A joyful Song of the Royal receiving of the Queen's most excellent Majesty into her highness Camp at Tilsburie in Essex: on Thursday and Friday the eight and ninth of August, 1588.  
To the Tune of Triumph and joy..  
 

GOod English men whose valiant hearts,  
With courage great and manly parts,  
Do mind to daunt the overthwarts,  
of any foe to England.  
Attend a while and you shall hear,  
What love and kindness doth appear,  
From the princely mind of our love dear,  
Elizabeth Queen of England.  
To cheer her soldiers one and all,  
Of honour great or title small,  
〈◊〉 by what name you will them call,  
〈…〉 of England.   

The time being dangerous now ye know,  
That foreign enemies to and fro,  
For to invade us make a show,  
and our good Queen of England.  
Her Majesty by grave advise,  
Considering how the danger lies,  
By all good means she can devise,  
for the safety of all England.  
Hath pointed men of honour right,  
With all the speed they could or might,  
A Camp of men there should be pight,  
on Tilsburie hill in England.   

Her grace being given to understand,  
The mighty power of this her land,  
And the willing hearts therein she found,  
from every shire in England.  
The mighty troops have showed the same,  
That day by day to London came,  
From shires and towns too long to name,  
to serve the Queen of England.  
Her grace to glad their hearts again,  
In princely person took the pain,  
To honour the troops and Martial train,  
in Tilsburie camp in England.   

On Thursday the eight of August last,  
Her Majesty by water past,  
When storms of wind did blue so fast,  
would fear some folk in England.  
And at her fort she went on land,  
That near to Tilsburie (strong) doth stand,  
Where all things furnished there she found,  
for the safe defence of England.  
The great shot then, did rage and roar,  
Replied by a fort on the other shore,  
Whose powdered peilets what wo●●● ye have more,  
would fear any foe to England   

Her highness then to the camp did go,  
The order there to see and know:  
Which, her Lord general did dutifully show,  
in Tilsburie camp in England.  
And every Captain to her came,  
And every Officer of fame,  
To show their duty and their name.  
to their sovereign Queen of England.  
Of tents and cabins, thousands three,  
Some built with bows and many a tree,  
And many of canvas she might see.  
in Tilsburie camp in England.   

Each Captain had his colours brave,  
Set over his tent in wind to wave,  
With them their officers there they have,  
to serve the Queen of England.  
The other lodgings had their sign,  
For soldiers where to sup and dine,  
And for to sleep: with orders fine,  
in Tilsburie Camp in England.  
And vittaling booths, there plenty were,  
Where they sold meat, bread, cheese and beer.  
One should have been hanged for selling too dear  
in Tilsburie camp in England.   

To tell the joy of all and some,  
When that her Majesty was come,  
Such playing on phiphes and many a drum,  
to welcome the Queen of England.  
Displaying of Ensigns very brave,  
Such throwing of hats what would ye have,  
Such cries of joy, God keep and save,  
our noble Queen of England.  
And then to bid her grace good night,  
Great ordinance shot with pellets pight,  
Fourteen fair pieces of great might,  
to feaze the foes of England.   

Her Majesty went then away,  
To the Court, where that her highness lay,  
And came again on the next day,  
to Tilsburie camp in England.  
The Captains yearly did prepare,  
To have their battle set out fair,  
Against her highness coming there,  
to Tilsburie camp in England  
And long before her highness came,  
Each point was ordered so in frame,  
Which served to set forth the fame,  
of a royal camp in England.   

The gallant horsemen mounted brave,  
With stomachs stout that courage have,  
Whose countenance stern might well deprave  
in fight, the foe of England.  
The armed men, bowmen, and the shot,  
Of Muskets and Calivers hot,  
None of these wanted well I wots,  
in Tilsburie camp in England.  
Fifty ensigns spread there were,  
Of several colours fine and fair,  
Of drums and phyp●es, great numbers there.  
in Tilsburie camp in England.   

The battle placed in order due,  
mighty host 〈◊〉 tell you true,  
A famous sight it was to view.  
that royal camp in England.  
The host thus set in battle ray,  
In braver sort than I can say,  
For want of knowledge to display,  
so goodly a camp in England.  
How the main battle, and the wings,  
The vanguard, rearward, and such things,  
The horsemen whose sharp lances stings,  
in fight the foe of England.   

The Noble men, and men of fame,  
In duty bound did show the same,  
To wait when that her highness came,  
our sovereign Queen of England.  
And the being come into the field,  
A martial staff, my Lord did yield,  
Unto her highness, being our shield,  
and marshal chief of England.  
Then road she along the camp to see,  
To every Captain orderly,  
Amid the ranks so royally,  
the marshal thief of England.   

What princely words her grace declared,  
What gracious thanks in every ward,  
To every soldier none she spared,  
that served any where for England.  
With princely promiss none should lack,  
Meat or drink, or cloth for back,  
Gold and silver should not slack,  
to her marshal men of England.  
Then might she see the hats to fly  
And every soldier shouted high,  
For our good Queen we'll fight or die,  
on any foe to England.   

And many a Captain kissed her hand  
As the past forth through every band,  
And lest her train far off to stand,  
from her marshal men of England.  
Two hours she spent among them there,  
Her princely pleasure to declare,  
Where many a one did say and swear,  
to live and die for England.  
And would not ask one penny pay,  
To charge her highness any way,  
But of their own would find a stay,  
to serve her grace for England.   

To my lords pavilion than she went  
A sumptuous fair and famous tent,  
Where dinner time her highness spent,  
with martial men of England.  
In the evening when the tide was come,  
Her highhnesse thanked them all and some,  
With trumpets shrile and sound of drum,  
returned the queen of England.  
To the blockhouse where she took her barge,  
There divers Captains had their charge,  
Then shot the cannons off at large.  
to honour the queen of England.   

And thus her highness went away,  
For whose long life all England pray,  
King Henry's daughter, and our stay,  
Elizabeth queen of England.  
What subject would not spend his life,  
And all he hath to stay the strife,  
Of foreign foe that seeks so rife,  
to invade this realm of England.  
Therefore dear country men I say,  
With heart to God let us all prey,  
To bless our Army's night and day,  
that serve our Queen for England.   
FINIS.  
T. I.   

LONDON Printed by john W●●●● for Richard jones. 1588.