If that upon so vile a thing Her heart did ever think, She wish'd the ground might open wide, And she therein might sink! 140 With that, at Charing-cross she sunk Into the ground alive, And after rose with life again, In London, at Queenhithe. When, after that, she languish'd sore 145 Full twenty days in pain, At last confess'd the lady's blood Her guilty hand had slain: And likewise, how that by a fryar She had a base-born child; 150 Whose sinful lusts and wickedness Her marriage bed defil'd. Thus have you heard the fall of pride, A just reward of sin; For those who will forswear themselves, 155 God's vengeance daily win. Beware of pride, ye courtly dames, Both wives and maidens all; Bear this imprinted on your mind, That pride must have a fall. 160 THE DUCHESS OF SUFFOLK'S CALAMITY. From _Strange Histories_, p. 17 (Percy Society, vol. iii). Other copies, with variations, are in _The Crown-Garland of Golden Roses_, Part II. p. 20 (Percy Society, vol. xv.), and _A Collection of Old Ballads_, iii. 91. The editor of _Strange Histories_ informs us that a play on the same subject as the ballad was written by Thomas Drew, or Drue, early in the reign of James I., and printed in 1631, under the title of _The Duchess of Suffolk, her Life_. He remarks further that both play and ballad was founded upon the narrative of Fox, anno 1558 [_Acts and Monuments_, iii. 926, ed. 1641]; but the differences between Fox's account and the story which follows are altogether too great for this supposition to be true. Katharine, daughter of Lord Willoughby of Eresby, was first married to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and after his death to Richard Bertie, Esq., with whom she was forced to fly from persecution in 1553, taking refuge first in the Low Countries, and afterwards in Poland. When God had taken for our sinne That prudent prince, King Edward, away, Then bloudy Bonner did begin His raging mallice to bewray; All those that did the Gospell professe 5 He persecuted more or lesse. Thus, when the Lord on us did lower, Many in pryson did he throw, Tormenting them in Lollards tower,[L9] Whereby they might the trueth forgoe: 10 Then Cranmer, Ridley, and the rest, Were burnt in fire, that Christ profest. Smithfield was then with faggots fild, And many places more beside; At Coventry was Sanders kild, 15 At Glocester eke good Hooper dyde; And to escape this bloudy day, Beyond-seas many fled away.