That portion of the story which relates to the cruelty exercised by the queen towards the Lord Mayor's wife is borrowed from the _Gesta Romanorum_. See Madden's _Old English Versions_, &c. p. 226, _Olimpus the Emperour_. Peele's _Chronicle History of Edward the First_ exhibits the same misrepresentations of Eleanor of Castile. See what is said of this play in connection with the ballad of _Queen Eleanor's Confession_, vol. vi. p. 209. The whole title of the ballad is:--
A Warning Piece to England against Pride and Wickedness:
Being the Fall of Queen Eleanor, Wife to Edward the First, King of England; who, for her pride, by God's Judgments, sunk into the Ground at Charing-cross and rose at Queenhithe.
When Edward was in England king, The first of all that name, Proud Ellinor he made his queen, A stately Spanish dame: Whose wicked life, and sinful pride, 5 Thro' England did excel: To dainty dames, and gallant maids, This queen was known full well.
She was the first that did invent In coaches brave to ride; 10 She was the first that brought this land To deadly sin of pride. No English taylor here could serve To make her rich attire; But sent for taylors into Spain, 15 To feed her vain desire.
They brought in fashions strange and new, With golden garments bright; The farthingale, and mighty ruff, With gowns of rich delight: 20 The London dames, in Spanish pride, Did flourish every where; Our English men, like women then, Did wear long locks of hair.
Both man and child, both maid and wife, 25 Were drown'd in pride of Spain: And thought the Spanish taylors then Our English men did stain: Whereat the queen did much despite, To see our English men 30 In vestures clad, as brave to see As any Spaniard then.
She crav'd the king, that ev'ry man That wore long locks of hair, Might then be cut and polled all, 35 Or shaved very near. Whereat the king did seem content, And soon thereto agreed; And first commanded, that his own Should then be cut with speed: 40
And after that, to please his queen, Proclaimed thro' the land, That ev'ry man that wore long hair Should poll him out of hand. But yet this Spaniard, not content, 45 To women bore a spite, And then requested of the king, Against all law and right,