170THE DEATH OF QUEEN JANE

A.Percy papers, 1776.B.‘Queen Jeanie,’ Kinloch’s Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 116.C. a.Jamieson’s Popular Ballads, I, 182.[242]b.Herd’s MSS, I, 103.D.‘The Death of Queen Jane,’ Bell’s Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 113.E.‘Queen Jeanie,’ Macmath MS., p. 68.F.Notes and Queries, Second Series, XI, 131.G.A fragment from William Motherwell’s papers.

This threnody is said to have been current throughout Scotland. There is another, not in the popular style, in the Crowne Garland of Golden Roses, 1612, Percy Society, vol. vi, p. 29: The Wofull Death of Queene Jane, wife to King Henry the Eight, and how King Edward was cut out of his mother’s belly. This is reprinted in Old Ballads, 1723, II, 115, and Evans’s Collection, 1777, 1784, II, 54, and is among Pepys’s Penny Merriments, vol. iii. ‘A ballett called The Lady Jane’ and another piece entitled The Lamentation of Quene Jane were licensed in 1560; Stationers’ Registers, Arber, I, 151 f.

Jane Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward October 12, 1537, and by a natural process, but, in consequence of imprudent management, died twelve days after. There was abelief that severe surgery had been required, under which the queen sank. The editor of Old Ballads, II, 116 f, cites Sir John Hayward as saying: “All reports do constantly run that he [Prince Edward] was not by natural passage delivered into the world, but that his mother’s belly was opened for his birth, and that she died of the incision the fourth day following.” And Du Chesne: “Quand ce vint au terme de l’accouchement, elle eut tant de tourment et de peine qu’il lui fallut fendre le costé, par lequel on tira son fruit, le douzième jour d’Octobre. Elle mourut douze jours après.” But Echard again: “Contrary to the opinion of many writers,” the queen “died twelve days after the birth of this prince, having been well delivered, and without any incision, as others have maliciously reported.”

Communicated to Percy by the Dean of Derry, as written from memory by his mother, Mrs. Bernard, February, 1776.

1Queen Jane was in labour full six weeks and more,And the women were weary, and fain would give oer:‘O women, O women, as women ye be,Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’2‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing may not be;We’ll send for King Henry to come unto thee.’King Henry came to her, and sate on her bed:‘What ails my dear lady, her eyes look so red?’3‘O royal King Henry, do one thing for me:Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing will not do;If I lose your fair body, I’ll lose your baby too.’4She wept and she waild, and she wrung her hands sore;O the flour of England must flurish no more!She wept and she waild till she fell in a swoond,They opend her two sides, and the baby was found.5The baby was christened with joy and much mirth,Whilst poor Queen Jane’s body lay cold under earth:There was ringing and singing and mourning all day,The princess Eliz[abeth] went weeping away.6The trumpets in mourning so sadly did sound,And the pikes and the muskets did trail on the ground.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

1Queen Jane was in labour full six weeks and more,And the women were weary, and fain would give oer:‘O women, O women, as women ye be,Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’

Queen Jane was in labour full six weeks and more,

And the women were weary, and fain would give oer:

‘O women, O women, as women ye be,

Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’

2‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing may not be;We’ll send for King Henry to come unto thee.’King Henry came to her, and sate on her bed:‘What ails my dear lady, her eyes look so red?’

‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing may not be;

We’ll send for King Henry to come unto thee.’

King Henry came to her, and sate on her bed:

‘What ails my dear lady, her eyes look so red?’

3‘O royal King Henry, do one thing for me:Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing will not do;If I lose your fair body, I’ll lose your baby too.’

‘O royal King Henry, do one thing for me:

Rip open my two sides, and save my baby!’

‘O royal Queen Jane, that thing will not do;

If I lose your fair body, I’ll lose your baby too.’

4She wept and she waild, and she wrung her hands sore;O the flour of England must flurish no more!She wept and she waild till she fell in a swoond,They opend her two sides, and the baby was found.

She wept and she waild, and she wrung her hands sore;

O the flour of England must flurish no more!

She wept and she waild till she fell in a swoond,

They opend her two sides, and the baby was found.

5The baby was christened with joy and much mirth,Whilst poor Queen Jane’s body lay cold under earth:There was ringing and singing and mourning all day,The princess Eliz[abeth] went weeping away.

The baby was christened with joy and much mirth,

Whilst poor Queen Jane’s body lay cold under earth:

There was ringing and singing and mourning all day,

The princess Eliz[abeth] went weeping away.

6The trumpets in mourning so sadly did sound,And the pikes and the muskets did trail on the ground.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

The trumpets in mourning so sadly did sound,

And the pikes and the muskets did trail on the ground.

. . . . . . . .

Kinloch’s Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 116.

1Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,Till women and midwives had quite gien her oer:‘O if ye were women as women should be,Ye would send for a doctor, a doctor to me.’2The doctor was called for and set by her bedside:‘What aileth thee, my ladie, thine eyes seem so red?’‘O doctor, O doctor, will ye do this for me,To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’3‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s the thing I’ll neer do,To rip up your two sides to save your babie:’Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,Till midwives and doctors had quite gien her oer.4‘O if ye were doctors as doctors should be,Ye would send for King Henry, King Henry to me:’King Henry was called for, and sat by her bedside,‘What aileth thee, Jeanie? what aileth my bride?’5‘King Henry, King Henry, will ye do this for me,To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s what I’ll never do,To rip up your two sides to save your babie.’6But with sighing and sobbing she’s fallen in a swoon,Her side it was ript up, and her babie was found;At this bonie babie’s christning there was meikle joy and mirth,But bonnie Queen Jeanie lies cold in the earth.7Six and six coaches, and six and six more,And royal King Henry went mourning before;O two and two gentlemen carried her away,But royal King Henry went weeping away.8O black were their stockings, and black were their bands,And black were the weapons they held in their hands;O black were their mufflers, and black were their shoes,And black were the cheverons they drew on their luves.9They mourned in the kitchen, and they mournd in the ha,But royal King Henry mournd langest of a’:Farewell to fair England, farewell for evermore!For the fair flower of England will never shine more.

1Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,Till women and midwives had quite gien her oer:‘O if ye were women as women should be,Ye would send for a doctor, a doctor to me.’

Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,

Till women and midwives had quite gien her oer:

‘O if ye were women as women should be,

Ye would send for a doctor, a doctor to me.’

2The doctor was called for and set by her bedside:‘What aileth thee, my ladie, thine eyes seem so red?’‘O doctor, O doctor, will ye do this for me,To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’

The doctor was called for and set by her bedside:

‘What aileth thee, my ladie, thine eyes seem so red?’

‘O doctor, O doctor, will ye do this for me,

To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’

3‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s the thing I’ll neer do,To rip up your two sides to save your babie:’Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,Till midwives and doctors had quite gien her oer.

‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s the thing I’ll neer do,

To rip up your two sides to save your babie:’

Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, traveld six weeks and more,

Till midwives and doctors had quite gien her oer.

4‘O if ye were doctors as doctors should be,Ye would send for King Henry, King Henry to me:’King Henry was called for, and sat by her bedside,‘What aileth thee, Jeanie? what aileth my bride?’

‘O if ye were doctors as doctors should be,

Ye would send for King Henry, King Henry to me:’

King Henry was called for, and sat by her bedside,

‘What aileth thee, Jeanie? what aileth my bride?’

5‘King Henry, King Henry, will ye do this for me,To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s what I’ll never do,To rip up your two sides to save your babie.’

‘King Henry, King Henry, will ye do this for me,

To rip up my two sides, and save my babie?’

‘Queen Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, that’s what I’ll never do,

To rip up your two sides to save your babie.’

6But with sighing and sobbing she’s fallen in a swoon,Her side it was ript up, and her babie was found;At this bonie babie’s christning there was meikle joy and mirth,But bonnie Queen Jeanie lies cold in the earth.

But with sighing and sobbing she’s fallen in a swoon,

Her side it was ript up, and her babie was found;

At this bonie babie’s christning there was meikle joy and mirth,

But bonnie Queen Jeanie lies cold in the earth.

7Six and six coaches, and six and six more,And royal King Henry went mourning before;O two and two gentlemen carried her away,But royal King Henry went weeping away.

Six and six coaches, and six and six more,

And royal King Henry went mourning before;

O two and two gentlemen carried her away,

But royal King Henry went weeping away.

8O black were their stockings, and black were their bands,And black were the weapons they held in their hands;O black were their mufflers, and black were their shoes,And black were the cheverons they drew on their luves.

O black were their stockings, and black were their bands,

And black were the weapons they held in their hands;

O black were their mufflers, and black were their shoes,

And black were the cheverons they drew on their luves.

9They mourned in the kitchen, and they mournd in the ha,But royal King Henry mournd langest of a’:Farewell to fair England, farewell for evermore!For the fair flower of England will never shine more.

They mourned in the kitchen, and they mournd in the ha,

But royal King Henry mournd langest of a’:

Farewell to fair England, farewell for evermore!

For the fair flower of England will never shine more.

a.Jamieson’s Popular Ballads, I, 182; “from two fragments, one transmitted from Arbroath and another from Edinburgh.”b.Herd’s MSS, I, 103.

1Queen Jeany has traveld for three days and more,Till the ladies were weary, and quite gave her oer:‘O ladies, O ladies, do this thing for me,To send for King Henry, to come and see me.’2King Henry was sent for, and sat by her bedside:‘Why weep you, Queen Jeany? your eyes are so red.’‘O Henry, O Henry, do this one thing for me,Let my side straight be opend, and save my babie!’3‘O Jeany, O Jeany, this never will do,It will leese thy sweet life, and thy young babie too.’She wept and she wailed, till she fell in a swoon:Her side it was opened, the babie was found.4Prince Edward was christened with joy and with mirth,But the flower of fair England lies cold in the earth.O black was King Henry, and black were his men,And black was the steed that King Henry rode on.5And black were the ladies, and black were their fans,And black were the gloves that they wore on their hands,And black were the ribbands they wore on their heads,And black were the pages, and black were the maids.* * * * *6The trumpets they sounded, the cannons did roar,But the flower of fair England shall flourish no more.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

1Queen Jeany has traveld for three days and more,Till the ladies were weary, and quite gave her oer:‘O ladies, O ladies, do this thing for me,To send for King Henry, to come and see me.’

Queen Jeany has traveld for three days and more,

Till the ladies were weary, and quite gave her oer:

‘O ladies, O ladies, do this thing for me,

To send for King Henry, to come and see me.’

2King Henry was sent for, and sat by her bedside:‘Why weep you, Queen Jeany? your eyes are so red.’‘O Henry, O Henry, do this one thing for me,Let my side straight be opend, and save my babie!’

King Henry was sent for, and sat by her bedside:

‘Why weep you, Queen Jeany? your eyes are so red.’

‘O Henry, O Henry, do this one thing for me,

Let my side straight be opend, and save my babie!’

3‘O Jeany, O Jeany, this never will do,It will leese thy sweet life, and thy young babie too.’She wept and she wailed, till she fell in a swoon:Her side it was opened, the babie was found.

‘O Jeany, O Jeany, this never will do,

It will leese thy sweet life, and thy young babie too.’

She wept and she wailed, till she fell in a swoon:

Her side it was opened, the babie was found.

4Prince Edward was christened with joy and with mirth,But the flower of fair England lies cold in the earth.O black was King Henry, and black were his men,And black was the steed that King Henry rode on.

Prince Edward was christened with joy and with mirth,

But the flower of fair England lies cold in the earth.

O black was King Henry, and black were his men,

And black was the steed that King Henry rode on.

5And black were the ladies, and black were their fans,And black were the gloves that they wore on their hands,And black were the ribbands they wore on their heads,And black were the pages, and black were the maids.

And black were the ladies, and black were their fans,

And black were the gloves that they wore on their hands,

And black were the ribbands they wore on their heads,

And black were the pages, and black were the maids.

* * * * *

6The trumpets they sounded, the cannons did roar,But the flower of fair England shall flourish no more.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

The trumpets they sounded, the cannons did roar,

But the flower of fair England shall flourish no more.

. . . . . . . .

Robert Bell’s Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 113; “taken down from the singing of a young gipsy girl, to whom it had descended orally through two generations.”

1Queen Jane was in travail for six weeks or more,Till the women grew tired and fain would give oer:‘O women, O women, good wives if ye be,Go send for King Henrie, and bring him to me!’2King Henrie was sent for, he came with all speed,In a gownd of green velvet from heel to the head:‘King Henrie, King Henrie, if kind Henrie you be,Send for a surgeon, and bring him to me!’3The surgeon was sent for, he came with all speed,In a gownd of black velvet from heel to the head;He gave her rich caudle, but the death-sleep slept she,Then her right side was opened, and the babe was set free.4The babe it was christened, and put out and nursed,While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the dust.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .5So black was the mourning, and white were the wands,Yellow, yellow the torches they bore in their hands;The bells they were muffled, and mournful did play,While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the clay.6Six knights and six lords bore her corpse through the grounds,Six dukes followed after, in black mourning gownds;The flower of Old England was laid in cold clay,Whilst the royal King Henrie came weeping away.

1Queen Jane was in travail for six weeks or more,Till the women grew tired and fain would give oer:‘O women, O women, good wives if ye be,Go send for King Henrie, and bring him to me!’

Queen Jane was in travail for six weeks or more,

Till the women grew tired and fain would give oer:

‘O women, O women, good wives if ye be,

Go send for King Henrie, and bring him to me!’

2King Henrie was sent for, he came with all speed,In a gownd of green velvet from heel to the head:‘King Henrie, King Henrie, if kind Henrie you be,Send for a surgeon, and bring him to me!’

King Henrie was sent for, he came with all speed,

In a gownd of green velvet from heel to the head:

‘King Henrie, King Henrie, if kind Henrie you be,

Send for a surgeon, and bring him to me!’

3The surgeon was sent for, he came with all speed,In a gownd of black velvet from heel to the head;He gave her rich caudle, but the death-sleep slept she,Then her right side was opened, and the babe was set free.

The surgeon was sent for, he came with all speed,

In a gownd of black velvet from heel to the head;

He gave her rich caudle, but the death-sleep slept she,

Then her right side was opened, and the babe was set free.

4The babe it was christened, and put out and nursed,While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the dust.. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

The babe it was christened, and put out and nursed,

While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the dust.

. . . . . . . .

5So black was the mourning, and white were the wands,Yellow, yellow the torches they bore in their hands;The bells they were muffled, and mournful did play,While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the clay.

So black was the mourning, and white were the wands,

Yellow, yellow the torches they bore in their hands;

The bells they were muffled, and mournful did play,

While the royal Queen Jane she lay cold in the clay.

6Six knights and six lords bore her corpse through the grounds,Six dukes followed after, in black mourning gownds;The flower of Old England was laid in cold clay,Whilst the royal King Henrie came weeping away.

Six knights and six lords bore her corpse through the grounds,

Six dukes followed after, in black mourning gownds;

The flower of Old England was laid in cold clay,

Whilst the royal King Henrie came weeping away.

Macmath MS., p. 68. “From my aunt, Miss Jane Webster, 1886–1887. She learned it at Airds of Kells, Kirkcudbrightshire, over fifty years ago, from the singing of James Smith.”

1‘Ye midwives and women-kind, do one thing for me;Send for my mother, to come and see me.’2Her mother was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’3‘O mother, dear mother, do one thing for me;O send for King Henry, to come and see me.’4King Henry was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’5‘King Henry, King Henry, do one thing for me;O send for a doctor, to come and see me.’6The doctor was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’7‘O doctor, oh doctor, do one thing for me;Open my left side, and let my babe free.’8He opened her left side, and then all was oer,And the best flower in England will flourish no more.

1‘Ye midwives and women-kind, do one thing for me;Send for my mother, to come and see me.’

‘Ye midwives and women-kind, do one thing for me;

Send for my mother, to come and see me.’

2Her mother was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

Her mother was sent for, who came speedilie:

‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

3‘O mother, dear mother, do one thing for me;O send for King Henry, to come and see me.’

‘O mother, dear mother, do one thing for me;

O send for King Henry, to come and see me.’

4King Henry was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

King Henry was sent for, who came speedilie:

‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

5‘King Henry, King Henry, do one thing for me;O send for a doctor, to come and see me.’

‘King Henry, King Henry, do one thing for me;

O send for a doctor, to come and see me.’

6The doctor was sent for, who came speedilie:‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

The doctor was sent for, who came speedilie:

‘O Jeanie, Queen Jeanie, are ye gaun to dee?’

7‘O doctor, oh doctor, do one thing for me;Open my left side, and let my babe free.’

‘O doctor, oh doctor, do one thing for me;

Open my left side, and let my babe free.’

8He opened her left side, and then all was oer,And the best flower in England will flourish no more.

He opened her left side, and then all was oer,

And the best flower in England will flourish no more.

Notes and Queries, Second Series, XI, 131; sung by an illiterate nursemaid “some forty years since” (1861).

1Queen Jane lies in labour six weeks or more,Till the women were tired, go see her no more:‘Oh women, oh women, if women you be,You’ll send for King Henry, to come and see me.2‘Oh King Henry, King Henry, if King Henry you be,You’ll send for the doctor, to come and see me:Oh doctor, oh doctor, if a doctor you be,You’ll open my right side, and save my baby.’3They churchd her, they chimed her, they dug her her grave,They buried her body, and christend her babe.

1Queen Jane lies in labour six weeks or more,Till the women were tired, go see her no more:‘Oh women, oh women, if women you be,You’ll send for King Henry, to come and see me.

Queen Jane lies in labour six weeks or more,

Till the women were tired, go see her no more:

‘Oh women, oh women, if women you be,

You’ll send for King Henry, to come and see me.

2‘Oh King Henry, King Henry, if King Henry you be,You’ll send for the doctor, to come and see me:Oh doctor, oh doctor, if a doctor you be,You’ll open my right side, and save my baby.’

‘Oh King Henry, King Henry, if King Henry you be,

You’ll send for the doctor, to come and see me:

Oh doctor, oh doctor, if a doctor you be,

You’ll open my right side, and save my baby.’

3They churchd her, they chimed her, they dug her her grave,They buried her body, and christend her babe.

They churchd her, they chimed her, they dug her her grave,

They buried her body, and christend her babe.

In pencil, in Motherwell’s handwriting, inside of the cover of what appears to be a sketch of his Introduction to his Minstrelsy; communicated by Mr Macmath.

1Queen Jeanie was in labour full three days and more,Till a’the good women was forced to gie her oer:‘O guide women, gude women, gude women,’ quo she,‘Will ye send for King Henry, to come and see me?’Wi weeping and wailing, lamenting full sore,That the flower of all Englandshould flourish no more.2KingHenrywas sent for, whocame in greatspeed,Standingweepingand wailingat QueenJeanie’s bedside;Standingweepingand wailing, etc.3‘O King Henry, KingHenry, KingHenry,’ quo she,‘Will ye send for my mother....

Queen Jeanie was in labour full three days and more,

Till a’the good women was forced to gie her oer:

‘O guide women, gude women, gude women,’ quo she,

‘Will ye send for King Henry, to come and see me?’

Wi weeping and wailing, lamenting full sore,

That the flower of all Englandshould flourish no more.

2KingHenrywas sent for, whocame in greatspeed,Standingweepingand wailingat QueenJeanie’s bedside;Standingweepingand wailing, etc.

KingHenrywas sent for, whocame in greatspeed,

Standingweepingand wailingat QueenJeanie’s bedside;

Standingweepingand wailing, etc.

3‘O King Henry, KingHenry, KingHenry,’ quo she,‘Will ye send for my mother....

‘O King Henry, KingHenry, KingHenry,’ quo she,

‘Will ye send for my mother....

31, 53. dois to be pronounceddee.

C. b.

Only six lines: 23,4, 41,2, 51,2

23. This thing.

24. Straight open my two sides: save your.

41. The babie was.

42. But royal Queen Jeany lay low.

51. Then black were their mournings.

The first seven stanzas taken down October 15, 1886, and the last sent on February 3, 1887.

24th March, 1887.“I can never remember them, sitting thinking about them. Yesterday I was humming away, not knowing what I was singing, until I sung this:8He opened her left side, Queen Jeanie’s life’s oer,And the last rose of England will flourish no more.”

24th March, 1887.“I can never remember them, sitting thinking about them. Yesterday I was humming away, not knowing what I was singing, until I sung this:

8He opened her left side, Queen Jeanie’s life’s oer,And the last rose of England will flourish no more.”

He opened her left side, Queen Jeanie’s life’s oer,

And the last rose of England will flourish no more.”

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