he did not again return to this country until the year 1153; so
that there must have been a lapse of nearly six years from the
period of his first intimacy with Rosamond, to the renewal of
that intimacy at his return.

About the year 1157, king Henry took extraordinary precautions
to conceal his intrigue from the knowledge of queen Eleanor, a
woman, of wonderful spirit and penetration, to whom he had been
espoused at the period of his accession to the throne, in 1155.
This circumstance has given rise to the romantic tradition of
his forming a sort of labyrinth at Woodstock Palace, for the
purpose of concealing his fond mistress from the vengeance of
Eleanor; but the story of her being murdered in that palace by
the queen is perfectly false, for it is sufficiently evident
that she retired to the nunnery of Godstow, where she ended her
days in peace, though in what year it is difficult to decide.
After Rosamond's decease, the king bestowed large revenues on
the convent, in return for which, he required that lamps should
be kept continually burning about the lady's remains, which were
interred near the high altar, in a tomb covered with silk.

We may naturally conclude from these circumstances, that, as
long as the connexion between king Henry and Rosamond continued,
the former had no other object in his affections; yet we are
informed by a writer of Thomas à Becket's life, that there lived
a remarkably handsome girl, at Stafford, with whom king Henry
was said to cohabit. However, observes the same writer, Rosamond
_might_ have been dead before the second intrigue was commenced.

G.W.N.