Note † — THE Life and Death OF FAIR ROSAMOND CONCUBINE TO King Henry the Second Shewing her being poisoned by Queen Eleanor.

The bowl and dagger scene so vividly given in the frontispiece, is in accordance with tradition, although among nearly contemporary writers there is no mention of her dying a violent death, nor was such suggested till long afterwards. In fact, we have no evidence at all in support of Eleanor's jealous violence. As before mentioned, Rosamond was buried at Godstow, a convent near Oxford, of which a very ruined portion still exists; but her remains were not suffered to remain undisturbed, for Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, coming to Godstow in 1191, asked whose tomb that was, and was told it was the tomb of Rosamond, "some time Lemman to Henry II." Then said the stern bishop, "Take out of this place the Harlot, and bury her without the Church." Tradition says her poor bones were then laid in the nun's chapter-house, but at the Reformation they were taken up and her tomb destroyed. Hearne† says, "After this Removal, it continu'd at rest 'till about the time of the Reformation, when 'twas taken up, as Mr. Leland himself acquaints us, and at the same time a Stone was found with it, on which was this Inscription 'Tumba Rosamvnda' which is a different Inscription from this common one:‡