On the Spaniard's beach they landed, Dawn till dusk they stormed the castle, Stripped the church and monastery, Diced for hapless señoritas (Sire and brother bound anear),— Juanas, Lolas, Manuelitas, Cursing Morgan the Buccaneer. Lust and rapine, flame and slaughter, She with us shall find good cheer." Out again through reef and breaker, Flush with doubloons, coins of eight, Jesu! how the Jews and harlots Edmund Clarence Stedman [1833-1908] THE LAMENTABLE BALLAD OF THE BLOODY BROOK [SEPTEMBER 18, 1675] COME listen to the Story of brave Lathrop and his Men,— How they fought, how they died, When they marched against the Red Skins in the Autumn Days, and then How they fell, in their pride, By Pocumtuck Side. "Who will go to Deerfield Meadows and bring the ripened Grain?" Said old Mosely to his men in Array. "Take the Wagons and the Horses, and bring it back again: But be sure that no Man stray All the Day, on the Way." Then the Flower of Essex started, with Lathrop at their head, Wise and brave, bold and true. He had fought the Pequots long ago, and now to Mosely said, "Be there Many, be there Few, I will bring the Grain to you." They gathered all the Harvest, and marched back on their Way, Through the Woods which blazed like Fire. No Soldier left the Line of march to wander or to stray, Till the Wagons were stalled in the Mire, And the Beasts began to tire. The Wagons have all forded the Brook as it flows, And then the Rear-Guard stays To pick the purple Grapes that are hanging from the Boughs, When, crack!-to their Amaze, A hundred Fire-locks blaze! Brave Lathrop, he lay dying; but as he fell he cried, “Each Man to his Tree," said he, "Let no one yield an Inch; " and so the Soldier died; And not a Man of all can see Where the Foe can be. And Philip and his Devils pour in their Shot so fast, From behind and before, That Man after Man is shot down and breathes his last. To fight no more,-no more! Oh, weep, ye Maids of Essex, for the Lads who have died,— The Bloody Brook still ripples by the black Mountain-side, Edward Everett Hale [1822-1909] THE SONG OF THE WESTERN MEN [1688] A GOOD Sword and a trusty hand! King James's men shall understand What Cornish lads can do. And have they fixed the where and when? Here's twenty thousand Cornish men Out spake their captain brave and bold, "If London Tower were Michael's hold, "We'll cross the Tamar, land to land, With 'One and all!' and hand in hand, "And when we come to London Wall, Come forth! come forth, ye cowards all, "Trelawny he's in keep and hold, But here's twenty thousand Cornish bold Will know the reason why!" Robert Stephen Hawker [1803-1875] BONNIE DUNDEE From "The Doom of Devoirgoil " [1689] To the Lords of Convention 'twas Claver'se who spoke, So let each Cavalier who loves honor and me "Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can, Dundee he is mounted, he rides up the street, As he rode doun the sanctified bends of the Bow, But the young plants of grace they looked couthie and slee, With sour-featured Whigs the Grass-market was thranged, As if half the West had set tryst to be hanged; There was spite in each look, there was fear in each e'e, As they watched for the bonnets of Bonnie Dundee. These cowls of Kilmarnock had spits and had spears, But they shrunk to close-heads, and the causeway was free He spurred to the foot of the proud Castle rock, "Let Mons Meg and her marrows speak twa words or three, For the love of the bonnet of Bonnie Dundee." The Gordon demands of him which way he goes. "There are hills beyond Pentland, and lands beyond Forth; If there's lords in the Lowlands, there's chiefs in the North; There are wild Duniewassals three thousand times three Will cry 'Hoigh!' for the bonnet of Bonnie Dundee. "There's brass on the target of barkened bull-hide, "Away to the hills, to the caves, to the rocks,- He waved his proud hand, and the trumpets were blown, |