with my navy, on board I am come;\nFor I am Lord Essex, the Queen\u2019s lieutenant,\nWho never feard foe in all Christendom.\u2019\n288B.12 Out and spoke the bold emperour\u2019s son,\nAll as they were mounting and hyeing away;\n\u2018O father, lend me your navy of ships,\nAnd I\u2019ll go fight with Lord Essex today.\u2019\n288B.13 \u2018O son, I\u2019ll lend thee my navy of ships,\nAnd they are all of a capable size;\nBut if he be as good as his old father was,\nAdieu to your honour, and mine likewise.\u2019\n288B.14 O they have fought on at a terrible rate,\nUntil it drew nigh to the cool of the day,\nAnd as it fell in young Essex\u2019s lot,\nThe bold emperour\u2019s son he\u2019s taen prisoner away.\n288B.15 \u2018O give me my son,\u2019 the bold emperour cried,\n\u2018O give me my son thou hast taken from me,\nAnd you shall have three keys of gold,\nAnd one of them opens High Germanie.\u2019\n288B.16 \u2018What value I thy three keys of gold,\nOr any proud offer thou canst give to me?\nFor up to old England thy son he must go,\nAnd stand before our queen\u2019s high majesty.\u2019\n288B.17 \u2018\u2019Tis I have fifteen ships of the best,\nAnd other fifteen distant on sea;\nSince up to old England my son he must go,\nThen we\u2019ll all go together for good companie.\u2019","title":"The Child Ballads: 288. The Young Earl of Essex's Victory...","type":"page"}