Fair Rosamund
Charles Dickens tells the story of King Henry II and the enchantingly beautiful Rosamund Clifford.
1166-1174
King Henry II 1154-1189
Charles Dickens tells the story of King Henry II and the enchantingly beautiful Rosamund Clifford.
1166-1174
King Henry II 1154-1189
The story of Rosamund Clifford, mistress of a young Henry II, is one of the great romances of English literature. Disappointingly (or perhaps not, since it is a bitter tragedy) apart from the most essential facts it is a legend. The best one can do is to ask one of our great novelists, Charles Dickens, to let us down gently.
abridged
THERE is a pretty story told of this Reign, called the story of Fair Rosamond. It relates how the King doted on Fair Rosamond, who was the loveliest girl in all the world; and how he had a beautiful Bower built for her in a Park at Woodstock; and how it was erected in a labyrinth, and could only be found by a clue of silk.
How the bad Queen Eleanor, becoming jealous of Fair Rosamond, found out the secret of the clue, and one day, appeared before her, with a dagger and a cup of poison, and left her to the choice between those deaths.
How Fair Rosamond, after shedding many piteous tears and offering many useless prayers to the cruel Queen, took the poison, and fell dead in the midst of the beautiful bower, while the unconscious birds sang gaily all around her.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Who was Fair Rosamund?
She was the young Henry II’s mistress.
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Henry’s Queen was Eleanor of Aquitaine. His mistress was Rosamund Clifford. People said no woman in the world was more beautiful than Rosamund.