But Richard, the breeder of all these same broils, In prison was wofully cast, Where long he complain'd, in sorrowful sort, Of kingly authority past: No lords nor no subjects had he, No glory, no state, That early and late Upon him attending had wont for to be. His robes were converted to garments so old, That beggars would hardly them wear; His diet no comfort at all to him brought, For he fed upon sorrow and care. And from prison to prison was sent, Each day, and each night, To work him despight, That, wearied with sorrows, he still might lament. Poor king, thus abused, he was at the last To Pomfret in Yorkshire convey'd, And there in a dungeon, full low in the ground, Unpitied, he nightly was laid: Not one for his misery grieved, That late was in place Of royallest grace, Where still the distress'd he kindly relieved. King Henry usurping then all his estate, Could never in heart be content, Till some of his friends in secresy sought To kill him by cruel consent; Who soon to Pomfret hied, Whereas the fear, That touch'd him so near, They finish'd as soon as king Richard there died. There dy'd this good king, for murther'd he was, That might well have lived full long, Had not ill counsel betray'd his best good, And done his high fortunes this wrong: But blood for blood still calls, No bloody-stain'd hand Can long in this land Stand surely, but soon into misery falls. Lancaster thus the diadem gain'd, And won his title by blood, Which afterwards by heaven's high power, Not three generations stood, But yielded to York again: Thus fortune shows Their proud overthrows, That cunningly climb an imperial reign. THE FELON SEW OF ROKEBY AND THE FRYERS OF RICHMOND. This curious ballad was first published in Dr. Whitaker's "History of Craven," in 1805, but, from an inaccurate manuscript, not corrected very happily. It was transferred by Mr. Evans to the new edition of his Ballads, with some well-judged conjectural improvements. Sir Walter Scott, in "Rokeby," has given a more authentic and full, though still an imperfect, edition of this humoursome composition, from being furnished with a copy from a manuscript in the possession of Mr. Rokeby, of Northamptonshire, descended of the ancient barons of Rokeby. It has three or four stanzas more than that of Dr. Whitaker, and the language seems, where they differ, to have the more ancient and genuine readings. Ralph Rokeby, esq. who bestowed this intractable animal on the convent of Richmond, seems to have flourished in the time of Henry VII., which, since we know not the date of Friar Theobald's wardenship, to which the ballad refers us, may indicate that of the composition itself.