London in the Time of the Tudors

Name: London in the Time of the Tudors
Author: Besant, Walter

Besant, Walter

London (England); London (England) -- History

From thence to Carthagene
      They carried victory:
    Upon the Spanish main
      The city rich doth lye.
    They took it by assault:
    The Spaniards were in fault;
    But they could not oppose
    The valour of such foes,
      And yeelded presently.

    To Terra Florida
      They did direct their course,
    And ever by the way
      They proved their skill and force.
    With fear the Spaniards shook
    While all their towne they took.
    For barrels of bright gold
    The towne our English sold,
      And shewed therefore remorse.

    And now they have returned
      To Plymouth back once more,
    And glory they have earned
      Enough to put in store.
    Our Queen with great delight
    Beheld the joyous sight,
    And thanked them every one
    For what they thus had done
      By sea and on the shore.

    Now, welcome all and some,
      Now welcome to our isle,
    For Francis Drake is come
      To London with Carlisle:
    And many more with him
    That ventured life and limb,
    And fighting side by side
    Did quell the Spaniard’s pride,
      To cause our Queen to smile.”

And if the following truly represents the spirit of the sailors, what a
promising and cheerful spirit it was!

    “Lustely, lustely, lustely let us saile forth,
    The winde trim doth serve us, it blowes from the north.

    All thinges we have ready, and nothing we want
      To furnish our ship that rideth here by:
    Victuals and weapons, thei be nothing skant,
      Like worthie mariners ourselves we will trie.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    Her flagges be new trimmed, set flaunting alofte,
      Our ship for swift swimmyng, oh, she doeth excell;
    Wee feare no enemies, we have escaped them ofte;
      Of all ships that swimmeth she beareth the bell.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    And here is a maister excelleth in skill,
      And our maister’s mate he is not to seeke;
    And here is a boteswaine will do his good will,
      And here is a ship boye, we never had leeke.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    If fortune then faile ot, and our next vioage prove,
      Wee will returne merely, and make good cheere,
    And holde all together, as friends linkt in love:
      The cannes shal be filled with wine, ale, and beere.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.”

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

London in the Time of the TudorsBesant, Walter

History

London in the Time of the Tudors

Besant, Walter

London (England); London (England) -- History

From thence to Carthagene
      They carried victory:
    Upon the Spanish main
      The city rich doth lye.
    They took it by assault:
    The Spaniards were in fault;
    But they could not oppose
    The valour of such foes,
      And yeelded presently.

    To Terra Florida
      They did direct their course,
    And ever by the way
      They proved their skill and force.
    With fear the Spaniards shook
    While all their towne they took.
    For barrels of bright gold
    The towne our English sold,
      And shewed therefore remorse.

    And now they have returned
      To Plymouth back once more,
    And glory they have earned
      Enough to put in store.
    Our Queen with great delight
    Beheld the joyous sight,
    And thanked them every one
    For what they thus had done
      By sea and on the shore.

    Now, welcome all and some,
      Now welcome to our isle,
    For Francis Drake is come
      To London with Carlisle:
    And many more with him
    That ventured life and limb,
    And fighting side by side
    Did quell the Spaniard’s pride,
      To cause our Queen to smile.”

And if the following truly represents the spirit of the sailors, what a
promising and cheerful spirit it was!

    “Lustely, lustely, lustely let us saile forth,
    The winde trim doth serve us, it blowes from the north.

    All thinges we have ready, and nothing we want
      To furnish our ship that rideth here by:
    Victuals and weapons, thei be nothing skant,
      Like worthie mariners ourselves we will trie.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    Her flagges be new trimmed, set flaunting alofte,
      Our ship for swift swimmyng, oh, she doeth excell;
    Wee feare no enemies, we have escaped them ofte;
      Of all ships that swimmeth she beareth the bell.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    And here is a maister excelleth in skill,
      And our maister’s mate he is not to seeke;
    And here is a boteswaine will do his good will,
      And here is a ship boye, we never had leeke.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.

    If fortune then faile ot, and our next vioage prove,
      Wee will returne merely, and make good cheere,
    And holde all together, as friends linkt in love:
      The cannes shal be filled with wine, ale, and beere.
                                  Lustely, lustely, etc.”

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

London in the Time of the Tudors — John Shaqi

London in the Time of the Tudors

London in the Time of the Tudors

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