Motherwell's Minstrelsy, p. 1; from recitation.
| 1 |
Queene Eleanor was a sick woman,
And sick just like to die,
And she has sent for two fryars of France,
To come to her speedilie.
And she has sent, etc. |
| 2 |
The King called downe his nobles all,
By one, by two, by three:
'Earl Marshall, I'll go shrive the Queene,
And thou shalt wend with mee.' |
| 3 |
'A boone, a boone!' quoth Earl Marshall,
And fell on his bended knee,
'That whatsoever the Queene may say,
No harm thereof may bee.' |
| 4 |
'O you'll put on a gray-friar's gowne,
And I'll put on another,
And we will away to fair London town,
Like friars both together.' |
| 5 |
'O no, O no, my liege, my king,
Such things can never bee;
For if the Queene hears word of this,
Hanged she'll cause me to bee.' |
| 6 |
'I swear by the sun, I swear by the moon,
And by the stars so hie,
And by my sceptre and my crowne,
The Earl Marshall shall not die.' |
| 7 |
The King's put on a gray-friar's gowne,
The Earl Marshall's put on another,
And they are away to fair London towne,
Like fryars both together. |
| 8 |
When that they came to fair London towne,
And came into Whitehall,
The bells did ring, and the quiristers sing,
And the torches did light them all. |
| 9 |
And when they came before the Queene,
They kneeled down on their knee:
'What matter, what matter, our gracious queene,
You've sent so speedilie?' |
| 10 |
'O, if you are two fryars of France,
It's you that I wished to see;
But if you are two English lords,
You shall hang on the gallowes-tree.' |
| 11 |
'O we are not two English lords,
But two fryars of France we bee,
And we sang the Song of Solomon,
As we came over the sea.' |
| 12 |
'Oh, the first vile sin I did commit
Tell it I will to thee;
I fell in love with the Earl Marshall,
As he brought me over the sea.' |
| 13 |
'Oh, that was a great sin,' quoth the King,
'But pardond it must bee;'
'Amen! Amen!' said the Earl Marshall,
With a heavie heart spake hee. |
| 14 |
'Oh, the next sin that I did commit
I will to you unfolde;
Earl Marshall had my virgin dower,
Beneath this cloth of golde.' |
| 15 |
'Oh, that was a vile sin,' said the King,
'May God forgive it thee!'
'Amen! Amen!' groaned the Earl Marshall,
And a very frightened man was hee. |
| 16 |
'Oh, the next sin that I did commit
Tell it I will to thee;
I poisoned a lady of noble blood,
For the sake of King Henrie.' |
| 17 |
'Oh, that was a great sin,' said the King,
'But pardoned it shall bee;'
'Amen! Amen!' said the Earl Marshall,
And still a frightened man was he. |
| 18 |
'Oh, the next sin that ever I did
Tell it I will to thee;
I have kept strong poison this seven long years,
To poison King Henrie.' |
| 19 |
'Oh, that was a great sin,' said the King,
'But pardoned it must bee;'
'Amen! Amen!' said the Earl Marshall,
And still a frightened man was hee. |
| 20 |
'O don't you see two little boys,
Playing at the football?
O yonder is the Earl Marshall's son,
And I like him best of all. |
| 21 |
'O don't you see yon other little boy,
Playing at the football?
O that one is King Henrie's son,
And I like him worst of all. |
| 22 |
'His head is like a black bull's head,
His feet are like a bear;'
'What matter! what matter!' cried the King,
'He's my son, and my only heir.' |
| 23 |
The King plucked off his fryar's gowne,
And stood in his scarlet so red;
The Queen she turned herself in bed,
And cryed that she was betrayde. |
| 24 |
The King lookt oer his left shoulder,
And a grim look looked he;
'Earl Marshall,' he said, 'But for my oath,
Thou hadst swung on the gallowes-tree.' |
