Page:Life and death of Fair Rosamond, concubine to King Henry II (1).pdf/2



as King Henry rul’d this land

The second of that name;

Besides the queen he lov’d dear,

A fair and comely dame.

Most peerless was her beauty found,

Her favour and her face;

A sweeter creature in the world,

Could never prince embrace.

Her crisped locks like threads of gold,

Appeared to each man’s sight,

Her comely eyes like orient pearl,

Did cast a heavenly light

The blood within her crystal cheeks,

Did such a colour drive,

As though the lily and the rose,

For mastership did strive.

Fiarfair [sic] Rosamond, fair Rosamond,

Her name was called so,

To whom dame Eleanor our queen,

Was known a deadly foe.

The king therefore for her defence,

Against, the furious queen,

At Woodstock builded such a bower,

The like was never seen,

Most curiously the bower was built,

Of stone and timber strong,

An hundred and fifty doors,

Did to this bower belong