A Joyful New Ballad, declaring the Happie Obtaining of the Great Galleazzo

O noble England, fall doune upon thy knee,
And praise thy God with thankfull hart, which still maintaineth thee.
The forraine forces, that seekes thy utter spoile :
Shall then through his especiall grace be brought to shamefull foile.
With mightie power they come unto our coast:
To over runne our countrie quite, they make their brags and boast.
In strength of men they set their onely stay,
But we upon the Lord our God will put our trust alway.

Great is their number of ships upon the sea ;
And their provision wonderful, but, Lord, thou art our stay.
Their armed souldiers are many by account,
Their aiders eke in this attempt doe sundry waies surmount.
The Pope of Rome, with many blessed graines,
To sanctify their bad pretense, bestowed both cost and paines.
But little land, be not dismaide at all;
The Lord no doubt is on our side, which soone will worke their fall.

In happie houre our foes we did descry,
All under saile with gallant wind as they cam passing by.
Which suddaine tidings to Plymmouth being brought,
Full soone our Lord high Admirall for to pursue them sought.
And to his traine coragiously he said:
'Now for the Lord and our good Queene to fight be not afraide.
Regard our cause, and play your partes like men :
The Lord no doubt will prosper us in all our actions then.'

This great Galleazzo, which was so huge and hye,
That like a bulwarke on the sea did seeme to each man's eye,
There was it taken, unto our great reliefe;
And divers nobles, in which traine Don Pietro was the chiefe.
Strong was she stuft, with cannons great and small,
And other instruments of warre, which we obtained all.
A certaine signe of good successe we trust,
That God will overthrow the rest, as he hath done the first.

Then did our navie pursue the rest amaine
With roaring noise of cannons great, till they neare Callice came.
With manly courage they followed them so fast,
Another mighty Gallion did seem to yeeld at last,
And in distress, for savegard of their lives,
A flag of truce they did hang out, with many mournful cries :
Which when our men did perfectly espie,
Some little barkes they sent to her, to board her quietly.

But these false Spaniards, esteeming them but weake,
When they within their danger came, their malice forth did breake.
With charged cannons, they laide about them then;
For to destroy those proper barkes, and all their valiant men.
Which when our men perceived so to be,
Like lions fierce they forward went, to 'quite this injurie,
And bourding them, with strong and mightie hand,
They kild the men untill their arke did sinke in Callice sand.

The chiefest captaine of this Gallion so hie,
Don Hugo de Moncaldo he, within, this fight did die,
Who was the Generall of all the Gallions great:
But through his braines with pouders force a bullet strong did beat.
And manie more by sword did loose their breath;
And manie more within the sea did swimme and tooke their death.
There might you see the salt and foming flood,
Dyed and staind like scarlet red, with store of Spanish blood.

This mightie vessell was threescore yards in length :
Most wonderfull to each man's eie, for making and for strength,
In her was placed an hundreth cannons great;
And mightily provided eke, with bread, corne, wine and meat.

There was of oares two hundered, I weene :
Three-score foote and twelve in length, well measured to be seene,
And yet subdued, with manie others more :
And not a ship of ours lost, the Lord be thankt therefore.

Our pleasant countrie, so fruitfull and so faire,
They doe intend by deadly warre to make both poore and bare :
Our townes and cities to racke and sacke likewise:
To kill and murder man and wife, as malice doth avise;
And to deflower our virgins in our sight;
And in the cradle cruelly the tender babe to smite.
God's holy truth they meane for to cast downe:
And to deprive our noble Queene both of her life and crowne.

Our wealth and riches, which we enjoyed long,
They doe appoint their prey and spoile, by crueltie and wrong;
To set our houses a fier on our heades ;
And cursedly to cut our throates, as we lye in our beds.
Our children's braines to dash against the ground;
And from the earth our memorie for ever to confound.
To change our joy to griefe and mourning sad:
And never more to see the dayes of pleasure we have had.

But God almightie be blessed evermore,
Who doth encourage Englishmen to beate them from our shoare.
With roaring cannons, their hastie steps to stay,
And with the force of thundering shot to make them flye away :
Who made account, before this time of day ;
Against the walls of faire London their banners to display,
But their intent the Lord will bring to nought,
If faithfully we call and cry for succour as we ought.

And you, deare bretheren, which beareth armes this day.
For safegarde of your native soile, marke well what I shall say.
Regard your dueties, thinke on your countrie's good :
And feare not, in defense thereof, to spend your dearest bloud.
Our gracious Queene doth greete you every one:
And saith she will among you be in bitter storme.
Desiring you true English hearts to beare;
To God, and her, and to the land wherein you nursed were.

Lord God almightie, which hath the harts in hand:
Of everie person to dispose, defend this English land.
Bless thou our Soveraigne with long and happie life :
Indue her Councel with thy grace, and end this mortall strife.
Give to the rest of Commons more and lesse,
Loving harts, obedient minds, and perfect faithfulnesse.
That they and we, and all, with one accord
On Sion hill may sing the praise of our most mightie Lord.