Lyrics from 17th century ballad
When canons are roaring, and bullets are flying,
He that would honor win, must not fear dying,
Picture of the Battle of the White Mountain 1621, in public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia Very glad to have come across the Passamezzo version of the ballad When Cannons are roaring via 'The Stuart Era' Facebook group: I am also grateful to Tamsin Lewis from Passamezzo for further information. and for reproducing the lyrics which were published in Cantus, Songs and Fancies by John Forbes in 1662. Tamsin advised that the ballad also appears in James Shirley's Schoole of Complement from 1631 and kindly directed me to the English Broadside Ballad Archive.
The notes introducing Benjamin Luxon take on the song in 1979 on another Youtube version advised that When Cannons are Roaring was referenced in Captain Robert Monro's memoirs of his service fighting for Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years War ( 1618-1648 ). The notes to a Strawhead version place the song from the English Civil War , as do Lucy Skeaping and the City Waites, ( both on Youtube) . It is of course possible that When Cannons are Roaring circulated during the Civil War and lyrics were adapted to a new conflict.
The references to 'pittards' foxed me at first. Put the question to the British and Irish Civil Wars Facebook group and was advised to consider 'petards' -explosives often hurled to blast gates and doors. This seems to connect with the lines 'Pittards against the ports,/wyld fire a flying.' The notion of being 'hoist by your own petard' appears in Act 3 , scene 4 of 'Hamlet' : 'For 'tis sport to have the engineer / Hoist by his own petard' ...usually taken to mean to have some scheme backfire due to their own misjudgement, such as cutting a too short fuse in an explosive with deadly consequence to the bomb-maker .
There is a strange battle euphoria depicted in these lyrics. The first verse acknowledges that ' thousands should be killed ' by explosive fire akin to Aetna ( Mount Etna). The righteous side are compared called 'Christians' whose might crushes the enemies who are depicted as 'Pagans'. Probably easier to count a foe who might also be another type of Christian as 'Pagan'. One possible view is that 'Pagans' was also a name given to a type of explosives, which causes a play on words in the last line with 'pagans upblowing'.
The 'worthies nyne' refer to the 'Nine Worthies ' that appeared in 14th century literature, three triad of three Jewish, Pagan and Christian figures. The role of women is acknowledged in the lyrics, bringing stones and timber to the fighting men on the walls.
The rhythm of the lyrics makes the whole ballad jolly rousing. There is no sign of the 'pity of war' that later poets wrote about. Get the overall impression that the ballad is largely concerned with the more dynamic side of siege warfare as opposed to a long dreary stalemate where a town or fortress is besieged but will not surrender so needs to be starved out or tricked into submission.
When Cannons are roaring
Brave Mars begins to rouse,
and he doth bend his brows,
Boreas burst out in blows,
great Etnaes fire.
He that may loose the field,
yet let him never yeeld,
Though thousands should be kill'd
let souldiers try it.
When canons are roaring, and bullets are flying,
He that would honor win, must not fear dying,
Though Constantin be dead,
who left us honour,
And taught brave Christian Kings,
under his banner.
Pagans amazed stood,
in a great wonder,
To see brave Christians come,
like claps of thunder.
When Canons, .........
Rais'd are the Worthies nyne,
and now ascending;
Ev'n by a power divyne,
Now peace is ending;
So many Christians Kings
with them to enter,
Against their fiercest foes,
that's brave adventure,
When Canons,.......
Souldiers with sword in hands,
to the walls coming,
Horse-men about the streets,
ryding and running;
Sentinells on the walls,
arme,arme , a crying,
Pittards against the ports,
wyld fire a flying.
When Canons....
Trumpets on turrets hye,
these are a sounding,
Drums beating out alowd,
echoes resounding;
Alarm-bells in each place,
They are a ringing,
Women with stones in laps,
to the walls bringing
When Canons...
Captains in open fields,
on their foes rushing,
Gentlemen seconds them,
with their Picks pushing,
Ingyniers in the trench
earth,earth uprearing,
Gun-powder in the mynes,
Pagans upblowing
When Cannons....
Portculzies in the ports
They are down letting,
Burgers come flocking by,
too their heads setting
Ladders against the wall
they are uprearing,
Women great timber longs
to the wall bearing
When Cannons ....
More Information
Link to Passamezzo group website.
to 1685MonmouthRebellion blog by Michael Bully
Other versions of 'When Cannons are roaring'
Benjamin Luxon
Lucie Skeaping and the City Waites
Strawhead
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