The Young Earl of Essex's Victory over the Emperor of Germany

The Young Earl of Essex’s Victory Over the Emperor of Germany is Child Ballad 288. With variations, the main story tells of an earl who goes to sea and confronts the German ships. The earl defeats the German emperor's son.

Synopsis
The earl takes to sea. In some variants, his love, Nelly, pleads him to stay and reminds him of what happened to Benbow. Soon after departing, the earl comes across the ships of the German emperor. They hail each other, and the earl's proud greeting causes the emperor's son to ask for ships to go against him. They fight, and the earl defeats and capture's the emperor's son. The emperor tries to ransom him back, but the earl insists on bringing him prisoner before the queen.