Queen Eleanor's Confession
Child #156 5:06 V, B & HG.
In this ballad King Henry II of England (ruled 1154-1189) tries to play a trick on his French queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is on her deathbed. There was little love lost between these two, and both had lovers during their marriage. Eleanor allegedly had an affair with Henry’s Earl Marshal, while one of Henry’s mistresses, Fair Rosamond, was supposedly poisoned by the Queen. Henry’s suggestion to the Earl Marshal that they shall dress up as friars and go to hear the Queen’s confession thus has some unforeseen results. By the way, some may be interested to know that ‘Earl Marshal’s eldest son’ became Richard I (‘Richard Lionheart’), while ‘King Henry’s youngest son’ grew up to be the much-maligned King John.
Queene Eleanor was a sicke woman, and afraid that she should dye;
And she has sent for two fryars from France, to speke with her speedilye.
The king calld downe his nobles all, by one, by two, by three;
"Earl marshall, Ile goe shrive the queene, and thou shalt wend with mee."
A boone, a boone; quoth earl marshall, and fell on his bended knee;
That whatsoever queene Eleanor may say, no harme therof may be,
I'll pawne my landes, the king then cryd, my sceptre, crowne, and all,
That whatsoere queen Eleanor may say no harme thereof shall fall.
Do you put on a fryars coat, and Ile put on another;
And we will to queen Eleanor go, like fryar and his brother.
And when they came before the queene, they fell on their bended knee;
A boone, a boone, our gracious queene, that you sent so hastilee.
Are you two fryars of France, she sayd, as I suppose you bee?
But if you are two English fryars, you shall hang on the gallowes tree.
We are two fryars of France, they sayd, as you suppose we bee;
We have not been at any masse since we came from the sea.
The first vile thing that ever I did I will to you unfolde;
Earl marshall had my maidenhead, beneath this cloth of golde.
Thats a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, Amen, quoth earl marshall; with a heavye heart spoke hee.
The next vile thing that ever I did, to you Ile not denye;
I made a boxe of poyson strong, to poison king Henrye.
That's a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, amen, quoth earl marshal, and I wish it so may bee.
The next vile thing that ever I did, to you I will discover;
I poysoned fair Rosamonde, all in fair Woodstocke bower.
Thats a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, amen, quoth Earl Marshall, and I wish it so may bee.
Do you see yonders little boye, a tossing of the balle?
That is earl marshal's eldest sonne, and I love him the best of all.
Do you see yonders little boye, a catching of the balle?
That is king Henryes youngest sonne, and I love him the worst of all.
His head is fashyon'd like a bull; his nose is like a boare.
No matter for that, king Henrye cryd, I love him the better therefore.
And the king’s pulled off his fryar's coate, and appeared all in redde;
The Queen cried out and wrung her hands, and sayd she had been betrayde.
The king lookt over his left shoulder....and a grimme look looked he;
Earl marshall,he sayd, but for my oathe, high-hanged thou shouldst be.
In this ballad King Henry II of England (ruled 1154-1189) tries to play a trick on his French queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is on her deathbed. There was little love lost between these two, and both had lovers during their marriage. Eleanor allegedly had an affair with Henry’s Earl Marshal, while one of Henry’s mistresses, Fair Rosamond, was supposedly poisoned by the Queen. Henry’s suggestion to the Earl Marshal that they shall dress up as friars and go to hear the Queen’s confession thus has some unforeseen results. By the way, some may be interested to know that ‘Earl Marshal’s eldest son’ became Richard I (‘Richard Lionheart’), while ‘King Henry’s youngest son’ grew up to be the much-maligned King John.
Queene Eleanor was a sicke woman, and afraid that she should dye;
And she has sent for two fryars from France, to speke with her speedilye.
The king calld downe his nobles all, by one, by two, by three;
"Earl marshall, Ile goe shrive the queene, and thou shalt wend with mee."
A boone, a boone; quoth earl marshall, and fell on his bended knee;
That whatsoever queene Eleanor may say, no harme therof may be,
I'll pawne my landes, the king then cryd, my sceptre, crowne, and all,
That whatsoere queen Eleanor may say no harme thereof shall fall.
Do you put on a fryars coat, and Ile put on another;
And we will to queen Eleanor go, like fryar and his brother.
And when they came before the queene, they fell on their bended knee;
A boone, a boone, our gracious queene, that you sent so hastilee.
Are you two fryars of France, she sayd, as I suppose you bee?
But if you are two English fryars, you shall hang on the gallowes tree.
We are two fryars of France, they sayd, as you suppose we bee;
We have not been at any masse since we came from the sea.
The first vile thing that ever I did I will to you unfolde;
Earl marshall had my maidenhead, beneath this cloth of golde.
Thats a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, Amen, quoth earl marshall; with a heavye heart spoke hee.
The next vile thing that ever I did, to you Ile not denye;
I made a boxe of poyson strong, to poison king Henrye.
That's a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, amen, quoth earl marshal, and I wish it so may bee.
The next vile thing that ever I did, to you I will discover;
I poysoned fair Rosamonde, all in fair Woodstocke bower.
Thats a vile sinne, then sayd the king; May God forgive it thee!
Amen, amen, quoth Earl Marshall, and I wish it so may bee.
Do you see yonders little boye, a tossing of the balle?
That is earl marshal's eldest sonne, and I love him the best of all.
Do you see yonders little boye, a catching of the balle?
That is king Henryes youngest sonne, and I love him the worst of all.
His head is fashyon'd like a bull; his nose is like a boare.
No matter for that, king Henrye cryd, I love him the better therefore.
And the king’s pulled off his fryar's coate, and appeared all in redde;
The Queen cried out and wrung her hands, and sayd she had been betrayde.
The king lookt over his left shoulder....and a grimme look looked he;
Earl marshall,he sayd, but for my oathe, high-hanged thou shouldst be.
