There are several versions of this song, but the following are the main elements: The central characters of this completely fictional story are Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Henry II of England and William Marshall. The queen is dying and wishes to save her soul by confessing her sins. However she is afraid that if she confesses to an English priest, he will inform her husband, King Henry, of her wrongdoings. To avoid this situation she sends to France for a priest who will have no loyalty to the English crown. When King Henry hears of this he suspects that the queen has betrayed him in some way and hatches a plan for himself and his friend, Earl Marshall, to disguise themselves as French priests and go to hear the queen's confession. Earl Marshall at first refuses, saying that he could be hanged for tricking the queen in this way. In fact he is well aware of what the queen is likely to confess. King Henry swears a royal oath to Earl Marshall that he will be unharmed regardless of what the queen might say. When the two men, dressed as French priests, go to hear the queen's deathbed confession, Queen Eleanor reveals several shocking sins. In most versions they are that she lost her virginity to Earl Marshall rather than to the king, that she has tried to poison King Henry, she has successfully poisoned the king's mistress, Rosamund Clifford, and that she loves the son she has had with Earl Marshall far more than the son she has borne to King Henry. The king angrily throws off his disguise and tells Earl Marshall that he would be hanged if not for his royal oath.

Lyrics and chords:
E
Queen Eleanor was a sick woman
………………..................………….. B7
And afraid that she should die
…..... E ………………....….. A …............... B7
So she sent for two Friars out of France
….... E ………........…. B7 . E
To come to her speedily.

King Henry called down his nobles all
By one, by two, by three
An' he sent away for the Earl Marshall
To come to him speedily.

“Do you put on one Friar's coat
And I'll put on another
And we will to Queen Eleanor go,
Like Friars both together.”

“O God forbid,” cried Earl Marshall
“That such thing ever could be.
Would I beguile but damn the Queen
I would be hanged high.”

“I fear for my life what she might say;
I can't do this for thee!”
The King then swore by his sceptre and crown
He'd do him no injury.

Thus both attired they did go.
When they came unto Whitehall,
The bells did ring and the choristers sing
And the torches did light them all.

When that they came before the Queen,
They fell on their bended knee:
“A boon, a boon, our gracious queen,
That you sent so hastily.”

“Are you two friars of France?” she said,
“Which I suppose you be,
But if you are two English friars,
You shall be hanged high.”

“We are two friars of France,” they said,
“As you suppose we be;
We have not been at any mass
Since we came from the sea.”

“The first vile thing that e'er I did
I will to you unfold.
Earl Marshall had my maidenhead
Underneath this cloth of gold.”

“That is a vile sin,” said the King.
May God forgive it thee!”
“Amen, amen!” quoth Earl Marshall,
But a heavy heart had he.

“The next vile thing that e'er I did,
That to you I will tell,
I brewed a batch of poison strong
To poison the King himsel'`.”

“That is a vile sin,” said the King.
May God forgive it thee!”
“Amen, amen!” quoth Earl Marshall
“And I wish it so may be.”

“The next vile thing that e'er I did
To you I will discover.
I poisoned fairest Rosamond
Down in fair Woodstock bower.”

“That is a vile sin,” said the King.
May God forgive it thee!”
“Amen, amen!” quoth Earl Marshall
And I wish it so may be.”

“Do you see yonder little boy
A tossing of that ball?
That is Earl Marshall's eldest son,
And I love him the best of all.

“And do you see yonder little boy
A catching of the ball?
That is King Henry's son,” she said
And I love him the least of all.

“His head is like unto a bull.
His nose is like a boar.”
“No matter for that,” King Henry said.
“I love him the better therefore.”

The King pulled off his friar's coat
And appeared all in red.
She shrieked and cried, she wrung her hands
And said she was betrayed.

The King looked over his left shoulder
And a grim look looked he.
And said, “Earl Marshall, but for my oath
Then hanged thou shouldst be.”

You can watch a playlist of my renditions of the Child ballads here:
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Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: [ Ссылка ]

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