THE
Union of the Red Rose and the White;
BY A
Marriage between King Henry VII. and a Daughter of King Edward IV.
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WHEN York and Lancaster made War,
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Within this famous Land;
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The Lives of Englands noble Peers,
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Did much in Danger stand.
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Seven English Kings in bloody Fields,
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For Englands Crown did fight;
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In which their Heirs were all, but twain,
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Of Life bereaved quite.
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Then thirty Thousand Englishmen,
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Were in one Battle slain;
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Yet could not all this English Blood,
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A settled Peace obtain.
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Fathers unkind their Children killd,
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And Sons their Fathers slew:
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Yea, Kindred fought against their Kind,
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And not each other knew.
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At last, by Henrys lawful Claim,
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The wasting Wars had End;
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For Englands Peace he soon restord,
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And did the same defend.
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For Tyrant Richard, namd the Third,
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The Breeder of this Woe;
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By him was slain, near Leicester Town,
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As Chronicles do show.
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All Fears of Wars he thus exild,
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Which joyd each Englishman,
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And Days of long desired Peace,
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Within the Land began.
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He ruld this Kingdom by true Love,
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To chear his Subjects Lives:
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For every one had daily Joy,
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And Comfort of their Wives.
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King Henry had such princely Care,
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Our further Peace to frame,
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Took fair Elizabeth to Wife,
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That gallant Yorkshire Dame.
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Fourth Edwards Daughter, blessd of God,
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To escape King Richards Spite,
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Was thus made Englands peerless Queen,
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And Henrys Hearts Delight.
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Thus Henry first, of Tudors Name,
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And Lancaster the first,
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With Yorks right Heir, a true Loves Knot,
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Did link and tie full fast.
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Renowned York the White Rose gave,
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Brave Lancaster the Red,
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By Wedlock now conjoind to grow,
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Both in one princely Bed.
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These Roses sprung and budded fair,
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And carried such a Grace,
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That Kings of England in their Arms,
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Afford them worthy Place.
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And flourish may those Roses long,
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That all the World may tell,
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How Owners of those princely Flowrs,
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In Virtues did excel.
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To glorify those Roses more,
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King Henry and his Queen,
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First placd their Pictures in wrought Gold,
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Most gorgeous to be seen.
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The Kings own Guard now wear the same,
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Upon their Back and Breast;
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Where Love and Loyalty remains,
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And evermore shall rest.
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The Red Rose on the Back is placd,
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Thereon a Crown of Gold:
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The White Rose on the Breast is brave
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And costly to behold.
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Bedeckd most rich with Silver Studs,
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On Coat of Scarlet red:
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A blushing Hue with Englands Fame,
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Now many a Year hath bred.
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Thus Tudor and Plantagenet,
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These Honours first devisd;
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To welcome long desired Peace,
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With us so highly prizd.
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A Peace that now maintained is,
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By Charles our Royal King:
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For Peace brings Plenty to the Land,
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With every blessed Thing.
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To speak again of Henrys Praise,
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His princely libral Hand;
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Gave Gifts and Graces many Ways
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Unto this famous Land.
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For which the Lord him Blessings sent,
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And multiplyd his Store:
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In that he left more Wealth to us,
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Than any King before.
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For first his sweet and lovely Queen,
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A Joy above the rest,
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Brought him both Sons and Daughters fair,
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To make his Kingdom blest.
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The Royal Blood that was at Ebb,
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So increasd by his Queen,
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That Englands Heirs unto this Day,
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Do flourish fair and green.
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The first fair Blessing of his Seed,
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Was Arthur Prince of Wales,
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Whose Virtue to the Spanish Court,
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Quite oer the Ocean fails.
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There Ferdinand, the King of Spain,
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His Daughter Katherine gave,
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For Wife unto the English Prince,
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A Thing that God would have.
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Yet Arthur in his lofty Youth,
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And blooming Time of Age,
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Submitting meekly his sweet Life,
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To Deaths impartial Rage;
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Who dying so, no Issue left,
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The Sweet of Natures Joy,
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Which compassd England round with Grief,
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And Spain with sad Annoy.
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King Henrys second Consort provd,
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A Henry of his Name:
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In following Times Eight Henry calld,
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A King of Noble Fame.
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He conquerd Bulloign with his Sword,
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With many Towns in France:
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His manly Mind and Fortitude,
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Did Englands Fame advance.
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He Popish Abbeys first suppressd,
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And Papistry pulld down;
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And bound their Lands by Parliament,
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Unto his Royal Crown.
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He had three Children by three Wives,
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And Princes reigning here:
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Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth,
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A Queen belovd most dear.
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These three sweet Branches bare no Fruit,
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God no such Joy did send;
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Thro which the kingly Tudors Name,
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In England there had End.
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The last Plantagenet that livd,
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Was namd Elizabeth:
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Elizabeth last Tudor was,
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The greatest Queen on Earth.
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Seventh Henry yet we name again,
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Whose Grace gave free Consent,
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To have his Daughters married both
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To Kings of high Descent.
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Margaret, the eldest of the twain,
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Was made great Scotlands Queen;
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As wise, as fair, as virtuous,
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As eer was Lady seen.
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From which fair Queen, our Royal King
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Does lineally descend;
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And rightfully enjoys that Crown,
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Which God doth still befriend.
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For Tudor and Plantagenet,
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By yielding unto Death,
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Have made renowned Stuarts Name,
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The greatest upon Earth.
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His youngest Daughter, Mary calld,
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As princely in Degree;
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Was by her Father worthy thought,
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The Queen of France to be:
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And after to the Suffolk Duke,
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Was made a noble Wife,
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When in the famous English Court,
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She led a virtuous Life.
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King Henry and his loving Queen,
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Rejoicd to see the Day;
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To have their Children thus advancd,
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With Honours every Way.
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Which purchasd Pleasure and Content,
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With many Years Delight;
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Till sad Mischance, by cruel Death,
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Procurd them both a Spite.
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The Queen that fair and princely Dame,
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That Mother meek and mild;
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To add more Number to her Joy,
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Again grew big with Child:
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All which brought Comfort to the King,
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Against which careful Hour,
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He lodgd his dear kind-hearted Queen,
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In Londons stately Tower.
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That Tower that was so fatal once,
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To Princes of Degree;
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Provd fatal to this noble Queen,
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For therein died she.
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In Child-bed lost she her sweet Life,
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Her Life esteemd so dear;
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Which had been Englands loving Queen,
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Full many a happy Year.
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The King herewith possessd with Grief,
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Spent many Months in Moan;
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And daily sighd, and said that he
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Like her could find out none:
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Nor none could he in Fancy chuse,
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To make his wedded Wife;
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Wherefore a Widower would remain,
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The Remnant of his Life.
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His after Days he spent in Peace,
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And Quietness of Mind.
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Like King and Queen, as those two were,
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The World can hardly find.
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Our King and Queen, yet like to them,
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In Virtue and true Love;
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Have heavenly Blessings in like Sort,
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From heavenly Powrs above.
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