+The Story+ is apocryphal, as has been shown by research undertaken since Child annotated the ballad; so also are other broadsides, _The Seamen’s Song of Captain Ward_ and _The Seamen’s Song of Dansekar_, which deal with Ward. He was a Kentish fisherman, born at Feversham about 1555, who turned pirate after a short service aboard the _Lion’s Whelp_ man-of-war. The _Rainbow_ was the name of a ship then in the navy, often mentioned in reports from 1587 onwards; but Professor Sir J. K. Laughton has pointed out that she never fought with Ward. Possibly _Rainbow_ is a corruption of _Tramontana_, a small cruiser which _may_ have chased him once in the Irish Channel. The fullest account of Ward may be found in an article, unsigned, but written by Mr. John Masefield, in the _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for March, 1906, pp. 113-126. CAPTAIN WARD AND THE RAINBOW 1. Strike up, you lusty gallants, With music and sound of drum, For we have descried a rover Upon the sea is come; His name is Captain Ward, Right well it doth appear, There has not been such a rover Found out this thousand year: 2. For he hath sent unto our King, The sixth of January, Desiring that he might come in With all his company. ‘And if your King will let me come Till I my tale have told, I will bestow for my ransom, Full thirty ton of gold.’ 3. ‘O nay, O nay,’ then said our King, ‘O nay, this may not be, To yield to such a rover, Myself will not agree: He hath deceived the Frenchman, Likewise the King of Spain, And how can he be true to me, That hath been false to twain?’ 4. With that our King provided A ship of worthy fame, Rainbow is she called, If you would know her name: Now the gallant Rainbow She rows upon the sea, Five hundred gallant seamen To bear her company. 5. The Dutchman and the Spaniard, She made them for to fly, Also the bonny Frenchman, As she met him on the sea. When as this gallant Rainbow Did come where Ward did lie, ‘Where is the captain of this ship?’ This gallant Rainbow did cry. 6. ‘O, that am I,’ says Captain Ward, ‘There’s no man bids me lie, And if thou art the King’s fair ship, Thou art welcome to me.’ ‘I’ll tell thee what,’ says Rainbow, ‘Our King is in great grief, That thou shouldst lie upon the sea, And play the arrant thief, 7. ‘And will not let our merchants’ ships Pass as they did before; Such tidings to our King is come, Which grieves his heart full sore.’ With that, this gallant Rainbow She shot, out of her pride, Full fifty gallant brass pieces Chargëd on every side. 8. And yet these gallant shooters Prevailëd not a pin, Though they were brass on the outside, Brave Ward was steel within; Shoot on, shoot on,’ says Captain Ward, ‘Your sport well pleaseth me, And he that first gives over, Shall yield unto the sea.