A Warning-piece to England, against Pride and Wickedness; being the Fall of Queen Elanor, wife to Edward the First
King of England, who for her Pride and GODs Judgments, sunk into the Ground at Charing-cross, and rose at Queen-
high. To the Tune of, Gentle and Courteous,
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WHen Edward was in England King
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the First of all that name,
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Proud Elanor he made his Queen,
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a stately Spanish Dame:
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Whose wicked life and sinful Pride,
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through England did Excel,
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To dainty Dame and Gallant Maid,
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this Queen was known full well:
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She was the first that did invent
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in Coaches brave to ride,
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She was the first that brought this Land,
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to deadly Sin of Pride:
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No English Taylor here could serve,
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to make her rich attire.
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But sent for Taylors into Spain,
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to feed her vain desire.
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They brought in Fashions strange & new,
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with golden garments bright,
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With Farthingale and mighty Stuff
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with Gowns of rich delight:
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Your London Dames in Spanish Pride,
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did Flourish every-where;
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Our English Men like Women then,
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did wear long Locks of Hair.
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Both Man and Child, both Maid & Wife,
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were drownd in Pride of Spain,
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And thought the Spanish Taylors then,
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our EngIish Men did stain:
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Whereat the Queen did much despight.
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to see your English Men
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In Vestures clad, as brave to see
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as any Spaniard then,
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She cravd the King that every man
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that wore long Locks of Hair,
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Might then be cut and Polled all,
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or shaved very near.
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Whereat the King did seem content,
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and soon thereto agreed,
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And first commanded that his own,
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should then be cut with speed.
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And after that, to please his Queen,
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proclaimed through the Land,
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That every man that wore long Hair,
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should poll him out of hand:
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But yet this Spaniard not content,
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to Woman bore a spight,
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And then requested of the King,
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against all Law and Right.
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That every womankind should have,
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their right Breast cut away,
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And then with burnig Irons sear[]d,
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the blood to stanch and stay!
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King Edward then perceiving well,
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her spight to womankind,
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Devised soon by policy,
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and turnd her bloody mind.
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And sent for burning Irons straight,
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all sparkling hot to see
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And said, O Queen, come on thy way,
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I will begin with thee:
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Which words did much displease the Queen
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that Penance to begin.
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But askt him pardon on her knees,
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who gave her grace therein.
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But afterwards she chancd to pass,
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along brave London strrets,
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Whereas the Mayor of Londons Wife,
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in stately sort she meets;
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With Musick, Mirth and Melody,
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unto the Church they went,
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To give God thanks that to th Lord Mayor
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a Noble Son had sent.
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It grieved much this spitful Queen,
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to see that any one,
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Should so exceed in Mirth and Joy,
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except herself alone;
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For which she after did devise,
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within her bloody mind,
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And practtisd still most secretly,
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to kill this Lady kind:
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Unto the Mayor of London then,
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she sent her Letters straight,
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To send this Lady to the Court,
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upon her Grace to wait;
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But when the London Lady came,
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before provd Eloners face.
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She stript her from her rich array,
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and kept her vile and base.
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She sent her into Wales with speed,
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and kept her secret there,
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And usd her still most cruelly,
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that ever man did hear:
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She made her wash she made her starch,
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she made her drudge always,
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She made her Nurse up Children small,
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and labour night and day.
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But this contented not the Queen,
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but shewd her most despight,
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She bound this Lady to a Post,
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at twelve a clock at night;
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And as poor Lady she stood bound,
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the Queen in angry mood,
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Did set two Snakes unto her Breast,
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that suckt away her blood.
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Thus died the Mayor of Londons Wife,
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most grievous for to hear,
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Which made the Spaniard grow more proud
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as after shall appear,
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The Wheat that made her Bread,
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was bolted twenty times,
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The Food that fed this stately Dame,
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was boiled in costly wines:
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The water that did spring from Ground,
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she would not touch at all,
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But wash her hands with dew of Heaven
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that on sweet Roses fall;
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She bathd her body many a time,
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in Fountains filld with milk,
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And every day did change Attire,
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in costly Median Silk.
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But coming then to London back,
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within her Coach of Gold,
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A tempest strange within the skies,
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this Queen did their behold;
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Out of which Storm she could not go,
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but their remaind a space,
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Four horses could not stir the Coach
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a foot out of the place.
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A Judgment lately sent from heaven,
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for shedding guiltless blood
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Upon this sinful Queen that slew
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the London Lady good:
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King Edward then, as wisdom willd;
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acousd her of that deed;
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But she denyd and wisht that God,
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would send his wrath with speed.
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If that upon so vile a thing,
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her heart did ever think,
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Se wisht the ground would open wide,
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and she therein might sink:
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With that at Charing cross she sunk
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into the ground alive,
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And after rose with life again,
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in London at Queen-hith.
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When after that she languisht sore
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full twenty days in pain,
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At last confest the Ladys Blood,
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her guilty hand had slain;
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And likewise how that by a Fryar,
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she had a base-born Child,
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Whose sinful lust and wickedness,
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her marriage bed defild.
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Thus have you heard the fall of Pride,
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a just reward of Sin.
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For those that will forswear themselves,
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Gods vengance daily win;
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Beware of Pride ye courtly Dames,
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both wives and maidens all,
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Bear this imprinted in your mind,
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that PRIDE must have a fall.
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