%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The cruel assault of Gods Fort. A., J. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1556-1556 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 04/30/2012 32081

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

S121708 By Edward the sixt, of England kyng, / A fort was made gods truth to shield Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 18263 The cruel assault of Gods Fort. The cruel assault of Gods Fort. The cruel assault of God's Fort. A., J. Printer John Awdeley 1556-1556

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BY Edward the sixt, of England kyng, A Fort was made gods truth to shield In whose lyfe time/ by good rulyng, Both friend and foe to it dyd yelde. But when for synne of hys owne flocke, The Lord in wrath tooke him away: Leaving the Fort to his next stocke/ The enmies then sought out theyr pray. Then blew up trumpets of Papists sounde Souldiers to call/ and wages gave: Come who so would/ was armed rounde, None they refusde, but drest them brave. The field was pytcht of Papists part, With corned caps, tippets, and gownes. Theyr ordnaunce lay redy in cart, To beat the fort of gods truth downe. The generall Gardner / brave and stout And Captaine Boner, marcht foorth amain, Bourne with standerd, cryed out, Al arme/ al arme, our shavelinges traine. The Auncient which that Bourne bare/ Were fierce wolves teeth, with blood besprent Fire and Fagot, whych did declare, Their ravenous hartes to Christians ment. Then doctour Martin, as clarke of army With Doctour Story, the master Gonner: These two in office, were as trusty, As Gardner, Bourne/ or byshop Bonner. A cry was made, throughout the host: With fire and hempe, all to destroy: Where ever they were, in al the cost, That dyd the Popes power seke to noye. The Fort thus sieged on every syde, With crye so fierce, to kyll them all: A forte for feare durst not abyde, But from Gods Fort to them dyd fall. Then might ye heare the Canons rore/ Which Bourne and Watson falsely shot: Yelde, yeld these cryde, from heretickes lore Or batter we shal/ both wall and fort. No/ no (quoth they within the Fort) We yelde us not Gods truth to stayne: Though you destroy us in this sort/ God shal our Fort/ wyth force maintayne. Wyth that they all the Fort wythin/ Wyth sighes and sobs to God out cryde: Thou Lord of hostes, way not our synne, But ayde thy flocke so wo betyde. For though with sinne, we causde this day That our good king you shouldst thus take: Yet Lord with bitternes of soule we pray, Strength us against this firye lake. This done they blowde a chereful blast, Unto the souldiers in the Fort: Arme ye/ arme ye, in all the hast, Our enmies now to Fort resort. The Auncient which was spred on wall, Had a white Lambe, with red spots thicke: And in gold letters were these wordes all, Why do ye Sauls, against me kicke? Forth came Rogers, Hooper & Sanders Upon the walles the Fort to fende: We yelde not (said they) to such destroyers, But fight we will unto the ende.
To these Steven Gardner, gave onset, And layde on lode, as wolfe on pray: He tooke them prisoners, with his false net/ And sent them to the fire straightway. Then Story the maister of the shot/ On Papists rampire brave and proude: For spilling bloud he cared not, Assault/ assault he cryde aloude. These were no sooner of the wall, But up lept Rydley and Latimer: To rescue Gods fort, so nere to fall. And did with force, the foes encounter. And bishop Cranmer/ though with gyle, The enmies stole him from the Fort: Yet boldly fought with them a whyle, And folowed his mates, in lyke sort. Then doctour Weston, at these out shot, The pellets of Rome, and them did mayme: So that away they passed not, But were destroyed with fire and flame. But Bradford then on wall up lept, And Philpot eke by hym did stand: Cardmaker and Taylour also up crept, And these by truth dyd noy theyr band. Bishop Boner, on these laide hand, And to Smithfield sent them in hast: But to the death/ these did withstand, And would not yeld to enmies blast. Then blewe the Papists to assault, And set a watch about the Fort: Of knightes and yemen to finde some fault/ To make them yelde after this sort. And sworen men in every cost, They did compell to watche and spye: If any did resist their host/ They must present them for to dye. The Fort with enmies laid round about, And al the captaines so cruelly slaine: The soldiours therof with courage stout, Kept yet the walles with might and maine. Now scale the walles (quoth Boner then) Behold the captaines we have slaine: Ransacke the Fort/ destroy all men/ Both wemen & children let none remaine, Then scaling lathers were up rearde, And John Auales on them with targe: His knees had crosses because he fearde, The steps wold breake and hang him large Up came Beard, by Vales his man/ Armed al round as dronkardes use: His head was closde, with good ale can/ And in his hand a Taverners cruse. But they in Fort/ did with them play/ And cast them bribes, which made them yelde, They striving who should have the pray, Fought one with other in their owne fielde. Yet battred was this Fort full sore/ With vehemrnt shot on Papists part: The walles they bet styl more and more/ But yet the fortmen would not start. Then pusshed the Papists with their pikes, The Hargabusses shot out amayne: And dyms the ayre and many strikes/ Of them that did the Fort sustayne.
The Holberts and the Bowmen eke, Came preasing toward the Fort with spede: These were the rakehels that did seke, To have mens goodes playde Cains dede. There might ye see the Fort about Great streames of bloode & bodies slayne. The handes of al the host throughout, With blood of Saints they did them staine. In this assault the infants out cryde, And eke their mothers as wydowes left, To see theyr friendes before them dyde/ And al their goodes from them bereft. Though thus the Fort, was almost gone, By cruel assault of enmyes bolde: Yet some within the Fort alone, To God did crye / Lord keepe thy holde. Then God did send his slave Death down Into the Papists host among: Which slew the chiefest in all the towne/ And greatest captaines in the throng. By thys great stroke of mighte Jove, The vehement force of Papists fell: And sent this Fort (which is hys Love) A godly captaine to keepe it well. Which when in Fort she did appere/ And flag of truce spred in her hand: Aloud she cried, cease nowe your yre/ And yelde to me right heyre of England: Then scattred were the Papists host/ Their flags of fire to ground did fall. Their flaming brandes which oft they tost, Were clene out quentch at our Quenes call. Crye was then made to God on hye/ Of al the souldtours in the Fort: Oh praise the Lorde for victorye, In helping us after this sort. Now yelde (they cried) our brethren dere, Which have against Gods truth so stoode: Behold our Quene doth profer here, To graunt ye peace to chaunge your moode. Which if her clemencie you refuse/ And pleade not for your lives graunt: The law of armes she must nedes use/ On such as are to her repugnaunt. Yelde, yelde therefore ye chiefe captaines Example geve to all your host: Or els wyll God revenge with paines/ The bloud of those whom ye have rost. And all ye Christians of this England/ Your trumpets sound to Gods hie praise, On Gods head let a Bay garland/ For your triumphe of all these fraies. Yeld now your lives after such sort, As God may not this Fort so plage. Strength now your selves in this gods fort That ye yelde no more to enmies rage. So God wil spare us our Quene long, So God will make our land encrease: So God wyl builde our fort so strong, That no enmies dare to it prease.
To this say al right Christen men, God save our Quene. Amen. Amen. Quod J.A. Imprinted at London by John Awdeley, dwelling by great S. Bartelmewes beyonde Aldersgate.