And when that death through everye limbe

Had fhowde its greatest fpite,

185

Her chiefest foes did plaine confeffe

Shee was a glorious wight.

Her body then they did entomb,

When life was fled away,

At Godftowe, neare to Oxford towne,

As may be feene this day.

190

VIII.

QUEEN ELEANOR's CONFESSION.

"Eleanor, the daughter and heiress of William duke of Guienne, and count of Poitou, had been married fixteen years to Louis VII. king of France, and had attended him in a croifade, which that monarch commanded against the infidels; but having loft the affections of her husband, and even fallen under Jome fufpicions of gallantry with a handfome Saracen, Louis, more delicate than politic, procured a divorce from her, and restored her thoje rich provinces, which by her marriage he had annexed to the crown of France. The young count of Anjou, afterwards Henry II. king of England, tho' at that time but in his nineteenth year, neither discouraged by the disparity of age, nor by the reports of Eleanor's gallantry, made fuch fuccessful courtship to that princess, that he married her fix weeks after her divorce, and got poffeffion of all her dominions as a dowery. A marriage thus founded upon intereft was not likely to be very happy: it

bappened

happened accordingly. Eleanor, who had difgufted her first bufband by her gallantries, was no less offenfive to her fecond by her jealoufy: thus carrying to extremity, in the different parts of her life, every circumstance of female weakness. She had feveral fons by Henry, whom fee Spirited up to rebel against him; and endeavouring to escape to them difguifed in man's apparel in 1173, fhe was difcovered and thrown into a confinement, which feems to have continued till the death of her husband in 1189. She however furvived him many years: dying in 1204, in the fixth year of the reign of her youngest jon, John." See Hume's Hift. 4to. Vol. 1. p. 260. 307. Speed, Stow, Sc.

It is needlefs to obferve, that the following ballad (given from an old printed copy) is altogether fabulous; whatever gallantries Eleanor encouraged in the time of her first bufband, none are imputed to her in that of her fecond.

Q

UEENE Elianor was a ficke woman.
And afraid that she should dye:
Then the fent for two fryars of France
To speke with her speedilye.

The king calld downe his nobles all,
By one, by two, by three;
Earl marshall, Ile goe fhrive the
And thou shalt wend with mee."

queene,

A boone, a boone; quoth earl marshall,

And fell on his bended knee;
That whatfoever queene Elianor faye,
No harme therof may bee.

Ile pawne my landes, the king then cryd,
My fceptre, crowne, and all,
That whatfoere queen Elianor fayes

No harme thereof fhall fall.

Do thou put on a fryars coat,
And Ile put on another;

And we will to queen Elianor goe

Like fryar and his brother.

Thus both attired then they goe:

When they came to Whitehall,

The bells did ring, and the quirifters fing,
And the torches did lighte them all.

When that they came before the queene
They fell on their bended knee;

A boone, a boone, our gracious queene,
That you fent fo haftilee.

Are you two fryars of France, the fayd,

As I fuppofe you bee?

30

But if you are two Englishe fryars,

You shall hang on the gallowes tree.

We are two fryars of France, they fayd,

As you suppose we bee,

We have not been at any maffe

Sith we came from the fea.

35

The

The first vile thing that ever I did

I will to you unfolde;

Earl marshall had my maidenhed,
Beneath this cloth of golde.

Thats a vile finne, then fayd the king;

May God forgive it thee!

Amen, amen, quoth earl marshall;

40

With a heavye heart fpake hee.

The next vile thing that ever I did,
Το you Ile not denye,

.45

I made a boxe of poyson strong,

To poifon king Henrye.

Thats a vile finne, then fayd the king,

May God forgive it thee!

50

Amen, amen, quoth earl marshall;

And I wish it fo may bee.

The next vile thing that ever I did,

To you I will discover;

I poyfoned fair Rofamonde,

All in fair Woodstocke bower.

Thats a vile finne, then fayd the king;

May God forgive it thee!

Amen, amen, quoth earl marfhall;

55

And I wish it fo may bee.

60

Do

Do you fee yonders little boye,,

A toffing of the balle ?

That is earl marfhalls eldeft fonne,

And I love him the best of all.

Do you fee yonders little boye,

A catching of the balle?

That is king Henryes youngest fonne,
And I love him the worst of all.

His head is fafhyond like a bull;

His nofe is like a boare.

65

70

No matter for that, king Henrye cryd,

I love him the better therfore.

The king pulled off his fryars coate,
And appeared all in redde:

She fhrieked, and cryd, and wrung her hands, 75
And fayd fhe was betrayde.

The king lookt over his left shoulder,
And a grimme look looked hee,

Earl marshall, he fayd, but for my oathe,
Or hanged thou fhouldft bee.

So

V. 63, 67. She means that the eldest of these two was by the ear! marshall, the youngest by the king.

IX. THE