130

THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT.

They now to fight are gone,
Armour on armour shone,
Drum now to drum did groan,
To hear, was wonder;
That with cries they make,
The very earth did shake,
Trumpet to trumpet spake,
Thunder to thunder.

Well it thine age became,
O noble Erpingham,
Which did the signal aim
To our hid forces;
When from a meadow by,
Like a storm suddenly,

The English archery

Stuck the French horses.

With Spanish yew so strong,
Arrows a cloth-yard long,
That like to serpents stung
Piercing the weather;
None from his fellow starts,
But playing manly parts,
And like true English hearts,
Stuck close together.

When down their bows they threw

And forth their bilbows drew,

And on the French they flew,

Not one was tardy;

Arms were from shoulders setn,
Scalps to the teeth were rent,
Down the French peasants went,-

Our men were hardy!

132

SIR PATRICK SPENCE.

SIR PATRICK SPENCE.

(SCOTTISH BALLAD).

THE king sits in Dunfermline town,
Drinking the blude-red wine:
"O where will I get a skeely skipper
To sail this ship o' mine?"

Then up and spake an eldern knight
Sat at the king's right knee:
"Sir Patrick Spence is the best sailor
That sails upon the sea."

Our king has written a braid letter
And sealed it with his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence
Was walking on the sand.

"To Noroway, to Noroway,

To Noroway o'er the foam,
The king's daughter to Noroway,
'Tis thou must take her home."

"Be it wind or wet, be it hail or sleet,
Our ship must sail the foam;
The king's daughter to Noroway,
'Tis we must bring her home."

They hoisted sail on Monday morn
With all the speed they may;
They have landed safe in Noroway
Upon the Wednesday.

SIR PATRICK SPENCE.

They hadna been a week, a week
In Noroway but twae,

When that the lords of Noroway
Began aloud to say:

"Ye Scotsmen spend all our king's goud

And all of our queen's fee."

"Ye lie, ye lie, ye liars loud,

Full loud I hear ye lie!"

"Make ready, make ready, my merry men all,
Our good ship sails the morn!"
"Now ever alack! my master dear,
I fear a deadly storm.

I saw the new moon late yestreen,
With the old moon in her arm;
And if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we come to harm."

They hadna sailed upon the sea

A day but barely three,

When loud and boist'rous blew the wind,
And gurly grew the sea.

"O where will I get a gude sailor

To take my helm in hand, While I go up the tall topmast To see if I spy land?"

"O here am I, a sailor gude,
To take the helm in hand,
While you go up the tall topmast;
But I fear you'll né'er spy land.

133

134

SIR PATRICK SPENCE.

He hadna gane a step, a step,

A step but barely ane,

When a bolt flew out from our goodly ship
And the salt sea in it came.

"Go fetch a web o' the silken cloth,
And another o' the twine,

And wap them into our ship's side,
And letna the sea come in!"

They fetched a web o' the silken cloth,
And another o' the twine,

And they wapped them into that gude ship's side,
But still the sea came in.

O loath, loath were our gude Scots lords
To wet their cork-heel'd shoon;
But long ere all the play was played
They wet their hats aboon.

O long, long may their ladies sit
Wi' their fans into their hand,
Or ere they see Sir Patrick Spence
Come sailing to the land!

And long, long may their maidens stand
Wi' their gold combs in their hair,
Awaiting for their ain dear loves,
For them they'll see nae mair.

Have o'er, have o'er to Aberdour!

'Tis fifty fathoms deep;

And there lies gude Sir Patrick Spence

Wi' the Scots lords at his feet.

Anonymous.