The Captain, famous Netherway (That was his noble name); The Master--he was called John Mines-- A mariner of fame: The Gunner, Thomas Watson, A man of perfect skill: With many another valiant heart In the _Angel Gabriel_.
They waving up and down the seas Upon the ocean main, ‘It is not long ago,’ quoth they, ‘That England fought with Spain: O would the Spaniard we might meet Our stomachs to fulfil! We would play him fair a noble bout With our _Angel Gabriel_!’
They had no sooner spoken But straight appeared in sight Three lusty Spanish vessels Of warlike trim and might; With bloody resolution They thought our men to spill, And vowed that they would make a prize Of our _Angel Gabriel_.
Our gallant ship had in her Full forty fighting men; With twenty piece of ordnance We played about them then, With powder, shot, and bullets Right well we worked our will, And hot and bloody grew the fight With our _Angel Gabriel_.
Our Captain to our Master said, ‘Take courage, Master bold!’ Our Master to the seamen said, ‘Stand fast, my hearts of gold!’ Our Gunner unto all the rest, ‘Brave hearts, be valiant still! Fight on, fight on in the defence Of our _Angel Gabriel_!’
We gave them such a broadside It smote their mast asunder, And tore the bowsprit off their ship, Which made the Spaniards wonder, And causèd them in fear to cry, With voices loud and shrill, ‘Help, help, or sunken we shall be By the _Angel Gabriel_!’
So desperately they boarded us For all our valiant shot, Threescore of their best fighting men Upon our decks were got; And lo! at their first entrances Full thirty did we kill, And thus with speed we cleared the deck Of our _Angel Gabriel_.
With that their three ships boarded us Again with might and main, But still our noble Englishmen Cried out ‘A fig for Spain!’ Though seven times they boarded us At last we showed our skill, And made them feel what men we were On the _Angel Gabriel_.
Seven hours this fight continued: So many men lay dead, With Spanish blood for fathoms round The sea was coloured red. Five hundred of their fighting men We there outright did kill, And many more were hurt and maimed By our _Angel Gabriel_.
Then seeing of these bloody spoils, The rest made haste away: For why, they said, it was no boot The longer there to stay. Then they fled into Calès, Where lie they must and will For fear lest they should meet again With our _Angel Gabriel_.