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A ioyful nevv Ballad

declaring the happie obtaining of the great Galleazzo, wherein Don Pietro de Valdez was the chiefe, through the mightie power and prouidence of God, being a speciall token of his gracious and fatherly goodnes towards vs, to the great encouragement of all those that willingly fight in the defence of his gospel and our good Queene of England [by Thomas Deloney]

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A ioyful nevv Ballad, declaring the happie obtaining of the great Galleazzo,

wherein Don Pietro de Valdez was the chiefe, through the mightie power and prouidence of God, being a speciall token of his gracious and fatherly goodnes towards vs, to the great encouragement of all those that willingly fight in the defence of his gospel and our good Queene of England.

[_]

To the Tune of Mounseurs Almaigne.

O Noble England,
fall downe vpon thy knee:
And praise thy God with thankfull hart
which still maintaineth thee.
The forraine forces,
that seekes thy vtter spoile:
Shall then through his especiall grace
be brought to shamefull foile.
With mightie power
they come vnto our coast:
To ouer runne our countrie quite,
they make their brags and boast.
In strength of men
they set their onely stay:
But we vpon the Lord our God,
will put our trust alway.
Great is their number,
of ships vpon the sea:
And their prouision wonderfull,
but Lord thou art our stay,
Their armed souldiers
are many by account:
Their aiders eke in this attempt,
doe sundrie waies surmount.
The Pope of Rome
with many blessed graines:
To sanctify their bad pretense
bestowed both cost and paines.
But little land,
be not dismaide at all:
The Lord no doubt is on our side,
which soone will worke their fall.
In happie houre,
our foes we did discry:
And vnder saile with gallant winde
as they cam passing by.
Which suddaine tidings,
to Plymmouth being brought:
Full soone our Lord high Admirall,
for to pursue them sought.
And to his traine,
coragiously he saide:
Now for the Lord and our good Queene,
to fight be not afraide.
Regard our cause,
and play your partes like men:
The Lord no doubt will prosper vs,
in all our actions then.
This great Galleazzo,
which was so huge and hye:
That like a bulwarke on the sea,
did seeme to each mans eye.
There was it taken,
vnto our great reliefe:
And diuers Nobles in which traine
Don Pietro was the chiefe.
Stronge was she stuft,
with Cannons great and small:
And other instruments of warre,
which we obtained all.
A certaine signe,
of good successe we trust:
That God will ouerthrow the rest,
as he hath done the first.
Then did our Nauie,
pursue the rest amaine:
With roaring noise of Cannons great;
till they neere Callice came:
With manly courage,
they followed them so fast:
Another mightie Gallion,
did seeme to yeeld at last.
And in distresse,
for sauegard of their liues:
A flag of truce they did hang out,
with many mournfull cries:
Which when our men,
did perfectly espie:
Some litle Barkes they sent to her,
to board her quietly.
But these false Spaniards,
esteeming them but weake:
When they within their danger came,
their malice forth did breake.
With charged Cannons,
they laide about them then:
For to destroy those proper Barkes
and all their valiant men.
Which when our men,
perceiued so to be:
Like Lions fierce they forward went,
to quite this iuiurie.
And bourding them,
with strong and mightie hand:
They kild the men vntill their Arke,
did sinke in Callice sand.
The chiefest Captaine,
of this Gallion so hie:
Don Hugo de Moncaldo he,
within this fight did die.
Who was the Generall,
of all the Gallions great:
But through his braines we pouders force,
a Bullet strong did beat.
And manie more,
by sword did loose their breath:
And manie more within the sea,
did swimme and tooke their death.
There might you see,
the salt and foming flood:
Died and staind like scarlet red,
with store of Spanish blood.
This mightie vessell,
was threescore yards in length:
Most wonderfull to each mans eie,
for making and for strength.
In her was placed,
an hundreth Cannons great:
And mightily prouided eke,
with bread-corne wine and meat.
There was of Dates,
two hundreth I weene:
Threescore foote and twelue in length,
well measured to be seene.
And yet subdued,
with manie others more:
And not a Ship of ours lost,
the Lord be thankt therefore.
Our pleasant countrie,
so fruitfull and so faire:
They doe intend by deadly warre
to make both poore and bare.
Our townes and cities,
to racke and sacke likewise:
To kill and murder man and wife,
as malice doth arise.
And to deflower
our virgins in our sight:
And in the cradle cruelly
the tender babe to smite.
Gods holy truth,
they meane for to cast downe:
And to depriue our noble Queene,
both of her life and crowne.
Our wealth and riches
which we enioyed long:
They doe appoint their pray and spoile,
by crueltie and wrong.
To set our houses
a fier on our heades:
And cursedly to cut our throates,
as we lye in our beds.
Our childrens braines,
to dash against the ground:
And from the earth our memorie,
for euer to confound.
To change our ioy,
to griefe and mourning sad:
And neuer more to see the dayes,
of pleasure we haue had.
But God almightie
be blessed euermore:
Who doth encourage Englishmen,
to beate them from our shoare.
With roaring Cannons,
their hastie steps to stay:
And with the force of thundering shot
to make them flye away.
Who made account,
before this time or day:
Against the walles of faire London,
their banners to display.
But their intent,
the Lord will bring to nought:
If faithfully we call and cry,
for succour as we ought.
And you deare bretheren,
which beareth Armes this day:
For safegarde of your natiue soile,
marke well what I shall say.
Regarde your dueties,
thinke on your countries good:
And feare not in defense thereof,
to spend your dearest bloud.
Our gracious Queene
doth greete you euery one:
And saith she will among you be,
in euery bitter storme.
Desiring you,
true English harts to beare:
To God, and her, and to the land.
wherein you nursed were.
Lord God almightie,
which hath the harts in hand:
Of euerie person to dispose
defend this English land.
Blesse thou our Soueraigne
with long and happie life:
Indue her Councel with thy grace,
and end this mortall strife.
Giue to the rest,
of Commons more and lesse:
Louing harts, obedient minds,
and perfect faithfulnesse.
That they and we,
and all with one accord:
On Sion hill may sing the praise,
of our most mightie Lord.
FINIS.
T. D.