The lamentacion that Ladie Iane made saiyng for my fathers proclamacion now must I lese my heade.
- Ballad Title
- The lamentacion that Ladie Iane made saiyng for my fathers proclamacion now must I lese my heade.
- Digital Source
- https://archive.org/details/TransactionsOfTheRoyalHistoricalSociety1909VolIII3rdSeries/page/n69/mode/2up?q=lamentation+that
- Background Information
- A ballad about the execution of Lady Jane Grey in 1554. This was most likely printed some years after the events, as a ballad sympathetic to Lady Jane would have been unprintable during the reign of Mary I.
- Event Date
- 1562
- Event Location
- Tower of London
- Printing Location
- London: Ihon Wight
- Crime
- high treason
- Gender of Accused
- Female
- Method of Punishment
- beheading
- Category
- Crime and Punishment Ballads
- Sub-Category
-
Execution Ballads
- Notes
- Wikipedia: Lady Jane Grey (1536/1537 - 12 February 1554), also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed. A great-granddaughter of Henry VII by his younger daughter Mary, Jane was a first-cousin-once-removed of Edward VI. In May 1553 Jane was married to Lord Guildford Dudley, a younger son of Edward's chief minister, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. When the 15-year-old King lay dying in June 1553, he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, thus subverting the claims of his half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth under the Third Succession Act. During her short reign, Jane resided in the Tower of London. She became a prisoner there when the Privy Council decided to change sides and proclaim Mary as Queen on 19 July 1553. She was convicted of high treason in November 1553, though her life was initially spared. Wyatt's rebellion in January and February 1554 against Queen Mary's plans of a Spanish match led to Jane's and her husband's execution. On the morning of 12 February 1554, the authorities took Guilford from his rooms at the Tower of London to the public execution place at Tower Hill and there had him beheaded. A horse and cart brought his remains back to the Tower of London, past the rooms where Jane remained as a prisoner. Jane was then taken out to Tower Green, inside the Tower of London, and beheaded in private. With few exceptions, only royalty were offered the privilege of a private execution; Jane's execution was conducted in private on the orders of Queen Mary, as a gesture of respect for her cousin.
- Transcription
-
The lamentation that Ladie Jane made, Saiyng for my fathers proclamation now must I lose my heade .
This was the lamentacion,
That Ladie Jane made :
Saiyng, for my fathers Proclamacion,
Now must I lose my head.
But God that sercheth every harte,
And knoweth I am giltles,
Although that I now suffer smarte,
Yet, I am not worthie of this.
For when she was at the place appoincted,
Her death mekely for to take :
Her ghostly father and she reasoned.
Her praiers then she did make.
Forthe of our beddes we were fet out,
To the Tower for to go :
Yet wist we not where about,
Our fathers did make us do so.
Alas what did our fathers meane,
Both tree and fruicte thus for to spill,
Against my mynde he proclaimed me quene,
And I never consented theretill.
The lorde Gilforde my housbande,
Which suffred here presente :
The thyng our fathers toke in hande,
Was neither his nor my consente.
But seyng I am iudged by a lawe to dye,
And under whiche I was borne :
Yet will I take it pacientlie,
Laughyng none of them to scorne,
Why should I blame fortune of this,
Seyng blame it is not worthie :
Our livyng were so farre amis,
That we deserved this miserie.
For my synne I am worthie to dye,
Pride in me did so remaine :
Yet all good people praie for me,
As charitie doeth constraine.
The hedsman kneled on his knee,
To forgeve hym her death :
Frende, she saied, God forgeve thee,
With all my harte and faithe.
She kyssed hym, and gave hym a rewarde,
And saied to hym incontinente :
I praie thee yet remember afterwarde,
That thou hast headed an innocente.
She gave the Lieutenaunt her booke,
Whiche was covered all with golde,
Praied hym therein to looke,
For his sake that Judas solde.
She toke her kercher faire and swete,
To cover her face withall :
A Psalme of David she did recite,
And on the Lorde she did call.
Although this breakefast be shorte to me,
Yet in the Lorde I trust :
To suppe in the heavenlie glorie,
With Abraham that is iuste. . . .
Upon the Blocke she laied her heade,
Her death mekely to take :
In manus tuas, then she saied,
And this her ende she did make.
Imprinted at London, for Ihon Wight.
Part of The lamentacion that Ladie Iane made saiyng for my fathers proclamacion now must I lese my heade.