The 18th century folksong "A Spanish Lady's Love to an English Sailor" is reputed to tell the story of Sir John Bolle and Donna Leonora Oviedo.
There are serval versions of the story, one states that Donna Leonora fell in love with Sir John Bolle ( 1560 -1606) when he was in charge of keeping her in custody at the time of the Siege of Cadiz. The other version has Sir John Bolle as the prisoner and Donna Leonora arranging his escape.
Both versions agree that Donna Leonora loved Sir John Bolle very much, and that he returned to his wife Elizabeth. Upon parting Donna Leonora gave Sir John a portrait of herself in a green dress.
Versions differ as to what happened next, some say Donna Leonora Oviedo entered a convent where she spent the rest of her life. The more dramatic version of this tale of unrequited love has the Spanish lady following Sir John to his home, Thorpe Hall, in England where she committed suicide in the garden.
Wherever Donna Leonora died, be it in a Spanish convent or as a suicide in Sir John's garden it is she who is believed to be The Green Lady ghost that haunts Thorpe Hall, near Louth in Lincolnshire.
"A Spanish Lady's Love to an English Sailor"
Will you hear a Spanish Lady,
How an English man she woo'd.
Tho' he held her as his captive,
Ever gentle was his mood.
Tho' by birth and parentage of high degree
Much she wept when orders came to set her free.
"Gallant captain, shew some mercy
To a lady in distree,
Leave me not within this city,
I shall die of heaviness;
'Tis an empty mockery to set me free
While my heart in prison still remains with thee.
"It would ne a shame, fair lady,
Should I bear a woman hence,
English soldiers never carry
Any such without offense."
"O, I'll quickly change myself, if so it be,
Like a page, whee'er thou go'st I'll follow thee.
"On the seas are many dangers,
Many tempests there arise,
Which to ladies will be dreadful,
Drawing tears from gentle eyes."
"well in troth, will I endure extremitie,
I could find in heart to lose my life for thee."
"Courteous lady, cease to tempt me,
let us end this gentle strife,
I in England have already,
A sweet woman to be my wife."
"Then within a nunnery immur'd I'll be.
Daily pray'rs I'll offer for thy love and thee.
Fare-thee-well, thou gallant captain,
Bear they love this chain of gold,
Tho' I doated on thee fondly,
Count not Spanish ladies bold;
Joy and true prosperity still go with thee."
"May they ever be they lot, thou fair ladie.
Image: Rober Chambers Book of Days, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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