Queen Eleanor’s Confession (Child 156E)

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.

King Henry, when he heard o that,
An angry man was he,
And he sent to the Earl Marshall,
Attendance for to gie.

‘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!

‘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!

‘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.’

‘My liege, my liege, how can I betray
My mistress and my queen?
O swear by the rude that no damage
From this shall be gotten or gien!’

‘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.’

‘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!’

‘Confess, confess,’ Earl Marshall cried,
‘And you shall pardoned be;’
‘Confess, confess,’ the King replied,
‘And we shall comfort gie.’

‘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.

‘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.

‘O down i the forest, in a bower,
Beyond yon dark oak-tree,
I drew a penknife frae my pocket
To kill King Henerie.

‘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.

‘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’.

‘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.

‘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.

‘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.

‘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’.

‘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.’

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.’