Mother Shipton having proceeded thus far with her prophecies, broke up abruptly with a deep sigh, the tears trickling down her cheeks, accompanied by a wringing of her hands, as if some extraordinary mischance had befallen her. The abbot wondered greatly what should be the cause of this sudden alteration, having observed all along before a settled composedness in her countenance, and now to break out in such exclamations. He therefore said unto her, “Mother Shipton, it is more than some extraordinary matter which hath made you break out into this sudden passion; and if it may not be troublesome unto you, I shall desire that, as hitherto you have not been scrupulous in revealing those secrets unto me, which have wrought in me both wonder and amazement, so that you will not so abruptly break off as to leave me in suspense of the cause of your sorrow.” “Ah! Mr. Abbot,” said she, “who can with dry eyes repeat what must next ensue, or but think upon it without a heart full of agony? to see virtue trampled on, and vice exalted; beggars on horseback, and princes on foot; the innocent condemned, and the bloodthirsty go scot free; but since my promise binds me to fulfil your request, I shall proceed from where I left off: “The crown then fits the White King’s head, Who with the Lilies soon shall wed; Then shall a peasant’s bloody knife Deprive a great man of his life. Forth from the North shall mischief blow, And English hob shall add thereto. Then shall the Council great assemble, Who shall make great and small to tremble, The White King then (O grief to see!) By wicked hands shall murdered be.” By the “White King,” is meant King Charles I., so called not only in respect of the purity and uprightness of his life, signified by white; but also at the time of his coronation he was clothed in white. He had, previous to the death of King James, married the Lady Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV., King of France; who is hereupon said to wed the “Lilies,” the lilies being the arms of France. By the “great man,” who was to lose his life by a bloody knife, was meant the Duke of Buckingham, the greatest man in favour of those times, and (as is commonly seen) most hated of the people, who laid the blame of all miscarriages in state upon him; being made general for the relief of Rochelle (then besieged by the French forces), before he embarked at Portsmouth, he was stabbed by one Felton, an officer in his army; who, so far from flying for the same, though he might pass away undiscovered, boldly avowed himself to be the man that did it. He was hanged in chains at Portsmouth, in the year 1627.