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SONGS OF ACTION
SONGS OF ACTION ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE Contents:
The Song Of The Bow
Cremona
The Storming Party
The Frontier Line
Corporal Dick's Promotion
A Forgotten Tale
Pennarby Mine
A Rover Chanty
A Ballad Of The Ranks
A Lay Of The Links
The Dying Whip
Master
H.M.S. 'Foudroyant'
The Farnshire Cup
The Groom's Story
With the Chiddingfolds
A Hunting Morning
The Old Gray Fox
'Ware Holes
The Home-coming of the 'Eurydice'
The Inner Room
The Irish Colonel
The Blind Archer
A Parable
A Tragedy
The Passing
The Franklin's Maid
The Old Huntsman
THE SONG OF THE BOW
What of the bow?
The bow was made in England:
Of true wood of yew-wood
The wood of English bows;
So men who are free
Love the old yew-tree
And the land where the yew-tree grows.
What of the cord?
The cord was made in England:
A rough cord a tough cord
A cord that bowmen love;
And so we will sing
Of the hempen string
And the land where the cord was wove.
What of the shaft?
The shaft was cut in England:
A long shaft a strong shaft
Barbed and trim and true;
So we'll drink all together
To the grey goose-feather
And the land where the grey goose flew.
What of the mark?
Ah seek it not in England
A bold mark our old mark
Is waiting over-sea.
When the strings harp in chorus
And the lion flag is o'er us
It is there that our mark will be.
What of the men?
The men were bred in England:
The bowmen--the yeomen
The lads of dale and fell.
Here's to you--and to you!
To the hearts that are true
And the land where the true hearts dwell.
CREMONA
[The French Army including a part of the Irish Brigade under
Marshal Villeroy held the fortified town of Cremona during the
winter of 1702. Prince Eugene with the Imperial Army surprised it
one morning and owing to the treachery of a priest occupied the
whole city before the alarm was given. Villeroy was captured
together with many of the French garrison. The Irish however
consisting of the regiments of Dillon and of Burke held a fort
commanding the river gate and defended themselves all day in spite
of Prince Eugene's efforts to win them over to his cause. Eventually
Eugene being unable to take the post was compelled to withdraw from
the city.]
The Grenadiers of Austria are proper men and tall;
The Grenadiers of Austria have scaled the city wall;
They have marched from far away
Ere the dawning of the day
And the morning saw them masters of Cremona.
There's not a man to whisper there's not a horse to neigh;
Of the footmen of Lorraine and the riders of Dupres
They have crept up every street
In the market-place they meet
They are holding every vantage in Cremona.
The Marshal Villeroy he has started from his bed;
The Marshal Villeroy has no wig upon his head;
'I have lost my men!' quoth he
'And my men they have lost me
And I sorely fear we both have lost Cremona.'
Prince Eugene of Austria is in the market-place;
Prince Eugene of Austria has smiles upon his face;
Says he 'Our work is done
For the Citadel is won
And the black and yellow flag flies o'er Cremona.'
Major Dan O'Mahony is in the barrack square
And just six hundred Irish lads are waiting for him there;
Says he 'Come in your shirt
And you won't take any hurt
For the morning air is pleasant in Cremona.'
Major Dan O'Mahony is at the barrack gate
And just six hundred Irish lads will neither stay nor wait;
There's Dillon and there's Burke
And there'll be some bloody work
Ere the Kaiserlics shall boast they hold Cremona.
Major Dan O'Mahony has reached the river fort
And just six hundred Irish lads are joining in the sport;
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