The Battle of Sole Bay (28th March 1672)
From A. S. Harvey, Ballads, Song and Rhymes of East Anglia (1936), pp. 29-31
One day as I was sitting still
Upon the side of Dunwich hill,
And looking on the ocean,
By chance I saw De Ruyter’s fleet
With royal James’s squadron meet;
In sooth, it was a noble treat
To see that brave commotion.
I cannot stay to name the names
Of all the ships that fought with James,
Their number or their tonnage;
But this I say, the noble host
Right gallantly did take its post,
And covered all the hollow coast
From Walberswyck to Dunwich.
The French, who should have joined the Duke,
Full far astern did lag and look,
Although their hulls were lighter;
But nobly faced the Duke of York,
(Though some may wink and some may talk)
Right stoutly did his vessel stalk
To buffet with De Ruyter.
Well might you hear their guns, I guess
From Sizewell Gap to Easton Ness,
The show was rare and sightly;
They battled without let or stay
Until the evening of that day,
’Twas then the Dutchmen ran away,
The Duke had beat them tightly.
Of all the battles gained at sea
This was the rarest victory
Since Phillip’s grand armada;
I will not name the rebel Blake,
He fought for Whore-son Cromwell’s sake,
And yet was forced three days to take
To quell the Dutch bravado.
So now we’ve seen them take to flight,
This way and that, where’er they might,
To windward or to le’ward;
Here’s to King Charles and here’s to James,
And here’s to all the captains’ names,
And here’s to all the Suffolk dames,
And here’s the house of Stuart!
