Edward, who was the XVIIth earl of Oxford of the family of Vere, fucceeded his father in his title and honours in 1562, and died an aged man in 1604. See Mr. Walpole's Noble Authors. Ath. Ox.

When wert thou borne, Defire ?

"In pompe and pryme of may."

By whom, fweet boy, wert thou begot?

Tell me, who was thy nurse?

"Fresh Youth in fugred joy." What was thy meate and dayly foode? "Sad fighes with great annoy."

What hadft thou then to drinke?

"Unfavoury lovers teares."

What cradle wert thou rocked in?

"In hope devoyde of feares."

What lulld thee then asleepe?

"Sweete speech, which likes me best.” Tell me, where is thy dwelling place?

"In gentle hartes I reft.”

20

What

What thing doth please thee moft?

"To gaze on beautye ftille." Whom dost thou thinke to be thy foe? "Difdayn of my good wille."

Doth companye displease?

"Yea, furelye, many one." Where doth Defire delighte to live? "He loves to live alone."

Doth either tyme or age

Bringe him unto decaye?

"No, no, Defire both lives and dyes "Ten thoufand times a daye."

Then, fond Defire, farewelle,

Thou art no mate for mee;

I fholde be lothe, methinkes, to dwelle

With fuch a one as thee.

35

XII.

SIR ANDREW BARTON.

I cannot give a better relction of the fa&t, which is the Subject of the following ballad, than in an extract from a very elegant work lately offered to the public. See Mr. Guthrie's New Peerage, 4to. Vol. 1. p. 22.

VOL. II.

N

" The

"The tranfaction which did the greatest honour to the earl of Surrey and his family at this time [A. D. 1511.] was their behaviour in the cafe of Barton, a Scotch fear. officer. This gentleman's father having fuffered by fea from The Portuguese, he had obtained letters of marque for his two fons to make reprisals upon the subjects of Portugal. It is extremely probable, that the court of Scotland granted the letters with no very honeft intention. The council board of England, at which the earl of Surrey held the chief place, was daily peftered with complaints from the failors and merchants, that Barton, who was called Sir. Andrew Barton, under pretence of fearching for Portuguese goods, interrupted the English navigation. Henry's fituation at that time rendered him backward from breaking with Scond, so that their complaints were but coldly received. The earl of Surrey, however, could not fmother his indignation, but gallantly declared at the council board, that while he had an eftate that could furnish out a ship, or a Jon that was capable of commanding one, the narrow feas fhould not be infested.

"Sir Andrew Barton, who commanded the two Scotch fhips, had the reputation of being one of the ableft fea-officers of his time. By his depredations, he had amaffed great wealth, and his ships were very richly laden. Henry, notwithstanding his fituation, could not refufe the generous offer made by the earl of Surrey. Two ships were immediately fitted out, and put to fea with letters of marque, under his two fons, 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 perfon; and Sir Edward came up with the Union, Barton's other hip, [called by Hall, the bark of Scotland.] The engagement which enfued was extremely obftinate on both fides; but at last the fortune of the Howards prevailed. Sir Andrew was killed fighting bravely, and encouraging his

Afterwards created Duke of Norfolk.

men

Called by old biftorians lord Howard, afterwards created earl of Surrey in his father's life-time,

I

men with his whifile, to hold out to the laft; and the two Scotch fhips with their crews, were carried into the river Thames, [Aug. 2. 1511.]

"This exploit had the more merit, as the two English commanders were in a manner volunteers in the fervice, by their father's order. But it feems to have laid the foundation of Sir Edward's fortune; for on the 7th of April 1512, the king conftituted him (according to Dugdale) admiral of England, Wales, Sc,

6

gene

"King James infifted' upon fatisfaction for the death of Barton, and capture of his ship: tho' Henry bad, roufly difmiffed the crews, and even agreed that the parties accufed might appear in his courts of admiralty by their attornies, to vindicate themselves." This affair às in a great meafure the caufe of the battle of Flodden, in which James IV. loft his life.

IN the following ballad will be found perhaps fome few deviations from the truth of hiftory: to atone for which it has probably recorded many lefjer facts, which history hath not condefcended to relate. I take many of the little circumfances of the story to be real, because I find one of the most unlikely to be not very remote from the truth. In Pt. 2. v. 156. it is faid, that England had before" but two ships of war." Now the GREAT HARRY had been built for ferven years before, vix. in 1504: which" was properly speak

66

ing the first ship in the English navy. Before this period, "when the prince wanted a fleet, he had no other expedient "but hiring fhips from the merchants." Hume.

The following copy (which is given from the Editor's folio MS. and feems to have been written early in the reign of Elizabeth, if not before,) will be found greatly fuperior to the vulgar ballad, which is evidently modernized and abridged from it. Some few deficiences are however supplied from a black-letter copy of the latter in the Pepys collection.

THE FIRST PART.

WHEN Flora with her fragrant flowers 'Bedekt the earth fo trim and gaye,

And Neptune with his daintye showers • Came to present the monthe of Maye; King Henrye rode to take the ayre,

Over the river of Thames past hee; When eighty merchants of London came, And downe they knelt upon their knee.

"O yee are welcome, rich merchants;

*

Good faylors, welcome unto mee." They fwore by the rood, they were faylors good, But rich merchants they colde not bee: "To France nor Flanders dare, we pass: Nor Bourdeaux voyage dare we fare; And all for a rover that lyes on the feas, Who robbs us of our merchant ware."

5.

10

King Henrye frownd, and turned him rounde, And fwore by the Lord, that was mickle of might, "I thought he had not been in the world,

Durft have wrought England fuch unright." 20 The merchants fighed, and faid, alas!

And thus they did their answer frame,

Hee is a proud Scott, that robbs on the feas,

And Sir Andrewe Barton is his name.

From the pr. copy.

The