And when that they had wounded him,
The queen this thread did get,
And went where lady Rofamond
Was like an angel fet.
But when the queen with ftedfast eye
Beheld her heavenly face,
She was amazed in her mind
At her exceeding grace.
Caft off from thee thefe robes, she said,
That rich and coftly be;
And drink thou up this deadly draught,
Which I have brought to thee.
Then presently upon her knees
Sweet Rofamond did fall;
And pardon of the queen fhe crav'd
For her offences all.
Take pity on my youthful years,
Fair Rofamond did cry;
And let me not with poifon ftrong
Enforced be to die.
I will renounce my finful life,
And in fome cloifter bide;
Or elfe be banish'd, if you pleafe,
To range the world fo wide.
And for the fault which I have done,
Though I was forc'd thereto,
Preferve my life, and punish me
As you think good to do.
And, with thefe words, her lily hands
She wrung full often there;
And down along her lovely face
Proceeded many a tear.
But nothing could this furious queen
Therewith appeafed be;
The cup of deadly poifon ftrong,
As fhe fate on her knee,
She gave this comely dame to drink;
Who took it in her hand,
And from her bended knee arose,
And on her feet did ftand:
And cafting up her eyes to heaven,
She did for mercy call;
And drinking up the poifon trong,
Her life the loft withall.
And when that death through every limb
Had fhow'd its greatest spite,
Her chiefest foes did plain confefs
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.
THE LAMENTATION OF JANE SHORE.
F Rofamond, that was fo fair,
Had caufe her forrows to declare,
Then let Jane Shore with forrow fing,
That was beloved of a king.
Then wanton wives in time amend,
For love and beauty will have end.
In maiden years my beauty bright
Was loved dear of lord and knight;
But yet the love that they requir'd,
It was not as my friends defir'd.
My parents they, for thirft of gain,
A hufband for me did obtain ;
And I, their pleasure to fulfil,
Was forc'd to wed against my will.
To Mathew Shore I was a wife,
Till luft brought ruin to my life;
And then my life I lewdly spent,
Which makes my foul for to lament,
In Lombard-ftreet I once did dwell,
As London yet can witness well;
Where many gallants did behold
My beauty in a fhop of gold.
I spread my plumes as wantons do,
Some fweet and fecret friend to woo,
Because my love I did not find
Agreeing to my wanton mind.
At last my name in court did ring,
Into the ears of Englands king,
Who came and lik'd, and love requir'd,
But I made coy what he defir'd.
Yet mistress Blague, a neighbour near,
Whose friendship I efteemed dear,
Did fay, it was a gallant thing
To be beloved of a king.
By her perfuafions I was led
For to defile my marriage-bed,
And wrong my wedded husband Shore,
Whom I had lov'd ten years before.
In heart and mind I did rejoice,
That I had made fo fweet a choice;
And therefor did my. ftate refign,
To be king Edwards concubine.
From city then to court I went,
To reap the pleasures of content;
And had the joys that love could bring,
And knew the secrets of a king.
When I was thus advanc'd on high,
Commanding Edward with mine eye,
For mistress Blague I, in fhort space,
Obtain❜d a living from his grace.
No friend I had but, in fhort time,
I made unto promotion climb;
But yet, for all this coftly pride,
My husband could not me abide.
His bed, though wronged by a king,
His heart with grief did deadly fting;
From England then he goes away,
To end his life beyond the fea.
He could not live to fee his name
Impaired by my wanton fhame;
Although a prince of peerless might
Did reap the pleasure of his right.
Long time I lived in the court,
With lords and ladies of great fort;
And when I fmil'd all men were glad,
But when I mourn'd my prince grew fad.
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