Occasion'd by her Brother's unadvisedly praising

her Beauty to Two young Knights of Salisbury, as they rid on the Road.

To the Tune of The Court Lady.

Rosamond, the Daughter of Walter Lord

Clifford, was, as the Writers of that Age assure us, a young Lady of infinite Beauty; on the bare Report of which, King Henry the Second fell in Love with her and having

de

B

[ 21
debauch'd her, built the famous Bower at
Woodstock, to keep her out of the Reach of
hiszcalous Queen Eleanor; of whom I shall,
indië.of my following Introductions, have
Occafiono to speak. 'Tis but a few Years
fince there were some Remains of this Bower
to be seen, hard by that Noble Palace of
the late Duke of Marlborough, Bleinheim-
Castle ; and in one of the adjacent Meads,
they still few us Rosamond's Pond, where
(they say) Me was wont to bathe her self.
However, this is a Point (if I may dwell on
such a Trifle) scarce to be believ'd, unless
Me made use of Cold Baths ; for the Wa-
ters are some of the coldest I ever felt; issuing
directly out of a Rock, or flinty Mountain,
and falling into a Square Bason fome Three
or Four Foot deep. However, the jealous
Queen found the Means of compassing her
Ends even in this Place : For King Hen-
ry

the IIId, who by his Father's Indulgence
had been crown'd in his Life-time, rebell’d
in Normandy; and the Queen perswaded
Two more of her Sons to join their Bro
ther, which they did ; and Henry II. was
obliged to cross the Seas, to quell the rebel-
lious Princes. During this Time,the Queen
(who resided at the Royal Palace in Oxford)
under took to see Rosamond; which she ef-
felted, not by murdering the Guards of the
Bower, and being then

guided into it by a

Clue

Clue of Thread, as has erroneously been believ'd; but by a subterraneous Way, digg'd from Godstow Nunneryto Woodstock Bower, tho' Five Miles distant from each other, and carried even under the Isis,anavigable River. The Plot of Mr. Addison's Opera on this Subject, is generally believd a Poetical FiEtion ; because he does not kill Rosamond, but fupposes her to be carry'd away to the Nunnery alive: However, I believe, he has better Authority for this, than most People have for affirming that the Queen poison'd her, and that she dy'd on the Spot. Certain it is, she did not live long, at least not in the Bower, after this Vifit; for, dead or alive, she was brought by the same subterraneous Pasage into the Nunnery, the Entrance of which is still to be seen amongst its Ruins. The Walls of the Chapel Choir (where me lies interr'd) are standing : Her Grave is mark'd round with a narrow

Ridge of Stone, and on the Wall is writ, Hic jacet in Tumulo Rosamunda, non Rosa

Mundi; Non redolet, sed olet, quæ redolere folet.

And several of the Letters having (thro' Injury of Time) been defaced, have lately been repair'd. This Lady had Two Sons by the King : the Eldest, William, marry'd the Daughter and sole Heiress of the Earl

of Salisbury; the other, Geoffrey, was first made Bishop of Lincoln, afterwards Archbishop of York ; and died in Banishment during the Reignof his Brother, King John.

WEET, youthful, charming Ladies

fair,
Fram'd of the purest Mold,
With rosy Cheeks, and silken Hair,
Which shine like Threads of

Gold :
Soft Tears of Pity here bestow

On the unhappy Fate
Of Rofamond, who long ago

Prov'd most unfortunate.

When as the Second Henry reign'd

On the Imperial Throne,
How he this beauteous Flower gain'd,

To you I shall make known:
With all the Circumstances too

Which did her Life attend;
How first she into Favour grew,

And of her fatal End.

As Three young Knights of Sal'sbury

Were riding on the way,
One boasted of a fair Lady,

Within her Bow'r so gay:
I have a Sister, Clifford swears,

But few Men do her know;
Upon her face, the Skin appears

Like Drops of Blood on Snow:

My

My Sister's Locks of curled Hair

Outshine the golden Oar;
Her Skin for Whiteness may compare

With the fine Lilly Flow'r :
Her Breasts are lovely to behold,

Like to the driven Snow:
I would not, for her Weight in Gold,

King Henry should her know.
King Henry had a Bower near

Where they were riding by,
And he did Clifford overhear :

Thought he immediately,
Tho' I her Brother shou'd offend

For that fair White and Red ;
For her I am resolv'd to send,

To grace my Royal Bed.
The King, who was of high Renown,

Wou'd not his Fancy pall;
For having writ his Pleasure down,

He did young Clifford call;
Come here to me now out of hand,

Come hither unto me;
I am the King of fair England,

My Messenger thou'lt be:
I to your Sister here have writ

Three Letters seal'd with Gold;
No Messenger I think so fit

As you : Therefore, behold,
Convey them to her Hand with speed;

Make not the least delay :
My Will and Pleasure let her read,

And my Commands obey.
Young Clifford then the Letters took

From Henry's Royal Hand,
Tho' with a melancholy Look,
And mounted out of hand :

B 3

Soft