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And at their parting well they might
In heart be grieved sore;
After that day fair Rosamond

The king did see no more.

For when his grace had pass'd the seas,
And into France was gone,
Queen Eleanor, with envious heart,
To Woodstock came anon.

And forth she calls this trusty knight,
Who kept this curious bower;
Who, with his clew of twined thread,
Came from this famous flower.
And when that they had wounded him,
The queen this thread did get,
And went where lady Rosamond
Was like an angel set.

But when the queen with stedfast eye

Beheld her heavenly face,

She was amazed in her mind

At her exceeding grace:

'Cast off from thee these robes, (she said,)

'That rich and costly be;

'And drink thou up this deadly draught, 'Which I have brought to thee.'

Then presently upon her knees
Sweet Rosamond did fall;

And pardon of the queen she crav'd
For her offences all :

• Take pity on my youthful years, 'Fair Rosamond did cry;

And let me not with poison strong 'Enforced be to die.

'I will renounce my sinful life,
'And in some cloister bide ;
'Or else be banish'd, if you please,
'To range the world so wide.

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And for the fault which I have done,

Though I was forc'd thereto,

Preserve my life, and punish me

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And, with these words, her lily hands
She wrung full often there ;
And down along her lovely face
Proceeded many a tear.

But nothing could this furious queen
Therewith appeased be ;

The cup of deadly poison strong,
As she sat on her knee,

She

gave this comely dame to drink ; Who took it in her hand,

And from her bended knee arose,
And on her feet did stand:

And casting up her eyes to heaven,
She did for mercy call;

And drinking up the poison strong,

Her life she lost withall.

And when that death through every limb
Had show'd its greatest spite,
Her chiefest foes did plain confess,
She was a glorious wight.
Her body then they did entomb,
When life was fled away,

At Woodstock, near to Oxford town,
As may be seen this day.

BALLAD IX

THE LAMENTATION OF JANE SHORE.

IF Rosamond, that was so fair,
Had cause her sorrows to declare,
Then let Jane Shore with sorrow sing,
That was beloved of a king.

Then wanton wives in time amend,
For love and beauty will have end.

In maiden years my beauty bright
Was loved dear of lord and knight;
But yet the love that they requir'd,
It was not as my friends desir'd.

My parents they, for thirst of gain,
A husband for me did obtain;
And I, their pleasure to fulfil,
Was forc'd to wed against my will.

To Mathew Shore I was a wife,
Till lust brought ruin to my life;
And then my life I lewdly spent,
Which makes my soul for to lament.

In Lombard-street I once did dwell,
As London yet can witness well;
Where many gallants did behold
My beauty in a shop of gold.

I spread my plumes as wantons do, Some sweet and secret friend to woo, Because my love I did not find Agreeing to my wanton mind.

At last my name in court did ring,
Into the ears of England's king,

Who came and lik'd, and love requir'd;

But I made coy what he desir'd.

Yet mistress Blague, a neighbour near,
Whose friendship I esteemed dear,
Did say, it was a gallant thing
To be beloved of a king.

By her persuasions I was led
For to defile my marriage-bed,
And wrong my wedded husband Shore,
Whom I had lov'd ten years before.

In heart and mind I did rejoice,
That I had made so sweet a choice ;
And therefore did my state resign,
To be king Edward's concubine.

From city then to court I went,
To reap the pleasures of content;
And had the joys that love could bring,
And knew the secrets of a king.

When I was thus advanc'd on high,
Commanding Edward with mine eye,
For mistress Blague I, in short space,
Obtain❜d a living from his grace.

No friend I had but, in short time,
I made unto promotion climb;
But yet, for all this costly pride,
My husband could not me abide.

His bed, though wronged by a king,
His heart with grief did deadly sting;
From England then he goes away,
To end his life beyond the sea.

He could not live to see his name
Impaired by my wanton shame ;
Although a prince of peerless might
Did reap the pleasure of his right.

Long time I lived in the court,
With lords and ladies of great sort ;
And when I smil'd all men were glad,

But when I mourn'd my prince grew sad.

But yet an honest mind I bore

To helpless people that were poor;
I still redress'd the orphans cry,

And sav'd their lives condemn'd to die.

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