A
a. A broadside, London, Printed for C. Bates, at the Sun & Bible in Gilt-spur-street, near Pye-corner, Bagford Ballads, II, No 26, 1685? b. A broadside, Printed for C. Bates, in Pye-corner, Bagford Ballads, I, No 33, 1685? c. Another copy of b, reprinted in Utterson’s Little Book of Ballads, p. 22. d. A Collection of Old Ballads, 1723, I, 18.
1
Queen Elenor was a sick woman,
And afraid that she should dye;
Then she sent for two fryars of France,
For to speak with them speedily.
2
The King calld down his nobles all,
By one, by two, and by three,
And sent away for Earl Martial,
For to speak with him speedily.
3
When that he came before the King,
He fell on his bended knee;
‘A boon, a boon! our gracious king,
That you sent so hastily.’
4
‘I’ll pawn my living and my lands,
My septer and my crown,
That whatever Queen Elenor says,
I will not write it down.
5
‘Do you put on one fryar’s coat,
And I’ll put on another,
And we will to Queen Elenor go,
One fryar like another.’
6
Thus both attired then they go;
When they came to Whitehall,
The bells they did ring, and the quiristers sing,
And the torches did light them all.
7
When that they came before the Queen,
They fell on their bended knee:
‘A boon, a boon! our gracious queen,
That you sent so hastily.’
8
‘Are you two fryars of France?’ she said,
‘Which I suppose you be;
But if you are two English fryars,
Then hanged shall you be.’
9
‘We are two fryars of France,’ they said,
‘As you suppose we be;
We have not been at any mass
Since we came from the sea.’
10
‘The first vile thing that ere I did
I will to you unfold;
Earl Martial had my maidenhead,
Underneath this cloath of gold.’
11
‘That is a vile sin,’ then said the king,
‘God may forgive it thee!’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth Earl Martial,
With a heavy heart then spoke he.
12
‘The next vile thing that ere I did
To you I’ll not deny;
I made a box of poyson strong,
To poyson King Henry.’
13
‘That is a vile sin,’ then said the King,
‘God may forgive it thee!’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth Earl Martial,
‘And I wish it so may be.’
14
‘The next vile thing that ere I did
To you I will discover;
I poysoned Fair Rosamond,
All in fair Woodstock bower.’
15
‘That is a vile sin,’ then said the King,
‘God may forgive it thee!’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth Earl Martial,
‘And I wish it so may be.’
16
‘Do you see yonders little boy,
A tossing of that ball?
That is Earl Martialś eldest son,
And I love him the best of all.
17
‘Do you see yonders little boy,
A catching of the ball?
That is King Henry’s son,’ she said,
‘And I love him the worst of all.
18
‘His head is like unto a bull,
His nose is like a boar;’
‘No matter for that,’ King Henry said,
‘I love him the better therefore.’
19
The King pulld of his fryar’s coat,
And appeard all in red;
She shriekd and she cry’d, she wrong her hands,
And said she was betrayd.
20
The King lookd over his left shoulder,
And a grim look looked he,
And said, Earl Martial, but for my oath,
Then hanged shouldst thou be.