¶ A ballad specifienge partly the manner, partly the matter, in the most excellent meeting and like marriage between our Sovereign Lord, and our Sovereign Lady, the Kings and Queen's highness. pend by john Heywod.  

THe eagles bird hath spread his wings  
And from far of, hath taken flight  
In which mean way by no leuring  
On bough or branch this bird would light  
Till on the rose, both red and white  
He lighteth now, most lovingly  
And thereto most behovinglie.   

The month ensuing next to june  
This bird, this flower for perch doth take  
Reioysinglie himself to prune  
He rousith, rypelie to awake  
Upon this perch to choose his make  
Concluding straight for ripe right rest  
In the lion's bower, to build his nest   

A bird, a beast to make to choose  
Namely the beast most furious  
It may seem strange, and so it doose  
And to this bird injurious  
It semthe a case right curious  
To make construction in such since  
As may stand for this birds defence   

But mark▪ this lion so by name  
Is properly a lamb tassyne  
No lion wild, a lion tame  
No rampant lion masculine  
The lamblike lion feminyne  
Whose mild meek property aleurth  
This bird to light, and him asseurth   

The eagles bird, the eagles air  
All other birds far surmounting  
The crounid lion, matcheth feyre  
Crown unto crown, this bird doth bring  
A queenly queen, a kingly king  
Thus, like to like here matched is  
What match may match more meet than this   

So meet a match in parentage  
So meet a match in dignity  
So meet a match in patronage,  
So meet match in benignity,  
So matched from all malignity  
As (thanks to god given for the same)  
Seld hath been seen, thus saith the fame   

This meet met match, at first meeting  
In their approach together near  
Loulie lovely lyveli greeting  
In each to other, did so appear  
That lookers on, all must grant clear  
Their usage of such human reach  
As all might learn, but none could teach   

Then in conjoining of these twain  
Such sacred solemn solemnity  
Such fare in feast to entertain  
Such notable nobility  
Such honour with such honest  
Such joy, all these to plat in plot  
Plat them who can, for I can not   

But here one dainty precedent  
Nombre so great, in place so small  
Nations so many, so different  
So suddenly met, so agreed all  
Without offensive word let fall  
Save sight of twain, for whom all met  
No one sight there, like this to get   

This lamblyke lion, and lamblike bird  
To show effect, as cause affords  
For that they lamblike be concurde  
The lamb of lambs, the lord of lords  
Let us like lambs, as most acordes  
Most meek thank, in humble wise  
As humble heart, may most devise   

Which thanks full given most thankfully  
To prayer fall we on our knees  
That it may like that lord on high  
In health and wealth to prosper these  
As falleth for their most high degrees  
And that all we, their subjects may  
Them and their laws, love and obey   

And that between these twain and one  
The three and one, one once to send  
In one to knit us everyone  
And to that one, such more at end  
As his will only shall extend  
Grant this good god, adding thy grace  
To make us meet tobtayne this case    

Imprinted at London by William Ryddell.