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Queen Eleanor's Confession (Child 156)

from Blood & Roses Volume 3 by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in 1152, shortly after her divorce from Louis VII of France. She was then about thirty years of age and some eleven or twelve years older than her English spouse. This ballad, and several other rather scandalous pieces published after her death, would indicate that she was not what one would call a 'popular queen'.

The story of the ballad crops up in Peele's play of Edward I (1593), but there the queen's role is played by Eleanor of Castile, while Edward Longshanks plays Henry II. The Earl Marshall becomes Edward's brother, Edmund. The motif of a husband disguising himself (or sometimes concealing himself) in order to hear his wife's confession is a popular one and is foun d in the literarure of many European countries.

Note: Over the years, Peggy and I have amused ourselves and our children on long car journeys by singing traditional ballads. Our nine-year-old daughter Kitty found this a particularly diverting piece and after hearing it two or three times would join in lustily whenever it was sung. In view of this it seemed only fair that she should be heard on the disc.

lyrics

The Queen fell sick and very, very sick
She was sick and like to dee
And she sent for twa friars oot o' France
To come to her speedily.

The King has sent for the Earl Marshall,
And an angry man was he:
The Queen has sent for twa friars oot o' France
To shrive her presently.

It's ye'll put on the Greyfriar's goon
And I'll put on another;
And we will gang and shrive the Queen,
Two holy friars thegither.

O, God forbid, said the Earl Marshall
Sic and orra ploy should be;
Gin I beguile Queen Eleanor
I dout that she would hang me.

King Henry swore by the sun and the moon,
He swore by the Trinity;
He swore by his sceptre, he swore by his sword,
Earl Marshall he shouldnae dee.

When they cam' before the Queen,
The louted low til their knee;
What matter, what matter, our gracious Queen
That you've sent for us speedily?

O, I am sick and very, very sick,
I am sick and like to dee;
O, pray to God for my poor soul,
Some comfort gi'e to me.

Confess, confess! the King he cried,
Confess your sins to me!
Confess, confess! said the Earl Marshall
And ye shall pardoned be.

The first vile sin I ever did commit,
I'll tell to you the deed:
I played the whore wi' the Earl Marshall
When he got my maindenheid.

O, wasna that a sin and a muckle great sin?
I hope it will pardoned be.
Amen, Amen! said the Earl Marshall
And a very feart hairt had he.

The neisten sin that e'er I did
To you I will discover:
I poisoned fair Lady Rosamund
A' in fair Woodstock bower.

O, wasna that a sin and a muckle great sin?
And I hope it will pardoned be;
Amen, Amen! said the Earl Marshall
And a very feart hairt had he.

The neisten sin that e'er I did
The truth I'll tell to thee;
I carried a box seiven years in my breist
To poison King Henry.

O, wasna that a sin and a muckle great sin?
And I hope it will pardoned be.
Amen, Amen! said the Earl Marshall
And a very feart hairt had he.

O, see ye no' yon twa bonnie boys
As they play at the ba'?
The auldest is the Earl Marshall's son
And I lo'e him best o' a',
And the youngest is King Henry's son
And I dinna lo'e him at a'.

He's heidit like an orra bull,
He's backit like a bear.
Amen! cries the King in his ain voice
And I lo'e him a' the mair.

O, wae betide ye, Earl Marshall,
And an ill deith may ye dee;
Gin I hadna sworn by my sceptre and my croon
High hangit ye should be.

credits

from Blood & Roses Volume 3, released September 14, 1982
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Kitty macColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - concertina
Calum MacColl - dulcimer

Produced by Neill MacColl
Engineered by Nick Godwin
Recorded at Pathway Studios, London

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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