The English and Scottish Popular Ballads Edited by Francis James Child. |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
 | VI. |
| 156. |
Queen Eleanor's Confession
|
| 157. |
| 158. |
| 159. |
| 160. |
| 161. |
| 162. |
| 163. |
| 164. |
| 165. |
| 166. |
| 167. |
| 168. |
| 169. |
| 170. |
| 171. |
| 172. |
| 173. |
| 174. |
| 175. |
| 176. |
| 177. |
| 178. |
| 179. |
| 180. |
| 181. |
| 182. |
| 183. |
| 184. |
| 185. |
| 186. |
| 187. |
| 188. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
 | The English and Scottish Popular Ballads |  |
Queen Eleanor's Confession
QUEEN ELEANOR'S CONFESSION—E
1
The Queen fell sick, and very, very sick,She was sick, and like to dee,
And she sent for a friar oure frae France,
Her confessour to be.
2
King Henry, when he heard o that,An angry man was he,
And he sent to the Earl Marshall,
Attendance for to gie.
3
‘The Queen is sick,’ King Henry cried,‘And wants to be beshriven;
She has sent for a friar oure frae France;
By the rude, he were better in heaven!
4
‘But tak you now a friar's guise,The voice and gesture feign,
And when she has the pardon crav'd,
Respond to her, Amen!
5
‘And I will be a prelate old,And sit in a corner dark,
To hear the adventures of my spouse,
My spouse, and her haly spark.’
6
‘My liege, my liege, how can I betrayMy mistress and my queen?
O swear by the rude that no damage
From this shall be gotten or gien!’
7
‘I swear by the rude,’ quoth King Henry,‘No damage shall be gotten or gien;
Come, let us spare no cure nor care
For the conscience o the Queen.’
8
‘O fathers, O fathers, I'm very, very sick,I'm sick, and like to dee;
Some ghostly comfort to my poor soul
O tell if ye can gie!’
9
‘Confess, confess,’ Earl Marshall cried,‘And you shall pardoned be;’
‘Confess, confess,’ the King replied,
‘And we shall comfort gie.’
10
‘Oh, how shall I tell the sorry, sorry tale!How can the tale be told!
I playd the harlot wi the Earl Marshall,
Beneath yon cloth of gold.
11
‘Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?But I hope it will pardoned be;’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he.
12
‘O down i the forest, in a bower,Beyond yon dark oak-tree,
I drew a penknife frae my pocket
To kill King Henerie.
13
‘Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?But I hope it will pardoned be;’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he.
14
‘O do you see yon pretty little boy,That's playing at the ba?
He is the Earl Marshall's only son,
And I loved him best of a'.
15
‘Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?But I hope it will pardoned be;’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a very feart heart had he.
263
16
‘And do you see yon pretty little girl,That's a' beclad in green?
She's a friar's daughter, oure in France,
And I hoped to see her a queen.
17
‘Oh, wasna that a sin, and a very great sin?But I hope it will pardoned be;’
‘Amen! Amen!’ quoth the Earl Marshall,
And a feart heart still had he.
18
‘O do you see yon other little boy,That's playing at the ba?
He is King Henry's only son,
And I like him warst of a'.
19
‘He's headed like a buck,’ she said,‘And backed like a bear;’
‘Amen!’ quoth the King, in the King's ain voice,
‘He shall be my only heir.’
20
The King lookd over his left shoulder,An angry man was he:
‘An it werna for the oath I sware,
Earl Marshall, thou shouldst dee.’
| The English and Scottish Popular Ballads | |