were far out of their reach, yet in a vain fury and foolish pride, they shot off their ordnance and made a stir in the sea as if they had been in the midst of us, which vanity of theirs ministered to our men notable matter of pleasure and mirth, seeing men to fight with shadows and to take so great pains to so small purpose.

But thus it pleased God to deride and delude all the forces of that proud Spanish king, which he had provided of purpose to distress the English; who, notwithstanding, passed through both his armiesin the one, little hurt, and in the other, nothing touched, to the glory of His immortal Name, the honour of our princess and country, and the just commendation of each man's service performed in that voyage.

THE HONOUR OF BRISTOL.

ATTEND you, and give ear awhile,
And you shall understand
Of a battle fought upon the seas
By a ship of brave command.
The fight it was so glorious,
Men's hearts it did fulfil,

And it made them cry, "To sea, to sea,
With the Angel Gabriel!"

This lusty ship of Bristol

Sailed out adventurously

Against the foes of England,

Her strength with them to try:

Well victualled, rigged, and manned she was, With good provision still,

Which made men cry,

With the Angel Gabriel!"

The captain, famous Netherway

(That was his noble name):

The master he was called John Nimes

A mariner of fame :

The gunner, Thomas Watson,

A man of perfect skill:

With many another valiant heart

In the Angel Gabriel.

Then waving up and down the seas
Upon the ocean main,

"It is not long ago," quoth they,

"That England fought with Spain : O, would the Spaniard we might meet, Our stomachs to fulfil !

We would play him fair a noble bout
With our Angel Gabriel!"

They had no sooner spoken,

But straight appeared in sight Three lusty Spanish vessels,

Of warlike trim and might ;

With fiery resolution

They thought our men to spill,

And they vowed that they would make a prize Of our Angel Gabriel.

Our gallant ship had in her
Full forty fighting men:
With twenty piece of ordnance
We played about them then ;
With powder, shot, and bullets
Right well we worked our will,
And hot and bloody grew the fight
With our Angel Gabriel!"

Our gunner unto all the rest,
"Brave hearts, be valiant still!
Fight on, fight on, in the defence
Of our Angel Gabriel!"

We gave them such a broadside,
It smote their mast asunder,

And tore the bowsprit off their ship,
Which made the Spaniards wonder,
And caused them all in fear to cry,
With voices loud and shrill,
"Help, help, or sunken we shall be
By the Angel Gabriel!"

So desperately they boarded us
For all our valiant shot,

Three score of their best fighting men

Upon our decks were got;

And lo! at their first entrance

Full thirty did we kill,

And thus with speed we cleared the deck

Of our Angel Gabriel.

With that their three ships boarded us

Again with might and main,

And still our noble Englishmen

Cried out, "A fig for Spain!" Though seven times they boarded us, At last we showed our skill,

And made them feel what men we were On the Angel Gabriel.

Seven hours this fight continued:
So many men lay dead,

With Spanish blood for fathoms round
The sea was coloured red.
Five hundred of their fighting men
We there outright did kill,

And many more were hurt and maimed
By our Angel Gabriel.

Then, seeing all these gory spoils,
The rest made haste away :
For why, they said, it was no boot
The longer there to stay.
Then they fled into Cadiz,

Where lie they must and will,
For fear lest they should meet again
With our Angel Gabriel.

We had within our English ship
But only three men slain,

And five men hurt, the which, I hope,

Will soon be well again.

At Bristol we were landed,

And let us praise God still,

That thus hath blest our lusty hearts

And our Angel Gabriel.