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58
The fifth muse
Makes for defence: But ah the Burghs distractions!
Papists and Protestants make diverse factions;
The town to hold impossible they finde,
The fields to take they purpose in their minde,
Factions within, munition, victuall scarce,
Hardly to hold eight dayes they finde by search.
Amids these doubts these valiant fellowes come
In armes aray'd, and beatting of the drum,
With coards about their necks, Come, come, they cry,
We be the men who are resolv'd to die.
First in this quarrell; we to death will fight,
So long as courage will afford us might,
And who so yeeldes alive, this tow portends
Streight must he hing where did our dearest friends
Who suffered for the truth, nothing we skunner,
This certainlie we count our chiefest honour.
Thus as Manasses half tribe, Ruben, Gad
Do leave their cattell, and mount Gilead,
Before their brethren over Iordan go,
In armes to fight against their cursed fo;
So these three hundred do abandon quite
Their citie, houses, goods, and chief delite,
Resolv'd to die all for the Gospels light,
Armed before their brethren merch to fight;
And having gain'd a place meet to abide,
Their enemies to resist, courage they cride,
Be merrie fellowes all, leave sad complaints,
Dine cheerefullie, for sup we shall with Saints.
Fame spreads the brave attempt, all martiall hearts
Inflam'd with divine zeale flock to these parts
Papists and Protestants make diverse factions;
The town to hold impossible they finde,
The fields to take they purpose in their minde,
Factions within, munition, victuall scarce,
Hardly to hold eight dayes they finde by search.
Amids these doubts these valiant fellowes come
In armes aray'd, and beatting of the drum,
With coards about their necks, Come, come, they cry,
We be the men who are resolv'd to die.
First in this quarrell; we to death will fight,
So long as courage will afford us might,
And who so yeeldes alive, this tow portends
Streight must he hing where did our dearest friends
Who suffered for the truth, nothing we skunner,
This certainlie we count our chiefest honour.
Thus as Manasses half tribe, Ruben, Gad
Do leave their cattell, and mount Gilead,
Before their brethren over Iordan go,
In armes to fight against their cursed fo;
So these three hundred do abandon quite
Their citie, houses, goods, and chief delite,
Resolv'd to die all for the Gospels light,
Armed before their brethren merch to fight;
And having gain'd a place meet to abide,
Their enemies to resist, courage they cride,
Be merrie fellowes all, leave sad complaints,
Dine cheerefullie, for sup we shall with Saints.
Fame spreads the brave attempt, all martiall hearts
Inflam'd with divine zeale flock to these parts
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