When as King Henrie rul'd this land,
The second of that name,
Beside the Queene, he dearly loved
A faire and princely dame.
Most peerelesse was her beautie found,5
Her favour, and her face;
A sweeter creature in this world
Did never prince imbrace.
Her crisped locks like threades of gold
Appeared to each mans sight;10
Her comely eyes, like orient pearles,
Did cast a heavenly light.
The blood within her cristall cheekes
Did such a cullour drive,
As though the lilly and the rose15
For maistership did strive.
Yea Rosamond, fair Rosamond,
Her name was called so,
To whome dame Elinor, our queene,
Was knowne a cruell foe.20
The king therefore, for her defence
Against the furious queene,
At Woodstocke buylded such a bower,
The like was never seene.
Most curiously that bower was buylt,25
Of stone and timber strong;
A hundred and fiftie doores
Did to that bower belong:
And they so cunningly contriv'd,
With turning round about,30
That none but by a clew of thread
Could enter in or out.
And for his love and ladyes sake,
That was so fair and bright,
The keeping of this bower he gave35
Unto a valiant knight.
But fortune, that doth often frowne
Where she before did smile,
The kinges delight, the ladyes joy
Full soone she did beguile.40
For why, the kings ungracious sonne,
Whom he did high advance,
Against his father raised warres
Within the realme of France.
But yet before our comely king45
The English land forsooke,
Of Rosamond, his ladye faire,
His farewell thus he tooke:
"My Rosamond, my onely Rose,
That pleaseth best mine eye,50
The fairest Rose in all the world
To feed my fantasie,—
"The flower of my affected heart,
Whose sweetness doth excell,
My royall Rose, a hundred times55
I bid thee now farewell!
"For I must leave my fairest flower,
My sweetest Rose, a space,
And crosse the seas to famous France,
Proude rebels to abace.60
"But yet, my Rose, be sure thou shalt
My comming shortly see,
And in my heart, while hence I am,
Ile beare my Rose with mee."