A Ioyful Song of the Royall receiuing of the Queenes most excellent Maiestie into her highnesse Campe at Tilsburie in Essex: on Thursday and Fryday the eight and ninth of August, 1588.
To the Tune of Triumph and Ioy.
GOod English men whose valiant harts,
With courage great and manly partes,
Doe minde to daunt the ouerthwarts,
of any foe to England.
Attend a while and you shall heare,
What loue and kindnesse doth appeare,
From the princely mind of our loue deare,
Elizabeth Quéene of England.
To cheare her souldiers one and all,
Of honour great or title small,
[...] by what name you will them call,
[...] of England.
The time being dangerous now ye know,
That forraigne enimies to and fro,
For to inuade vs make a show,
and our good Queene of England.
Her Maiestie by graue aduise,
Considering how the danger lyes,
By all good meanes she can deuise,
for the safetie of all England.
Hath pointed men of honour right,
With all the speede they could or might,
A Campe of men there should be pight,
on Tilsburie hill in England.
Her grace being giuen to vnderstand,
The mightie power of this her land,
And the willing harts therein she fand,
from euery shire in England.
The mightie troupes haue shewed the same,
That day by day to London came,
From shires and townes too long to name,
to serue the Queene of England.
Her grace to glad their harts againe,
In princely person tooke the paine,
To honour the troupes and Martiall traine,
in Tilsburie campe in England.
On Thursday the eight of August last,
Her Maiestie by water past,
When stormes of winde did blew so fast,
would feare some folke in England.
And at her forte she went on land,
That neare to Tilsburie (strong) doth stand,
Where all things furnisht there she fand,
for the safe defense of England.
The great shot then, did rage and roare,
Replyed by a forte on the other shore,
Whose poudred peilets what wo
[...] ye haue more,
would feare any foe to England
Her highnesse then to the campe did goe,
The order there to sée and know:
Which, her Lord generall did dutifully show,
in Tilsburie campe in England.
And euerie Captaine to her came,
And euerie Officer of fame,
To show their duetie and their name.
to their soueraigne Quéene of England.
Of tents and cabins, thousands thrée,
Some built with bowes and many a trée,
And many of canuasse she might sée.
in Tilsburie campe in England.
Each Captaine had his colours braue,
Set ouer his tent in winde to waue,
With them their officers there they haue,
to serue the Quéene of England.
The other lodginges had their signe,
For souldiers where to sup and dine,
And for to sléepe: with orders fine,
in Tilsburie Campe in England.
And vittaling boothes, there plentie were,
Where they sold meate, bread, cheese and beere.
One should haue béen hangd for selling too dear
in Tilsburie campe in England.
To tell the ioy of all and some,
When that her Maiestie was come,
Such playing on phiphes and many a drum,
to welcome the Queene of England.
Displaying of Ensignes verie braue,
Such throwing of hats what would ye haue,
Such cryes of ioy, God kéepe and saue,
our noble Queene of England.
And then to bid her grace good night,
Great Ordenance shot with pellets pight,
Fourteene faire peeces of great might,
to feaze the foes of England.
Her Maiestie went then away,
To the Court, where that her highnesse lay,
And came againe on the next day,
to Tilsburie campe in England.
The Captaines yerly did prepare,
To haue their battell set out faire,
Against her highnesse comming there,
to Tilsburie campe in England
And long before her highnesse came,
Each point was ordered so in frame,
Which serued to set forth the fame,
of a royall campe in England.
The gallant horsemen mounted braue,
With stomackes stoute that courage haue,
Whose countenance sterne might well depraue
in fight, the foe of England.
The armde men, bowmen, and the shot,
Of Muskets and Caliuers hot,
None of these wanted well I wot,
in Tilsburie campe in England.
Fiftie ensignes spred there were,
Of seuerall colours fine and faire,
Of drums and phyp
[...]es, great numbers there.
in Tilsburie campe in England.
The battell plac'd in order due,
mightie host
[...] tell you true,
A famous sight it was to view.
that royall campe in England.
The hoast thus set in battell ray,
In brauer sorte then I can say,
For want of knowledge to display,
so goodly a campe in England.
How the maine battel, and the winges,
The vauntgarde, rearewarde, and such things,
The horsemen whose sharpe launces stinges,
in fight the foe of England.
The Noble men, and men of fame,
In duetie bound did show the same,
To waite when that her highnes came,
our soueraigne Quéene of England.
And the being come into the field,
A martiall staffe, my Lord did yéelde,
Unto her highnesse, being our shield,
and marshall chiese of England.
Then rode she along the campe to sée,
To euerie Captaine orderly,
Amid the rankes so royally,
the marshall thiefe of England.
What princely wordes her grace declarde,
What gracious thankes in euery warde,
To euery souldier none she sparde,
that serued any where for England.
With princely promisse none should lacke,
Meate or drinke, or cloth for backe,
Golde and siluer should not slacke,
to her marshall men of England.
Then might she see the hats to flye
And euerie souldier shouted hye,
For our good Queene wee'l fight or dye,
on any foe to England.
And many a Captaine kist her hand
As the past forth through euerie band,
And lest her traine farre off to stand,
from her marshall men of England.
Two houres she spent among them there,
Her princely pleasure to declare,
Where many a one did say and sweare,
to liue and dye for England.
And would not aske one penny pay,
To charge her highnesse any way,
But of their owne would finde a stay,
to serue her grace for England.
To my Lordes pauilion then she went
A sumptuous faire and famous tent,
Where dinner time her highnesse spent,
with martiall men of England.
In the euening when the tide was come,
Her highhnesse thankt them all and some,
With trumpets shrile and sound of drum,
returnd the queene of England.
To the blockhouse where she tooke her barge,
There diuers Captaines had their charge,
Then shot the cannons off at large.
to honour the queene of England.
And thus her highnesse went away,
For whose long life all England pray,
King Henries daughter, and our stay,
Elizabeth quéene of England.
What subiect would not spend his life,
And all he hath to stay the strife,
Of forraigne foe that seekes so rife,
to inuade this realme of England.
Therefore deare countrie men I say,
With hart to God let vs all pray,
To blesse our Armies night and day,
that serue our Queene for England.
FINIS.
T. I.