The Famous Fight at Malago; or, The Englishmens Victory Over the Spaniards
Relating how Five English Frigats, viz. the Henry, Ruby, Antelope, Greyhound, and Bryan, burnt all the Spanish Ships in their Harbour at Malago; battered down their Churches and their Houses about their ears, killed abundance of their Men, and obtained an Honourable Victory.
Where ever English seamen goes
They are a terror to their foes.
To the Tune [its own] of Five Sail of Frigats bound for Malago, etc.
Come all you brave sailors that sails on the main,
I’ll tell you of a fight that was lately in Spain;
And of five sail of frigats bound to Malago
For to fight the proud Spaniards; our orders was so.
There was the Henry and Ruby, and the Antelope also,
The Grey-hound and the Bryan, for fire-ships must go;
But so bravely we weighed, and played our parts,
That we made the proud Spaniards to quake in their hearts.
Then we came to an anchor so nigh to the mould;
‘Methinks you proud English do grow very bold!’
But we came to an anchor so near to the town
That some of their churches we soon battered down.
They hung out their flag of truce, for to know our intent,
And they sent out their long-boat to know what we meant;
But our captain he answered them bravely, it was so,
‘For to burn all your shipping before we do go.’
‘For to burn all our shipping? You must us excuse;
’Tis not five sail of frigats shall make us to muse!’—
But we burnt all their shipping, and their gallies also;
And we left in the city full many a widow.
‘Come then,’ says our captain, ‘let’s fire at the church!’
And down came their belfrey, which grieved them much;
And down came the steeple, which standeth so high,
Which made the proud Spaniards to the nunnery fly.
So great a confusion we made in the town
That their lofty buildings came tumbling down;
Their wives and their children, for help they did cry,
But none could relieve them, though danger was nigh.
The flames and the smoak so increased their woe
That they knew not whither to run or to go;
Some to shun the fire leapt into the flood,
And there they did perish in water and mud.
Our guns we kept firing, still shooting amain,
Whilst many a proud Spaniard was on the place slain;
The rest, being amazed, for succour did cry,
But all was in vain, they had no where to fly.
At length being forced, they thought it most fit
Unto the brave English-men for to submit;
And so a conclusion at last we did make
Upon such conditions as was fit to take.
The Spanish Armado did England no harm,
’Twas but a bravado, to give us alarm;
But with our five frigats we did them bumbast,
And made them of English-men’s valour to taste.
When this noble victory we did obtain,
Then home we returned to England again,
Where we were received with welcomes of joy,
Because with five frigats we did them destroy.