God save the king, and bless the land
In plenty, joy, and peace;

And grant, henceforth, that foul debate
'Twixt noblemen may cease!

BALLAD XXV.*

OF THE SIX QUEENS THAT WERE MARRIED TO HENRY THE EIGHTH, KING OF ENGLAND.

WHEN England's fame did ring

Royally, royally,

Of Henry the Eighth our king,

All the world over :

Such deeds of majesty
Won he most worthily,
England to glorify,

By the hand of fair heaven.

His royal father dead;

Curiously, curiously,

Was he then wrapt in lead,
As it appeareth:

Such a tomb did he make,

For his sweet father's sake,

As the whole world may speak

Of his gallant glory.

* From Johnson's Crowne Garland of goulden Roses,' &c. 1612.

England's brave monument
Sumptuously, sumptuously,
Kings and queens gave consent
To have it there grac'd:
Henry the Eighth was he,
Builded in gallantry,
With golden bravery,
In his rich chapel. *

And after did provide,
Carefully, carefully,
To choose a princely bride,
For his land's honour:

His brother's widow he
Married most lawfully,
His loving wife to be
Royal Queen Catherine.

Which queen he loved dear,
Many a day, many a day,
Full two-and-twenty year,
Ere they were parted.
From this renowned dame,
Mary his daughter came;
Yet did his bishops frame

To have her divorced.

* [The chapel called Henry the Seventh's, in Westminster Abbey, where the costly and beautiful tomb of that monarch is still in good preservation. It was the workmanship of one Peter, a Florentine. See Dart's Antiq. of West. Abbey, and Walpole's Anecd. of Painting in England.]

When as Queen Catherine knew
How the king, how the king,
Prov'd in love most untrue,
Thus to forsake her;

Good Lord! what bitter woe,
Did this sweet princess show,
Unkindly thus to go

From her sweet husband.

O my kind sovereign dear! (Said the queen, said the queen,) Full two-and-twenty year "Have I been married: Sure it will break my heart, From thee now to depart, 'I ne'er play'd wanton's part,

Amongst our Englishmen

Of renown, of renown; The Earl of Wiltshire then

Had a virtuous fair daughter;

A brave and princely dame,

Anna Bullen by name;

This virgin was by fame,
Made wife to King Henry.

From this same royal queen,
Blessedly, blessedly,

As it was known and seen,
Came our sweet princess,
England's Elizabeth !
Fairest queen on the earth;
Happy made by her birth,
Was this brave kingdom.

When Anna Bullen's place
Of a queen, of a queen,
Had been for three years' space,
More was her sorrow:

In the king's royal head
Secret displeasure bred,

That cost the queen her head,
In London's strong Tower.

Then took he to wife Lady Jane, Lovingly, lovingly,

That from the Seymours came,

Nobly descended;

But her love bought she dear,
She was but queen one year;
In child-bed she died, we hear,
Of royal King Edward.

England then understand,
Famously, famously,

Princes three of this land,

Thus came from three queens: Catherine gave Mary birth, Anna Elizabeth,

Jane, Edward by her death,

All crown'd in England.

After these married he,

All in fame, all in fame,

A dame of dignity,

Fair Anne of Cleve:

Her sorrow soon was seen,
Only six months a queen,
Graces but growing green,
So quickly divorced.

Yet liv'd she with grief to see,
Woful queen, woful queen!
Two more as well as she,
Married unto King Henry:
To enjoy love's delights,
On their sweet wedding nights,
Which were her proper rites,
Mournful young princess.

First a sweet gallant dame,
Nobly born, nobly born,
Which had unto her name

Fair Catherine Howard:
But ere two years were past,
Disliking grew so fast,
She lost her head at last :

Small time of glory!