PESCA. THE ARMADA. ATTEND, all ye who list to hear Our noble England's praise; I tell of the thrice famous deede It was about the lovely close Of a warm summer day, There came a gallant merchant-ship Full sail to Plymouth Bay; Her crew hath seen Castile's black fee Beyond Aurigny's isle, At earliest twilight, on the waves Lie heaving many a mile. At sunrise she escaped their van, And the tall Pinta, till the noon Had held her close in chase. Was placed along the wall; To pry along the coast, And with loose rein and bloody spu With his white hair unbonneted, The stout old sheriff comes; Behind him march the halberdiers; Before him sound the drums; His yeoman round the market cross For there behooves him to set up The standard of Her Grace. And haughtily the trumpets peal, Look how the Lion of the sea Lifts up his ancient crown, So stalked he when he turned to flight, Bohemia's plume, and Genoa's bow, And Cæsar's eagle shield. So glared he wheu at Agincourt In wrath he turned to bay, And crushed and torn beneath his claws The princely hunters lay. Ho strike the flag-staff deep, Sir Knight: Ho! scatter flowers, fair maids: Hɔ! gunners, fire a loud salute: Ho! gallants, draw your blades : The freshening breeze of eve unfurled That banner's massy fold; The parting gleam of sunshine kissed That haughty scroll of gold; Night sank upon the dusky beach, And on the purple sea, Such night in England ne'er had bee Nor e'er again shall be. From Eddystone to Berwick bounds, From Lynn to Milford Bay, That time of slumber was as bright And busy as the day; For swift to east and swift to west The ghastly war-flame spread, High on St. Michael's Mount it shone: It shone on Beachy Head. Far on the deep the Spaniard saw, Along each southern shire, Cape beyond cape, in endless range, The fisher left his skiff to rock On Tamar's glittering waves: The rugged miners poured to war From Mendip's sunless caves: O'er Longleat's towers, o'er Cranbourne's oak The fiery herald flew : He roused the shepherds of Stonehenge, The rangers of Beaulieu. Right sharp and quick the bells all night Rang out from Bristol town, And ere the day three hundred horse Had met on Clifton down; The sentinel on Whitehall gate Looked forth into the night, And saw o'erhanging Richmond Hill |