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that all beauties might be warned by her sad fall, not to be proud and aspiring, but contented with a safe condition; and, often calling for mercy, she, with a trembling hand, put the bowl to her mouth, and drank the poison, which ended her life. Not long after the death of Fair Rosamond, the king, who had many strange dreams concerning her, returned home victorious; but hearing of her tragical end, his joy turned into mourning, and in distraction he rent his royal robe, shut himself up in his chamber, and suffered not any one to speak to him for many days. When the king had a little eased his grief, he summoned his judges, and commanded them to make a strict enquiry after those that were guilty of these heinous crimes. They, fearing his dis- pleasure, were so diligent therein, that most of them were apprehended, tried, and put to several of the most cruel deaths, who, in their tortures, accused the queen, and laid the blame on her, who was not able to bear out herself, for so fierce was the king's indignation, that the tears and interces- sion of the nobles on her behalf were of no avail; but being a foreign princess, her life was spared; yet the king not only renounced her, but confined her for her life-time to a striet imprisonment; and commanded, if she died there, her body should not be buried, but there to moulder to dust; nor would he forgive her at her death. Rosamond, both in her life-time, and at her death, was a benefactress to the abbey of Godstowe, where she desired to be buried, with which dying request of one so dear to them in her life, the nuns readily complied. This happened in the year 1177, which was the 24th of the reign of Henry II.
