The fifteenth of July, With glistening spear and shield, A famous fight in Flanders Was foughten in the field; The most courageous officers Were English captains three, But the bravest man in battle Was brave Lord Willoughby. The next was Captain Morris, A valiant man was he; The other, Captain Turner, From field would never flee. With fifteen hundred fighting men Alas, there were no more, They fought with fourteen thousand men Upon the bloody shore. 'Stand to it, noble pikemen, And look you round about! And shoot you right, you bowmen, And we will keep them out! You musquet and caliver men, Do you prove true to me; I'll be the foremost in the fight!' Says brave Lord Willoughby. And then the fearful enemy Was quickly put to flight; Our men pursued courageously And caught their forces quite. But at the last they gave a shout Which echoed through the sky; 'God and Saint George for England!' The conquerors did cry. The news was brought to England, With all the speed might be, And soon our gracious Queen was told Of this same victory. 'O this is brave Lord Willoughby, My love that ever won; Of all the lords of honour 'Tis he great deeds hath done.' To the soldiers that were maiméd And wounded in the fray, The Queen allowed a pension Of fifteenpence a day: And from all costs and charges She quit and set them free; And this she did all for the sake Of brave Lord Willoughby. Then, courage! noble Englishmen, And never be dismayed: If that we be but one to ten We will not be afraid To fight with foreign enemies, And set our nation free; And thus I end the bloody bout Of brave Lord Willoughby. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MEMORIAL DAY by WILLIAM E. BROOKS A TURKISH LEGEND by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH PROEM by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH AN AUTUMN NIGHT by JOHANNA AMBROSIUS THE WANDERING JEW by PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER SONNET by MATILDA BARBARA BETHAM-EDWARDS THE CHARM by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |