Annotation:Audenard Battle

AUDENARD BATTLE, OR LONDON SPY. English, Jig. G Minor. Standard tuning. AABB. The town of Audenaerd is in Flanders. In 1708 an engagement was fought between British and French forces, resulting in a victory for the former. Narcissus Luttrell writes in A Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs (1857)

A general thanksgiving is appointed to be on Thursday, the 19th of August, for our late victory over the French, near Audenard, when her majestie, 'tis said, will goe to St. Pauls, and hear Dr. Fleetwood, bishop of St. Asaph, preach upon that occasion. An officer in our army in Flanders writes, that 'tis in their power to invest which of the enemies towns they please, but have not battering guns nor mortars nearer than Sas van Ghent, from whence 'twill be difficult to get them, so long as the French lye on the canal near Bruges; and that a strong detachment was sent to inlarge the ways for our marching to Rousselaer to straighten them. Tis said their army is diminish'd at least 20,000 men since the battle.

The melody was first published by I. Walsh and P. Randall in The New Country Dancing Master, 2nd Book (London, 1710). It subsequently appeared in several of the Walsh publications, including The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing Master (London, 1719), The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing Master, 3rd Edition (London, 1735), and The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing Master, 3rd Edition (London, 1749). It also appears in the later Playford editions, published by John Young: entitled The Dancing Master, or Directions for Dancing Country Dances (London, editions of 1713, 1714, 1718, and 1728). The second part only consists of six measures.

Printed source: Barnes (English Country Dance Tunes, vol. 2), 2005; pg. 6.