%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Life and Death of / Fair ROSAMOND. / King HENRY the Second's Concubine, University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1736-1736 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/04/2011 31436

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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

T40910 WHen as King Henry rul'd this Land, / the second of that Name, Roxburghe Ballads Editor None None None None Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 3: 714 3: 715 The Life and Death of / Fair ROSAMOND. / King HENRY the Second's Concubine, 1736-1736

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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 5/4/2011 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America clothing/ appearance crime military/ war nobility/ court royalty virtue Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 5/4/2011 10:36:19 AM XBallad Doss, MacKenzie Created XML Version of Ballad 5/4/2011 10:36:19 AM Transcription Supervisor McAbee, Kristina, Nebeker, Eric Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2011 10:36:19 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2011 10:36:19 AM Transcriptionist Two Megna, Paul Transcription of ballad manuscript 5/4/2011 10:36:19 AM Transcriptionist One Foley, Christopher Transcription of ballad manuscript 2/3/2009 Bibliographer Meghan Fadel Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/22/2010 Checker Sue Hong Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/20/2011 Checker Charlotte Becker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
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WHEN as king Henry ruld this land, The second of that name, Beside the queen he loved dear, A fair and comely dame. Most peerless was her beauty sound, Her favour and her face; A sweeter creature in the world, Could never prince embrace. Her crisped locks like threads of gold Appeard to each mans sight, Her comely eyes like orient pearl, Did cast a heavenly light. The blood within her crystal cheeks Did such a colour drive, As tho the lilly and the rose For mastership did strive. Fair Rosamond, Fair Rosamond, Her name waa calld so, To whom dame Eleanor our Queen, Was known a deadly foe.
The king therefore, for her defence, Against the furious queen, At Woodstock builded such a bower, The like was never seen. Most curiously that bower was built Of stone and timber strong, An hundred and fifty doors Did to this bower belong. And they so cunningly contrivd, With turnings round about, That none without a clue of thread Could enter in and out. Now for his love and ladys sake, Who was both fair and bright, The keeping of this bower he gave Unto a valiant Knight. But fortune that doth often frown Where it before did smile, The kings delight, the ladys joy Full soon she did beguile.
For why, the kings ungracious son, Whom he did high advance, Against his father raised wars Within the realms of France. But yet before our gracious king The English land forsook, Of Rosamond his lady fair, His farewell thus he took. My Rosamond, my only Rose, Who pleaseth best mine eye; The fairest flower in all the world. To feed my phantasy. The flower of my affected heart, Whose sweetness doth excel My royal rose an hundred times, I bid you now farewell. For I must leave my fairest rose, My sweetest rose a space, And cross the ocean into France, Proud rebels to debase. But still my rose, be sure thou shalt My coming shortly see, And in my heart, when hence I am, Ill bear my rose with me. When Rosamond the lady bright, Did hear the king say so, The sorrows of her grieved heart Her outward locks did show, And from her clear and crystal eyes, The tears gushd out apace. Which like the silver pearly dew Ran down her comely face. Her lips like to the coral red, Did wax both wan and pale. And for the sorrow she conceivd, Her vital spirits fail And falling down into a swoon Before king Henrys face, Full oft within his princely arms Her body did embrace. And twenty times with watery eyes He kissd her tender cheeks, Until he had revivd again, Her spirit mild and meek. Why grieves my rose? my sweetest rose, The king did often say. Because, quoth she, to bloody wars My lord must pass away. But since your grace in foreign coasts Amongst your foes unkind, Must go to hazard life and limb, Why must I stay behind.
Nay, rather let me, like a page, Thy sword and target bear, That on my breast the blow may light That shall offend my dear. O let me in your royal tent Prepare your bed at night, And with sweet baths refreshen you, As you return from fight. So I your presence may enjoy, No toil I will refuse: But wanting you my life is death, Which doth true love abuse. Content thyself, my dearest love, Thy rest at home shall be, In Englands sweet and pleasing court, For travels fit not thee. Fair ladies brook not bloody wars, Sweet peace their pleasure breeds, The nou[r]isher of hearts content, Whose fancy first did feed. My rose shall rest in Woodstock bower, With musics sweet delight; While I among the piercing pikes Against my foes do fight: My rose in robes of pearl and gold, With diamonds rich and bright, Shall dance the galliards of my love, While I my foes do smite. And you, Sir Thomas, whom I trust To be my loves defence, Be careful of my gallant rose When I am parted hence. And herewithal he fetchd a sigh, As tho his heart would break: And Rosamond, for very grief, Not one plain word cou[l]d speak. 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 passed the seas, And into France was gone, Queen Eleanor with envious heart To Woodstock came anon. And forth she calls the trusty Knight, Who kept this curious bower, And with a clew of twisted 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 eyes, Beheld his heavenly face, She was amazed in her mind At such exceeding grace. Cast off, said she, these fine robes, That rich and costly be, And drink you up this deadly draught Which I have brought to thee. But presently upon her knees Fair Rosamond did fall, And pardon of the queen she cravd For her offences all. Take pity on my youthful years, Fair Rosamond did cry, And let me not with poison strong Be forced for to die. I will renounce my sinful life, And in some cloister bide, Or else be banishd if you please, To range the world so wide. And for the fault which I have done, Tho I was forced thereunto, Preserve my life, and punish me, As you think fit to do. And with these words her lilly hands She wrung full often there, And down along her comely face, Proceeded many a tear. But nothing could this furious queen Herewith appeased be, The cup of deadly poison strong, Which she held on her knee, She gave this comely dame to drink, Who took it from her hand, And from her bended knees arose, And on her feet did stand. When casting up her eyes to heaven, She did for mercy call, And drinking up the poison strong, She lost her life withal. And when death thro every limb Had done its greatest spite, Her chiefest foes could but 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.
Printed and Sold in Bow-Church Yard, London,