%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> THE / Unforunate Concubine / OR, / ROSAMOND'S Overthrow. / Occasioned by her Brother's praising her Beauty to two young / Knights of Salisbury, as they rid along the Road. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1763-1763 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/02/2011 31346

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

T50403 1 UNKNOWN SWeet youthful charming ladies fair, / Fram'd of the purest mold; Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 658 3: 659 THE / Unforunate Concubine / OR, / ROSAMOND'S Overthrow. / Occasioned by her Brother's praising her Beauty to two young / Knights of Salisbury, as they rid along the Road. 1763-1763

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic The New World travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/ crass humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 5/2/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America clothing/ appearance nobility/ court royalty Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/2/2011 2:29:41 PM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 5/2/2011 2:29:41 PM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:29:41 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:29:41 PM Transcriptionist Two Fadel, Meghan Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/2/2011 2:29:41 PM Transcriptionist One Foley, Christopher Transcription of ballad manuscript 11/9/2010 Checker Sue Hong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/30/2009 Bibliographer Meghan Fadel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 1/20/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">THE</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Unfortunate Concubine</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">ROSAMONDS Overthrow.</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Occasioned by her Brothers praising her Beauty to two young</hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Knights of Salisbury, as they rid along the Road.</hi></seg>
SWeet youthful charming ladies fair, Framd of the purest mold; With rosy cheeks and silken hair, Which shine like threads of gold. Soft tears of pity here bestow, On the unhappy fate, Of Rosamond, who long ago Provd most unfortunate. When as the second Henry reignd, On the imperi[a]l throne, How he this beautiful flower gaind, To you I will make known. With all the circumstances too Which did her Life attend,
How first she into favour grew, And of of her fatal end. As three young Knights of Salisbury, Were riding on their way, One boasted of a lady fair, Within her bower so gay. I have a sister Clifford swears, But few men do her know, Upon her face the skin appears Like drops of blood on snow. My sisters locks of curled hair, Outshine the golden ore. Her skin for w[i]tne[s]s may compare, With the fine lily flower.
Her breasts were lovely to behold Like to the driven snow, I would not for her weight in gold, King Henry should her know King Henry had a bower near, Where they were riding by, And he his Clifford over-hears. Thought he immediately Tho I her brother should offend, For th[at] fair white and red; For her I am resolvd to send, To grace my royal bed. The King who was of high renown, Would not his fancy pall; For having wrote his pleasure down. He did young Clifford call. Come hither to me out of hand, Come hither unto me, I am the King of England, My messenger thou shalt be. I to your sister here have writ, Three letters seald with gold, No messenger I think so fit As you. Therefore behold, Convey them to her hand with speed, Make not the least delay, My will and pleasure let her read, And my commands obey. Young Clifford then the letter took, From Henrys royal hand, Tho with a meloncholly look And mount[e]d out of hand, Soft tears bedewd his noble sight, His grieved heart was sad, Altho he was as brave a knight As ever Henry had. With that this noble knight of fame, Rode on without delay, Until he to the bower came, Which was both rich and gay. She said when he knocked at the ring W,ho raps so fierce and bold? Sister, I have brought from the king, Three letters seald with gold: Then with her fingers long and small She broke the seals of gold; And as she did to reading fall, At first you might behold. The smiles of pleasant sweet delight, As if well satisfied; But eer she had concluded quite, She wrung her hands and cryd, Why did you go beyond your bounds, When Oxford you did see? You might have talked of your hounds, And never braged of me. When by the king I am defild, My fathers griefs begins, Hell have no comfort of his child, Nor come to my wedding.
Go fetch me down my planet book, Strate from my private room, For in the same I mean to look What is decreed my doom. The planet-book to her they brought And laid it on her knee, She found that all would come to nought And poisoned she should be. I cause you brother, then she cryd, Who causd my destiny; I might have been a Lords fair bride, But you have ruind me. With that she calld her waiting-mad, To bring her riding weed, And to her groom she likewise said, Saddle my milk white steed. Some rode before her to report Her coming to the king, As she approach[]d the royal court, Sweet peal of bells did ring. A garland over her head they bore, To magnify her charms, And as she came before the king, He claspd her in her arms. With blushes then she did beseech The king on her bare knee, These words she said, I pray my lihge, What is your will with me? Said he, I sent for you, my rose To grace my royal bed, Now as he did his mind disclose, She blushd like scarlet red. Blush not my fairest Rosamond, Fear no disasterous fate; For by my kindly power I can Place thee in happy state. No lady in this court of mine, Can purchase thy desert, Thy pleasant looks and charms divine, Have won my royal heart. The gifts and presents of a king Did cause her to comply; Thinking there was not any thing Like royal dignity. But as her bright and golden scene In court began to shine, The news was brought unto the queen, Of this new concubine. At which she was enraged so, With malice in her breast, That till she wrought her overthrow, She could not be at rest. She felt the fury of a queen, Eer she had flourishd long. And dyd, just as she had foreseen By force of poison strong. The angry queen with malice fraught Could not herself contain; Till she had brought fair Rosamond To her sad dismal bane.
The said sweet and precious rose, King Henrys chief delight; The queen she to the bower goes, And wrought her hateful spite. But when she to the bower came Where lady Clifford lay? Enraged Eleanor by name, She could not find the way. Until the silken clue of thread, Became a fatal guide, Unto the queen, who laid her dead, Eer she was satisfyd. Alas, it was no small surprise, To Rosamond the fair; When death appeard before her eyes, No faithful friend was there. Who could stand up in her defence To put the poison by: Thus by the hand of violence Compelld she was to die. O most renownd and gracious Queen Compassion take on me; I wish that I had never seen This royal dignity. Betrayd I was and by degrees A sad consent I gave; And now upon my bended knee Your pardon I do crave. I will not pardon you Then take this fatal cup; And you may well be satisfyd, Ill see you drink it up. Then with her fair and lilly hand, The fatal cug she took; Which being drunk she could not stand, But soon the world forsook. Now when the [K]ing was well informd What Eleanor had done; His breast he smote, in wrath he stormd As if he would have run besides his senses, and he swore For this inhuman deed, He never would bed with her more, His royal heart did bleed. The king stood not pausing long How to reward her spleen, But straitway in a prison strong He cast this cruel queen. Where she lay six and twenty years, A long captivity; Bathed in floods of weeping tears, Till his death set her free, Now when her son did succeed, His father, Great Henry, His royal mother soon he freed, From her captivity. And she set more at large, Who long for debt had lain; Her royal pity did discharge Thousands in Richards reign.
Printed and Sold at the Printing-Office, in Aldermary Church-Yard, Bow-Lane, LONDON.