Book VIII, Chapter 42

OMitting Knights, three Dukes, three Lords, also a Queene elect
Then perisht thus, and somewhat some of Edwards death suspect.
All which fell out a Stratagem, in God his secre Dome,
That should induce a Tragedie to England meant by Rome:
For when these mighty Protestants, through Ones Ambition, fell,
Queene Mary seem'd to shut vp Heauen, and set wide open Hell.
Whence swarmed papish Tyrants, that false doctrine did erect,
Whilst that seduced Mary did Gods threatned cause neglect.
Blamelesse she was not, for a Crowne that could her Foes ore-goe:
Nor all too blame, for mightie States do and haue erred so,
To Whome the Scriptures weare obscur'd by Christs Italian Foe.
Her courage was not common, yeat abused ouer much
By Papists cheefly, She her selfe too naturally such.
Heere hence she is reprooued of a moste tyrannous Raigne,
And of a thriftles Mariage with the trustles King of Spaine.

But when rich Brabants supreame Faire, the Bakers daughter, staide
The King in dalliance, and the Queene had newes that false he plaide.
Tis thought his tarriance greeu'd, & told that one should counsel this
Haue patience, Madam, so it was and wil be as it is:
Fourth Edward did the like, yeat lou'd his Queene no whit the lesse:
Nor did the like vnpatient her, that knew him to transgresse
As guiltie of a Leash of Loues, Shores wife and other twaine:
She knew as Streams, if stopt, surrownd so Kings wil shew they raign:
As did our second Henry, whome his Queene oft crost in vain[…].
Which, and one other Story, if it please you that I tell,
I shall. Yea doc (quoth she:) Then thus (quoth he) it once befell.

NOt knowen of Rosamund, his eie had stoed her in his heart:
Faire Maide, quoth he, beleeue me faire and all so faire thou art
That, weare I Henry Englāds King, thou shouldst be Englāds Queene:
But so must fayle, for Elenour already is betweene.
He bod me buy thy loue, if so it might be bought with Golde,
If not, he bod me sweare he loues: in fayth he loues, be bolde:
He bod me aske, if so he came, what should his welcome be,
And if, perhaps, he lated weare if he should lodge with thee:
Protesting secreasie thereof to all, vnlesse to me,
With promise to performe at full each promise as I make it:
I promise Loue, Wealth, Secresie, then promise thou to take it.

Content you Sir (quoth Ro (amund) you aime your markes amis:
I am not for his Highnes, nor for me his Highnes is.
And should he know (I shame he should) of this your Brokage bace,
He would acquaint you what it weare your Soueraigne to disgrace.
Whoso you be, be still the same, or better if you may,
Think not Lord Cliffords daughter will vn-maiden her for pay,
But know, if Henryes selfe were heere, himselfe should haue a nay.
Then know (quoth he) which being knowen, well maist thou know I loue thee,
I am the King, and for I am the rather let it moue thee.
In sooth, sweet Wench, thou saiest nay thou knowest not whereto:
For, weare my wish at work, lesse good wy wish than work would do.
What, fearst thou shame? no shame to be beloued of a King:
Or dread'st thou sinne? The Pope for pay absolueth euery thing?
Or doubt'st thou iealous Elenour? I will remoue that doubt:
At Woodstock shall she finde thy bower, but neuer finde thee out:
Theare shalt thou passe a pleasant life, commanding me and mine:
Then loue, beloued Rosamund, a King subiects him thine.
He kist, She blusht, and long it was ere loue from her he wroung,
For, whilst vp played in her heart, it paused on her toung.

Not Sibils Caue at Cuma, nor the Labyrinth in Creat
Was like the Bower of Rosamund, for intricate and great.
The Pellicane theare neasts his Bird and sporteth oft with her,
Conducted by a Clew of thread, els could he not but err.
Besides her Maydes, a Knight of trust attended on her theare,
Who suffred for her Beautie, long concealing it for feare:
At length at full and formally he courted her for grace,
But all in vaine, nought booted him to haue both time and place:
Henry, quoth she, begonne and he shall end my thoughts vnchast:
Nor peach't she him, nor he, dismist, did hold himselfe disgrac'st.

The Kings three Sonnes had notice of their Fathers Leiman now,
So had the Queene, and the yof such coriuing disallowe.
Came I from France Queene Dowager, quoth she, to pay so deere
For bringing him so great a wealth as to be Cuckquean'd heere?
Am I so old a woman, he so young a wanton growen,
As that I may not please, that pleas'd, and still might with his owen?
What is the Drab, or tempting Diuell? or wherefore doteth he?
The French King once, himselfe euen now, for faire preferred me.
And hath he toyled vp his Game? and settels he to loue her?
Nor Heauen nor hell shall crosse my course but that I will remoue her.
Like Phrogne, seeking Philomel, she seeketh for and found
The Bower that lodg'd her Husbands Loue, built partly vnder ground:
She entred, but so intricate weare Turnings to and fro,
That welneere she had lost her selfe, but could not finde her Foe:
Yeat out she got, and backe she goes with her Attendants, who
Admire their furious Mistresse, and mislike what she would doe.

With her Confedrates oft she went, preuented of her will,
Howbeit lastly did preuaile: For hap did hit so ill,
That whilst the Knight did issue out, suspecting no assaut,
He was assailed, & from his giding Clewe they caught.
So wonne they vnto Rosamund: Whom when the Queene did vew,
Most brauely clad in rich Attire (her selfe more rich of hew)
The beautie and the brauenes of the Person and the place
Amazed her and hers, who stoode at gaze a certaine space.
No maruell, quoth the Queene, that oft the Court did mis the King,
Soone such an Hebe hither such a Iupiter might bring:
Now, trust me, weare she not a Whoore, or anies Whoore but his,
She should be pardon'd: But in faith I must not pardon this.
A Queane coriuall with a Queene? Nay kept at Racke & Manger?
A Husband to his honest bed through her become a Stranger?
Abide who list, abye she shall, how so I buy the daunger.

Faire Rosamund surprised thus, eare thus she did suspect,
Fell on her humble Knees, and did her fearefull hands erect:
She blush't out beauty, whilst the tears did wash her pleasing face,
And begged Pardon, meriting no lesse of common grace.
So farforth as it lay in me I did, quoth she, withstand,
But what may not so great a King by meanes or force command?
And daerst thou Minion, quoth the Queene, thus article to me?
That then wert Non-plus when the King commenced Lust to thee:
Nay, best he take thee to the Court, Be thou his Queene, doe call
Me to attendance, if his Lust may stand for law in all:
I know it, Strumpet, so harps he, and thou doest hope the same:
But loe I liue, and liue I will, at least to marre that game.
With that she dasht her on the Lippes, so dyed double red:
Hard was the heart that gaue the blow, soft were those lips that bled.
Then forc'st she her to swallow downe (prepar'd for that intent)
A poisned Potion: which dispatcht, frō whence they came they went.

The wronged Wench, the Quintessence of Beautie, and the same
(Saue that intised of a King) stoode free from all defame,
Did forthwith sicken, so that helpe for her might none be found,
When to the Knight that garded her, then greeued of a wound,
She sayd: Weare it that Henry knew his Rosamund weare thus,
No waightie busnes might withhold but he would visit vs:
Full well I lou'd and loue him still, that should not loue him so,
And for I should not worthely I labour of this woe.
Ah Beauty, that betraies thy selfe to euery amorous Eie,
To trap thy proud Possessors what is it but Wantons trie?
Wheare-through it seldome haps the Faire from meant deceits to flie:
At least the nicest Faire aliue shall vanish once as I.
Vaine Beauty stoupe to Vertue, for this latter is for euer,
Wheareas that former altreth with euery Ayre and Feuer.
I pray the Queene of Pardon, whom I pardon from my hart:
Farewell my present Friends: But thou, sweet King, wheare so thou art,
Ten thousand times farewell to thee: My God, whome I offended,
Vouch safe me Mercy: Saying which, her life she sweetly ended.

Thus did faire Rose (no longer Rose, nor faire, in sent, or sight)
Whome pensiue Henry did inter, and soone her wrong did right,
The Queene imprison'd and his Sonnes, rebelling, put to flight:
Thus wrought they sorrowes to thēselues in wreaking of their spight,
Nor lou'd the King thenceforth the Queene, or left to erre anew.

Now rests our other promis'd Tale, a common Tale (if true)
Like lesse had harmed Elenour, and more may profite you:
Be bitter and it betters not, be patient and subdue:
King Phillip is not gone but to returne, which when he shall,
Your Maiestie must not exclaime if so you would recall:
Impatience chaungeth smoke to flame, but Ielousie is Hell:
Some wiues, by Patience, haue reduc'st ill husbands to liue well,
As did this Lady of an Earle, of whome I now shall tell.