Child Ballads - Additions and Corrections

170. The Death of Queen Jane

P. 372. Communicated by Rev. S. Baring-Gould, as recited by Samuel Force.

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1	Queen Jane, O! Queen Jane, O! what a lady was she! And six weeks and a day in labour was she; Queen Jane was in labour for six weeks and more, Till the women grew weary and fain would give oer.
2	'O women, O women, good wives as ye be, Go send for King Henry and bring him to me.' King Henry was sent for, and to her he came: 'Dear lady, fair lady, your eyes they look dim.'
3	King Henry came to her, he came in all speed, In a gown of red velvet, from the heel to the head: 'King Henry, King Henry, if kind you will be, Send for a good doctor, and let him come to me.'
4	The doctor was sent for, he came with all speed, In a gown of black velvet from the heel to the head; The doctor was sent for and to her he came: 'Dear lady, fair lady, your labour's in vain.'
5	'Dear doctor, dear doctor, will you do this for me? open my right side, and save my baby:' Then out spake King Henry, That never can be, I'd rather lose the branches than the top of the tree.
6	The doctor gave a caudle, the death-sleep slept she, Then her right side was opened and the babe was set free; The babe it was christened, and put out and nursd, But the royal Queen Jane lay cold in the dust.

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Macmath Manuscript, p. 99. Received November, 1892, from the recitation of Mary Cochrane (Mrs. Joseph Garmory), Abbeyyard, Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire. Written down by her husband.

1	Queen Jeanie was in labor for seven weeks in summer, The women all being tired and quite gave her over: 'O women, dear women, if women you be, Send for my mother to come and see me.'
2	Her mother was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down at the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: 'O mother, dear mother, if mother you be, Send for my father to come and see me.'
3	The father was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: ' O father, dear father, if father you be, Send for King Henry to come and see me.'
4	King Henry was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: 'O Henry, King Henry, if Henry you be, Send for the doctor to come and see me.'
5	The doctor was sent for and instantly came, Knelt down by the bedside where Queen Jeanie lay on: 'O doctor, dear doctor, if doctor you be, Open my left side and let the babe free.'
6	Her left side was opened, the young prince was found: 'O doctor, dear doctor, lay me down on the ground.'
7	Her bones were all broken and laid at her feet, And they anointed her body with the ointment so sweet, And ay as they weeped they wrung their hands sore, For the fair flower of England will flourish no more.

P. 372-6. Appendix. 'The Duke of Bedford,' Longman's Magazine, XVII, 217, 1890, "sent from Suffolk," is one half (sts 5-8) a plagiarism from 'The Death of Queen Jane.' Compare A, 5, 6, B, 8, C, 5, 6, D 6 of Queen Jane with what follows. The remainder of 'The Duke of Bedford' is so trivial that it is not worth the while at present to assign that piece its own place. I have not attempted to identify this duke of Bedford; any other duke would probably answer as well.

The Duke of Bedford

1	Six lords went a-hunting down by the seaside, And they spied a dead body washed away by the tide.
2	Said one to the other, 'As I've heard them say, 'T is the famous Duke of Bedford, by the tide washed away.'
3	They took him up to Portsmouth, to the place where he was born, From Portsmouth up to London, to the place where he was known.
4	They took out his bowels and laid down his feet, And they garnished his body with roses so sweet.
5	Six lords went before him, six bare him from the ground, Eight dukes followed after, in their black velvet gowns.
6	. . . And the Royal Princess Mary went weeping away.
7	So black was the funeral and so white were their fans, And so pretty were the flamboys that they carried in their hands.
8	The drums they did beat and the trumpets they did sound, And the great guns they did rattle as they put him in the ground.

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