Lyr Add: Mary Ambree

29 Oct 00 - 01:14 AM (#329579)
Subject: Lyr Add: MARY AMBREE
From: Thomas the Rhymer

MARY AMBREE

When captains courageous, whom death could not daunt,
Did march to the siege of the city of Gaunt,
They muster'd their soldiers by two and by three,
And the formost in battle was Mary Ambree.

When brave Sir John Major was slain in her sight,
Who was her true lover, her joy, and delight,
Because he was slain most treacherously,
She vow'd to revenge him, did Mary Ambree

She clothed herself from the top to the toe
, In buff of the bravest, more seemly to show;
A fair shirt of mail then slipped on she,
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

A helmet of proof she straight did provide,
A strong arming sword she girt by her side,
And on each hand a goodly fair gauntlet put she;
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

Then took she her sword and her target in hand,
Bidding all such as would to be sworn of her hand;
To wait on her person came thousand and three:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

"My soldiers," she saith, "So valiant and bold,
Now follow your captain, whom you do behold;
Still foremost in battle myself will I be";
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

Then cry'd out her soldiers, and loud they did say,
"So well thou becomest this gallant array,
Thy heart and thy weapons so well do agree
There was none that was ever like Mary Ambree."

She cheered her soldiers who foughten for life,
With ensign and standard, with drum and with fyfe,
With brave clanging trumpets, that sounded so free;
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

"Before I will see the worst of you all
To come into danger of death or a thrall,
This hand and this life I will venture so free":
Was not this a brave bonny las, Mary Ambree?

She led up her soldiers in battle array
Gainst three times their number by break of the day;
Seven hours in skirmish continued she:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

She filled the skies with the smoke of her shot,
And her enemies' bodies with bullets so hot;
For one of her own men a score killed she:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

And when her false gunner, to spoil her intent,
Away all her pellets and powder had sent,
Straight with her keen weapon she slashed him in three;
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

Being falsely betrayed for lucre of hire,
At length she was forced to make a retire;
Then her soldiers into a strong castle drew she:
Was not this a brave bonny lass, Mary Ambree?

Her foes they beset her on every side,
As thinking close siege she could never abide;
To beat down the walls they all did decree:
But stoutly defied them brave Mary Ambree.

Then took she her sword and her target in hand,
And mounting the walls all undaunted did stand,
There daring their captains to match any three:
O what a brave captain was Mary Ambree!

"Now say English captain, what wouldest thou give
To ransom thyself, which else must not live?
Come yeild thyself quickly, or slain thou must be."
O then smiled sweetly brave Mary Ambree.

"Ye captains courageous, of valor so bold,
Whom think you before you now you do behold?"-
"A knight, sir, of England, and captain so free,
Who shortly with us a prisoner must be."-

"No captain of England; behold in your sight
Two breasts in my bosom, and therefore no knight:
No knight, sirs, of England, nor captain you see,
But a poor simple lass, called Mary Ambree."

"But art though a woman, as thou dost declare,
Whose valor hath prov'd so undaunted in war?
If England doth yield such brave lasses as thee,
Full well may they conquer, fair Mary Ambree!"

Then to her own country she back did return,
Still holding the foes of fair England in scorn:
Therefore English captains of every degree,
Sing forth the brave valors of Mary Ambree!

Found in the Delphian Text, 1929 Edition, volume 17, pages 82-85.

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29 Oct 00 - 02:49 PM (#329815)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

For several 17th century texts see ZN2826 in the broadside ballad index at www.erols.com/olsonw. The ballad was noted to be sung to the tune of "The Blind Beggar's Daughter" Wm. Chappell in PMOT, I, p. 160, gave what he said was the tune, but his evidence for the identity of it wasn't very strong, and C. M. Simpson didn't include it (or any other) in 'The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music'.

However, there are several traditional versions of "The Blind Beggar's Daughter" collected with tunes. Laws' N27 = Roud #132. One cited by Law's 'N27' can be found in the DT.

Gaunt was the English name for Ghent, and the action supposedly took place in 1584. Mary Ambree, however, is unknown to historians.

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29 Oct 00 - 06:41 PM (#329940)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Thomas the Rhymer

Bruce, again,...thanks! In the words of our great western American archetype, "GO AHEAD,... MAKE MY DAY!...." *BG* ;o)

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30 Oct 00 - 12:17 AM (#330185)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Abby Sale

It's a very important song to some - being the first-in- type (well, the 1st fully developed & with tune) of the female warrior-sailor. The prime of all the female warrior/soldier/sailor songs. (See Dugaw) Not totally the first song & not by 100 years the first well-recorded event but prime.

I've been seeking historical details for some time & would much appreciate it if any have any.

We know of the extensive warfare at that place & time - largely of the Spanish trying to maintain its hold on the low countries. Not only is Ambree's name unknown, I haven't really been able to confirm English & especially English naval action there. (They would have been on the Defence team.)

We know the Spaniard Farnese of Parma lay siege to Ghent in 1584 but I can't find the exact date.

I have this e-mail response from the Official Tourist Service of Gent, 20 Jan 1997:

We have got a letter of the Archives of the City. The Reconciliation was on 17 August 1585. No British armee was there, exept some Scottisch who fighted at Lillo. All the others were Italians, Spanish, French.

Paul Cornelis.

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06 Mar 01 - 01:06 AM (#411796)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Thomas the Rhymer

Hiya!

I wonder if this song is slated for the 'trad...

I hope so...

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06 Mar 01 - 01:18 AM (#411800)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: GUEST

Using what for the tune?

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06 Mar 01 - 01:34 AM (#411805)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Thomas the Rhymer

When it comes to the old ballads, your 'guest' is as good as mine! When a song like this surfaces, so too may a tune for it arise. Lots of songs in the 'trad have tuneless standing, and one of my favorites is the "song of the wandering angus"... which got it's tune much later on.

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09 Mar 01 - 11:24 AM (#414052)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: nutty

Abby - I knew I had info on this ballad ...... it has just taken time to find it

The ballad was collected by Dr Thomas Percy , Bishop of Dromore , 1729 - 1811

Together with 49 others all dating from the time of Chaucer up to Charles 1st , it was published in RELIQUES OF ENGLISH POETRY IN 1765.

The documents of this collection are held in the British Museum although it is said that among the authentic documents were some that Percy had himself composed

The copy I have is in the "The BLUE POETRY BOOK for Schools" edited by ANDREW LAING and published by Longman, Greens and co in 1892

This version has two verses which are omitted from the copy given above, which come before the last verse and add even more mystery to the origins of the ballad

The Prince of Great Parma heard of her renown
Who long had advanced for England's fair crown
He wooed her and sued her his mistress to be
And offered rich presents to Mary Ambree

But this virtuous maiden despised them all
"I'll ne'er sell my honour for purple and pall
A maiden of England , Sir , never shall be
The wench of a monarch , quoth Mary Ambree

Also the first line of the second verse is stated as :-

When the brave sergeant - major was slain in her sight
This line was also printed in BALLADS - ANCIENT AND MODERN - published 1929

Perhaps the two extra verses will give you more to work on
Personally I've always wondered if this was pertaining ( in an obscure way ) to Elizabeth 1

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09 Mar 01 - 01:36 PM (#414149)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: nutty

I'd be very interested to hear of any new information you might discover about this song ...... also where can I get access to a tune??

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09 Mar 01 - 05:15 PM (#414253)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: GUEST

Then why don't you read the pervious posts above.?

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09 Mar 01 - 06:21 PM (#414289)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Joe Offer

Yes, it's marked for harvesting for the DT, but I haven't got time to work on it just now.
-Joe Offer-

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16 Aug 01 - 01:05 PM (#529335)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Thomas the Rhymer

Hey, Joe, My Good Man! How About This??? At least it is a fine academic exercise... And a darn cool song to boot... No Pun Intended...ttr

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16 Aug 01 - 01:14 PM (#529344)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: MMario

He said he has it marked...and he is currently on vacation. My question - when I try to put tune to lyrics - I find I need to repeat the last line of each verse. (This is true also for Blind Beggers daughter) - Does anyone know if this would be "kosher"?

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16 Aug 01 - 01:16 PM (#529348)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: MMario

sorry - I take that back. My eye strayed...

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17 Aug 01 - 10:06 PM (#530572)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Abby Sale

Masoto, see my post above. It's a good book, very much worth reading. It gives a fine discussion of an important area of folk song.

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04 May 08 - 12:25 PM (#2332661)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mary Ambree
From: Charley Noble

I find it interesting that C. Fox Smith uses the name of this "woman warrior" as the title of one of her more important poems:

Shipmates (Clipper Ship Mary Ambree)

These are the men that sailed with me
In the Colonies clipper Mary Ambree.

These are the men that kept her going
Through the fog and the ice and the big gales blowing:
Skipper and bosun, mates and sails,
Tough as leather and hard as nails,
Wise in the ways of seas and ships,
Soaked in brine to the finger-tips.

These are the chaps that toiled together
In Trade and Doldrum and black Horn weather:
Stood their trick on a beggarly whack
Of junk and limejuice and mouldy tack,
Scoured and holystoned, reefed and furled,
Watch and watch round the whole wet world,
Hauled and sweated at sheets and braces
With the sun in their eyes or the sleet in their faces,
Fought and fisted the frozen courses
On footropes jumping like bucking horses.

These are the men that sailed and manned,
Worked her and drove her from land to land,
Most of 'em gone, as the ships are gone,
For times must change, as the old words run,
And men change with 'em, we know full well;
For worse or for better? Time will tell.
This only is certain, ships and men,
We never shall build their likes again.

Notes:

From Full Sail: More Sea Songs and Ballads, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, US, © 1926, prologue.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

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