' Spanish ships of war at sea ! we have sighted fifty- three ! '
Then sware Lord Thomas Howard : ' ' Fore God I am no coward ;
But I cannot meet them here, for my ships are out of gear,
And the half my men are sick. I must fly, but follow quick.
We are six ships of the line ; can we fight with fifty- three?'
Then spake Sir Richard Grenville : ' I know you are
no coward ; You fly them for a moment to fight with them
again. But I've ninety men and more that are lying sick
ashore. I should count myself the coward if I left them, my
Lord Howard, To these Inquisition dogs and the devildoms of
Spain.'
So Lord Howard passed away with five ships of war
that day, Till he melted like a cloud in the silent summer
heaven ; But Sir Richard bore in hand all the sick men from
the land
Very carefully and slow, Men of Bideford in Devon, And we laid them on the ballast down below ; For we brought them all aboard,
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