ROSE. 175 



of one father often engaged in battle, and 

 sometimes the father against the son, under 

 the different banners of the red or the white 



rose. 



" O God ! is it my father's face, 



Whom in this conflict I unawares have kill'd, 

 O heavy times, begetting such events !" 



" Is this our foeman's face, 



Ah, no, no, no, it is mine only son ! — 



Ah, boy, if any life be left in thee, 



Throw up thine eye ; see, see, what showers arise, 



Blown with the windy tempest of my heart, 



Upon thy wounds, that kill mine eye and heart. — 



O, pity, God, this miserable age ! — 



What stratagems, how fell, how butcherly, 



Erroneous, mutinous, and unnatural, 



This deadly quarrel daily doth beget ! — 



O boy, thy father gave thee life too soon, 



And hath bereft thee of thy life too late." 



In times of terror, fear and superstition are 

 generally seen hand in hand. During these 

 ages of domestic wars, we are told that they 

 discovered a rose-tree at Longleat, which 

 bore white flowers on one side and red ones 

 on the other side, prognosticating both the 

 division and uniting of the two families. 



" But oh ! how alter'd was the mournful tone, 

 When Harry Richmond, arm'd with title true, 



His baldrick 'cross his shoulders flung, 

 And with enliv'ning trumpet, blew 



A call to arms, that thro' the island rang ! 

 His claim announcing to the English throne." 



Dibdin. 



