An English patriotic song for St. George's Day. This is "A Warning To All False Traitors" (Full title: "A Warning To All False Traitors by example of 14. Wherof vi. were executed in diuers places neere about London, and 2. neere Braintford the 28. day of August, 1588. Also at Tyborne were executed the 30. day vj.namely 5. Men and one Woman. To the tune of Greensleeves.").
This song was sung by spectators during the hangings of Catholics convicted as traitors for attempting to give aid and comfort to the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Full Elizabethan English lyrics:
You Traitors all that doo devise,
to hurt our Queene in trecherous wise,
And in your hartes doo still surmize,
which way to hurt our England:
Consider what the ende will be,
Of Traitors all in their degree,
Hanging is still their destenye,
that trouble the peace of England.
Will not examples make you true,
But you will still the steppes ensue,
Of the ungodly Romish crue,
that trouble the peace of England!
Remember Felton long agoe,
And Campion that was hang'd also,
With a number great of Traitors moe,
that troubled the peace of England.
Then Parrie and Throckmorton eke,
Of traiterous driftts were not to seeke,
And divers other have doone the like,
to trouble the peace of England:
And Babbington with his wicked traine,
Continually did beate their braine,
which way and how they might obtaine,
to trouble the peace of England.
But God we see hath still made knowne,
Their wicked meaninges every one,
And death hath made their harts to grone,
that troubled the peace of England:
Yet will not these examples good,
Once stay these traitors madding mood,
But still they seeke to suck the blood,
of our gratious Queene of England.
As late neer London there was seene,
Two traitors hang'd on Myle-end greene
which did take part against our Queene,
to trouble her Realme of England:
The first a Preest, his name was Deane,
The next was Weblin who did meane,
To helpe the Spaniards for to gleane,
the fruites of the Realme of England.
The next in Finsberrie feeld their died,
A Preest that was a traitor tryed,
His name was Gunter who denied,
to helpe the good Queene of England:
But he would for the Spaniards sake,
Provide invasion for to make,
And gainst our Queene their partes to take
to trouble the peace of England.
There died in Lincolnes feelde also,
Moorton a cruell traitor too:
He being a Preest with other moe,
did come to trouble our England.
And in that place there died with him,
One Moore that was a traitor grim,
who would have ventured life and lim,
to hurt the good Queene of England.
There died eke at Clarkenwell,
A Preest that was a traitor fell,
His name was Acton trueth to tell,
that troubled the peace of England:
For why, he sought for to maintaine,
The Pope and eke the Spanish traine,
And did our gratious Queene disdaine,
with all that love her in England.
Then Felton yong who did upholde,
The Pope as did his Father olde,
His false hart he to treason solde,
to trouble the peace of England:
To Braintford he was had to dye,
wheras he stoutly did deny,
To helpe our Queene and her Cuntrye,
but sought the decay of England.
And in like manner Clarkson he,
To Braintford went for company,
where both were hanged upon a tree,
as enemies to our England:
Both Preests they were of Romish rout
Who subtilly did goe about,
But yet for them it was no boot,
to hurt the good Realme of England.
At Tyborne dyed the thirteth day,
Flewert and Shelley, trueth to say,
And Leigh a preest who did denay,
to aide the good Queene of England:
Martin and Rooche that present died,
At Tyborne being Traitors tryed:
For like the rest they had denide,
to aide the good Queene of England.
One Margeret Ward there died that daye,
For from Bridewell she did convay,
A traiterous preest with ropes away,
that sought to trouble our England:
This wicked woman voide of grace,
Would not repent in any case,
But desperatly even at that place,
she died as a foe to England.
When Law had passed upon them so,
they should be hang'd and quartered too
Our Queene tooke mercy on them tho,
which sought her decay in England:
And pardoned them their greatest paine,
Yet all her pitie was in vaine,
For to aske mercy they did disdaine,
of the gratious Queene of England.
But God we see dooth still defend,
Our gratious Queene unto the end,
Gainst traitors that doo ill pretend,
to her and her Realme of England:
God graunt that we may thankfull be,
Unto his glorious Majestie,
That so defendes the soveraignty,
of the vertuous Queene of England.
