put these words into her eares Mortua non mordet Being dead she will byte no more And notwithstanding as she was naturally slow to anger she had this custome that she neuer would enter vnaduisedly or without premeditation into any action so she began to weigh in her minde whether it were better to put her to death or to let her liue From putting her to death she was disswaded By her owne naturall clemency not to vse cruelty to her who was a Princesse and her next kinswoman from the feare that she had Histories should make her infamous to posterities and from the dangers which might fall vpon her as from the part of the King of Scotland who then was the next in succession to the Crowne of England so also from the Catholick Princes and from desperate people who would attempt any thing From pardoning of her likewise she foresaw no lesse danger to ensuâ— That the Nobility which had giuen the sentence against her would couertly seeke to regaine the fauour of her and her sonne and that could not be done without danger to her selfe That her other subiects would take it ill when they perceiue their labour to be lost and though then they were carefull for her welfare yet hereafter they might grow carelesse and that many would change their religion and become Popish vpon a supposition of greater hopes seeing her preserued as it were by fatall prouidence to inherite the Kingdome of England That the Iesuites and Seminaries whose eyes were all cast vpon her seeing her sickly and not like to liue long would be so much the more busie to procure the death of Q. Elizabeth to set vp their religion Her Courtiers also ceased not to suggest these and the like things vnto her Wherefore should you pardon so monstrous a malefactor being already iustly condemned who after shee had subscribed to the combination made for the preseruation of your health and safety notwithstanding presently after attempted the taking away of your life and thereby to procure the vtter ruine of Religion the Nobilitie and commons Clemency indeed is a Princely vertue but not to be shewed to such as are mercilesse Let the vaine shew of mercy yeeld to life-preseruing seueritie and haue regard that your mercy bring you not to misery It is enough to haue the commendation of clemency in that you haue once giuen pardon to pardon her againe were nothing else but to pronounce her innocent to condemne the States of the Kingdome of iniustice to animate her agents to attempt new mischiefes and to discourage your faithfull subiects from hauing any care for the preseruation of the weale publick Religion the Common-wealth your own welfare the loue of your countrey the oath of association the care of posteritie to come doe all together begge and beseech you that she which desireth the destruction of all these may speedily be brought to destruction her selfe If these be not heard there is no safety left for this State and Historians will leaue it recorded to the ages to come that the fayre sunne-shine dayes of all prosperity which were in England vnder Q. Elizabeth ended in a darke and dreadful euening nay turned into a dismall night of eternall obscurity Our posterity shall find that we wanted wisedom hauing power to foresee our miseries but not to preuent them the which will thereby become the greater the grossenesse whereof will be imputed not so much to the malice of our enemies as the improuident stupidity of these times That the life of a titulary Queene of Scotland was not so much worth as the safety of this whole kingdome nor is there any place left for lingring for delayes are dangerous We should not giue malefactors of that monstrous nature leaue to breathe which from their insolency will take their last support and from the impunity of their crime expect some recompence He which keepeth not himselfe out of danger when he may seemeth rather to tempt God than to trust in him All the danger that can be from strangers will cease with the cause and cannot harme England vnlesse it be by her What will or power soeuer the Pope can haue to hurt will cease with her death The Spaniard can haue no cause to finde fault who for his own security put his onely sonne Charles to death and doth what he can at this present also to make away Don Antonio King of Portugale the more to extend his ambition The king of France entertayneth an inuiolable league of loue with England and is aboue all things so interested herein that by the present dispatch of the Q. of Scotland the hope of the Guises shall be layd flat vnder foot since it is so that out of the desperate hope they haue in the long looked-for ayde from their kinswoman their insolency is growne so great at this time against him That the King of Scotland euen in nature and out of a true respect of his royalty cannot but be moued to displeasure at his mothers death yet he will rather out of better deliberation wayt wisely till time shall ripen his hopes with security than to attempt out of season the things which can affoord him nothing but disturbance and danger And the neerer he shall growe to his great hopes the farther off will forraigne Princes who of customary course are alwayes opposite to the growing greatnesse of others estrange themselues from him They propounded also to her domesticall examples because that that which is warranted by president is the more tolerable As What comportment the Kings of England for their securities haue had with their competitors namely Henry the first with Robert his elder brother Edw. the third or rather his mother with Edward the second Henry the fourth with Richard the second Edward the fourth with Hen. the sixt with his sonne the Prince of Wales and George of Clarence his owne naturall brother Henry the seuenth with the Earle of Warwick the yonger sonne of the Duke of Clarence and HENRY the eightth with De-la-Poole Earle of Suffolk with Margaret of Salisbury and Courtney Marquesse of Exeter all which in comparison of their offences dyed for very sleight matters Neyther did the Courtiers only suggest these and the like to the Queene but diuerse fiery-tongued Preachers also tooke occasion to exercise with all asperity of spirit the heate of their desires in hastning on her death Sundry also of the vulgar sort were of the same temper according as their affections or humours carried them away with hope or feare Amidst these sad-afflicting thoughts of minde which so troubled the Queene of England's perplexed heart as that she delighted to be all alone and to sit solitary by her selfe neyther looking vp nor vttering any speech yet would suddenly many times breake out into these words and sighing say AVT PETERE AVT PERCVTE and withall also a kinde of Emblem PREVENT THE STROKE BY STRIKING shee deliuered Secretarie Dauison letters vnder her
and marked it with dignities and Royall preheminences The which the States of Ireland had liberally offered to Henry the eighth and the Queene a little before vsed and enioyed the same But these things are not for this place The Romane Religion seemed then to be well established in England howbeit the Ecclesiasticall company seeing that Mary was now fortie yeeres old growne dry and sickly scarce hoping for any ofspring began forthwith to be afraid of ELIZABETH For they knew she was brought vp in the Protestant Religion and obserued that all men cast as vpon a rising Sunne both heart and eye vpon her Therefore they seriously consult from the very beginning of Maries Raigne how to preuent that the Religion now called backe should receiue any detriment by her The wiser and more consciencious sort iudged it to be an exceeding foule crime to destroy Royall Linage and Mary herselfe who was a godly Princesse though displeased with her Sister for the discord of their Mothers yet certaine sicke-braind fellowes who neither durst vndertake any thing nor performe any thing by right or wrong to establish the Catholike Religion did thinke it fit And it happened very commodiously for them that Tho. Wyat Peter Carew Iames Crofts and others for the Protestants seditiously endeuoured to doe rash and turbulent things labouring with all haste to mary ELIZABETH to Edward Courtney Earle of Deuon-shire She as being guilty hereof is thrust into prison first of all vncertaine rumors are dispersed that she was a partaker of sedition thereupon many are brought in question for their heads and others brought to the Racke Croft with a religious asseueration openly affirmed that she was no way guilty and out of all offence for sedition Wyat also it was thought who was ready to vnder-goe his last punishment would haue accused her and hee openly professed the same Neuerthelesse she is put into the hands of Keepers who hurry her this way and that way at length her Seruants and Maides are laide in fetters harder dealing then her dignity deserued In the meane time the French King Henry the second by priuate Letters full of loue comforts her and by many and great promises seekes to draw her into France whether for loue or by deceit to beget her a greater danger I will not say to make way to the Queene of Scots his Neece to the Crowne of England after Queene MARY In like manner Christian the Third King of Denmarke who long before made profession of the Protestants Religion endeuours all he can and treates vnder-hand to marry her to Frederick his Sonne Which when the Papists of England perceyued they againe threaten perill and mischiefe and fearing her cry out that all of the Romane Religion Queene and Kingdome are in ieopardy while shee subsists therefore necessarily to condemne her eyther Laesae Maiestatis or as a depraued Heretique and during that storme whilest cruelty was rigorously exercised vpon the meaner sort of Protestants I. Storie Doctor of the Law and others cunningly giue it out in all places in seuerall assemblies that they vnderstood it was practising to extirpate and ridde out Heresie ayming at her without sparing the smallest branches Notwithstanding moderating her selfe imitating the Mariner when a storme violently increaseth heard diuine Seruice according to the rule of the Romish Church came often to Confession and verily beeing oft rudely and churlishly disturbed by Cardinall Pole the terrour of death made her confesse her selfe to bee a Romane Catholique Howbeit MARY hardly beleeued it not forgetting that herselfe being forced by the same apprehension had by Letters written to her Father with her owne hand which I haue seene renounced for euer the authority that the Pope pretended to haue in England and acknowledged her Father to be Soueraigne Head of the Church of England and that the marriage betwixt him and her Mother was incestuous and vnlawfull Neyther could the Cardinall and other Prelates perswade themselues to it who to assure the Romane Church wished her to be taken out of the way But Philip MARY'S Husband and other Spaniards being more iust on ELIZABETHS behalfe would not heare of that Not that the fortune of an afflicted Princesse mooued them so much to mercy as their owne reason circumspectly aduised them Because fore-seeing if ELIZABETH were cut off that by Marie Queene of Scots next Heire to the Kingdome of England now married to the Dolphin of France England Ireland and Scotland might be ioyned to the Scepter of France then which nothing could be more fearefull to the greatnes of Spaine with whom they haue continuall warres When therefore without impietie they could not put ELIZABETH to death many thought it would be most aduisedly done to remooue her farre from England and marry her to Emanuel Philibert Duke of Sauoy Neyther did this please Spaine who before had purposed her for Charles his sonne And Thomas Cornwallis who was of the Queenes Councell likewise disswaded it telling Her that the people of Englād would hardly beare it yea in no wise suffer it that the next Heire of the Kingdome should be carryed away into a forreine Countrey At which time MARY for her inueterate hatred to ELIZABETH and because shee refused to marry with Sauoy grew to that heat of anger that shee ouer-charged her with reproaches and often-times would not stick to say that Marie Queene of Scotland was the certaine and vndoubted Heire of the Kingdome of England next to her selfe These consultations holden against ELIZABETH were taken away by a warre which MARY denounced in the behalfe of her Husband against France which although that was the prime and principall cause shee neuerthelesse alledged others and those most true viz. That France against the Lawes of couenant had nourished and sustained by his Agents and ministers the Rebellions of the Duke of Northumberland and Tho. Wyat the machinations and workings of Dudley and Ashton against her person sent out Pyrats against the English Merchants furnished Stafford with Ships and Armes to possesse the Castle of Scarborough had attempted by wicked practices to surprize Callais permitted English mony to be counterfeited and adulterated in France and inuaded the Low-Countries which the English by couenant are bound to defend In this flaming warre and the Scots stirred vp by the French inuading the Frontiers of England Calais is lost the Castles of Lisbanck Newnambrig Mere Oyes Hammes Sandgate the Castle and Towne of Guines and amongst the frequent Funerals of Prelates which sad presage seemed to fore-shew the displeasure of the diuine power MARY neglected of her Husband and with concocted griefe for the losse of Callais which had beene Englands rightfully two hundred yeeres with a Feuer and the Dropsie the seuenteenth day of Nouember 1558. departed hauing reigned fiue yeeres foure moneths A Princesse of a holy behauior to al her piety to the poore liberalitie to the Nobles and Clergie can neuer enough be praysed But the time was
Christian Princes to let them vnderstand Queen MARY's decease She therefore appointed and sent with all speed to the Emperour Ferdinando Sir Thomas Chaloner with letters of her owne hand-writing by which shee gaue him notice of her Sisters death and that first by Gods speciall grace next by her hereditary right and through the generall loue and consent of all her Subiects she succeeded these her Crownes and dignities And that now she desired nothing more than to maintaine the loue and to encrease the ancient amitie which of long time had beene betweene the Houses of England and Austria To the King of Spaine who at that time was in the Low-Countries she also sent Ambassador the Lord Brook Baron of Cobham with the like Embassage and Commission by which shee of new imployed and delegated the Earle of Arundell Turlbey Bishop of Ely and L. Wotton who before had beene delegated and appointed by Queene MARY for the treatie of peace in the Citie of Cambray and adioyned to them W. Howard Baron of Effingham She also secretly sent Sir Henry Killigrew Ambassadour to the Princes of Germany to inflame them in the zeale of Gods pure Religion To the King of Denmarke D. B. was sent Ambassador and to the Duke of Holsatia also Armigild Waade Philip King of Spaine hearing of the death of Queen MARY fearing one way to lose the title of King of England and the force of that Realme which were vnto him most vsefull and profitable and likewise that the kingdomes of England Ireland and Scotland should be vnited to the Crowne of France by the meanes of the high and mighty Princesse the Queene of Scotland hee therefore treats seriously of a match with Queene ELIZABETH with promise to obtaine a speciall dispensation from the Pope And to that effect imployed the Earle of Ferie who had visited her MAIESTIE by the like meanes as he had done Queene MARY in her sicknesse This Sutor puts Queene ELIZABETH into great anxiety and perplexity considering how inconsiderate and ingratefull her Maiestie might seeme to be in refusing a Christian Prince who had already obliged her in other things much but yet more in this as to seeke her to his wife through his owne free desire and motion The French King likewise was in an extasie considering how important and dangerous it was to France if Spaine her enemy should vnite adioyne to his kingdoms the Realmes of England and Ireland therefore hee vseth his best endeuours at Rome by the intermission of the Bishop of Angoulesme to hinder the grant of such dispensation shewing to that end that Queene ELIZABETH was held for Supportresse of the Protestant Religion and rather than faile went about to declare her illegitimate But all this most secretly and closely for feare to irritate England before that his affaires were throughly well settled The Earle of Ferie contrariwise on the other side labours as hard to bring this marriage to passe and to that end giues the English Papists to vnderstand who were dispersed throughout all parts of the Realme that it was the sole and onely way left for them to preserue their Religion and defend their ancient dignities and honours and that if they should contemne it hee could not but deplore the misery and calamity of England as being out of money vnprouided of men trained vp and vnskild in the military discipline void of fortification and lacking munition and garrisons for Warre and her Councellors of State depriued likewise of good aduice And indeed to speake truely Englands affaires were at that time in a most miserable case and lamentable state for England had warre on the one side with Scotland and on the other side with France and was in a manner vndone by those debts that King HENRY the Eighth and King EDWARD the Sixt had run into and her treasury was exhaust and empty and the Town of Callais had beene but newly lost and the whole Countrey of Oyes with all the munition and furniture of warre The people here were diuided into contrarieties through differency of religion and the Queene left without any powerfull friend to assist her hauing no alliance at all abroad with forrain Princes But when as her Maiestie had more seriously agitated her spirit and carefully considered in her minde the proposition of this match shee findes the holy Scripture expressely inioyning that no woman ought to ioyne with him who had beene her sisters Husband no more than it is lawfull for a man to marry his brothers widdow and therefore that such marriages were directly illegitimate and wholly forbidden by Gods Law although the Pope should neuer so much grant a Dispensation And moreouer that if she should contract it by vertue thereof shee should acknowledge and proue her selfe illegitimate sith shee was issued from the match that King HENRY her father had contracted after his diuorcing and putting away Katherine of Spaine for hauing beene his brothers wife which neuerthelesse had beene approued iust and lawfull according to the Diuine Law by all the Academies of Christendome and likewise the Synod of London as well as that of Katherine vniust and vnlawfull Her Maiestie therefore endeuours to stop preuent and hinder by little and little the course of King Philips suite by an honest answer truely modest and well-beseeming the chaste integrity of her constant virginity and chiefly grounded vpon scruple of her conscience But he notwithstanding all this surceased not his suite but persisted therein vrging her with feruent and frequent Letters By which shee obserued the manners and behauiours of so great a King compounded with grace and graue modesty and truely worthy his Maiestie the said Letters being much by her admired in the often publishing of them yea her Maiestie taking pleasure to imitate them vntill some Nobles of her Court began to defame and speake against the matchlesse pride and practices of the Spaniards Also some of the intimate Lords and fauorites of her Maiesties Priuy-Councell fearing lest the tender and young spirit of a Maide often moued might easily condescend to their desires told to her MAIESTIE secretly that both her Maiestie and friends with the whole Realme of England were vndone if in such Dispensations or in any thing else whatsoeuer she should giue any credit or make the least estimation of the Popes authoritie and power since that two of them had declared and published her Mother illegitimate and vnlawfully ioyned in wedlocke with King HENRY the Eighth Also that by vertue of such Declaration the most high and most mighty Princesse the Queene of Scotland should pretend right to the Crownes of England c. and that the Pope would neuer retract nor goe from that iudgement and that her Maiestie should not expect nor looke for any thing good or iust from the Popes hand who had beene enemies and shewed themselues vniust both towards her Maiestie and her Mother And that the French King laboured hard vsing his vtmost power and
who was father to the gracious Princesse Frances Dutchesse of Richmond and Lenox now liuing Moreouer her Maiestie created Sir Henry Carie Baron of Hunsdon who was allyed to her Maiesty by the Lady M. Bullen and that Noble Gentleman Oliuer Saint Iohn shee made Baron of Bletso who all were free from the Popish Religion After this her Maiesty is conuayed in pompe and Royall Magnificency from the Tower of London to Westminster thorow the Citie of London with incredible applause and generall acclamations which as her Maiestie was equally venerable in sight and hearing increased meruailously and the next morning her Maiestie was there inaugurated with the right of her Ancestors and anoynted by Owen Oglethorpe Bishop of Carlile when as the Arch-Bishop of Yorke and diuers other Prelates had refused the performance of that duty through a suspicious feare of the Roman Religion conceiued partly because her Maiesty had beene brought vp from the Cradle in the Protestant Religion and partly also that she had a little before forbidden a Bishop at the Diuine Seruice from lifting vp and adoring the Hoste and likewise permitted to haue the Letany Epistles the Gospell in English which they held as execrable Yet Queen ELIZABETH was truely godly pious and zealously deuoted for her Maiestie was not so soone out of her bed but fell vpon her knees in her priuate Closet praying to God deuoutly Certaine houres were by her Maiestie reserued and vowed to the Lord. Moreouer her Maiestie neuer failed any Lords day and holy day to frequent the Chappell neither was euer any Prince conuersant in Diuine Seruice with more deuotion then her sacred Maiestie was Shee zealously heard all the Sermons in Lent beeing attyred in blacke and very diligently gaue attention thereunto according to the ancient vse and custome although shee said repeated oftentimes that which she had read of HENRY the third her Predecessor that her Maiestie had rather in her Prayers speake to God deuoutly then heare others speake of Him eloquently And concerning the Crosse our blessed Lady and the Saints she neuer conceiued irreuerently of them neither spake her selfe nor suffered any others to speake of them without a certaine kinde of Reuerence Within few dayes after there was a Parliament held in which was enacted by a generall consent First that Queen ELIZABETH was and ought to bee both by the Diuine and Ciuill Law and the Statutes of this Realme and as I may vse their proper termes and forme the lawfull vndoubted and direct Queene of England rightly and lawfully descending from the Royall Blood according to the order of succession which was likewise formerly enacted by Parliament in the fiue and thirtieth yeere of King HENRIE the Eighth yet neuerthelesse that Law was not abolished by which her Father excluded both her and her Sister MARY from succeeding him in the Crowne And therefore it was thought by some that the Lord Bacon vpon whom her Maiesty relyed as an Oracle of the Law had forgotten himselfe and was destitute in that particular of his wonted Prudencie in not foreseeing the euent and especially because the Duke of Northumberland had obiected the same both against her Sister MARY and her selfe and to that end Queen MARY had abolished it in as much as concerned her selfe At which time there were some that drew against her Maiestie most dangerous inuectiues and conclusions in such manner as if she had not bin lawfull Queene although the Lawes of England many yeeres agoe determined Que la Couronne vnefois prinse ofte toute sorte de defaults That the Crowne once possessed cleareth and purifies all manner of defaults or imperfections But many on the other side commended the wisdome of the Lord Bacon therein as vnwilling in regard of such confusion of the Lawes and Acts to open a wound already clozed vp with the Time For that which made for Queene ELIZABETH seemed to tend to the shame and disgrace of Queene MARY And therefore shee held her selfe to the Law made in the fiue and thirtieth yeere of King HENRY the Eighth who restored and vpheld in a certaine manner each of their Honours Afterwards there was in the Parliament likewise propounded that forasmuch as concerned the Crown of England and the ancient iurisdiction in Ecclesiasticall matters should be re-established with the Lawes of King HENRY the Eighth against the Sea of Rome and of EDVVARD the Sixth in the behalfe of the Protestants which Queene MARY had vtterly abolished ordaining That all Iurisdictions Priuiledges and Spirituall Preheminences which heretofore were in vse and appointed by Authority for to correct Errours Heresies Schismes Abuses and other Enormities in Ecclesiasticall Affaires should for euer remaine as vnited to the Crowne of England and that the Queenes Maiestie with her successors should likewise haue full power to appoint Officers by their Letters Patents to execute this Authority neuerthelesse vpon this charge that they should not define any thing to be haereticall but that which had beene declared such long agoe by the holy and Canonicall Scriptures or by the foure first Oecuminike Councels or others according to the true and naturall sense of the holy Scripture or which should afterward in some Synod by the authority of the Parliament and approbation of the Clergie of England be declared That euery Ecclesiasticall Magistrate and such as receiue pension out of the publike Treasure to aduance and promote themselues in the Vniuersities to emancipate Pupils to inuest Domaines or receiue seruants of the Royall House were oblig'd by Oath to acknowledge her Royall Maiestie the sole and soueraigne Gouernour of the Realme for as much as concerneth the Title of Soueraigne Head of the Church of England it pleased her not in all things or causes as well spirituall as temporall all forraigne Princes and Potentates excepted entirely excluded to informe of any causes within the Lands of her obeysance But there were nine Bishops that sare the same day in the vpper House of Parliament and opposed themselues and were wilfully refractary against these Lawes beeing then but foureteene aliue namely the Arch-Bishop of Yorke the Bishops of London of Winchester of Worcester of Landaff of Couentrie of Exceter of Chester and of Carlil with the Abbot of Westminster And amongst the Nobility there were none that gaue aduice that England should bee reduced againe to the vnity of the Romane Church and obedience of the Apostolike Sea except the Earle of Shropshire and Anthony Browne Vicount Montaigue who as I said here before was in Queene MARIES Raigne sent in Ambassage to Rome by the States of the Kingdome with Thurbey Bishop of Ely who by a feruent zeale of Religion insisted sharpely that it were a great shame for England if she should retire so suddenly from the Apostolike Sea vnto which it was but lately reconciled and more danger if by reason of such reuolt it should be exposed by the thunder of an Excommunication to the rage of her enemies That by
loued him affectionately though hee stood zealously affected to the Romane Religion Hee left behinde him Henry and Thomas his Children who succeeded him one after another in his dignity of a Baron Charles who purchased renowne to his name and some Daughters who were married into honourable Families Henry Mannors or Manners Earle of Rutland died who was Sonne to Thomas the first Earle of that Family Nephew to Iames Baron of Rosse who came of the Daughter of Thomas S. Leger and Anne his wife who by reason she was Sister to EDVVARD the Fourth gaue wonderfull lustre and splendor to that name Cousin-germaine to Robert who hauing married the Daughter and Heire to the Baron of Rosse an honourable and ancient Family augmented his owne with mightie reuenewes and the title of Baron of Rosse and he had by the Lady Neuill Daughter to Ralph Earle of Westmerland two Sonnes Edward and Iohn who were each of them in their due times Earles of Rutland and a Daughter who was married to William Courtney of Powderham Frances Duches of Suffolke Daughter to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke and Mary second Sister to HENRY the Eighth and Queene Dowager of France died who was afflicted with many miseries during her life She saw her eldest Daughter Ianes head cut off after shee had beene proclaymed Queene and presently after her Husbands her second Daughter married to the Earle of Pembroke to be diuorc'd and imprison'd and her third Daughter meanly married to Key who in his time was Master of the Reuels at Court And then her selfe forgetting from what degree she descended to her great dishonour yet notwithstanding for her best security married with Andrew Stoakes a meere priuate Gentleman THE SEVENTH YEERE OF HER RAIGNE Anno Domini 1564. FRance then reioyced for the peace shee enioyed which in some manner was maintayned with the Queene of England as being established to shut vp all entry to the English who began to flye out in calling to mind the cruell slaughters made by them in former ages when the Duke of Burgundie called them in for reuenge of his peculiar rancours and hatreds But this peace hauing rather slaked the feruent heat of warre than fastned any true concord or amity betweene the English and the French and the Queenes Maiesty perceiuing how the Protestants neglected and contemned her ingratefully returning those pleasures and fauours shee had done them resolued to trouble her selfe no more in others behalfe to the preiudice and hinderance of her owne proceedings Wherefore she bent all her care and thoughts to her owne occasions deliberated to make peace commended the ouerture thereof to Sir Thomas Smith a wise and learned man and the French lending a ready eare to the same gaue him Throgmorton for his Assistant who was then in France a prisoner at large to the end they might both together negotiate and procure the same The French King for his part assigned a Commission to Moruillier Bishop of Orleance and to Iohn Bourdin one of his Secretaries You may hereunder see the Articles whereupon they came to an accord in the moneth of Aprill within the Towne of Troyes in Champaigne THat one should not violently assaile the other neither yeeld succours to any other that made assault either vpon the one or other particulars onely should be lyable to their peculiar insults and offences No Traytors nor Rebels of eyther side were to be receiued All former iniuries were to be buried in obliuion Excepted all rights actions suites and pretensions which eyther they haue or pretend to haue respectiuely one against another shall remaine forcible and entire and so likewise all exceptions and prohibitions to the contrary These Articles concluded vpon the day following they annexed these Couenants separately and apart That a certaine summe of money should be payd to the Queene of England at daies constituted and appointed The Hostages in England were to be deliuered after the satisfaction of fiue hundred crownes And so this Treaty being ratified and confirmed Throgmorton might freely returne into his Country The King of France made Bone-fires of ioy according to the custome and after the Queene of England had ratified the same by oath in the presence of Gunor and Foix himselfe likewise within a very small time confirmed it in the presence of the Lord of Hunsdon who hauing at the same instant admitted his Maiesty to the Order of S. George he solemnely invested him with the Garter the Robe of honour a Collar of Esses whereat hung the picture of Saint George and other ornaments belonging to that Order In those dayes there arriued in England clad in the habit and grauity of a Priest to appeare more venerable Diego or Drilaco Guzman de la Forresta a Canon of Toledo sent in stead of the Bishop of Aquilar deceased some moneths before during which internall Roderic Gomez de la Forresta out of an hatred to Religion had bin the procurer of some rude entreaties of the English in Spaine who notwithstanding was much qualified by the Duke of Alua no man being able truely to say whether hee did it out of any loue he bare to the English or hatred to Gomez The like ill entreaty they also found in the Prouinces of the Low-Countries that liued vnder the Spanish gouernement at the instigation of the Cardinal of Granuella who to sow dissention betweene them and the Flemmings who held friendly and neighbourly commerce together in hatred to the said Religion he so brought it to passe that the yeere before the Flemmings complayned by Assonuil that the customes of England were enhaunst though this was performed during the reigne of Philip and MARY and that by Act of Parliament many of their handy-workes were there interdicted The English on the other side they exhibited also Bills of complaint how for small and trifling occasions their goods were confiscated in Flanders by vertue of new Edicts which also prohibited the bringing in of certaine merchandizes or to goe into Italie and Germanie by way of Flanders with horse Salt-Peter and Powder That they iniuriously exacted of them greater Imposts than euer were so much as mentioned in former times and all this against that Treaty of Commerce heretofore concluded on which was called the Grand Intercourse In the meane while the Princesse of Parma Regent of the Low Countries caused publique prohibitions to be diuulged first that no forbidden merchandize should be transported into England and then presently after for the importing of any English clothes into Flanders colouring it with the pretext of the plague which not long before had spred it selfe all England ouer But the naked truth is all these things were managed by the cautelous counsels and stratagems of Cardinall Granuelle to cause the Clothiers and other workemen depending on them to rise when they saw no clothes to be transported and yet the traffique of Clothes was established in Flanders to the preiudice of
withall they shewed her that it could not bee done except she married or designed a certaine Successor For which cause they desired and aboue all things besought her to be ioyned by the sacred bond of Marriage with whom she would in what place she liked as soone as she pleased to the end to haue Children for helps to the Kingdome withall to ordaine with the States of the Realme a Successor certaine in case that shee or the Children which she might haue should dye without Children which God forbid And for the obtaining of these things so much the more easily being so necessary they represented vnto her many reasons for the same the feare which of fresh memory had seized vpon them with such a sicknesse of which they had beene but newly recouered the opportunity of the time the States of the Kingdome beeing then assembled which might maturely deliberate of so great matters the terrour which she should giue to her enemies by this meanes and the incredible ioy which she should fill the hearts of her Subiects withall They praise the examples of her Ancestors who in like cases prouided for the suretie of their Posterity condemning this saying of Pyrrhus who would leaue his Kingdome to him that had the sharpest sword And moreouer shewing her with what a storme England were threatned if she should dye without designing a certaine Successor there would follow impetuously vpon it seditions and intestine Warres of which the Victory it selfe is most miserable and that Religion should bee driuen out Iustice ouerwhelmed the Lawes trodden vnderfoot there beeing no Prince who is the soule of the Law and the Kingdome a prey to strangers They numbered and exaggerated many other like calamities which would inuolue all sorts of Families if she should dye without Issue And modestly they added counsels Precepts and examples drawne from the holy Scriptures But those of the Lower House debated of these things more tumultuously Bell and Monson Lawiers of great renowne Dutton P. Wentworth and others refuted Royall Maiestie too much and among other things maintained that Kings were bound to designe a Successor that the loue of Subiects was the most strong and inexpugnable Rampart of Princes their onely stay and Support That Princes could not obtaine this loue if they did not prouide for the good of their Subiects not onely while they liued but after their death That that could not be done if a Successor did not plainely appeare That the Queene for lacke of designing one prouoked Gods wrath and alienated the hearts of her Subiects That then to gaine the fauour of God and haue Subiects most affectionate and obliged and to raise her vp Statues in the hearts of men which would neuer perish shee should declare a Successor Others that shee should knowe that they did hold her not for a Mother and a Nurse but for a Stepdame and a murderesse of her Countrie seeing shee loued her selfe better than England which then breathed by her spirit would expire with her rather then subsist aliue That there were neuer but cowardly Princes haters of their Subiects and fearefull weake women who conceiued feare because of their Successors and that such as be enuironed with the loue of their Subiects ought not to apprehend the danger which might bee stirred vp against them by a declared Successor These things she heard with a great deale of displeasure but shee contemned them for a time and for a time kept them hidden For as vse had instructed her she well knew what danger there is to designe a Successor insomuch that Queene MARIE reigning many of the Nobility and of the people had cast their eyes and hearts vpon her as beeing to succeed her that euen as any thing had bin said or done in her most holy Cabinet or secret Councell they reported it to her and that Wyat and others misliking their state and desiring to innouate things had conspired against her to set her vpon the Royall Throne in her place Shee knew that the hopes of Competitors were better restrained and they kept in their duety while she suspended the wayting of euery one and made no declaration of any That by a precipitate desire to reigne euen Children haue tooke Armes against their Fathers and that shee could not looke for lesse from her kindred She had obserued in reading and when she disputed of that remembred incontinently that it was rarely found that the Successors had bin declared in the collaterall line That Lewis Duke of Orleans had neuer been declared Successor in the Kingdome of France to Charles the Eighth nor Francis Duke of Angoulesme to Lewis yet neuerthelesse they succeeded without any noise That such designation had alwaies in England beene the ruine of the designed and that Roger Mortimer Earle of March designed Heire by King Richard had not beene so soone extinct and his sonne Edmond constituted and kept prisoner twentie yeeres together but for this cause That I. Polhem Earle of Lincolne declared Successor by Richard the 3. after the death of his sonne by Henry the Seuenty was alwaies suspected and finally killed in warre as he was weauing of innouations and his brother Edward beheaded vnder HENRIE the Eighth But these things make vs goe from the purpose But as some ceased not with prouoked spirits and sharpe contention daily more and more to cry aloud these things which I come to tell and other things which had a greater sting the Queene hauing commanded that choyce should be made of thirty of the Vpper-House of Parliament and as many of the Lower and that they should appeare before her Shee with a light reproose made them milder and by force of her most worthy Maiesty diuerted them from their designe promising them with many words not onely the care of a Princesse but also the affection of a Mother And the States hauing offered her for Subsidies more than they were accustomed to doe vpon condition that she would designe a Successour Shee vtterly refused it as being too much receiued the ordinary commending their affection remitted the whole fourth payment of the granted Subsidie saying That her Subiects money was as well in their owne coffers as in hers The last day of these Sessions she spoke thus in few words which I will shut vp in fewer SEeing that the words of Princes doe often penetrate deepe into the hearts and eares of men heare these from mee As I haue simply cherished truth so haue I alwayes thought that you would ingeniously haue cherished her but it hath beene in vaine For I haue discouered that dissimulation thrusts her selfe into these assemblies vnder the maske of libertie and of succession There are some of them among you who are of opinion that I ought presently to grant or vtterly to refuse libertie to dispute of the Succession and to establish it If I should haue granted it those would triumph ouer mee hauing their wishes If I refused they had
Florentine who had lyen a long time Factor in London vnderhand to stir vp the Papists against Queen ELIZABETH as questionlesse he very industriously performed and with great secresie A slender but maruelous weake suspition was rais'd of some priuie conferences were held at Yorke betweene the Earle of Lidington the Bishop of Rosse and the Duke of Norfolke who being sollicited to employ his aduice and care for the safety of the afflicted Queen by the Earle and the Bishop who promised to marry him to her with a modest answere he made refusall thereof promising neuerthelesse that hee would not forsake her in her aduersities so far as might safely stand with his honour and the dutie and fidelity he ought to his Prince This suspicion was greatly augmented by meanes of Ligan one of the Dukes seruants being a great Papist by reason of the daily goings and commings he made to Bolton Castle which belonged to my Lord Scroope where the Queene of Scots was kept by Francis Knowles vnder colour to visit and salute his wife who was the Dukes Sister And though nothing was yet certainely knowne neuerthelesse the Queene was remooued from Bolton where a number of Papists dwelt neere together on all sides to be conducted to Tudberry situated in the heart of the Kingdome and was committed to the keeping of the Earle of Shrewsburie Queene ELIZABETH was then the more carefull both of her owne and of the safety of Religion and the Common-wealth because the Guizes in France and the Duke of Alua in the Low-Countries had begun to put in execution those Dessignes they proiected formerly at Bayon touching the vtter extirpation of the Protestants Religion For the Propositions of Peace set downe in France about the beginning of this yeere came to nothing For Edicts were publisht whereby the exercise of the Protestant Religion was absolutely prohibited they that made profession thereof depriued of their publike places the Ministers commanded to depart the Realme within a prefixt time they were threatned with warre all ouer runne vpon in euery place and cruelties practised against them though Queene ELIZABETH vsed many and importunate intreaties by her Ambassadour Seris to bring them to a firme and solid Peace perswading the King not to excite mens stomacks by vnseasonable courses and that he should take heed of them who by remouing from about him his faithfull Subiects laboured so to breake and dis-vnite the Forces of France that it might be exposed as a prey to other Nations When he made no account of her Entreaties or Remonstrances and forbare not to draw out of Italy Germany and Spaine both money and men to re-enforce Queene ELIZABETH also not to abandon them who ioyned with her in one and the same cause she sent an hundred thousand Crownes in pieces of gold cald Angels with great warlike preparations to the Protestants who then professed religiously that they tooke not vp Armes to make warre vpon the King but onely to defend themselues and shee with all humanity entertain'd the French that made their refuge into England as also the Flemmings who seeing that the Duke of Alua breathed nothing but blood and slaughter were in great multitudes retired thither as to an Asyle and planted by permission both at Norwich Glocester Sandwich Maidstone and Southhampton to the singular benefit certainely of England For they were the first that brought in the Art and knowledge of making those light Stuffes which are called Bayes and Sayes with other such like of linnen and woolen But because I must often commemorate the warres of Flanders as linkt and combin'd with the interest affaires of England I shall not digresse much from my purpose if I heere relate how they tooke their beginning When the Spaniard would by no prayers nor intreaties mitigate his bloody Edicts against Religion and those who made profession thereof in the Low-Countries but in stead thereof exercised all manner of cruelty against mens consciences by the meanes of the Spanish Inquisition prohibited all the Assemblies of the States Prouinciall of the Low-Countries which is the onely and most vsuall remedy for the appeasing and according of their differences but gouerned the Common-Wealth by Acts digested in Spaine and not by the Councels of the people of the same Countreys it so happened that a few of the very scumme of the Vulgar sort tooke certaine Images in euery place out of the Churches and tumultuously brake them in pieces and though this Tumult was as soone appeased as excited yet following their counsell who desired to impose a yoke on this Nation strongly bent to liberty and taking occasion from the temerity of some few particulars he entoyled all the people with a publike Delict of manifest Rebellion and as if they had then lost all their liberty to inuade the Gouernment he sent Ferdinando Aluarez Duke of Alua a cruell and bloody man who beeing constituted supreme Gouernour contrary to the ancient customes and immunities of the Countrie though hee was in no sort a Prince of Blood rais'd a long and fearefull Warre abridging the Authority of former Iurisdictions erecting new Tribunals condemning the Nobility of the Country by the ministery and prosecution of such as were not their Iudges putting them to death placing Spanish Garrisons in the Borroughs and Townes building Citadels and for each alienation and commotion drawing by force out of their purses the tenth part of their immouables and the twentieth part of their mouable goods At the very selfe-same time it happened that certaine Marchants of Genoa and other parts of Italy sent out of Spaine into Flanders a quantity of coine to haue it put out to vse in a great Ship of Biscay and foure lesse which the Spaniards tearme Zabres which beeing chased by Chasteler a French-man and defended by Winter an English-man had much adoe to saue themselues in the Ports of Plimouth Fawmouth and Southhampton in England So soone as the Queene was aduertised of it she commanded all the Magistrates of those Ports to vse the Spaniards very kindly and to defend their Shipping from the French and G. D'espes Knight of the Order of Calatraua Ambassadour Leager of the King of Spaine in England fearing the French obtayned of the Queene who thought verily that this money had belonged to the Spaniard that new Mandates might bee sent downe for the defence of these ships against the French who lay in wayte for them and afterwards hee vsed the meanes to haue this money brought into England and from thence to Antwerpe by Sea But in the meane while the French had almost taken away one of the Ships which had bin perform'd but that they were repell'd by the English And therefore it was thought expedient to land it for better security which was done out of hand But notwithstanding it was not all brought on shore for D' Espes supposing the Queenes intention to be other then is was gaue the D. of Alua to vnderstand how
both Kingdomes the peace of either Prince and chiefly for the aduancement of Religion since he who was so great and worthy in Queen ELIZABETHS estimation should make friendship betweene the Scots and the English and might more easily perswade the Queene of Scots to the true Religion which hee had embraced Murray also by the meanes of Robert Meluin imparted this closely to the Queene of Scots and officiously promised his assistance but the Duke answered that he could not determine any thing of the marriage till she could cleare her selfe from her suspected crimes and wipe off those infamous aspersions but Rosse notwithstanding persisted in his perswasion and ceast not to draw him though vnwilling to it Not long after Nicholas Throgmorton met the Duke in Westminster who professing himselfe as euery way obliged and bound to performe all dueties of obseruance said that he vnderstood that Leicester dealt with the Duke concerning the match twixt him and the Scots which seemed strange and moued admiration in him since Leicester himselfe not long since had beaten the same bush and gone about it and friendly aduised the Duke that hee should put it off to Leicester who formerly had sought the honour of that marriage but if that could not be done that he should refuse it in regard the Scots accused her of many crimes but Throgmorton said that hee wisht that shee might bee ioyned to him in marriage that it might be prosperous to Religion and that she might wholly and soly depend and rely vpon Queene ELIZABETH But I doe premonish you that if you proceede in this matter Leicester may precede and goe afore you in counsell for by your owne meanes onely you cannot procure the assent and good will of the Queene Two dayes after the Earle of Leicester propounded the affaire to the Duke and receiued of him the answere that Throgmorton had forged and inuented afore-hand and when it came to the crimes he did moderate them according to the instructions and assurance that he had receiued of R. Cauendish of whom though suspected yet he recommended him to the Duke to make vse of his seruice After this he acquaints therewith the Earle of Pembroke who giues notice thereof to the Earle of Arundell and they all with Throgmorton doe write to the Queene of Scotland recommending vnto her Maiestie the Duke of Norfolke for her Husband as likewise Murray had formerly done The Duke himselfe also writes and witnesseth his loue vnto her offering her Maiestie louingly his humblest seruice and from that time he still communicated vnto them all such Letters as past betwixt them As for them they had ordinary and familiar discourses with the Bishop of Rosse concerning the meanes whereby they could effectuate and bring this marriage to passe and the twentieth of May 1558. a Proposition was made to the Queene of Scotland by Cauendish These ensuing Articles were written by the owne hand of the Earle of Leicester THat she should not vndertake any thing in the succession of the Kingdome of England preiudicious to Queene ELIZABETH or the issue her Maiestie might that haue she should passe an offensiue and defensiue League 'twixt their two Crownes That she should settle and firmely establish the true Protestants Religion in Scotland That she should receiue to her mercy all such Scots as then were against her she should reuoke the assignation that she had giuen of the Kingdome of England to the Duke of Aniou and that shee should take to her Husband some of the English Nobility and namely the Duke of Norfolke And they promised her that in case her Maiestie should conclude and agree the Articles to re-establish her anew in her Kingdome with all possible speed as could bee and to confirme her in the succession of the Crowne of England The Queene of Scots accorded them presently except that concerning the Allyance shee excus'd her selfe as not able to answere to it except shee had first consulted with the French King and concerning the assignation of the Kingdome of England she protested that she had neuer made any yet neuerthelesse shee would labour if they should desire it that the Duke of Aniou should renounce it Admonishing them to procure aboue all things the will and consent of Queene ELIZABETH for feare the affaire should turne and be preiudiciall both to herselfe and the Duke of Nolfolke as shee had formerly experimented in the match with the Lord Darley priuately contracted without Queene ELIZABETHS consent Yet they neuerthelesse esteemed fit first to sound the will and affection of many Noble-men who for the most part gaue their voice and consent prouided their Queene also to grant hers and likewise the Kings of France and Spaine were not against it but they onely had an apprehension of Murray and forasmuch as he had beene the first to propound this affaire promising to employ himselfe therein with all his might he should bee the first now to hinder it They yet notwithstanding were all of a mind that Lidington who then was lookt for should first sound the intention and disposition of Queene ELIZABETH In the meane while the Duke declares to the Lord Baron of Lumley all that was done and past in this businesse and with much adoe could hee obtaine from the Earle of Leicester leaue to take further consultation and aduice of his other friends he neuerthelesse made Cecill acquainted with it the Earle of Pembroke consenting thereunto At the same time the Lord Dacray resolued in himselfe to steale away the Queen of Scotland who at that time was prisoner at Winfield in the County of Derby vnder the keeping of the Earle of Shrewsburie The Earle of Northumberland who was of his counsell gaue notice thereof to the Duke of Norfolke who forbade to doe it fearing they went about to marry her to the Spaniard being then vpon hope to obtaine the loue and consent of Queene ELIZABETH The rumors and pretence of this match arriued presently to Queene ELIZABETHS eare beeing told her by some of those craftie and curious courtizans who smell and find out soonest the secrets of Louers The Duke knowing it labours with his vtmost power to make a proposition thereof to the Queen and to that end employed therein the Earle of Leicester the Earle of Pembroke and Throgmorton putting it off and deferring it from day to day as if he expected a fitter time and opportunity But Cecill seeing the said Duke perplexed in his mind counselled him himselfe to declare the businesse to the Queene for to take sooner away all scruple But the Earle of Leicester contrary to that opinion is against it promising him to propound the same to her Maiestie when she should walke abroad in the fields But whilest that hee by such sweete courtesies deferred the affaire from time to time Queene ELIZABETH beeing at Farnham causeth the Duke to approch neere vnto her Table and with a most graue and serious smile warned him That hee who
earnestly with Queene ELIZABETH for the re-establishment of the Queene of Scotland complayning that she was more strictly handled then formerly vnder the custodie of the Earle of Huntington her sworne enemie and emulator who as well as she had secret aimes to the Kingdome of England The Ambassadour of Spaine also at the sollicitation of the Bishop of Rosse prest that point very hard in the name and behalfe of his King But the Queene after shee had seriously reuolued the cunning deuices that they all practised to free the Queene of Scots and had couertly giuen out that she was ioyned with them in the Rebellion lately appearing answered him THat it was an inconsiderate and dangerous folly to free one that so apparantly aspired by ill practice to the Crowne of England That she had need more straightly then ordinary to looke vnto her and discharge some of her Seruants whom she had for the most part chosen for her own proper dessignes and to giue for an assistant to the Earle of Shrewsbury whom she had appointed for her Keeper who began to suspect the loyaltie of these people the Earle of Huntington whom she neuer knew to haue any title to the Kingdome but onely out of some relation to her in affinity and that neuerthelesse she had discharged him long sithence promiseth to omit no meanes of agreement with the Scots and protesteth to prosecute no iniuries receiued by her That she euer hoped that the King of France the King of Spaine and the Queen of Scotland would not take it in ill part that she onely prouided for the peace and safety of her selfe her subiects since nature reason and the honour of her Royall Name did of right require the same at her hands And that if any of them knew any way more expedient to preuent that imminent menacing danger shee would not onely heare but most willingly embrace it After this they sate in Councell often hereupon at the Court whether it were best to send the Queen of Scotland backe into her Countrie or retain her stil in England and how they might best prouide for the safegard both of the Queene and their Religion Whiles they were consulting hereabout William Herbert Earle of Pembroke happened to dye being issue to Richard son to R. Herbert the eldest Earle of Pembroke being in the Climactericall yeere of his age as if he had presaged what mischiefe should befal him if hee had longer liued leauing behinde him three children Henry Edward and Anne Hee was buried in S. Pauls Church with stately and honourable Rites and a most glorious Tombe erected for him a Noble person who out of his owne meanes rais'd a Fortune to himselfe For he so wrought into the fauour of HENRY the Eighth that he made him one of the Gentlemen of his Chamber and by his owne prudence increased his meanes especially after the King had married Katherine Parre his wiues Sister And vnder EDVVARD the Sixth hee procured whiles the Court was distracted in seuerall factions to be of the Order of Saint George Knight of the Garter the honour to be the Kings Squire the Title of Baron Herbert of Cardiffe and the dignity of the Earle of Pembroke He was Generall vnder Queene MARY of her Troopes she sent against Wyat and for the English Armie at S. Quintin President of Wales twice Gouernour of Calais vnder Queene ELIZABETH he was constituted Steward of her houshold whose fauour he lost for a time in regard that hee was the first moouer of the match betweene the Duke of Norfolke and the Queene of Scotland notwithstanding his intention and will were no way ill affected therein and failed narrowly a little before his death of being questioned vpon certaine euidences at large dilated and presumptions secretly found out Hitherto Pope Pius the Fifth had laid a foundation of abstruse darke conspiracies for Queene ELIZABETH and the yeere before she hauing no warning thereof nor cited by a Bull declaratorie priuily sends forth an Anathema and excites Rebellion and causeth the said Bull to be fixed to the Palace Gates of the Bishop of London in these words THE SENTENCE Declaratory of the Holy Father Pope Pius the Fifth against ELIZABETH the pretended Queene of England and those Heretiques adhering to her And finally all such as obey her to be insnared in the same PIVS Bishop a seruant of the seruants of GOD for the future memory of the businesse HEe that rules in the Heauens aboue and to whom all power is giuen both in Heauen and Earth gaue vnto one onely vpon Earth viz. to Peter the chiefest amongst the Apostles and to the Pope of Rome Peters Successor a holy Catholique and Apostolique Church without which there is no Saluation to gouerne it in the fulnesse of power And this he ordayned as chiefe aboue all Nations and Kingdomes to pull downe destroy disseuer cast off plant and erect to combine in the vnitie of spirit his faithfull people connext together through mutuall charitie and present them whole and sound to his Sauiour Which charge Wee who through the grace of GOD are thereunto called submitting our selues to the gouernement of the same Church cease not with all our best labours and indeuours to preserue this vnitie and Catholique Religion which hee who was the Author thereof so suffered to be incumbred for the triall of the faith of his and for our correction But the number of the ungodly is so great in power that there is not a corner left vpon the whole Earth now vntainted with their wicked Doctrines Amongst which ELIZABETH pretended Queene of England is aboue all the shelter and refuge of Error and most noysome enemies It is She who after shee had possessed the Kingdome vsurping monster-like the place of the chiefe Soueraigne of the Church in England and the principall iurisdiction and authoritie thereof hath throwne into miserable ruine the whole Kingdome when it was euen brought to the Catholique faith and began to bring forth good fruits For shee with a powerfull hand prohibiteth the exercise of the true Religion which was heretofore ouerthrowne by HENRY the Eighth the forsaker therof and afterwards repayred with the helpe of this See by MARIE lawfull Queene of England of famous memorie and embraceth the Heresies of obscure persons the Royall Councell once composed of the English Nobilitie shee hath broken off oppresseth such as made profession of and exercised the Catholique Religion re-established the wicked Ministers and Preachers of impietie abolished the sacrifice of the Masse Prayers Fastings the diuiding of the Meates the Celibate and all Catholique Ceremonies sent Bookes ouer her whole Kingdome containing manifest Heresies commended to her Subiects the prophane Mysteries and Institutions which shee had receiued and obserued from the decree of Caluin displaced the Bishops Rectors and Catholique Priests from their Churches and Benefices and disposed of them to Heretiques and is bold to take vpon her to iudge and determine Ecclesiasticall affaires forbade the
that it was heard by the Neighbours a great wayes off raised vp it selfe as if it had wakened out of a profound sleepe and forsaking his deepe bed below mounted vp into an higher place carrying with it the Trees which were rooted thereupon the Shepheards Tents and the Flockes of Sheepe feeding thereon Some Trees were almost quite couered with Earth as if they had but newly taken root there It left in the place from whence it departed an ouerture of fortie foot wide and 80. elles long the whole field was twenty Akers or thereabouts It ouerthrew a little Chappell neere vnto it carryed from the East into the West an Yew-tree which was planted in the Church-yard and with its violence draue vp before it high-wayes with Shepheards Caues with Plants and Trees which were thereon It made mountaines leuell and arable grounds mountainous as if then they had took their beginnings And thus from Saturday at night vntill Munday noone next following it rested not till at last as if it were then tyred with the long way and wearied with its weighty burthen A little before there was celebrated in France at Mesires sur Meuse the marriage betweene Charles the Fourth King of France and Elizabeth of Austrich the Daughter of Maximilian the Emperour with great and royall pompe Elizabeth to testifie her ioy with honour according to the entyre affection shee bore vnto the Emperour whom she honoured as her father and to shew her loue vnto the King of France her Neighbour and Confederate and for her owne honour sent into France T. Sackuil Baron of Buckhurst who according to his owne worth and his Princes dignitie was magnificently intertained Hee was accompanied with Guido Caulcancius a Florentine a man of great experience with whom the Queene-Mother of France mannaging the affaires of her and her children openly treated of a match betweene ELIZABETH and Henry the Duke of Aniou her Sonne and gaue him withall certaine Articles to present vnto ELIZABETH and after that the King of France made earnest suit for his Brother by Mauluoisie his Ambassadour ordinary La Motte F. Archant and de Foix who bestowed a whole yeere in solliciting ELIZABETH sometimes all together and otherwhiles seuerally This marriage did something fortifie their hope that the Romane Religion had taken no firme root in the Dukes heart as well in respect of his tender yeeres as being educated vnder Carualet who was much inclining to the Protestants Religion the hopes which they had by little and little to win him to the profession of it and the suppositions of the benefits which this marriage might bring to the reformed Religion hee being a young Prince and of a warlike disposition might by vniting the Forces of Germany and England bring the refractory Papists to obedience establish a perpetual league of peace betweene England and France and interrupt the designes of the Queene of Scotland the King of Spaine the Pope and the Irish Rebels sithence hee might ioyne vnto the Crowne of England the Dukedomes of Aniou Burbonnions and Auuergnia yeelding great Reuenues And it appeared that hee might adde greater things hereunto Lastly if this match were refused neuer would there be a more honourable match offered After diuers debatings the French propounded three Articles the first of which concerned the crowning of the Duke the second the gouernement of the Kingdome ioyntly with Queene ELIZABETH the third the toleration of their Religion To which answer was made THat the Queene could not agree without the consent of the State of the Kingdome that hee should be crowned after the marriage was accomplished but that she would willingly consent if the States thought good that vpon termes of marriage he should be graced with the matrimoniall Crowne so She termed it without doing any preiudice to her Maiestie nor to her Heires and Successors And that she would not fayle to make him discerne a most ample honour when hee was once her Husband As for the common gouernement shee thought it not vnfit to take for a Companion and Coadiutor in a coniunct administration him whom shee had honoured with the title of a King and her Husband And as for the toleration of the Religion which hee profest that shee could not giue her consent thereto for certaine causes which as I haue collected them out of the Letters of Queene ELIZABETH were these That howsoeuer the externall reuerence of Religion might bee tolerated between the Subiects of the same Kingdome vnder diuers manners and formes neuertheles this strange forme most repugnant of all which should bee betweene the Queene the head of her People and her husband seemed not onely dangerous but of all most auerse and disagreeing That She desired the King of France and the Queene his Mother equally to weigh in euen Ballance the perill which she should vnder-goe and on the other side the honour of the Duke of Anioâ— And that in tolerating his religion she violated the Lawes establisht in her Kingdome beget a distaste in her good Subiects lightened the heart of the wicked all which she verily should vndergoe for the honour of the Duke But the French-men vrged that if she liued without exercise of Religion shee seemed to haue none at all and that she would not for her Honour bee accounted an Atheist She on the contrary replyed THat if she did but husbandize those seedes of pure Religion which were in him and receiue increase thereof he should see within a short time that it would redound greatly to his Honour In the end they came so farre that if the Duke would assist with the Queene in the celebration of Diuine Seruice and not refuse to heare and learne the Doctrine of the Protestants She would condiscend that neither hee nor his people should be constrained to vse the Ceremonies and Fashions accustomed in the English Church nor molested if they vsed other Ceremonies not vtterly repugnant to the Word of God prouided that they vsed them in priuate places and that they ministred no occasion to the English of violating their Lawes establisht De Foix vpon these words To the Word of God paused a little Queene ELIZABETH to giue them content commanded that in stead of those words they should put in To the Church of GOD but the one pleasing no more then the other he desired that To the Catholike Church might be put in Queen ELIZABETH would no way assent thereunto and hereupon this matter began to waxe colder by little and little Some are perswaded that this Match was not seriously vndertooke by the King of France and the Queene his Mother but onely to the end that the remembrance of a match contracted with a Protestant Princesse might bee a testimonie vnto the Protestants of their sincere meaning vnto them and to preuent the match which they suspected to be treated of with the King of Nauar whom the King of France would haue married to his Sister The like opinion was of
bee thought not to respect her who had been wife to the King his brother and now the Dowager of France and to neglect the now puissant Family of the Guizes in France or to approoue that pernicious example of deposing of Kings And which was the most capitall point of all that shee finding her selfe abandoned of the French in her aduersity might seeke Patronage from Spaine and that by her meanes the three prepotent Realmes of England Scotland and Ireland might colleague them in amity with Spaine to the no small endamagement of the State of France To these Qu. ELIZABETH with milde alacrity answered THe King of France will be well aduised what or how he shall doe with the Queene of Scotland notwithstanding she was their Queene and now is their Dowager howbeit for the dissoluing of the Duke of Aniou's mariages she hath held secret cōsultation with the Spaniard He will also consider whether that ancient Law of Alliance be violable and whether he be bound therby or no to defend the King in his nonage He will also bethinke him how much France is beholden or obliged to the Family of the Guizes by whose practices the Countrey hath beene afflicted with long and bloody wars the French haue beene forced to lose the loue of Scotland and the poore Queene brought into this calamitable case she is in In very deed the example of deposing Kings I hold a thing most pernicious and well deseruing infernall punishment but for that the Scots are to answere And for mine owne part I call to mind the things which grieue my heart to remember But notwithstanding I know not how the French in old times allowed of Pepin when he supplanted Childeric Hugo Capet Charles of Lorraine depriuing them of their ancient successions descended to them from a long-continued Race of Ancestors to transferre the Scepter to new-erected Families As also Philip surnamed the good Duke of Burgundie exiled Iaquette from his countries of Hainault Holland or the Danes when they expulst from his Kingdome Christianus the second and his Daughters Or the Spaniards who imprisoned the Queene Vraca after they had put her from the Crowne It is no nouelty for Sonnes to succeed their deposed Mothers So Henry the Second was admitted King of England Alphonsus the yonger Sonne of Vraca King of Castill and of late memory Charles the fifth King of Spaine and Sicily their Mothers then suruiuing The world is full of examples of many Queenes that haue exchanged their Diademes for prisons which France doth testifie at large hauing imprisoned not to say further the wiues of three of their Kings one after another Lewes Hutin Philip the long and Charles the faire For my part I detaine the Queene of Scots vnder a reasonable Guard but I doe it for the preseruation of England and mine owne safety after the example of the French who for their better security of affaires put Chilperic into a Monasterie Charles of Lorraine into a safe and straite prison and Lodowicke Sforza Duke of Mylan into a Dungeon with Iron grates Whereunto as she was very conuersant in the Histories of all Nations shee annexed other examples of the same nature drawne out of the Historie of Spaine and finally concluded that true it was such Presidents carried euer with them some semblance of Iniustice but she required that the King of France would vndertake the defence of the Queene of Scotland euen as he was bound by his Allyance intimating that it would bee an action of greater glory to the French than all those vnhappy enterprizes they assumed in the cause of that infamous woman Iane of Naples But when it was discouered that at the same time the Queene of Scots practised secretly to confirme an alliance with the Spaniard by the negotiations of the Lord Seton who arriuing in Essex disguised in the habit of a Mariner and returning from thence into Scotland through England hee had promised succours in the Duke of Aluaes name to the Scottish partakers with the Queene shee was kept with a straighter Guard and the affection borne to her by the French by little and little waxed cold And certainely as the Duke of Alua omitted nothing wherein he might vent his hatred to Queene ELIZABETH so was shee no lesse cautelous to preuent it and frustrate his dissignes For in the first moneths of this yeere hee complained by the Spanish Ambassadour in England that the Flemmish Rebels bought all their warlike munition there and were receiued into all her Ports and Hauens shee presently by a strict Proclamation commanded that all Flemmings any wayes suspected of sedition should depart out of England and that their ships of warlike equipage should be seysed vpon in her harbours All which returned to the dammage of the Duke of Alua. For Humes Earle of March and other Flemmings reduced as it were to a desperate poynt whether they were terrified by this Proclamation or that they were vnder-hand admonished to retyre but they presently surprised the Breele which is seated vpon the mouth of the Meuse caused Flushing forthwith to reuolt and other Townes which expelled the Spaniards as they were in hand to make cittadels to captiuate their libertie in a short time cut off the Duke of Alua by Sea and through the meanes they had to make it good for themselues had a power to molest and detaine the Spaniard with a long and tedious warre wherein Souldiers haue obserued that hee shewed for his part such palpable carelessenesse and negligence as was not beseeming so great a Generall who for the space of foure whole yeeres grossely ouer-slipt the maritime affaires and expeditions of Flanders At the same time there was a famous generall muster before the Queene at Greenwich with a pleasant trayning in Armes by the Citizens of London and after their returne from thence martiall men who began to rust and corrupt in their owne houses began to flow out of England into Flanders and according as they stood affected betooke themselues some to the Duke of Alua and others the farre greater number to the Prince of Orange who opposed his proiects for the defence of Religion and his Countries libertie Amongst whom Sir Thomas Morgan was the first that brought three hundred men into Flushing vpon the report whereof the Duke who intended the recouery of it forbare and retyred Further hee vsed such expedition and diligence as hee caused greater troupes to come for after himselfe there landed nine Companies more of English conducted by Humfrey Gilbert who being consorted with the French first attempted to surprize Scluse and Bruges then hee set vpon Tergow in Suethebenelant But their scaling-Ladders being too short hollow correspondancie betweene the French and the English and Mondragon comming on with fresh succours for the assieged they retyred to Flushing of which both the one and the other sought to make themselues masters each to themselues But the Prince of Orange made good vse of this
as the other Cities and Townes of the Kingdome were decayed that if it had not beene looked to in time the ordinary Magistrates would not haue sufficed to haue gouerned such a multitude nor the Countries neere about to haue fed them and if any Epidemicke infection should haue happened it would haue infected the ioyning-houses that were filled with Lodgers Inmates The Queen made an Edict prohibiting any new dwelling-house to be built within three thousand paces of the Gates of London vpon paine of imprisonment and losse of the materialls which should be brought to the place to build withall and euery one forbidden to haue more than one Family in a House In the Low-Countries Generall Norris and Oliuer Temple with some companies of Flemmings ioyned to their English forces at the breake of the day set Ladders against the walls of Malines a rich Towne of Brabant tooke it killed a great number of the inhabitants and religious persons the taking whereof got them some commendations of valour but they polluted it with a vile pillage and rauenous sacriledge For they did not onely with great insolency take away the goods of the Inhabitants but set vpon the Churches and the holy things to the violating euen the dead And we haue seene I am ashamed to say it many of their Tombe-Stones transported into England and exposed to sale to set out publique witnesses of this impietie It wil not be amisse to remember the great Earth-quake which is a thing that very rarely happneth in England The third of Aprill about sixe of the clocke in the euening the skie being calme and cleare England shooke in a moment from beyond Yorke and the Low-Countries as farre as Collen insomuch that in some places Stones fell downe from Houses and Bels in Steeples were so shaken that they were heard to ring and the Sea it selfe it being a great calme was exceedingly moued And the night following the Country of Kent shooke and likewise the first of May in the night Whether this was caused by the Windes which were entred into cliffes and hollow places of the earth or by waters flowing vnder the earth or otherwise I leaue that to the iudgement of the Naturalists After this followed a commotion against Papists throughout England but themselues were authors of these beginnings The English Seminaries who were fled into Flanders at the perswasion and instigation of William Allan borne at Oxford accounted and esteemed by them a very learned man assembled themselues together at Douay where they begun to set vp a Schoole and the Pope appoynted them an annuall pension Since Flanders beeing moued with troubles the English Fugitiues banished by the command of Requesens and the Guizes allied to the Queene of Scotland did the like in establishing such other Schooles for English youths in the City of Reims and Pope Gregory the Third in Rome who as fast as time depriued England of Priests and Seminaries he furnished the Land with new supplies of their young ones who sowed the seedes of the Roman Religion all ouer England for which cause they were called Seminaries As well as those who were there bred and borne As among other things the Ecclesiasticall and Politicall power the zeale borne to the Pope the Founder thereof the hatred of Queene ELIZABETH and the hope conceiued to reestablish the Roman Religion by the Q. of Scotlands means were debated and disputed of Diuers so perswaded verily beleeued that the Pope had by diuine right full power ouer all the Earth as well in Ecclesiasticall as Politicall matters and by this fulnesse of power power to excommunicate Kings and free-Princes to depriue them of their Crownes and Scepters after the absoluing their subiects from all oath of fidelity and obedience to them This caused the grant of Pope Pius the Fifth's Bull declaratory published Anno 1569. the Bull of Rebellions kindled in the North parts of England Irelād as I haue already spoken of also that many desisted from Diuine Seruice who before seemed to frequent the Church with much zeale and integrity and that Hans Nelson and Maine Priests and one Shrood durst affirme and maintaine that Queene ELIZABETH was a Shismatique and that she therefore ought to be deposed of Regall rule and so degraded for which they were soone after iustly put to death Such Seminaries were sent in diuers places both in England and Ireland first some young men prematurely inuested in that order and instructed in the said Doctrine then after as they increased a greater number for the administrating the Sacrament of the Roman Church and preaching as they seemed to make shew of but indeed as Queene ELIZABETH her selfe and the Lords of her Maiesties most honourable Priuy Councell found out it was meerely to seduce her subiects to withdraw them from all obedience and loyalty due to their Soueraigne to oblige them by reconciliation to put in practice and truely execute the Sentence of Pope Pius the Fifth pronounced against her Maiesty and by this meanes to make way to the Pope and Spanish designe for the inuading of England And as it was knowne that to the infringing and contemning of the Lawes authority diuers Children young men of sundry Callings were daily vnder-hand secretly sent beyond the Seas in those Seminaries where they hauing made a vow to returne were receiued that from thence new supply of others vnknowne came priuatly into England and that still more were expected to come with such Iesuits who then made here their first entrance and abode so an Edict was proclaimed in the moneth of Iune expresly charging and commanding all such who had children Wards kindred or such others in the Regions beyond the Sea to exhibit and giue vp their names to the Ordinary within ten dayes after to send for them to come ouer within the prefixt time of foure moneths and presently after the said return euery one ought to declare and giue notice thereof to the Ordinary prohibiting likewise to lay out or furnish with money such as should stay or dwell out of England either directly or indirectly neither to nourish relieue or lodge such Priest deriued of those Emissaries nor Iesuits vpon paine for them who should doe otherwise to be reputed and held for fautors of Rebels and supporters of seditious persons to incurre the seuerity and rigour exprest in the Lawes of the said Kingdome Before this Proclamation was published the Papists feined to haue too late taken aduice of the incommodities that this Bull produced they made a shew to be extreme sorry that euer it was sent ouer they supprest Sanders Apology and prohibited to dispute any more such question concerning the Popes authority to excommunicate and degrade Princes But all this most cautelously and cunningly as the euent made it euident for this disputation increased daily amongst them as naturally men are most addicted to things prohibited sith Robert Persons and Edmond
inuented new stratagems with other of their confederacie in Scotland against the King And the better to obtaine these demands and incline the Queenes mind and affection towards the King more fully hee promised to discouer hidden enterprises that were plotted against the Queene To the first and second Article she answered as she thought fitting but as for the sending backe of the fugitiues she thus replyed THat she was verily perswaded that those Noblemen had not so much as entertained a thought of enterprizing any mischiefe that that vprore which so happened in Scotland proceeded not from any euill intent to the King but of the mutuall discords which dayly arise amongst the Nobilitie about the vnder-age of the King and therefore that belonged to the King to appease and to tye his subiects to him by suppressing factions in one bond of obedience Yet that shee might in some sort yeeld satisfaction to the Kings iust Petition and also receiue intelligence of those secret practices which hee spoke of shee commanded the Scottish fugitiues to remoue themselues farther from the limits But the Queene made shew that what he had reuealed then vnto her she had knowledge of before Whereupon arose a suspition amongst many that the Ambassador had beene hyred by some to disclose something to the preiudice of the King and his mother and had oppos'd against the acceptance of these most iust conditions which the mother of the King had proposed by her Secretary Naue Whereupon the patience of the Queene Mother that had so oftentimes beene deluded began now to breake out into flames of griefe and indignation and the desire which shee had to obtaine her libertie caused her to lay open her eares and minde to all the pernicious counsels of her friends or enemies And so much the rather because she perswaded her selfe that the generall association was deuised to take her life from her because likewise she had intelligence that by the practices of some shee was to be remoued from the custodie of the Earle of Shrewsbury who was a iust man and one that no wayes fauoured their designe and deliuered into the hands of new guardians But to bring this more fairely about lest the singular fidelitie and trust of the Earle of Shrewsbury might be thought to be suspected for it was not thought good to offend the reputation of so great a personage albeit it had been diminished with priuate calumnies by the reproachfull criminations of his importunate wife certaine suspitions were collected of some designes for her deliuery through certaine Emblemes which were sent vnto her importing thus Argus with his many eyes cast into a sleepe by Mercury sweetly playing vpon his Flute with this Motto Eloquium tot lumina clausit Vn Beau Discours â ferme aultant de Lumieres Mercurius beheading Argus keeper or watcher of Io A yong branch set in an old stocke and bound about with cords whereabout was written Per vincula cresco Ie crois Par les liens A Palme depressed yet rising againe with these words Ponderibus virtus innata resistit La vertu qui vient de Naissance resiste à l' oppression That Anagram also gaue much distaste ARMATA VERITAS MARIA STEVARTA Besides all this Letters were produced as though intercepted wherein the friends of the Queen Prisoner did complaine that they should be depriued of all hope of libertie if she were deliuered into the custody of Puritans Vnder this collected pretext shee was withdrawne from the Earle of Shrewsbury which he had often desired and committed to the custody of Drugon Drurey with others And that of purpose as some supposed that thereby being driuen to despaire she might be made the readier to entertaine mischieuous counsels and deuices and so brought into the Ambushes which were prepared for her For the Earle of Shrewsbury had beene her guardian for fifteene yeares with such watchfull and warie prouidence that hee left no place or space for her to enterprise ought against others nor for others to plot any thing against her Then shee sollicited with much importunitie the Pope of Rome and the Spaniard by Inglefield to finish with all mature expedition what they had begunne whatsoeuer betided her And Leicester who was thought to labour in the peruerting of the lawfull succession priuately sent murderers as some report to dispatch her out of the way But Drury more respecting honesty and equity in his heart hated those trecherous designes would not suffer any to haue accesse vnto her Some priuate messengers neuerthelesse conueyed Letters some true some false vnto her by which she might be transported through the imbecility of her sex to a pernicious ruine as shall hereafter be related That the loue of Queene ELIZABETH might wholy be diuerted from her it was whispered in her eares how that Alan for the Ecclesiasticall Catholickes of England Inglefield for the Lay Catholickes and the Bishop of Rosse for the Queen of Scots by common suffrages and with the consent of the Pope and Spaniard had decreed to spoile Queene ELIZABETH of her Kingdome to disinherite the King of Scotland from the same as manifested Hereticks to giue the Queene of Scots in mariage to a Catholicke Nobleman of England and by the English Catholicks to elect him King which Election should by the Pope bee confirmed his children by the Queene of Scots to bee openly declared legitimate successours to the Crowne of England and all these things by the faith of one Hart a Priest Who this Englishman should be Walsingham studiously indeauoured to find but to no purpose but the suspicion lighted vpon H. Howard brother to the Duke of Norfolke one of the Nobilitie not maried a great Papist and mightily fauoured of the Papists This yeare obscurely dyed in miserable exile C. Neuill that perfidious rebell against his Prince and Country being the last Earle of Westmerland out of that family which hath beene so fertile in Nobility that besides sixe Earles of Westmerland haue sprung of the same name two Earles of Salisburie and of Warwicke one Earle of Kent one Marquesse of Montague one D. of Bedford one Baron Ferrers of Ousley diuers Barons of Latimer and Abergauenny a Queene fiue Duchesses omitting Countesses and Baronnesses with the Archbishop of Yorke and a copious off-spring of Nobility In England none dyed more worthy of memory then Edmund Plowden who as in the knowledge of the Lawes of England of which he well deserued in his writings he was aboue others excellent so in integrity of liuing amongst those of his profession he was second to none But in France Francis Duke d'Alancon left the world forced by a malady proceeding of the griefe of mind and in Holland William Prince of Orange who with three bullets from a Pistoll was shot through the body Queene ELIZABETH much lamented the death of these two and dispatch into France B. to signifie to the King how greiuously she bore the death
whole yeare were the English affaires caried in the Netherlands In England Phillip Earle of Arundel who all the yeare had beene kept close prisoner was accused in the Starre-Chamber THat hee contrary to the Lawes had succoured the Priests had interchange of letters with Alan and Parson Jesuits and enemies to the Queene That he had derogated from the Justice of the Kingdome by publike writing and had enterprised to depart the Kingdome without licence But hauing made protestation of his obedience to the Queene and loue to his Country he modestly excused himselfe out of his zeale to the Catholike Religion and his ignorance of the lawes and submitted himselfe to the iudgement of the Assembly who adiudged him to be fined 10000 pounds and so long imprisonment as the Queenes pleasure should prescribe But of these things in the yeare 1589 must more amply be discoursed About this time ariued in England frō Frederick 2. King of Denmarke Hen. Ramely Chancelor for the German affaires with a warlike traine guard of Muskettiers who at large declared with what affection the K. of Denmarke was transported towards Queene ELIZABETH and the generall peace of Christendome to which he promised with his best indeauors to moue the King of Spaine to condiscend THat as hee said the common enemie of mankinde might not any longer with humane blood water those seeds of warre which he had sowne in the Netherlands The Queene gaue him a gracious hearing and hauing often graciously entertained him with diuers discourses she highly commended the pious intention of the King of Denmarke And by the Lord Burghley Treasurer Charles Howard Lord High Admirall Henry Lord Carie Baron of Hunsdon Chamberlaine and Sir Francis Walsingham principall Secretarie she gaue him this answer THat she desired nothing more then to embrace a League of amity in which were coucht no treacheries with her neighbouring Princes But considering the complots of the Spaniard which hee had practised against her shee could not but prouide for her owne safety the defence of the True Religion of Christ and the conseruation of the priuiledges of her allyed neighbours in their entier The selfe-same answer to the same purpose she gaue to Bodellan sent into England by the Duke of Parma to treat of a Peace In the meane space shee furnished the King of Nauarre by the hands of Horatio Pallauicine vvith a large summe of money in whose person onely the Guises oppugned the reformed Religion in France But the Queene was to nothing more attentiue then to confirme a solid amity betweene England and Scotland and to conioyne them in one vnited League of mutuall offence and defence vvhereby she might not onely cut off all hope of ayde from Scotland to foraine Nations but to the Queene of Scots her selfe For Queene ELIZABETH suspected that shee being greatly incensed had imbraced some perilous counsell since that the conditions which vvere presented by her vvere reiected the association agreed vpon and she as is before related deliuered into the custody of Sir Aimé Poulet and Drury And it was apparantly manifest that the Iesuites on one side and the fugitiue Nobilitie of the other had suggested her with diuers designes and abrupt counsels by their Letters written one against the other For the Iesuites perceiuing that there was no other hope left for the establishing of the Roman Religion either by her or by her sonne they framed to themselues new deuices they beganne to coyne for the Spaniard whose greatnesse they alwayes laboured to encrease a new and fained right to the succession of England And as Pasquier reported they sent Saumier if the name be not fained into England vvhich vvas one of their owne society for to draw the Nobility to the Spanish faction and to force her to some dangerous matter denouncing that if she were any way troublesome that neither shee nor her son should raigne at all And by inciting the Guises her alliance to new commotions against the King of Nauarre and Prince of Conde to the intent to hinder them from aiding of her and her sonne But to conclude the League which was begunne by Wotton and interrupted by the slaughter of Francis Russell which also Desneuall the French Ambassador and Corselle a man of an impatient disposition who not long before was ignominiously driuen out of England began now to hinder Thomas Randolph vvas dispatched vvhose dexteritie in the Scottish affaires was accounted wise and fortunate although to the King hee was scarce welcome by reason of the troubles which he formerly moued in Scotland He proposed to the King the same conditions of the League which Wotton had before propounded The King would haue to be added the Articles concerning the yearely pension assigned and the preiudice not to be offered to his Right to the Crowne of England and vvould haue them inserted into the Contract The Ambassador according to his instructions promised him an assurance of these things in a writing separate by it selfe prouided that hee constantly embraced the League The King out of the loue vvhich hee bore to his subiects propounded that the Scots might inioy the self-same immunities in England as the English themselues But the Ambassador shewing him that it could not be done except by the Parliament authoritie and the States of England vvould not easily accord thereto the King deliberately proposing the Articles to himselfe agreed vnto them and commanded them to be imparted to his Nobility to the entent that they likewise should confirme them with their subscriptions Yet the French Ambassador murmuring first said that the Queene had desired this League not out of any loue to the King but for the iust feare vvhich shee had lest shee should bee ruined by her enemies which were ioyned against her then hee iniected many feares intermixt with threats that the amity of France which is most profitable to the Scots vvould be by this meanes dissolued Lastly he coniured the King that hee would not doe any thing without the King of France his counsell But the King who wel knew these to be but vaine speeches could not be retarded or diuerted from his purpose For hee wel knew that the English forces were much encreased by Englands League with the Low-Countries made this serious answer THat he had reposed his confidence in the diuine bounty and not in the friendship of such as were contrary to the glory of God Neither was it lesse lawfull for him to contract a League with the Queene without the French Kings counsell then it was of late for the King of France to ioyne in friendship with her without his aduice And although the Queene that she might not be thought to buy this alliance did send him lesse money then he expected and made lesse expression of the assurance of the succession neuerthelesse for the zeale which hee bore to Religion and his singular affection to the Queene hee commanded the League to bee
silent concluded the Tragedy For Babingtons brother being guilty of the same had strangled himselfe in prison After this execution M. Nauue a Frenchman and Curle both Secretaries to the Q. of Scots being examined of the Letters copies of Letters Notes and Characters found in the Queenes Closet presently confest and subscribed that they vvere their hand-writings dictated from her to them in French taken by Nauue and translated by Curle into English and vvritten out in secret Characters Neither denyed they that they had receiued Letters from Babington and that they by her bidding had written backe to him againe I will not say that they were hyred to say what they did yet this was plainely to be seene by their Letters and what Curle challenged at that time by Walsinghams promise but he reproued him as vnmindfull of the gracious fauours hee had receiued saying that hee had confessed nothing but what his fellow Nauue vrging him to hee could not deny Presently after Sir Edward Wotton is sent into France vvho was to certifie the King of all the Conspiracy and to shew the Copies of the Letters of the Queene of Scots and of others of the Nobility of England to testifie the truth of the cause that the King might perceiue in what perill the Queen was by the practices of Morgan Charles Paget and others then resident in France The Councell could not determine what should be done vvith the Queene of Scots Some aduised not to deale with her too rigorously but to haue her kept 〈◊〉 in Prison for that shee was not the Author of the conspiracie but conscious and because she was sickly and not likely to liue long Others were of opinion to haue her put to death by course of Law for feare of endangering Religion But the Earle of Leicester thought it better to dispatch her with poison and sent a Diuine to Sir Francis Walsingham to tel him that he thought it might lawfully be done But Sir Fr. Walsingham protested that he was so farre from consenting to haue any violence offered her as that he had diuerted Mortons purpose which was to haue had her sent into Scotland and to haue slaine her on the Borders It was argued againe amongst them by what Law she should be iudged Whether by that of An. 25 of Edward the 3 by which such were held guilty of Treason as conspired the death of the King or the Queene which should bring warre vpon their Kingdom or take part with their Enemies or by that of Anno 27 of ELIZABETH which I spoke of But the aduice of those which thought better of the latter preuailed for it vvas made in the case which vvas now to be handled and therefore proper There vvas chosen by Commission many of the Priuy Councell and of the Peeres of the Realme to proceed by vertue of the Law aboue-mentioned and to passe iudgement against such as had raised rebellion inuaded the Land or offered violence to the Queene c. And behold the words of the Statute as they are in the originall ELIZABETH by the Grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland c. To the most Reuerend Father in Christ Iohn Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of England and one of our Priuy Councell and to our beloued and faithfull Tho Bromley knight Chancellor of England and of our priuy Councell as also to our welbeloued and faithfull William CECILL Baron of Burghley Lo high Treasurer of England our Priuy Counsellor c. Greeting c. The rest of the Lords Cōmissioners names for breuities sake are thus inserted Then after the rehearsing of the Law or Act as wee tearme it these words follow FOrasmuch as since the last Session of Parliament to wit since the first of Iune in the xxvij yeare of our raigne diuers things haue beene attempted and conceiued tending to the hurt of our royall Person aswell by Mary daughter heyre to Iames the fift late King of Scotland and Dowager of France pretending a title to the crowne of the Kingdome of England as also by diuers other persons with the priuitie of the said Mary according as it hath beene giuen vs to vnderstand And whereas we intend and determine that the said Act should in all and by all be well duely and effectually executed according to the forme and tenour of the said Act. And that all the offences in the aforesaid Act and the circumstances of the same aboue mentioned be duely examined and sentence or iudgement accordingly be giuen agreeable to the tenour and effect of that Act We giue to you or the maior part of you full and absolute power licence and authority according to the purport and meaning of the aboue recyted Act to examine all euery thing and things tending to the impeachment of our royall person which haue beene practised or conceiued aswell by the aforesaid Mary as by any other persons whatsoeuer with the knowledge and priuity of her all circumstances of the same and other forenamed offences whatsoeuer specified as hath beene abouesaid and all circumstances of the said offences and euery of them And moreouer according to the forenamed Act to pronounce sentence or iudgement according as the matter shall appeare to you vpon sufficient proofe And therefore We command you that yee proceed diligently vpon the foresaid matters in maner abouesaid vpon certaine dayes and in certaine places as you or the maior part of you shall thinke good Most part of these Commissioners met together the 11. of October at Fotheringham in the countie of Northampton vpon the riuer Nen where the Queene of Scotts was then kept The next day after the Commissioners sent to her Mildmay Sir Ayme Poulet and Barker publick Notary who deliuered vnto her the Queenes Letters which when she had read with a bold spirit and maiestick countenance she thus answered IT grieueth me that my dearest sister the Queene hath beene so badly informed against me and that after so many yeares as my body hath beene shut vp and kept with watch and ward the many iust conditions which I haue offered for my liberty haue been neglected and my selfe abandoned I haue sufficiently aduertised her of many dangers yet neuerthelesse she hath not giuen credite vnto me but alwayes reiected them though I be the next of her bloud When a combination was begunne and an Act of Parliament thereupon made I foresaw that what dangers soeuer might happen eyther from forraigne Princes abroad discontented persons at home or for Religion would redound vpon me hauing so great enemies in Court I might take it ill to haue my sonne contracted without my knowledge but I omit that Now as touching this Commission it seemeth strange to me to be arraigned in iudgement like a subiect being an absolute Queene not committing any thing preiudiciall to the Queenes royall Maiesty to any Princes of mine owne ranke and dignitie or against my sonne Mine
heart fayleth me not yet nor will I faint in aduersitie I referre me to my confession made to Bromley now Lo Chancellor and Baron Lauar I am ignorant of the English lawes and Statutes I haue no Counsellers at law Who are my Peeres I know not My notes and writings are taken from me and there 's none dares mediate for me I am free from all trespasse against her Maiestie I haue animated none against her neither am I to be called into iudgement vnlesse it were for some word or writing of mine owne that could be produced against me wherein I haue recommended my selfe and cause to some forraigne Princes which I would not deny The day following Sir Ayme Poulet and Parker two of the Commissioners repayred to her who shewed her in writing her answer and demanded whether she would persist therein which after she had heard read distinctly and truly vnto her she commended it saying she would But this quoth she was out of my minde that which I would haue added now that the Queene wrote vnto me that I was subiect to the lawes of England and to be iudged by them because I liued vnder their tuition To which I answer That I came into England for ayde and hauing euer since beene detayned prisoner I could neuer enioy the tuition or benefite of the lawes nor till this present had I any to teach them vnto me In the afternoone certaine of the Commissioners with some learned Counsellers at the Ciuill and Canon Law came to her The Chancellor and Treasurer shewed their authoritie by Commission telling her That neyther her detayning in captiuitie nor her Princely prerogatiue could priuiledge or exempt her from answering in the kingdome gently intreating her That she would be pleased to heare what was obiected if not they were to proceed by course of Law against her though absent She answereth She was no subiect and that she would rather dye a thousand deathes than acknowledge her selfe to bee one seeing that by such acknowledgement shee should preiudice the soueraignty of her royall Maiesty and become lyable to the Lawes of England yea in case of Religion notwithstanding she was ready to answere to all things in open Court of Parliament though shee knewe that this Convention was for formalities sake purposely continued for the taking away of her life already condemned in opinion She wisheth them to examine their owne consciences and to remember that the spacious Theater of the world was more than the Kingdome of England Then she began to complaine of some iniuries offered her but the Treasurer interrupting her recited fauours which she had receiued from her Maiestie namely that she had punished some for impugning the title of her right to England stayed the State when they would haue condemned her for seeking to haue married with the Duke of Norfolke and for consenting to the rebellion in the North. But when they saw she made no reckoning thereof they departed from her After a few houres Sir Aimé Poulet and the Sollicitor presented the Commission and the names of the Commissioners to her that thereby she might see they were to proceed by no fraudulent but a legall course in equity As for the Commissioners she tooke no exception but that shee excepted against was the seuere new Law as vniust and purposely deuised against her and vpon which their Commission depended whereof they could shew no president neither would she euer yeeld vnto it She demanded by what Law they should proceed Ciuill or Canon saying they must send for Interpreters from Padua Poytiers and other outlandish Academies because there were none in England that vnderstood them adding further that by the expresse words of the Queenes letters it appeared she stood already conuicted of diuers crimes and condemned before she was tryed and therefore had no need to come before them to a second hearing but desired to be resolued of some scruples she had found in the letters yet would not deliuer them out in writing because shee said it became not a Queene to play the Scribe For this cause the selected Commissioners went again to her of whom she desired to know what these words meant For that she was vnder the Queenes protection To which the Chancellor made answer This was easie to be vnderstood by any yet was it not the subiects part to interprete their Soueraignes meaning neyther were they come for that cause She likewise required them that they should shew forth the Protestation which once she had made But it was answered That it had not beene allowed nor should it be now because it was preiudiciall to the Realme of England Then she demanded by what authoritie they were to proceed To whom it was answered By the authoritie of the Commission and the Ciuill Law of England But sayth she you make Lawes as you list and I am not bound to submit my selfe to them seeing the English long since refused to be subiect to the Law-salique of France and that if they would proceed by the Ciuill law of England they must produce examples for that that Law consisteth for the most part of presidents and ancient customes But if by the Canon Law none but the founders therof ought to be the expositors Answer was made They would proceed neyther by the Ciuill nor Canon but by the Law of England yet by the Caesarian and Canon Law both it was plaine if she would heare it that she ought to appeare She refused not shee said to heare them by way of discourse but not iudiciarily From this she fell into other speeches That she neuer had any thought to destroy the Queene That she had been forced to endure many iniuries That she should become a common stone of offence if she were thus stil abused That she had offered to imploy Nauue for the repealing of the Popes Bull and that she would sundry times haue excused her innocencie by letters but was not permitted finally That all the offers of good-will which she had offered for twentie yeares space were still reiected As she slipped aside by these prettie digressions they brought her to the point and intreated her to say plainly whether she would answer the Commissioners She replyed Their Commission was grounded vpon the new Law which was made to entangle her hauing therefore iust cause of suspioion she could not endure it and hauing alwayes carried a true heart she would not now trespasse so much against the Kings of Scotland her ancestors as to acknowledge her selfe a subiect to the Crowne of England For what were that else but to proclaim them rebells and traytors notwithstanding she refused not to answer yet by no meanes in the nature of a subiect for that shee had rather perish than to answer as a malefactor Then answered Sir Christâ—pher Hatton Vice-Chamberlaine saying You are accused of conspiracy against our soueraigne La the Queene an anointed Queene but not condemned You say you are a Queen Admit it yet
thing vnder her owne hand demanding withall what hurt any had receiued by any letters which came to her for a whole yeare together Then were the copies of Babingtons letters produced and read to her describing the plot of the conspiracy AS for these letters said she it may possibly be that Babington writ so but let it be proued that I euer receiued them If Babington or any haue affirmed it they haue belyed me Others crimes are not to be cast vpon me A whole Packet that had been detained a yeare together from me about that time came to my hands but sent from whom I know not To proue the receipt of Babingtons letters there was read the principall points of the letters out of his confession wherein he voluntarily granted that she had receiued them and had written back againe in which letters was mention made of the Earle of Arundell and his brethren and of the Earle of Northumberland which hearing she wept said NOw alas miserable woman that I am how many things hath that noble house of the Howards endured for my sake And after that hauing dryed her cheekes she said BAbington might confesse what he pleased but to say that she had practised to escape was a notorious vntruth That her aduersaries might as well as she get the same characters and write what falsities they would in the same nor was there any probabilitie that she should vse the helpe eyther of Arundell or Northumberland for her escape seeing the one was a prisoner and the other a young man and vnknowne to her They read also the abstracts of Sauages and Ballards confession importing that Babington had shewed them letters of hers But she protested He had neuer receiued any from her On the contrary she was so farre from consenting to the inuading of the Realme of England or giuing counsaile thereto that she alwayes perswaded the contrary Then they shewed her letters wherein she had commended and approued Babingtons proiects She demanded the sight of them which hauing seene she said These neuer came from her but peraduenture from the Alphabet of the letters she had in France That shee had labourd to recouer her liberty being a thing we all naturally desire and to sundry which had offered her helpe to that end whom she would not name she answered not a word yet notwithstanding she heartily desired that the persecution of Catholicks might cease in England and that she had begged it in loue of the Q. She would not purchase a kingdome with the bloud of the poorest subiect much lesse of the Queene That many had practised dangerous matters vnknowne to her and that by letters some had asked her forgiuenesse for so doing that neuer had spoken to her thereof That any might easily counterfeyt the cyphers or characters as a yong fellow in France not long since had done nominating himselfe the base brother of her sonne the King of Scotts and she suspected this was Walsinghams doing to haue her life who as she heard had practised both against hers and her sonnes She protested she had neuer conceiued any thing hurtfull to the the Queene and that she would more gladly lose her life than to be a cause that the Catholicks should be so afflicted and cruelly tormented And with that there gushed from her abundance of teares BVt said the Lo Treasurer there hath not any beene put to death for Religion which would become an obedient subiect onely some few for committing treason in maintayning the Popes Bull and authority against the Queene Yet I haue heard said shee the contrary and haue read as much in printed bookes The authors of such bookes replyed he write also that the Queene is to be depriued of all regall power Then Sir Francis Walsingham who was toucht a little before in words taking his time stood vp and hauing protested that he carried no ill will in heart said I Take God to record in the place of a priuate person I haue done nothing vnbeseeming an honest man nor any thing in publike but that becomes a person of my ranke I must say that out of my zealous care for the Queene and the good of the Kingdome I haue been inquisitiue in discouering conspiracies against her If Ballard had offered me his seruice I would not haue refused it but rather recompenced him for his paines If I conspired with him why bewrayed he it not to saue his owne life This answer as she said satisfied her And She desired him he would not be offended at that which she had heard by report and that he would no more beleeue her calumniations than shee did his for these pick-thankes are men of little credite which pretend one thing and say another and that he would not by any meanes beleeue that euer she had conspired the death of her dearest sister the Queene And here she brake forth into teares againe saying I will neuer make shipwrack of my soule by conspiring my dearest sisters death and ruine The Lawyers answered That would appeare by euidences This past in the forenoone In the afternoone to proue this they produced the copie of the letters which Charles Paget had written and Curle one of her Secretaries testified she had receiued touching conference had with Mendoza and Ballard for inuading the Realme and setting her at libertie This she said was nothing to the purpose nor any proof that she had plotted the Queenes destruction The Lawyers passing further said That they could proue she had conspired the Queenes death by the confession of Babington and letters of his wherein he called her his Lady and most excellent Queene as also out of those she had written vnto him And by the way put her in minde of consultation had how the kingdome of England was to be transferred to the Spanish King She confessed that once a Priest had visited her and said That if she interposed not her selfe her sonne and she both would be excluded from their inheritance but she would not name him He added That the Spaniard pretended a title to the crowne of England and would yeeld to none but her Then they pressed her vpon Babingtons confession from the testimonies of her Secretaries Nauue and Curle and letters written interchangeably betwixt them And though all the proofe was grounded vpon their bare assertions yet were they neuer brought forth face to face She confest Curle to be an honest fellow but no fit witnesse against her That Nauue sometimes Secretarie to the Cardinall of Lorraine had beene commended to her by the King of France and that he might be easily drawne for money hope or feare to depose falsly and had bound himselfe thereto by a rash oath hauing Curle a fellow of a flexible nature at his command to write what hee would And it may be they had put things into the letters which she dictated not possibly such letters might come to their hands which
should the more irritate and attended till the dolour being appeased by the protraction of time would suffer it selfe to be dealt withall For perceiuing then that the French did sharpen and incitate the young King to reuenge and fearing that through suttle sleights and eager desire of reuenge he might be diuerted from the Protestant Religion and from louing the English she imployed all her possible industry and Princely meanes to cure his wounded heart and alienated from her And for that cause propounded to him by such Agents as shee had in Scotland as also by the Lord of Hunsdon Gouernour of Berwicke FIrst what danger there was in making warre vpon England for this cause which now to all the Estates of England seemed necessary for the good of the whole Iland and most iust And whether hee were of power to goe thorow withall England being then neuer more potent in military men money and munition and Scotland neuer weaker being brought low and exhaust by ciuill and intestine broyles If hee would haue the assistance of forreine powers let him learne by the experience of his Mother who so long and often implored that in vaine what labour and trouble he would haue to obtaine it And if he should procure it what successe could he hope for by it seeing that England ioyning with the shipping of Holland and Zeland feared not the most puissant Princes of Europe What hope could he put the King of France or the King of Spaine in sith his power being once increased with the addition of England and Ireland to his Crowne ought to be contrary to their designe and that his Religion was so directly opposite to theirs that they could not ayde and succour him but to their owne preiudice That the King of France could not behold but with griefe the King of Scotlands Dominion augmented by the Kingdome of England without feare that he should pursue the ancient right which the English haue in France or giue assistance to the Guizes his Allies who at this instant gape for the Kingdome of France That the King of Spaine who would questionlesse giue place to his ambition because that he brags though falsly to be the first Catholique King issued from the Bloud-Royall of the English and of the house of Lancaster That to this purpose some Iesuites and others haue with their vttermost power endeuoured during the life of Queene MARY of Scotland to enthrone him by election in the Kingdome of England as most fit to re-establish there the Romane authoritie in eiecting from the Crowne both Mother and Sonne Nay moreouer they begun to perswade the Queene of Scotland to make him thereof a legacy by her Testament if King IAMES her Sonne would still perseuer in the Protestant Religion Let the King consider whither these things doe tend what succour hee can looke for from Spaine and to what ignominy hee will precipitate his Soule to his eternall damnation and all Great-Britaine to his vtter ruine if hee forsakes the true Religion in which hee hath beene educated That the Peeres and States who haue giuen sentence against his Mother seeing that hee meditates vpon a reuenge will not fayle to exclude him from the Crowne of England by a new Act of the right of Succession That in giuing place to necessity and keeping in the agitation of his courage hee will mediate easily their loue sith that which is done cannot be vndone Let him then expect to possesse in his time the most flourishing Kingdome of England and enioy in the meane while a Crowne of securitie and beleeue that those which can tell well how to weigh and prize things will iudge that hee hath sufficiently fore-seene to his honour in not fayling in due opportunitie to doe his Mother all the dutifull seruices of a most pious sonne Moreouer let him likewise assure himselfe that the Queene of England will accounnt hold and esteeme him as her owne sonne and will doe him all offices of amity and vse him as a Mother her dearest sonne These are the things that Queene ELIZABETH endeuoured with great care to possesse the King with and to the end hee should not doubt but that his Mother had beene put to death without Queene ELIZABETHS consent shee resolued to send him the sentence pronounced against William Dauison sealed with the broad Seale of England and all the Commissioners hands subscribed therunto and to appease his Maiestie the more another iudgement signed by all the Iudges of England certifying that that sentence pronounced could in nothing hinder or bee preiudiciall to his right to the Kingdome of England In the mean time that Q. ELIZABETH by these or such like reasons endeuoured gently to calme the King of Scotlands agitations fore-seeing the warre wherewith she was furiously threatned by the King of Spaine whose hopes to frustrate shee sent Sir Francis Drake with foure Royall Ships well appoynted to the Coast of Spaine and elsewhere with command to take burne and pillage all such Ships as hee could finde as well in the Harbours and Port-Townes as on the Ocean Drake arriuing in the Streight of Gibraltar entred the Hauen thereof where after he had caused sixe great Ships to flye vnder the Forts protection hee tooke and burnt a hundred Ships more or lesse in the which there was infinite prouision of warlike munitions victuals and among others the Great Gallion of the Marquis of Santa Cruz called Rageusa richly loaden with merchandize From thence returning to Cape S. Vincent hee there burnt all such Ships and Fisher-boats which lay in that Rode And then went to Cascalet Hauen which is situated at the mouth of Tage he vrged there the Marquis Santa Cruz to fight but hee not daring stirr'd not but let Drake freely sayle along that Coast and take their Ships without the least impeachment Then hauing turned saile to the Iles of Azoris met by chance which he tooke with ease a great and lusty Ship most rich and well furnished called Saint Philip which was returning from the East-Indies This act caused the vulgar sort of Mariners of diuers Countries to take the name of Philip for an ill signe or prognostication against Philip King of Spaine By this Drakes worthy though briefe expedition England was much enriched and the Spaniards sustayning so great a losse of munition and warlike preparations were constrayned to giue ouer their designe they had to inuade England for that yeere Since which time the English begun with alacrity couragiously to assault those great and huge Ships most like vnto Castles which they before did much dread and feare and discouered so plainely the opulent and rich commodities of the Indies the meanes how to trade and traffique in those Easterne parts in such sort that they haue since established an aduantagious trade and profitable nauigation in those Countries hauing established an East-Indie Company of Merchants At that very time Thomas Cauendish a Suffolke man which two
them to be burned aliue By which acts he made himselfe terrible in his owne Kingdome and to be holden a Tyrant abroad and first being reiected by Marie of Lorraine daughter to the Duke of Guise whom hee desired as riuall to Iames King of Scotland his Nephew afterwards of Christian of Denmarke Dutchesse of Milan Grandchild to Charles the Fifth In the end seeking the friendship of the Protestants of Germanie with much adoe he obtained Anne of Cleue for his wife But beeing as readie to distaste Women as to loue them turning his heart away from her as soone as he had marryed her put her away as not beautifull enough for a Prince grounding himselfe vpon this that shee had beene betrothed before to the Duke of Lorraine's Sonne and that shee had some womanish weaknesse that made her vnfit for marriage But it was to take in her stead Katharine Howard daughter to Edmond Howard and Neece to Thomas of Norfolke whom he beheaded the yeere following accusing her to haue violated her chastity before shee was married and opens the Royall-Bed to Katharine Parre a Knights daughter and the second time Widdow Now when through intemperancy of his youth he perceiued the vigor of his body to decay being angry with the French King for hauing ayded the Scots against the English hee reconciles himselfe and makes alliance with the Emperour Charles against the French who hauing quite forgot the diuorce of Katharine his Aunt secretly giues him hope to reconcile him to the Church of Rome After hauing resolued to set vpon France thereby so much the more to worke himselfe into the Emperours friendship and quickly to cure the vlcers of his conscience propounded to the Parliament which was then assembled that when hee should happen to dye and his Sonne EDVVARD without issue MARIE should first succeed to the Crowne and afterwards shee leauing none ELIZABETH That if neither left any the Crowne of England should deuolue vpon such as he would designe eyther by Letters Patents or by Will Which passed for a Law with the good liking and consent of all and that the penaltie of Laesae Maiestatis should be inflicted vpon any that should goe against it Being returned from France after he had taken Bologne and consumed much treasure and beeing sad and heauy to see England deuided by new opinions which daily sprang vp and England groaned for sorrow to see her selfe so exhausted of her riches her Money corrupted with Brasse her Monasteries with the Monuments of great antiquity ruined the bloud of Nobles Prelates Papists and Protestants promiscuously spilt and entangled in a Scottish warre hee died with a perpetuall fluxe of Grease flowing from him caused by a poysonous inflammation in the thigh An. 1547. he breathed his last A magnanimous Prince but I know not what confused temper of spirit he had great vertues he had and no lesse vices EDVVARD his sonne hauing scarce attained to the age of tenne yeeres succeeded him and had for his Protector Edw. Seymor Duke of Sommerset his Vnkle vnder whom the English hauing taken vp armes for to reuenge the violated faith of the match agreed vpon betweene Edward and Marie Queene of Scotland the English obtained a notable victory ouer the Scots neere Musselborough this pernicious Law of Six Articles and others which had beene established by King HENRY the Eighth against the Protestants are suppressed and those which tended to the abolishing of the Popes authoritie confirmed the Masse abrogated the Images taken out of the Temples the Bookes of the Old and New Testament imprinted the Diuine Seruice celebrated in the vulgar Tongue the Eucharist distributed vnder both kindes But neuerthelesse the auaritious sacriledge fell rauenously vpon pillaging the goods of the Church Colledges Quiers Hospitals as things iudged to bee for superstitious vses ambition and enuy among the great ones audacitie and disobedience among the Commons so insolently exulted that England seemed to be raging madde with rebellious tumults taking sides deprauation of money and withall the euils that are accustomed to be during the minority of a King these wasted and consumed within the Land Also dammage was receiued abroad as the losse of Forts which the English had made in Scotland and in France and the Towne of Bologne which had cost so much which to the shame of the name of English was deliuered vp into the French Kings hands for money with all the Fortresses of the Countrey of Bologne which the English had built the Cannons and Munitions of warre when England was so disioynted by diuision that it was not able to keepe them and Charles the Emperour hauing no will to ayde it although he was intreated in consideration of the alliance with him excusing himselfe for that it had beene conquered since no not to accept of it being offered vnto him gratis And to adde an ouer-plus of infelicity the Protector not being wary enough of the subtilty and deceits of Dudley Duke of Northumberland is by vertue of a new law condemned of Felony for entring into counsell how to take away the liues of some of the Kings Councellors to wit of Dudley and some others hee lost his head and his Sonne by a priuate Law bereaued of the greatest part of his patrimony and of his Fathers honours The King being vnprouided of his faithfull Guard is snatched away vncertaine whether by sicknesse or poyson before hee was ripe leauing an incredible griefe with his people for the great and excellent vertues which hee had farre surpassing his age At the same dolefull and heauy time Dudley hauing broken the fraternall amity that was between the Protector and Tho. Seimor his brother vpon occasion of an emulation of Women which was betweene the Queene Dowager wife to Thomas and the Dutches of Somerset the Protectors wife amongst other things to conuict Thomas of Crimen laesae Maiestatis that he intended to reduce the King into his owne power and to marry ELIZABETH the Kings Sister shee indeed ignorant of the matter grew vp in yeeres and was in singular fauour with EDWARD her brother who neuer saluted her but called her his sweet Sister as also with the Peeres and the Common-people For she was full of grace and beauty and worthy of Soueraigne Authority of modest grauity cleere and quick-witted of a happy memory and indefatigable in the studies of best letters insomuch that before she attained to the Age of 17. yeeres she very well vnderstood the Latine tongue the French the Italian and the Greeke indifferently Neither wanted shee skill in Musicke that was beseeming a Prince and she sung and plaid cunningly and sweetly With Roger Ascham who was to guide her in her Studies she read the Common places of Melancthon all Cicero a great part of the History of Titus Liuius the choice Orations of Isocrates wherof she translated two into Latine Sophocles Tragedies and she read the New-Testament in Greeke By which
Prayse of those who were of the English Nauy ibid. Publike ioy encreased by good newes out of Scotland ibid. Leicesters goods are sold 289 Bergen ap Zone besieged by the Duke of Parma ibid. Who rayseth the siege ibid. Innouâ—tions in England ibid. Martin Mar-Prelate and other scandalous bookes 290 FINIS THE HISTORIE OF THE MOST High Mighty and Inuincible Princesse Queene ELIZABETH of most happy and neuer-dying memory OR ANNALLS Of all the most remarkable things that happened during her blessed Raigne ouer the Kingdomes of England and Ireland c. The first yeere of her Raigne Anno 1558. AFter that for certaine houres the decease of Queene MARY had beene concealed the Peeres Prelates and Commons of England being at that time assembled together in Parliament First notice was giuen to them of the vpper house which were in a manner strucke silent with griefe and astonishment for a while But they presently after rowzed vp their spirits and amazed senses moderating their mournings with ioy either not to seeme altogether sad or sorrowfull that Queene ELIZABETH succeeded the Crowne or else ioyfull that by the death of Queene MARY the succession thereof fell to her Maiesty so they bent their cares to publike affaires and with a common accord and firme resolution concluded and agreed that by the law of succession in the 35. yeere of King HENRY the eighth ELIZABETH was ought to be declared true and legitimate Heire of the Kingdome Therefore at that instant Nicholas Heath Lord Archbishop of Yorke and Lord Chancellour of England carried the first newes to those of the Lower-house giuing them to vnderstand with much sorrow and sighs that death preuenting the course of nature had depriued them of a Queene no lesse fauourable to the Roman Religion then kinde and louing to the Common wealth and that each member of the Vpper-house had receiued such extreme griefe thereby that they seemed to be comfortlesse without hope of consolation if God through his speciall grace fauour towards the English Nation had not reserued for them ELIZABETH another Daughter to King HENRY the â— to succeed her Sister and that her right to the Crowne was so euident and true that no man could nor ought to make any doubt or question thereof and that the Peeres and Prelates of this Realme had all with one accord and voice determined that she should be forthwith publisht Queene and proclaimed Soueraigne if they were so pleased to condescend thereunto Which words being scarce vttered the whole Assembly immediatly with a common acclamation cryed aloud GOD SAVE QVEENE ELIZABETH that her Raigne may be long and happy And immediatly the whole Parliament rising she was openly proclaimed Queen by sound of Trumpets first in Westminster-Hall and then soone after thorow the whole City of London by the title of Queene of England France and Ireland and Defendresse of the faith with the happy applause and ioyfull shouting of all the people vndoubted presages truly most happy for indeed no Prince was euer cherisht of his people and Subiects with more ardent and constant loue and zealous affection then this Queene was nor none receiued and welcommed with more respect and ioy then she hath beene nor blessed and prayed for with more vowes and prayers so often iterated as this happy Princesse hath beene all her life time chiefly when shee shewed her selfe in publike or openly abroad Queene ELIZABETH was about fiue and twenty yeeres of age when her Sister died But she was so rarely qualified by aduersity and so well accomplisht and accommodated by experience which are most effectuall Tutors that she had purchased Prudence and Iudgement farre aboue the capacity of her age and of her pregnant wit and admirable wisdome she gaue sufficient proofe and worthy testimony in the election and choice that shee made of her Priuie Councellors for she tooke into her Priuie Councell the aforesaid Nicholas Heath Archbishop of Yorke a Prelate no lesse prudent then modest and discreet William Poulet Marquesse of Winchester Lord high Treasurer of England Henry Fitz-Allen Earle of Arundel Francis Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury Edward Stanley Earle of Darby William Herbert Earle of Pembrooke Edward Baron of Clynton Lord high Admirall The Lord Howard Baron of Effingham Lord Chamberlaine Sir Thomas Cheney Sir William Peter Sir Iohn Mason Sir Richard Sackuile Knights and Nicholas Wotton Deane of Canterbury All which had beene Priuie Councellors to Queene MARY and professing her owne Religion Shee adioyned to them by temporizing according to the time these vndernamed who were all Protestants and had had no office at all nor charge of gouernment in Queene MARIES Raigne William Parr Marquesse of Northampton Francis Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Thomas Parr Edward Rogers Ambrose Caue Francis Knollys and William Cicill who before had beene Secretary to King EDVVARD the sixth a noble Gentleman most wise vnderstanding and iudicious whose learning and worth exceeded many others and a little after she brought in Sir Nicholas Bacon whom she made Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England She so ordered and tempered them in place with all those which succeeded since in such sort that they were true faithfull and affectionate to her Maiesty and she alwaies free and not subiect to any At these happy beginnings her first and chiefest care was to re-establish the Protestant Religion the which as much by the instruction and knowledge that shee had receiued thereof from her infancy as also by her owne particular iudgement she firmely held and maintained to be very true and most conformable to the holy Scripture and to the sincerity of the primitiue Church so effectually resoluing in her heart to settle and re-establish the same that she imployed to that purpose some of her Councellors being the most intimate with the rest of the other Lords of her most honorable Priuy-Councel she tooke order that the Ports Hauen-Townes should be fast shut secured and fortified The Tower of London she committed to the care of one whose fidelity and loyalty had been fully approued a new Commission she sent to Thomas Earle of Sussex Lord Deputie of Ireland who with a Garrison of three hundred and twenty Horse and one thousand three hundred and sixty foot yeelded in submission the whole Countrey which otherwise had not bin quiet nor peaceable Also the like Commission shee sent with a clause or restraint not to conferre any office to Iudges and Magistrates for to hinder the Conuocation of the Assembly of the iurisdiction by the authority there appointed New Iustices and Sheriffes shee likewise established in each County and tooke order that no money nor coine should be transported by exchange out of the Realme to forraine Nations beyond Sea and that the Preachers should desist and abstaine from treating of questions or disputing about Controuersies in Religion and withall concerning State-affaires out of the Kingdom she gaue order that Ambassadors should be sent to all
the time Tho. Watson of Lincolne very pregnant in the acutest Diuinity but somewhat in an austere graue manner Rad. Bain of Couentrie and Lichfeild who was one of the restorers of the Hebrew tongue and chiefe professour of the same in Paris vnder the Gouernment of Francis the first vnder whom Learning beganne to flourish Owen Oglethorp of Carlile Ia. Turberuile of Exceter and D. Pole of Peterborough Fequenham the Abbot of Benedictins a sage and good man who liued long and by his publique almes wonne the heart of his Aduersaries but was put by his place All these were first imprisoned but forthwith for the most part left to the guard either of their friends or the Bishops except these two more turbulent then the rest the Bishop of Lincolne and the Bishop of Winchester who threatned to excommunicate the Queene But these three Cuthbert a Scottish-man Bishop of Chester Richard Pat of Wigorne and Tho. Goldwell of Asaph voluntarily forsooke the Countrey in like maner some religious and afterward some Nobles amongst whō the most remarkable were H. Baron of Morle Inglefeild and Pecckam both whom were of the Priuie-Councell to Queene MARY Tho. Shelle and Ioh. Gagd The learned'st Protestants that could bee found were prefer'd to the places of Bishops deceased and of Fugitiues and Mat. Parker a godly wise and right modest man who was one of the Priuie-Councell to King HENRY the 8. and Deane of the Colledge Church of Stocclair beeing solemnly chosen Arch-Bishop of Canterbury after preaching of the Word calling of the holy Ghost and celebration of the Eucharist was consecrated by the imposition of hands of three ancient Bishops Gu. Barlo Bishop of Bath Ioh. Scor. of Chester Miles Couerdall of Exceter Ioh. Suffragant de Bedford de Lambeth and afterward the same Bishops consecrated Ed. Grindall a rare Diuine Bishop of London Richard Coxe who was Tutor to EDVVARD the Sixth when he was a Child of Ely Edward Sands an eloquent Preacher of Winchester Rob. Merick of Bangor Tho. Yong a deepe professor in the Ciuill and Canonicall Law of Saint Dauids N. Bolingham Councellour of the Law of Lincolne Iohn Iewell absolutely iudicious in all liberall Science of Salisburie Richard Dauis of Asaph Edward Guests of Rochester Gilbert Barde of Bath Thomas Bentham of Couentrie and Lichfield Gu. Alle a pithy expounder of the holy Scripture of Exceter Iohn Parkhurst a famous humanist of Norwich Robert Horne of a hardie and copious spirit of Winchester Richard Chesne of Glocester and Edw. Scamber of Peterborough but they placed Gu. Barlo Bishop of Chester who during the reigne of HENRY the Eighth was Bishop of Saint Dauids and afterward of Wells for B. of Hereford was appointed Ioh. Scori a skilfull and iudiciall man who was formerly Bishop of Chichester in like maner in the Prouince of Yorke Yong being transferred from his place of Saint Dauids to Yorke consecrated Ia. Pilkinton a most godly and learned man Bishop of Dunelme Io. Best of Carlile and Gu. Downham of Chester I leaue Ecclesiasticall Historians to relate what these men were and what miseries they suffered vnder the Gouernment of Queene MARY being either fugitiues in the Low-Countries or hidden close in England And forasmuch as Learned men were rare to be found diuers Mechanicke Shop-keepers as simple as the Papists Priests attained vnto Ecclesiasticall Dignities Prebends and Benefices of good reuenue which diuers Priests perceiuing and hoping aboue all things to expulse the Protestants out of their Churches and by this meanes to get something to relieue the necessities of such amongst them as were deposed thought it most expedient both for the aduancement of themselues and their Religion to sweare obedience to their Princesse in renouncing the Authority of the Pope deeming this wisedome meritorious and were in some hope to procure from his Holinesse according to his Iurisdiction a Dispensation for his Oath Thus was Religion chang'd in England all Christendome beeing amazed that it could so easily bee effected without Sedition But the truth is that this change was not so suddenly made neither can it since it is so be easily tolerated but by little and little by degrees For summarily to repeat what I haue herevpon spoken The Romane Religion continued in the same state it was first a full Moneth and more after the death of Queene MARY The 27. of September it was tolerated to haue the Epistles and Gospels the ten Commandements the Symbole the Lettany and the Lords Prayer in the Vulgar Tongue The 22. of March the Parliament being assembled the Order of EDVVARD the Sixth was re-established and by Act of the same the whole vse of the Lords Supper granted vnder both kinds The 24. of Iune by the authoritie of that which concern'd the vniformity of publike Prayers and administration of the Sacraments the Sacrifice of the Masse was abolished and the Lyturgie in the English Tongue more more established In the Moneth of Iuly the Oath of Allegiance was proposed to the Bishops and other persons and in August Images were thrown out of the Temples and Churches and broken and burned And because some malignant spirits detracting from the Queene as if shee had assumed vnto her selfe the Title of Chiefe Soueraigne of the Church of England and authority to celebrate sacred Rites in the Church she declared by Proclamation That she attributed no more vnto her selfe then what did of long time belong to the Crowne of England which was that next vnder God she had supreme Soueraignetie and power ouer all States of England whether Ecclesiasticall or Laye and that no other Forraigne Power had or could haue any Iurisdiction or authority ouer them By this alteration of Religion as Politicians haue obserued England became the freest Kingdome in all Christendome because by this meanes it had freed the Scepter from forraigne slauery of the Pope of Rome and most rich because it preuented the great summes of mony which were dayly transported to Rome for First-fruites Indulgences Appellations Dispensations and such other like things and thereby the Common-wealth was voide and depriued beyond all imagination The Protestants Religion being thus establisht by th' authority of of the Parliament the first and principall care of Queene ELIZABETH was to defend and maintaine it still sound and impregnable against all sort of machynation whatsoeuer in the very middest of her Enemies which through this occasion she had incurred against her And shee would neuer endure to heare the least Newes at all Her second care was to maintaine equity all her life time and in all her Actions in token whereof shee tooke this deuice vnto her selfe ALWAYES ONE For her other designes she concluded them to prouide for the safety of her Subiests For as she often said that to the end the Common-wealth should bee in safety her selfe neuer could bee And that to make her Subiects loue her her Enemies feare her and all to praise her knowing that what was begunne
of O-Neales would not The grant which his father had made to King HENRY the Eighth and the restitution that HENRY the Eighth had made vnto him were nothing considerable seeing that Cone had nothing in the things granted but during her life could not haue made this grant without the consent of the Peeres and of the people who had elected him to the honor of O-Neale That such Letters also could not be of any valew vnlesse witnessed by the othes of twelue men that hee was the certaine Heire of the House which had not been done in this matter That by diuine and humane right he was vndoubted Heire moreouer the eldest Sonne of his Father begot in lawfull marriage designed O-Neale with a generall consent of the Peeres people by vertue of the Law of Temster which was his Countrey by which a man of ripe yeeres ought to be preferred before a Child and an Vnkle before a Nephew whose great Grand-father out-liued the Father To conclude hee had not vsurped any authority ouer the Lords of Vlster though in times past his Ancestors by a particular right had vsed it But of this I haue spoken else-where Which when the Queene found true he was sent home with honour where he behaued himselfe both faithfully and industriously against the Irish Rebels THE SIXTH YEERE OF HER RAIGNE Anno Domini 1563. IN the moneth of Ianuary the States of the Kingdome assembled at Westminster and established Lawes for the reliefe of the poore for the increase of traffique by Sea and for husbandry to represse South-sayers Negromancers Sodomites Coyners and Periury and translated the Holy Bible and Liturgy into the Welsh Tongue And to maintaine the Maiesty of the Queene and Realme tooke order that the like inconueniences might not happen to them which shamefully fell out by the Popes vsurped authority and to curbe the violence of those which vpheld it declared them criminals laesae Maiestatis whosoeuer after three admonitions should maintaine in print in words or in deedes that any Prince Prelate or stranger should haue any authority in Spirituall things in England or any other Countries of the Queenes Dominions or whosoeuer should refuse twice to take the Oath which should be offered to him for acknowledging of the Queenes soueraigne authority in Spiritual things and ouer Ecclesiasticall persons yet with this charge without spilling of blood neither that it should bee required of any Baron of this Kingdome or of those of more eminent dignity the Queene not doubting their fidelity nor any others Saue those which were which had been or hereafter should be of some Ecclesiasticall Order or those who after hauing bin aduertised of the forme of seruice of the English Church will not obserue it or shall publikely in words or actions depraue it which shall celebrate or heare Masse with like things which is seene in the Ordinance established for it Now to witnes the ioy which they had to see the prosperity of the times the Clergie granted the Queene a Subsidie and the Lay people another together with two Tenths and two fifteenths in acknowledgment of her reformation of Religion establishment of Peace deliuering England and Scotland from stranger Enemies to put downe base money repaire the Fleet make preparation for Warre and Nauigation beyond expectation and of the laudable designe which she had for France to assure England and the yong King of France and to recouer Calais Now this Tenth and Fifteenth that I may make it remarkable in the behalfe of strangers is a Taxe which long agoe hath bin imposed vpon euery City Borrough and village not by the pole but by generalities according to the fifteenth part of the reuenew of the places A Subsidie is that which is imposed vpon euery particular for goods and lands which he possesseth But neither of these two Taxes are euer imposed but by the Parliament In the meane time the Prince of Conde who made haste to get into Normandy to the English succour is taken in the famous Battell of Dreux and with him Nicholas Throgmorton who suffered himselfe voluntarily to bee taken by the Protestants to communicate some secret designes vnto them And beeing presently after set at liberty he presented the money which was promised to Coligni who was marched forward with the Troupes of auxiliary English to the Castle of Cane which he then besieged and easily compelled Cane Bayeux Falexe and the Temple of Saint Lo to render While things were thus carried in France Queen ELIZABETH made knowne to the King of Spaine by Chaloner her Ambassadour that to preuent the Guizes in time who insultingly and with deadly intent rais'd vp against her pernitious things and dangerous Treaties that shee had sent an Armie into France and kept still in her hands Haure de grace which was deliuered vp to her till shee receiued full satisfaction for Calais He answered her That if she demanded onely the restitution of Calais it was all shee desired from the beginning but if she vndertooke this warre for Religions sake he could not likewise abandon that of his Grandfathers and Predecessors As for the Guizes who are they said he for a most puissant Queene of England to feare they beeing of no alliance to the King of France as hereto fore they haue beene Whereunto she made no other reply but conformable to that English Prouerbe which sayes Euery one must looke to their own when their neighbours House is on fire And the King of Spaine vnderstood well inough how shee politikely treated with the Protestant Princes of Germany by the sollicitation of then Henry but now Lord Knowles and Christopher Hill for the Prince of Condé's reliefe and to defend the common cause of Religion whereat being more highly offended he likewise secretly sought meanes against her vnder the colour and pretext of Religion Withall those French Hostages who were sent into England for the security of the payment of â—ne hundred thousand Crownes promised in case Calais were not restored perceiuing all things enclining to a warre laboured all they could to flye away but beeing ready to take Barke they were taken and brought backe againe together with that famous Pylot Iohn Ribant who came secretly into England to conuay them ouer In the meane while peace was accorded in France between the King and the Prince of Condé allured thereunto out of hope that hee should haue the generall managing of all affaires and marry the Queene of Scots the Protestants and the Queenes Maiestie of England being no waies therein comprehended all men with one generall voice protested that if the English withdrew not themselues forthwith out of Haure de grace the promise of surrendting Calais intimated by the Treaty of Cambray should be frustrate and take no effect and by publique sound of Trumpet the French were permitted in this case to assaile the English to take and pillage them while they yeelded it vp The Queenes Maiesty of
being diuorced from his first Wife tooke in her place the Lady Ienet Beton Aunt by the Mothers side to the Cardinall Beton by whom hee had Issue Iames Hamilton Duke of Chastel-Heraut Marie Sister to the Earle of Arraine bore to Mathew Iohn Earle of Lenox who being slaine by the Hamiltons when hee attempted to set King IAMES the fourth at liberty left this Mathew Earle of Lenox whom King Iames the Fifth loued most dearly in respect of his Father When the King was dead and the Hamiltons in full authority Mathew went secretly into France from whence being sent backe by the French King Henry the second into Scotland to preuent all detriment to the Scottish Common-wealth through the practices of the Regent Hamilton hee valiantly carried himselfe in this employment But being of an honest milde nature and very open-hearted permitting himselfe to bee out-reached by Hamilton and the Cardinall Beton in a small time hee lost the amity of the French and when hee could neither tarry in Scotland nor returne into France he went into England and committed himselfe in trust to King Henry the Eighth who very graciously entertained him as one that was powerfull well beloued in the Westerne parts of Scotland Whervpon he acknowledged him for next Heire to the Crowne of Scotland after Queene MARY who was then exceeding yong though neuerthelesse the Hamiltons condemned him and confiscated all his Lands gaue him to Wife the Lady Margaret Douglasse his Neece by the elder Sisters side with demeanes in England which amounted in an annuall reuennew to the summe of 1700. Marks after hee had made promise to surrender into his hands the Castle of Dunbritton and the I le of Buthe with the Castle of Rothsay which is in England The which hee vndertooke with courage but fayled in the successe The Queene of Scots beeing a wise and prudent Lady all whose drifts aymed at England shee gaue him her safe conduct and restored vnto him his Fathers goods both that hee might oppose the designes of Iames his bastard brother whom shee had honoured with the Earledome of Murray as also to cut off the hopes of others by the meanes of Darley her Sonne which they might any wayes foster and nourish of succession to the Diadem of England For shee feared that being of the Blood Royall borne in England and very well beloued of the English if hee were ioyned with any puissant Family in England relying on the English power and forces hee might happely one day disturbe her right of succession to the Kingdome of England many men reputing him for the second Heire apparant after her and shee affected nothing more feruently then by his meanes to bring the Kingdomes of England and Scotland to fall into some Scottish Race and Name and so by him to propagate them to posteritie in the name of the Stewards his Ancestors Queene ELIZABETH well discerned all this and to preuent it gaue the Queene of Scots to vnderstand by Randolph that this Marriage was so distastfull to all the English as against the consent of her Councell she was enforst to prorogue the conuentions of Parliament to some other fitter time for feare lest the States of the Kingdome therewith prouoked should enact somewhat to the preiudice of her right to the succession And therefore to cut off all occasions of this Issue hereafter and to satisfie the English she aduised her to thinke of some other marriage and so by this meanes shee once againe and with great affection commended vnto her the Earle of Leicester for an Husband who for this speciall reason she had exalted to the Dignity of an Earle For prosecution of this the Earles of Bedford of Randolph and of Lidington were deputed to treat of this marriage at Barwicke in the Moneth of Nouember The English promised vnto her a firme and constant Amity a perpetuall Peace and that vndoubtedly shee should succeed to the Crowne of England if she married with the Earle of Leicester The Scots on the other side contested alleadging That their Queenes Dignitie who had beene sued vnto by Charles Sonne to the Emperour Ferdinand the King of France the Prince of Condé and the Duke of Ferrara could not permit her so farre to embase and vnder-valew her selfe as to match with a new-made Earle a Subiect of England and who propounded nothing but bare hopes without any certaine Dowrie neither stood it with the honour of the Queene of England to commend such a man for an Husband to so great a Princesse her neere Kinswoman but rather shee should giue an infallible testimonie of her great loue and affection towards her to giue her absolute libertie to make choice of such an husband as might entertaine perpetuall peace with England to assigne her a yeerely Pension and with the authority of the Parliament confirme the right which shee had to succeede In all this busines the extreme desire of Queene ELIZABETH was although she made discreete haste to assure by such a marriage the succession of the Kingdome in an English Race The Queene of Scotland seeing that this businesse had beene prolonged full two yeeres and making account to marry Darley doubted whether she was proceeded withall in good earnest or no and that Queene ELIZABETH did not propound this marriage but to make a pre-election of the most worthy for herselfe or to marry the more excusable with Leicester She beeing absolute Queene after she should haue really consented to marry him But the Commissioners of Scotland weighing these reasons to maintaine their power with the Queene had resolued to hinder by all meanes all kinde of marriages Queene ELIZABETH admonisheth them to hinder that with Darley Leicester himselfe full of hope to enioy Queene ELIZABETH by secret Letters priuily warnes the Earle of Bedford not to presse the thing and with this hope it is credibly thought that hee secretly fauoured Darley THE EIGHTH YEERE OF HER RAIGNE Anno Domini 1565. DARLEY in the meane time by the intercession of his Mother with Prayers and diligence to Queene ELIZABETH obtained though with much difficultie leaue to goe into Scotland and to stay there three Moneths vnder pretext to be partaker of his Fathers establishment and came to Edenborrough in the Moneth of February in the great winter when the Thames was so frozen that people passed dry ouer on foot Hee was a Youth of a most worthy Carriage fit to beare rule of an excellent composition of members of a milde spirit and of a most sweet behauiour As soone as the Queene of Scotland had seene him she fell in loue with him and to the end to keepe her loue secret in discoursing with Randolph the English Ambassadour in Scotland she often-times intermixt her discourse with the marriage of Leicester and at the same time seekes a dispensation from Rome for Darley shee being so neere in bloud that according to the Popes Ordinance they stood in neede of one This being come
in its owne place Now the reasons why shee receiued the Scottish Rebels into England were these Because the the Queene of Scotland had receiued into her protection Yaxley Standon and Walsh English Fugitiues and the Irish Oneale and that she had held Councels with the Pope against the English and had not done iustice vpon Theeues and Pirates This marriage being accomplished those which laboured most for Religion and Englands safetie thought that Queene ELIZABETH could not doe better for that purpose than to take away all hope of the Succession to England from the Queene of Scotland And it fell very commodiously for at the same time Maximilian the Second Emperour sent word by Adam Smicorit his Ambassadour of very honourable conditions for her to marry with his Brother Charles But there arose instantly a most vehement hatred in the Court betweene Sussex and Leicester I know not whereupon vnlesse about this marriage which Sussex sought very eagerly to bring to passe and Leicester vnder-hand hindered hoping to haue her for himselfe verily great and vnsatiable hopes doe those conceiue who haue obtained things beyond their hope Indeede Sussex iniuriously despised him as an vpstart and to detract him would say that hee could cite onely two of his pedigree that is to wit his Father and Grand-father both being enemies to their Countrey and attempters against the State that put the Court in diuision Insomuch as when the Earles went abroade they drew great troupes after them armed with Swords and piked Targets which were then in vse as if it were come to the extremitie But within few dayes the Queene reconciled them and rather smothered than tooke away their malice but endeuoured what shee could to extinguish it quite For shee condemned dissention among Peeres and that old prouerbe vsed by many Diuide Impera and some who were of opinion that the force of command is by the obeyers consent And she delighted her selfe at the emulation and grudging of inferiour women yet not without making speciall good vse thereof Among these things shee is not vnmindfull of the affaires of Scotland A moneth after the solemnization of the marriage there she sent one Tamworth a Gentleman of her Priuy-Chamber to the Qu. of Scotland to exhort her not to breake the peace to expostulate about the marriage which shee had so rashly contracted without her consent and withall to send backe Lenox and Darley his Sonne according to the trans-action and to receiue Murray into grace She perceiuing whereunto this tended admitted not Tamworth but by Articles in writing Promiseth by the word of a Princesse that neither shee nor her Husband would enterprise any thing to the preiudice of the Queene of England or to her Children lawfully begotten of her bodie or to the tranquillity of the Kingdome by admitting of Fugitiues or making alliance with strangers or by any other means but to the contrary they would most freely contract such an alliance with the Queene and Kingdome of England as should be commodious and honourable for both the Kingdomes and innouate nothing in Religion contrary to the Lawes and liberties of England if they should happen to enioy the same Notwithstanding vpon condition that Queene ELIZABETH on her part should fully performe the same to her and her Husband and by authoritie of the Parliament should confirme the Crowne of England vpon her and her issue lawfully begotten and for fault of such issue vpon Margaret Countesse of Lenox her Husbands Mother and of her Children lawfully begotten Moreouer as soone as shee had resolued to marry shee had assured the Queene that it should be with Darley and had no answere from the Queene vpon it That shee had satisfied her demands seeing shee had married an English man and no stranger whom shee knew to be more nobly descended and more worthy of her than any in Great-Brittaine But it seemed strange that shee might not retaine Darley by her to whom she was bound in the sacred bond of marriage or Lenox who was naturally Earle of Scotland As for Murray whom shee had proued to be her sworne enemy shee graciously intreated her to giue her freedome ouer her Subiects seeing she meddled not with the affaires of England Tamworth returned with this answere not hauing been intertained according to his worth And indeed being an impudent man hee had wronged the reputation of the Queene of Scotland and disdained to giue her Husband title of King At the same time Queene ELIZABETH had this augmentation of honour that at the report of her vertue which was equally spred in all places Cecillia Henry the Second King of Suedens Sister and Wife to Christopher Marquis of Baden being then great with Childe came from the furthest part of the North and a great iourney through Germanie to visit her She intertained her and her Husband very magnificently gaue him a yeerely pension christened his Sonne and named him Edward the Fortunate And Donald Mac Cartymore one of the greatest Peeres of Ireland humbly submitted himselfe and his large Territories to the Queene to hold them from her hereafter in fee for him and his heires males lawfully begotten and for default of such issue to the Crowne of England This Princesse who was borne to draw the affections of men according to her humanity most graciously receiued him installed him solemnely and like himselfe Earle of Glencar and Tegue his Sonne Baron of Valance gaue them gifts payed the charge of their voyage and all this to get a party against the Earle of Desmond who was suspected to renouate new things The same yeere Nicholas Arnold of the Country of Glocester Knight was sent to gouerne Ireland with the title of Iusticiary and had for his Garrison onely one thousand fiue hundred ninety sixe Souldiers But within a while after being called backe hee gaue vp his place to Henry Sidney who in the reigne of Queene MARY was Iudge and Treasurer of Ireland and presently after President of Wales Now to note this by the way the chiefe Gouernours of Ireland which now in Latine are termed Proreges since the first entrance of the English vntill the time of Edward the Third were called Iustices of Ireland and their Lieutenants Deputies Since according to the pleasure of the Prince they are called one while Iustices and another while Lieutenants which is a most honourable title but for the most part of like authority And without doubt these chiefe Iustices of Ireland as the Iustices of England which were called at that time simply Iustices were ordained to keepe the peace and to doe Iustice to all and to euery particular as in times past the Romanes had their Pro-Pretors and Pro-Consuls which were sent into Prouinces with Soueraigne authority Sidney being Gouernour of this Prouince found the Countrey of Mounster which lyes toward the South in great confusion in regard of great and sharpe troubles which were betweene Girauld Earle
had spread vpon the Queene or to cleanse it with his bloud vnlesse as he said himselfe his slanders might be accounted vaine by reason of his doting age Giue me leaue that the other side may be heard by diuers that writ thereof and at that time publisht it in print but such writings were soone call'd in both in fauor of the Earle of Murray and in hatred of the Queene and likewise by Ambassadours Letters worthy to bee beleeued In the yeere 1558. at the marriage of Francis the Dolphin of France and Mary Queene of Scotland Iames the Queenes Bastard-Brother commonly called the Prior of Saint Andrewes Metropolitan of the Order of Saint Andrewes despising that title was ambitious after a more splendid one but when the Queene by the aduice of the Guizes refused it him hee returned into Scotland discontented wherein vnder a faire pretext of reforming Religion and to establish the liberty of Scotland hee begun to trouble the State and effected it and so brought it to passe without the knowledge of the Queene in a Conuenticle of Confederates Religion was changed and by the calling in of ayde from England the French were driuen out of Scotland Francis King of France being dead he presently went to his Sister into France and hauing put away all suspition tending to her preiudice or dis-reputation for the affaires of Scotland swore vnto her calling GOD to witnesse to performe all dueties that a Sister could expect from a Brother and vpon the hope which he had that shee being brought vp from her tender age in the delicacies of France would not returne into Scotland workes with the Guizes to appoint some Noble-man of Scotland to be Regent there and almost poynted at himselfe to be the fittest man of all But hee being sent backe into Scotland without any authority but Letters of Commission by which the Queene gaue power to the States to assemble and consult for the good of the Kingdome and seeing himselfe deiected from his hope returned much vexed and passing thorow England made it there knowne that if they wished well to Religion in Scotland to the peace of England and the security of Queene ELIZABETH they ought by all meanes to hinder the Queene of Scotland to passe into Scotland Shee neuerthelesse being safely arriued in Scotland the English Ships being disappointed by obscure weather and being there embraced her Brother with all signes of fauour and good-will and in a kinde of manner committed vnto him the generall administration of affaires Notwithstanding all this the branches of his ambition are not cut off which grew daily and appeared both in words and deedes For hee could not containe himselfe but often among his friends deplored that the warlike Scottish Nation was no lesse subiect to the command of a Woman than the English was and by the instruction of Knox whom he esteemed as a Patriarke often debates that Kingdomes were due to merit and not to linage and that Women should be excluded from succeeding and that their gouernement were monstrous He treated likewise with the Queen by his friends that she should substitute foure of the Royall House of the Stewards who if she dyed without issue should succeed to the Crowne one after another without regarding who were legitimate or no thinking he should be one seeing he was the Kings Sonne though vnlawfully begotten But the Queene wisely considering that such a substitution was contrary to the Lawes of the Kingdome to defraud the right Heires a most pernicious example dangerous for her Subiects and would be an hinderance to her selfe for her second marriage she mildely answered That she would more aduisedly deliberate with the States of the Kingdome about a matter of such weight consequence and to testifie her fauour and bounty towards her Brother shee honoured him with the title of Earle of Mar afterwards with the Earledome of Murray for the dignity of Mar was then in controuersie being ignorant all this while that he aymed at the Kingdome and affirmed himselfe to be the lawfull Sonne of Iames the Fifth To make the easier way hereunto by meanes of the extraordinary fauour the Queene shewed to him he supprest the most noble Family of the Gordons powerfull in vassalage and command whom he both feared in respect of themselues as also by reason of the reformed Religion which adhered vnto him he expelled Hamilton Duke of Chastelraut out of the Court who was reputed next Heire to the Crowne imprisoned the Earle of Arraine his Sonne banished Count Bothwell into England dismissed all opposites of their honourable offices and places and retained the Queene vnder his power and suruey as a Gardian might doe his Ward aboue all other things being carefull that Shee might not negotiate nor intend any marriage And when he saw that of the one side the Emperour sollicited her for his Brother and the Spaniard on the other part for his Sonne he absolutely disswaded her both from the one and the other alledging vnto her how the ancient immunities of Scotland would not permit nor indure a strange Prince and whensoeuer the Scepter fell into the hands of Women they neuer made choyce of an Husband but within their owne Countrey of Scotland But in conclusion he perceiuing that all the Scots generally affected her marrying and discerning that by the perswasion and inducement of the Countesse of Lenox she desired to marry with the Lord Darley hee himselfe likewise then commended him vnto her for an Husband hoping in respect of his youth and for that he was of a tractable nature and disposition he would be euer at his direction and dispose Neuerthelesse when hee saw how dearely the Queene loued him himselfe to fall by little and little out of her fauour and grace hee repented of the counsell and aduice he had giuen and admonished Queene ELIZABETH to crosse this marriage by all the meanes possible that she could Presently after the Nuptials were accomplished and the Lord Darley proclaimed KING the King then presently reuoked such gifts as during his minority the Queene had conferred both vpon him and others whereupon being nigh associated with them he tooke vp armes against the King and the Queene pretending that this new King was dis-affected to the Protestant Religion and how she contracted this marriage without the consent of the Queene of England But hauing scarcely made any triall of the fortunes of warre he fled as I said into England where despayring of all succour he laboured by Letters to Morton a man of great subtilty and another like himselfe to effect that seeing the marriage could not be broken off yet that the affection and loue of the married couple might be abated by some secret practices and a fit occasion offered it selfe for after some domesticall and priuate grudgings to quaile the courage of this young King which boyled a little too hot and to preserue entyre her owne Royall prerogatiues in
hand to your presence and if you be pleased to commiserate my case I will at large informe you of all God grant you a long and happy life and me the patience to attend that comfort I hope for from Him by your gracious meanes and dayly Prayer for with all my heart Queene ELIZABETH returning her great comfort in Letters and by the mouth of Francis Knowles and others promised her assistance according to the equitie of her cause but neuerthelesse she refused her accesse because shee was commonly taxed with many grosse crimes and commanded she should be conuayed to Carlile where shee might remaine in greatest security if her Aduersaries attempted any thing against her by Lowder Lieutenant Gouernour of the place and the Gentlemen of the Countrey Hauing receiued this answere and refusall she once againe made her request by Letters and by the mouth of Maxwell Baron of Heris to this effect THat she would admit her in her own presence to report the iniuries and indignities had been offered her and to answer those crimes laid to her charge Intimating to her Maiesty how it was iust that Qu. ELIZABETH who was so neere vnto her in blood should giue care to her in her banishment and to re-establish her in her Kingdome against those who hauing beene expelled for their offences committed against her by Queene ELIZABETHS intercession they were againe restored and to her owne finall ruine if the storme were not out of hand preuented Wherefore shee requested her that either shee might bee admitted to speake personally to her and to grant her some ayde or else to permit and be pleased that she might presently depart out of England to seeke for succour some where else and that she might not be detained any longer time in the Castle of Carlile in that shee came voluntarily into England vpon the confidence shee had in the loue and affection which had so many times beene honourably promised her by Messengers Letters and Remembrances These Letters and Heris words seemed for who can diue into the secret thoughts of Princes and wise men lay them vp in their hearts to moue Queene ELIZABETH to compassion of a Princesse her neere Kinswoman and so deepely distressed who hauing been surprized by her own Subiects with force and Armes committed to prison brought to extreme danger of her life condemned and depriued of her Kingdome without beeing heard although no Iudgement can passe vpon a priuate man without former hearing shee was retyred into England vnto her with infallible hopes of finding ayd and succour And the free offer which this vnfortunate Queene made to pleade her owne cause in her presence the charge she tooke vpon her to conuince her Aduersaries of the same malefacts whereof they accused her though most innocent were to her hopefull and encouraging motiues thereunto What pitty and commiseration soeuer Queen ELIZABETH had of her the Councell of England deliberated grauely and aduisedly what in this case was to bee done They fear'd that if shee remained any longer in England hauing a perswasiue and mouing tongue she might drawe many to her partie who fauoured the Title which she pretended to the Crowne of England who might peraduenture inflame her ambition and attempt all meanes to maintaine her claime That forraigne Ambassadours would be present at her Consultations and the Scots would not in this case forsake her seeing so rich a booty to offer it selfe Besides they considered that the fidelity of her Guard might be doubtfull and if shee chanc'd to dye in England though it were of some infirmity or sicknesse many slanders might be rais'd and so the QVEENE should be dayly encumbred with new cares If she were sent into France the Guizes her Cousins would againe set on foot the Title whereby she laid claime to the Crowne of England That what opinion soeuer was conceiued of her she might preuaile greatly in England with some for pretext of Religion with others for the probability of her right as before I told you and with the most part of men out of their precipitate affection of Nouelties That the Amity betweene England and Scotland so behoofefull and beneficiall would be broken and the ancient Allyance between Scotland and France renewed which would then bee more dangerous then heretofore because the Burgundians who had no infallible friends but the Scots should bee linckt to the English by a firme Alliance If shee were sent backe into Scotland those that tooke with the English partie should thereupon be banisht and that of France rais'd to the publike administration of gouernment of Affaires the young Prince exposed to danger Religion chang'd the French and other strangers still retained in Scotland Ireland would bee more grieuously molested by the Scots of Hebrides and her selfe exposed to the perill of life within her owne Kingdome Wherefore the greater part ioyned in opinion that shee was to be retained in England as beeing taken by the Law of Armes and not to bee releast till shee had giuen ouer her present claime to the Crowne of England which shee tooke vpon her and answered for the death of the Lord Darley her husband who was a naturall Subiect of England For the Countesse of Lenox mother to the Lord Darley blubbered all ouer with teares had not long before prefer'd a Petition about her and her husband to the Queene of England with supplication that she might be brought to Iudgement for the murder of her Sonne But the Queene graciously comforting her admonisht her that she would not accuse so great a Princesse who was her very neere Kinswoman of a crime which could not be prooued by any euident testimonies intimating vnto her how the times were bad and wicked and hatred blind imputing offences oftentimes to the Innocent On the contrary the Baron of Heris was a suiter to Qu. ELIZABETH that she would suddenly beleeue nothing to the preiudice of truth and that Earle Murray might not hurrie vp Assemblies of Parliament in Scotland to the iniurie and wrong of the Queene who was expelled and the absolute ruine of her good Subiects But though the Queene of England much pressed this point Earle Murray the Vice-Roy summoned them still in the Kings name banished some that remained yet behind of her partialitie and vented the malice hee bare to them vpon their demeanes and houses The Queene of England beeing herewith mightily incens'd certified him in expresse termes by Mildemay that she could not endure for a most pernicious President to Kings that the Royall Authoritie of sacred Maiestie should bee esteemed vile and abiect amongst the Subiects and trampled vnder-foot at the will and pleasure of men turbulent and factious That howsoeuer they forgot the duety and fidelitie which Subiects owe to their Prince yet for her part shee could not bee vnmindfull of that pitty and Commiseration which obliged her to a Sister and a neighbour Qu. Wherefore she wisht him either to come in person or
whom Queene ELIZABETH made knowne that shee could not yet discharge the Subiects of Scotland of the offence they had committed against their Princesse but notwithstanding that shee would request her in their behalfe and also heare them if they could alledge any thing for their iust excuse Earle Murray who presently followed them absolutely refused to insist by Accusation against his Sister but vpon the conditions hee had mentioned at Yorke The Commissioners were presently called home and their authority disanulled whereof the Duke who alwayes fauoured the Queene of Scots was very glad and thought he had nothing more then to effect but only to brand her with an eternall infamy to exclude her with her young Sonne from all right of succession to the Crowne of England and that hee had auoided two dangers for in giuing sentence against her he feared to ruine her and violate his owne conscience and denouncing Iudgement on her side to vndergoe the vnplacable wrath of his owne Queene and of all those who for Religions sake and any other consideration were opposite to the Queene of Scots But when Earle Murray saw that the friends shee retained in Scotland disturbed all affaires and that his presence was requisite he framed his Accusation in the presence of the Queene Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the great Seale the Earle of Leicester Clynton Lord Admirall Cecill and Sadler who by new letters were constituted new Commissioners and to proue the Queen of Scots culpable of her Husbands murder hee produced some probable and coniecturall Articles the Depositions of some Witnesses the Acts digested in the Assemblies of the States but aboue all certaine Loue-Letters and verses written as hee affirmed with the Queenes own hand as also he brought foorth Buchanan's Booke entituled The Discouery to be openly read but the greater number of the Commissioners gaue not much credit thereunto it proceeding from a partiall man and one that had made sale of his fidelity As for the Verses and Letters because they had no names subscriptions nor dates and so many Impostors there be who can counterfait others hands so naturally as the one can hardly be discerned from the other Queene ELIZABETH would in no wise affoord them beliefe or credit though shee were much instigated out of feminine emulation wherewith that Sex is many times violently transported remaining satisfied that these Accusations had imposed vpon the Queene of Scots some reprochfull Aspersions Her Deputies hearing that shee was dayly accused by Murray presented themselues to make answere but shee had now reuoked their authority which was but Delegatorie as shee had beene secretly informed by certaine English Ciuilians and this shee might doe by Law seeing that of the Duke and others had beene so formerly reuoked Afterwards shee peremptorily refused the new Commissioners two of whom shee suspected except the Ambassadours of France and Spaine were ioyned in commission with them that shee might be admitted to defend her own innocency openly in the presence of the Queen of England and them except Murray were restrained called to a Triall auerring how she could conuince him and proue that he was the author of the Lord Darleys murder The Duke of Norfolke the Earles of Arundel Sussex Leicester and Lincolne esteeming this to be but iust and equall Qu. ELIZABETH grew into wonderfull choller and told them openly that the Queen of Scots could neuer want an Aduocate till the Duke of Norfolke came short of his life and shee was contented to impart those crimes whereof Murray imputed her to euery one of her priuy Councell and to the Earles of Northumberland Westmerland Shrewsbury Worcester Huntington and Warwicke whom shee conuocated to this end vnder an oath of silence exhibited not to damnifie either of the parties And because Murray was called backe into Scotland and 't was commonly bruted abroad that Boyd attempted to release the Queen of Scots of her imprisonment this Proceeding was deferr'd to some other time Queene ELIZABETH so farre as seem'd probable sharply reprehending the insolency of the Scottish-men in deposing their Queene At that time Hamilton Duke of Chastelraut came out of France sent vnder-hand by the Guizes to oppose Murray in the gouernment and administrations of the Kingdome during the yong King's minority and maintayned before Queene ELIZABETH that beeing neerest of blood to the King he should be preferred before Murray who was but a Bastard Contrariwise Murray and the Kings Ambassadors alleadged that the gouernment of the Kingdome was not to bee assigned alwaies to those neerest of blood but to such who by a generall consent of the States were elected and chosen as most sufficient and capable of that Charge That it were a most vniust course to put the King who was young into his hands who by proximity of blood aspiring to the Kingdome might easily be tempted to violate right out of a desire to rule and reigne And how this was greatly to be feared especially of the Hamiltons who had practised many enmities against the Earles of Lenox the Kings Grandfathers wickedly slaine his great Grandfather by the Fathers side expell'd Mathew his Grandfather out of Scotland after he had reduced him to low pouerty and also of himselfe who made this motion who with bitter and implacable hatred wonderfully molested Henry the Kings Father and the more easily to enioy the Kingdome he married his Maiesties Mother with the King of France The which when Queen ELIZABETH vnderstood shee made knowne to Hamilton how his demand was most vniust and forbade him to depart out of England till Earle Murray were returned into Scotland Murray a little before his departure was so subtill as that secretly by his man Meluin he offered the Duke of Norfolk to marry with the Queene of Scots and her he promised to re-establish in her Kingdome as presently we will declare Notwithstanding to conceale it from Queene ELIZABETH he caus'd a rumor to be spred that shee had made ouer her claime of the Kingdome of England to the Duke of Aniou and how this alienation was confirmed at Rome he shewed certaine Letters shee had written to those of her partie wherein shee blamed Queene ELIZABETH for fayling of her promise and vaunted that shee expected succours otherwise then from her Whether these reports were true or fained I am not able to say But certainely Queene ELIZABETH was much moued herewith who could not imagine from whom she should attend these new reliefes because ciuill warre was so hotly kindled in France as the Bishop of Rhemes sent by the King entreated her that she would not haue any hand in those affaires and the Duke of Alua who was come the yeere before into the Low-Countries to supplant the Protestant Religion staid still there by reason of the troubles But as afterward it proou'd apparant and as H. Catene writ to Cardinall Alexandrine Pope Pius 5. not daring to send an open Nuncio had suborn'd R. Ridolpho a
Rosse was likewise examined and Ridolph that Florentine Councellor of whom both hee and others made familiar and common vse committed in keeping to Sir Francis Walsingham the Earle of Pembroke commanded to betake himselfe to his House and reserued to a priuate examination But by reason of his Nobility and old age it was agreed that by reason himselfe could not write his Confession should not be taken in writing After this some great men were prohibited the Court as Complices who exhibited their petitions and demanded pardon when they had acknowledged that they were consenting with the Duke to this marriage which Murray had formerly propounded yet after such a manner as the Queene of Scots the Duke and all the others were aduertized how the matter was first imparted to the Queenes Maiestie of England before any treatie of it The Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland being Confederates in this dessigne made in like manner their submissions to the Earle of Sussex then Gouernour in the North parts whom they intreated to sollicite the Queene for them Many Libels were in like manner dispersed against this marriage the Queene of Scots and the right and title whereby she layde claime to the Crowne of England as next heire apparant with such shamelesse insolency as the Queene resolued to send out prohibitions by a seuere Proclamation to the contrary and playing at hood-winke with the Bishop of Rosse she appointed him to answere them as hee did by another Booke intituled Morgan Philips wherein hee maintained the honour of the Queene of Scots her right of succession and that the Kingdome might be swayed and gouerned by women as this poynt was also called in question But since he ingeniously confest in his Commentaries that his reasons he set downe about her right of succession he drew out of Sir Anthony Brownes bookes chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas and of Carrell both very vnderstanding Gentlemen in the common Lawes of England In those daies there came from the Duke of Alua Chapin Vitelli Marquis of Ceton with Letters from the Spaniard who seemed to haue cleane loft his writing vnder pretext to accord some differences about commerce but really to obserue the issue of this rebellion which was presently to be raised and to command the Souldiers priuily to march downe into Flanders according to the Duke of Alua's promise who likewise sent for his fore-runner Le Mot Gouernour of Dunkerke apparelled like a Mariner that he might the better discouer and found the Ports as himselfe since hath auerred But when it appeared how this Marquis was onely substituted by the Duke of Alua who was the principall partie himselfe wherein the other was but a meere Lieutenant a doubt was made whether they should treatie with him as an Ambassadour Notwithstanding all this the Queenes Maiestie made knowne that she would acknowledge him for the Ambassadour of Spaine But when he made shew of no further Commission than to re-demand some moneys detained the Queene affecting peace aduised him to procure a larger Commission for the ordering of affaires while hee stayd and attended the same the rumor of that Rebellion to be excited in the North Countrey was daily augmented To relate the matter more originally there ran a great fame and brute of this Rebellion about the beginning of Autumne which at the first being contemned it presently strengthned and encreased by reason of the frequent meetings of the Earles of Northumberland Westmerland and some others so that the Earle of Sussex then Gouernour and Deputie of the North cited them before him and interrogated them precisely about these reports and rumors They could not deny but they had heard of it marry so they were in no wise guiltie or culpable with many and deepe protestations offering to lose their liues in the Queenes seruice against any Rebels whatsoeuer and thus he sent them backe to their owne houses with authoritie to enquire and search out the authors of this report which neuerthelesse daily so augmented as her Maiestie conceiuing that nothing was rashly to bee credited of so great men so commanded them by the Lord of Sussex to repaire presently to London for the remouing of all suspition Notwithstanding my Lord of Sussex I know not for what drift or policy enioyned them to come and meet him as if he meant to consult with them about some occasions of that Prouince At the first they drew backe but presently after expresly refused to repaire thither This ministred occasion to the Queenes Maiestie to command them by peremptory Letters which shee writ and caused to be conueyed with all expedition that laying apart all delayes and excuses they should incontinently appeare in her Royall presence and this onely to terrifie and absolutely diuert them from entring into this Rebellion or at least that they might precipitantly vndertake the same before they rallied their forces or that the matter grew to any maturitie For they relyed vpon some secret succours which the Scots Leaguers and the Duke of Alua were to land at the Port of Herripoole within the Bishopricke of Dunelme as afterwards it was manifested So soone as the Earle of Northumberland had read these Letters being of a tractable nature guiltie in his owne conscience deepely affected to the Romane Religion and excited to choller by reason that out of the prerogatiue Royall in Mynes a rich Copper Myne found in his owne grounds was taken from him wherein hee thought himselfe to be wronged but neuerthelesse fed with notable hopes of the Queenes clemency hee was in a wonderfull perplexitie whether he should flye or openly rebell His Friends and seruants being now prepared for a reuolt and seeing him floating in these ambiguities came vpon him a certaine night on a suddaine and headlongly and continually beating into his eares how Oswell Vlstrop and Vaughan his enemies were arriued with a troupe of armed men ready to take him prisoner they vrged entreated and coniured him that he would not forsake himselfe his friends and the Religion of his fore-fathers assuring him how the Catholiques were then in armes all England ouer to re-establish the Romane Religion and to stirre vp the multitude they tumultuarily sounded a Larum bell in all the Countrie Townes and Villages though 't was not yet time to attempt any such matter Affrighted hee presently start out of his Bed in the Chamber retyred to a Gallerie which looked into a Parke neere to Topcliffe and the night following he went to Blanspeth to the Earle of Westmerlands House where many were assembled who knew not what the matter was For to amasse and draw together an ignorant multitude they commanded some to take vp armes for the Queenes defence others were made beleeue that all the great men of England conspired with them to re-erect the Romane Religion othersome they told how they were enforced to take vp armes for preuention that the ancient Nobility of England might not be trampled vnder foot by late
of Spaine the Iudges of England had no power ouer him But hee was condemned according to the forme of Nihil dicit because no man can free himselfe from the Lawes of the Countrey where he is borne nor renounce his naturall Countrey nor his Prince and suffered as a Traytor There was then for certaine yeeres controuersie betweene the Portugals and the English during the commerce betweene them and the Moores for pure Gold from the yeere 1552. in that part of Africa called Guienne and others who had first discouered those Coasts hindered as much as they could by force of armes so as they fought sometimes by Sea and detained Ships on both sides But Sebastian King of Portugall being newly come to age to make a peace sent Francis Gerard into England who made a Couenant with the Queene almost in these very words THat a perfect amitie may be made and free commerce had on both sides the one shall not attempt any thing to the preiudice of the other nor lend succour to their enemies Rebels or Traytors the Merchandize Moneyes and Ships which are vnder arrest to be restored And Queene ELIZABETH to gratifie the King of Portugal prohibiteth the English to vse any Nauigation in the Seas or to the Lands which the Portugals had conquered And that if they should doe otherwise it should be vpon their owne perill if the Portugals should depriue them both of goods and liues The Kingdomes of Portugal and Argarbe also the Iles of Azores and Madera excepted in which free Nauigation was permitted This yere W. Parre Marquis of Northampton being very old peaceably departed this life a man much conuersant and well read in the delectable studies of Musicke and intertainement of Louers and other courtly iucundities who was first raised to the dignitie of Baron Parre of Kendal afterwards he married Anne Bourchier sole daughter heire to the Earle of Essex at the same time when the King married his sister and afterwards bâ— EDVVARD made Marquis of Northampton vnder the reigne of MARIE hee was condemned of High-Treason for taking armes on the behalfe of Iane Grey who was brought in by subornation to be Queene but was shortly after pardoned and restored to his inheritance as he was afterwards to his honours by Queene ELIZABETH He had no Children but left to be his heire Henrie Herbert Earle of Pembroke his other Sisters Sonne Iohn Iewell a man of an excellent spirit and exquisit learning in Theologie and of great pietie died the same yeere being hardly fiftie yeeres of age descended of good Parents in Deuonshire and commendably brought vp in Corpus Christi Colledge in the Vniuersitie of Oxford who in Queene MARIES reigne was banished into Germanie and afterwards by Queene ELIZABETH beeing made Bishop of Salisburie put forth in the yeere 1562. an Apologie for the English Church and most learnedly defended the Protestants Religion against Harding who was falne from it in two Volumes in our owne Tongue which are now translated into the Latine Ireland at that time was quiet enough for Iohn Perâ—t President of Mounster had so ransacked Iohn Fitz-Morris who had pillaged Kilmalocke that hee was constrained to hide himselfe in Caues and in the end as wee shall relate hereafter brought to begge pardon with humble submission Sidney Deputie of Ireland returning into England Fitz-William who had married his Sister succeeded in his place THE FIFTEENTH YEERE OF Her Reigne Anno Dom. 1572. THe beginning of a new yeere brought forth a new Tragicall spectacle to the Inhabitants of London for in the Palace of Westminster a Scaffold was erected from the one end to the other with a Tribunall vpon it and seates on either side the like had not bin seene for eighteene yeeres before Thither vpon the sixteenth day of Ianuary was Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke conducted betweene Owen Hopton Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Peter Carew Knight before whom was borne the fatall Axe with the edge forward vpon the Tribunall was seated George Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury constituted Lord high Steward of England for that day vpon either side of him were placed the Nobles appointed Commissioners which we call Peeres to wit Reynold Gray Earle of Kent Tho. Ratcliffe Earle of Sussex Henry Hastings Earle of Huntington Francis Russell Earle of Bedford Henry Herbert Earle of Pembroke Edw. Seimor Earle of Hartford Ambrose Dudley Earle of Warwicke Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester Walt. Deuâ—reux Vicount of Hereford Edward Lord Clinton Admirall William Lord Howard of Effingham Chamberlaine William Cecill Lord Burghley Secretarie Arthur Lord Gray of Wilton Iea. Blount Lord Mountioy Will. Lord Sands Tho. Lord Wentworth William Lord Bourrowes Lewes Lord Mordant Iohn Pawlet Lord S. Iohn of Basing Robert Lord Rich Roger Lord North Edm. Bruges Lord Chandos Oliuer Lord S. Iohn of Bletso Tho. Sackuill Lord Buckhurst and Will. West Lord De-la-Ware Silence being commanded the Commission was read importing the power giuen to the Iudge Then Carter chiefe King of Heralds deliuered into his hands a white wand which he presently after deliuered to the Groome Porter who standing by did hold it erected the whole time of the Court. Silence againe commanded the Lieutenant of the Tower was bidden to bring forth his charge and present the Duke before the Seat of Iustice who foorth-with appeared on either side were the Lieutenants of the Tower and Peter Carew next of all he that carried the Axe the edge thereof turned from the Duke Silence the third time proclaimed the Clerke appointed for the Acts of Iudgement thus spake to the Duke Thomas Duke of Norfolke late of Kenninghale in the County of Norfolke hold vp thy hand When he had holden vp his hand the said Clerke read aloud the Crimes of which he was accused that is to say That in the eleuenth yeere of Queene ELIZABETH and afterwards the Duke hath treacherously held counsell to depose the Queene from her Kingdome to take away her life and to inuade the Realme by raysing of warre and bringing in troupes of Strangers That notwithstanding he had certaine knowledge that Mary late Queene of Scots had arrogated to herselfe the Crowne of England with the Title and Armes thereof yet hath he treated vnknowne to the Queene of a marriage betwixt them and contrary to the promise vnder his hand and Seale hath lent vnto her certaine large summes of money That hee had assisted and succoured the Earles of Northumberland Westmerland Marquenfield and others notwithstanding that hee had good notice that they had raised Rebellion against the Queene and were chased into Scotland That in the thirteenth yeere of the Queenes Reigne by Letters he demanded succours of the Pope Pius Quintus sworne Enemy to the Queene of the Spaniard and Duke D' Alua to set the Queene of Scots at liberty and re-establish the Romane religion in England Finally that hee had relieued and aided Heris a Scottish-man and others enemies
to her Maiestie in Scotland These Articles being read the Clerke demanded of the D. if he were guilty of these accusations Whereupon the Duke desired if the Law would permit it that he might haue an Aduocate to defend his cause to which Catelin the Chiefe Iustice answered that it might not be allowed THen it is meet said he that I submit to the sentences of the Iudges but the matter is full of ambiguities neither did I knowe within these foure and twenty houres that I was to come to Iudgement and so was vnprepared of Bookes I see now well that I must enter into combate for my life without Armes I haue heard neuerthelesse that in the reigne of HENRY the seuenth in a cause of Laesae Maiestaris Humphrey Stafford had an aduocate assigned him To which Dier Chiefe Iustice of the Common-Pleas answered that Stafford indeed had an Aduocate allowed him to pleade for him concerning the right of Azile from whence by force he was taken but for the crime of Laesae Maiestatis without any assistance hee pleaded his cause himselfe THen this day replyes the Duke must I my selfe plead for my life goods my Children and for what counteruailes all these mine Honour but let that Honour passe if I innocently perish GOD will not let it passe vnreuenged Yet this one thing let me be permitted to question whether that enumeration of crimes will hold true in euery point and to what point I must make answere Catelin made reply Since the causes are true this enumeration also must be esteemed true I desire to bee instructed saith the Duke whether euery of these bee crimes of Laesae Maiestatis For I haue heard related that in the cause of the Lord Scroope vnder the Reigne of Henry the 4. But as he would haue proceeded the Clerke interrupted him speaking with a loud voice THomas Duke of Norfolke art thou guilty of these crimes or no The Duke denyed Then he was further demanded How wilt thou be tried He answered I commit my cause to God and to these Peeres The odiousnesse of these crimes amazeth mee but the Royall clemency of her Maiestie from which besides what I haue receiued I can expect no more much refresheth me But of you my Lord Iudge let me request thus much that I may bee iustly dealt withall and that my memory which is indeede but weake may not bee too much oppressed with a confused variety of matters I confesse my selfe happy hauing you my Peeres for Iudges and with much willingnesse would commit my life to the integrity of the most of you I was assured in mine owne innocency and therefore sought no way to fly Yet I cannot but ingenuously confesse that I haue beene wanting in my duty towards the Queene but neuer did I any thing which might touch or offend so Royall a Maiestie I beseech you then that those higher matters may not bee commixt equally with those of Laesae Maiestatis Then Barham the Queenes Serieant at Law began Those Crimes saith hee of Laesae Maiestatis of which you thus expostulate are these You haue complotted to depriue the Queene both of Kingdome and life you haue consulted of a marriage with the late Queene of Scotland you haue inuited forraigne powers to inuade the Realme you haue succoured Rebels and haue sent ayde to those Scots which were the Queenes Enemies The Duke interposeth saying BArham doe not I pray you exasperate the matter with words in obiecting against me the marriage and other things which fall not amongst the offences of high Treason Barham turning to the Peeres vrgeth this He quoth he that will marry a wife that layeth claime to a Kingdome doth likewise affect the same Kingdome For the Duke had enterprized the same being amongst the Commissioners at Yorke appointed for the hearing of the Queen of Scots Cause being at that time bound by his oath equally to ballance the accusations and defences of either part The Duke replyeth There be diuers parts contained in that cause which are not crimes of Laesae Maiestatis But the Lord high Steward commanded the Duke not to stray so farre from the purpose by digressions wherevpon Barham clamorously insisting he acknowledged that the Queene of Scots had laid claime to the Crowne of England but had long time since desisted Barham on the contrary demonstrated that shee had not as yet desisted because she had not yet renounced the right which she pretended hee furthermore grieuously accused the Duke that he instructed the Deputies of the Queene of Scots what to answere according as it appeared in the Confession of the Bishop of Rosse The Duke confessed that Lidington had made a motion to him of the marriage but he refused the same neither gaue he any instructions but desired that Rosse might be produced in presence After this Barham amply prosecuteth many things of the marriage which haue beene spoken of with an intent to prooue that the Duke had an affection to the Kingdome and insisteth with often-repeated Interrogatories What other thing could the Duke propound to himselfe whilest without the Queens knowledge he determined to marry the Queene of Scots being a woman without meanes or Kingdome her Sonne being established in the Kingdome then that by her he hoped to enioy the Crowne of England and so consequently depriue the Queene both of rule and life You haue quoth the Duke lowdly repeated these things to conuince me of enterprizing the deposing and ruine of the Queene To come to the point sayes Barham it is sufficiently knowne that you haue consulted about the surprizing of the Tower of London which is the strongest place in the Realme whereby it is necessarily manifest that you had then plotted the ruine of the Queene seeing that Rule is impatient of competitors The Duke denieth not hat one Hopton suggested him to the surprizing of the Tower of London but he vtterly reiected it Why then quoth Barham did you aske counsell of the Earle of Pembroke concerning the same who disswaded you from it Barham proceedeth and vrgeth that when the Queene of England had demanded that the young King of Scotland certaine Castles and the rebellious English which were in Scotland should be deliuered into her hands The Duke had vnder-hand aduised the Scots not to consent thereunto He likewise accused him that hee endeuoured to free the Queene of Scots out of prison and that after hee had religiously promised by his hand-writing not to meddle with her in any kind of busines One Candish was then produced for a witnesse who deposed that the Duke had constantly resolued of the marriage and had asked him if after the death of Queen ELIZABETH he might draw his Vncle to his partie These the Duke altogether denyed reiecting his testimony as of a poore and abiect fellow After this it was demonstrated that the Duke had secretly sent a Seruant to the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland to aduertise them not to stir in the Rebellion because
Ley hee whispered something in his Eare and after he spoke to the Deane of Pauls who turning him to the people said The Duke intreateth you all to pray with him that GOD would be mercifull to him and that you would be silent that his spirit be not disturbed Hee forgaue his Executioner asking him pardon refusing to put the Napkin ouer his face which he offered him saying I feare not death Then kneeling downe his heart lift vp to GOD on high hee prostrated himselfe on the Scaffold the Deane praying intentiuely with him then laying his necke ouer the Blocke at one stroke his head was cut off which the Executioner shewed a lamentable spectacle to the people most mournfully then shedding teares and sighing It is almost incredible how dearely the People loued him and how by his naturall benignity and courteous actions qualities well becomming so great a Prince hee had gained the hearts of the Multitude Diuers of the wiser sort as they were affected passed their censures diuersly some from an apprehension they had of great feare and danger might haue ensued had hee suruiued others commiserating the case of one so nobly borne so gentle by nature so comely of personage of so manly an aspect so compleat in all parts to perish so pittyously one who had not the subtill sleights of his Aduersaries and the slippery hopes he had conceiued vnder a colour of benefitting his Countrey and Common-wealth diuerted from the first-begun course of his life hee had beene the greatest honour and ornament of his Countrey They called also to memory the lucklesse death and destiny of his late Father who although vniuersally admired for Arts and Armes had some fiue and twentie yeeres before this lost his head in the same place vpon sleight occasions to wit for hauing his Armes quartered with King Edward the Confessour which we reade the Mowbrayes the Dukes of Norfolke had borne being giuen them by King Richard the Second from which Mowbrayes he drew his petigree Whereupon it shall not be impertinent to the purpose briefly to adde from what shop these Conspiracies were first forged as Hierome Catene in his History of the life of Pius the fifth relateth An Author for his credit made free Denison of Rome and admitted Secretary to Cardinall Alexandrine Nephew to Pius the fifth POpe Pius the 5. saith he burning with a zealous desire to re-establish the Romane Religion and hauing no other so conuenient a Messenger to bee his Nuncio Apostolike imployed Robert Ridolph Gentleman of Florence who comming into England vnder pretext of other businesse indeuoured himselfe to nothing more then to stir the hearts of the Queenes Subiects to her destruction wherein he dealt with such dexterity that he brought not onely Papists but also some Protestants to be of his faction some for a priuate malice they bore to those which aymed at the Kingdome others out of a desire of innouation As these matters were working vnder-hand and couertly there happened a debate betwixt the Spaniard and the Queene for certaine moneys that had been intercepted now in her possession Hereupon the Pope tooke occasion to perswade the King of Spaine to lend his helping hand to those which were combin'd Conspirators in England against Qu. ELIZA that so he might with the more facillity effect his affaires in the Low-Countries and restore the Catholike Religion in England In like maner dealt he with France as if he were bound to assist his Kinswoman the Queen of Scotland and to pleasure the Scots who to diuert the English from ayding the Protestants in France had made incursions vpon the English nor ought be any lesse to some great persons of the confederacy in England who by their policy had so preuented as that the Queene should not publikely send any ayde to the Huguenots of France by reason whereof the King of France promised his aide to set free the Qu. of Scots but failed to performe In the meane time Ridolph so wrought that he brought Norfolke to bee chiefe of the conspiracie promising him marriage with the Queene of Scots with her consent The better also to effect this businesse the Pope deposed the Queene of her Crowne and Kingdome and absolued her Subiects of all Oath and Allegeance by a Bull which hee caused to be published whereof he sent copies printed to Ridolph to be dispersed through the Kingdome Hereupon the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland raised Armes in the North of England against the Queene but money failing there they speedily fled into Scotland and the Duke of Norfolke with others were committed to prison amongst which Ridolph was one who had receiued commandement from his Holinesse to deliuer to the Confederate League an hundred and fiftie thousand Crownes which hee could not doe beeing now prisoner But her Maiesty not looking so deepely as concerned her into the plot of the Conspiracie set Ridolph and some others at liberty and hauing distributed the foresaid moneys amongst the Confederates was by them sent home againe to the Pope to aduertise him that now all things were in a readinesse for the dispatch of the Queen and to procure with all speed the best supplies he might from the Spaniard out of the Low-Countries The Pope commended well this purpose although indeed the Duke of Norfolke had formerly misliked the same as a matter full of much difficulty in a priuate conference hee had with Ridolph once vpon the way and vnder a colour of other matter addrest himselfe to the Kings of Spaine Portugal to informe them thereof He promiseth the Duke of Norfolke by his Letters to send him succour mooueth with the King of Spaine to bee assistant and to further the matter the more offereth to goe himselfe in person and if neede were to spend the goods of his See-Apostolike Challices holy Vestiments and Crucifixes assuring him that he could and would easily effect the same nor was there any difficultie to be doubted would hee send ouer Chappin Vittel with an Armie out of Flanders into England which thing the Spaniard with all expedition commanded to be done whilest the Pope prouided money But the Duke D'Alua enuying that Vitel should haue the honour of this seruice sought to preferre his Sonne thereunto fearing that the French should fall from them with their Forces and doubting the Conquest of England might yeelde any profit to Spaine or that the Pope was able to comply with them for money sufficient for so great a designe Notwithstanding the King of Spaine gaue expresse command that he should inuade England and to that end sent moneys by Ridolph into Flanders But it pleased God the matter was discouered to the Queene of England by some beyond seas and the Duke of Norfolke apprehended and iudged to death which brought no lesse griefe to the Pope then to the King of Spaine who said in the presence of Cardinall Alexandrine his Nephew That neuer was
comfortable securitie by the Queenes children so often times wished for But if these marriages be neglected it was to be feared that the French would be prouoked the Scots alienated the Duke of Aniou marry the Daughter of Spaine with whom hee should haue in Dowry the Low-Country Prouinces draw the King of Scotland to be of their party procure him a Wife to bring him riches abolish the reformed Religion and the English when they should see no hope of Children by the Queene would adore the Rising-Sunne Whereat shee could not chuse but be much tormented in minde and pine away to death As in these dayes very many English feared a change of Religion by the Duke of Aniou so were the Scots afraid it would be with them by another French-man Aimé or Esme Stuart Lord of Aubigny who at the same time was come into Scotland to see the King his Cousin for he was Sonne to Iohn Stuart Brother to Matthew Stuart Earle of Lenox who was the Kings Grand-father and tooke his denomination Aubigni from a House situate in Berri that is so called which Charles the Seuenth King of France gaue in time past to Iohn Stuart of the Family of Lenox who was Constable of the Scottish Army in France defeated the English at Baugency afterwards slaine by them at the battel of Harrans and euer since that house hath descended vpon the younger Sonnes The King embracing him with a singular good affection gaue him rich demains and admitted him into his most intimate consultations established him Lord high Chamberlaine of Scotland and Gouernour of Dunbriton first created him Earle and afterwards Duke of Lenox after hauing directly reuoked the Letters of honour by which in his non-age he had created Robert Bishop of Cathanesse Earle of the same place his Grand-fathers third Brother and had giuen him in recompence the County of March This flourishing fauour with the King procured many to enuy him who murmured because hee was deuoted to the Guizes and the Romane Religion and that hee was sent to subuert the true Religion This suspicion increased in regard hee ioyned himselfe to Mortons aduersaries and did intercede for the reuoking of Thomas Carr of Fernihurst who was most if any were addicted to the Queene of Scots Morton whose power was apparently falling stroue in vaine although it might seeme that he had excellently well deserued in defeating the Hamiltons and taking the Castle of Hamilton and Daffrane There were at that time who stirred vp much hatred in the King against the Hamiltons obiecting and vrging their names as a thing of great terrour so as out of a necessitie they were for their owne safetie compelled to defend the Castle again the King but they were constrained to yeeld it vp and by authoritie of Parliament proscribed for the murdering as well of Murrey as Lenox Regents as a thing by them performed Many of those fled together into England for whom Queene ELIZABETH diligently interposeth by Erington as well for honour as in reason of Iustice that shee had obliged her faith in the yeere 1573. for the settling of peace that they should not be called in question for those matters without her consent Shee also at the same time was vndertaking in another part of the World Amurathes Cham or the Sultaine of the Turkes granted to William Harburne an English-man and to Mustapha Beg Bassa to the TVRKE that the English Merchants euen as the French Venecians Pollanders the King of the Germanes and other neighbouring Natitions should trade freely thorow all his Empire whereupon they by the Queenes authority made a Company which they call TVRKEY MERCHANTS and since that time they haue vsed a most gainefull Trade of Merchandize at Constantinople Angoria Chio Petrazzo Alexandria Egypt Cyprus and other places in Asia for Drugges Spices Cottons Raw-Silke Carpets Indian-Dyes Corinthian-Grapes Sope c. As for that execrable impiety of Hamont brought forth at that time in Norwich against GOD and his Christ and as I hope is extinct with his ashes or rather confounded in obliuion then remembred Neither am I of opinion of those which thinke that the publique hath interest that all sorts of vices poysons and impieties to be made manifest seeing that hee differs little from teaching which shewes such things This yeere was the last of Nicholas Bacon Keeper of the Great Seale of England who by decree of Parliament enioyed vnder this name the honour and dignitie of Chancellor of England a very fat man of a quicke subtill spirit singular wisdome height of eloquence stedfast memory and the other pillar of the sacred Councell whose place Thomas Bromley enioyed with the title of Chancellor of England Bacon is followed by Thomas Gresham Citizen of London a Merchant-Royall and of the order of Knight-hood Sonne to Sir Richard Gresham Knight who built for the ornament of his Countrey and vse of the Merchants of London that beautifull and goodly Walking-place which Queene ELIZABETH named The Royall-Exchange And the spacious Houses which hee had in the Citie hee dedicated to the profession of Learning and constituted in the same Lectures of sacred Diuinitie of the Ciuill Law Physick Astronomie Geometrie and Rhetoricke with honest pensions In Mounster a Prouince in Ireland new rebellion was kindled by Iames Fitz-Morris who hauing before cast himselfe vpon his knees at the feete of Perot President of Mounster and with teares sighes and humble supplications asked pardon made a holy vow of fidelitie and obedience to the Queene Hee I say who found no rest but in troubles with-drew himselfe into France promised the King if hee would lend ayde to ioyne the whole Kingdome of Ireland to the Scepter of France and restore the Romish Religion But wearied with delayes and in the end derided from France he goes to Spaine and promiseth the like to the Catholike King who sent him to the Pope of whom by the sollicitation of Sanders an English Priest and Allan an Irish Priest both Doctors of Diuinitie with much adoe hauing got a little money and Sanders the authority of Legat a consecrated Ensigne and Letters commendatorie to the King of Spaine returnes to Spaine and from thence with those Diuines three Ships and a few Souldiers they came and arriued about the Calends of Iuly at the Village of Saint Marie which the Irish call Smerwick in Kerrie a-pen-Insule in Ireland and after that the Priests had consecrated the place raised a Fort and brought the Ships neere vnto it those Ships Thomas Courtney an English Gentleman made haste with a Ship of warre which lay in a Road neere vnto them by and by to assault and taking them carries them away and barres the Spaniards from all benefit of the Sea Iohn and Iames brethren to the Earl of Desmond with great speed drew together a few Irish ioyne with their Confederate Fitz-Morris and the Earle himselfe who fauoured
worth Moreouer that her Maiestie could finde no reason wâ—y Spaine should hinder her Subiects and those of other Princes from sayling to the Indies that shee could not be perswaded that they were his owne although the Pope had ne'r so much giuen them to him that shee acknowledged no such Prerogatiue in the Pope much lesse the least authority as to oblige Princes who owe him no obedience at all vnder his to power inuest put the Spaniard as in fee and possession of that New-World also that shee could not see how he could deriue the least right but by those desconts and landing here and there of his Subiects who built there small cottages to inhabit and named the Promontorie Things neuerthelesse that can purchase no propriety So that by vertue of such donation of other mens goods which in equitie is nothing worth and of this proprietie that is meerly imaginary hee cannot iustly hinder other Princes to negotiate in those Regions but they without infringing any waies the Lawes of Nations may lawfully bring in Colonies in those parts that are not yet inhabited by the King of Spaines Subiects sith Prescription without possession is of no validity euen as to sayle vpon the mayne Ocean that the vse of the Sea as of the Ayre is common to all and that publique necessitie permits not it should be possessed that there is nor people no particular that can challenge or pretend any other right therein Neuerthelesse since this great summes of money were pay'd backe to Piedro Sâ—bâ—re a Spaniard who styled himselfe Attourney for the recouery of the Gold and Siluer though hee could shew no such Letter of procuration or receits And it was discouered but too late that he made no retribution at all to particulars but spent it against Queene ELIZABETH vpon the Spaniards who maintained the warre of Flanders While Sir Francis Drake circuited so prosperously the World Iacman and Pet renowned Pylots sent by the Merchants of London with two Ships did seeke with lesse happy successe a short way or passage to sayle into the East Indies by the Sea of Cronie but hauing past some miles beyond the Iles Vaigats they found ebbing and flowing so vncertaine so many shelues and so great store of Ice that they could not possible goe any further hauing much adoe to returne At the beginning of this yeere died Henry Fitz-Allen Earle of Arundell and with him the name of that most noble House which had flourished in honour aboue three hundred yeeres sonne to Richard Fitz-Allen sprung from the Albaines ancient Earles of Arundel and Sussex in the reigne of EDVVARD the First which title they had without creation in regard of the possession which they had of the Castle and Lordship of Arundell This man being heaped with honour had beene a Priuy-Councellor to all the Kings vnder whom he liued and performed great offices vnto his end Vnder HENRY the Eighth he was Gouernour of Calice Marshall of the Army at Bullen and Lord Chamberlaine At the inauguration of EDWARD the Sixth hee was Lord Marshall of England in which charge he continued at the Coronation of Queene MARIE and was after made Lord High-Constable Lord Steward of her house and President of her Councell Vnder Queene ELIZABETH hee was made the second time Lord Steward And when he began to grow old he sought to marry her for which he lost much of her fauour afterwards he intermeddled in the Duke of Norfolkes matters and openly withstood the marriage of the Duke of Aniou He professed himselfe an open-hearted man and made it appeare that he loued not the French and would often say that his father dwelling in Sussex neighbour vnto France would teach him not to beleeue them He had three Children by Katherine his Wife daughter to Thomas Gray Marquis of Dorset which children hee suruiued Henry being young and of great hope dyed at Bâ—axels Iane who was Wife to the Lord Lumley and Marie who married Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke and bare vnto him Philip Earle of Arundel of whom wee will speake in his owne place Arthur Lord Gray Deputie of Ireland being gone against the O-Conores who were stirring vp new troubles in Ophalia by Law executes Hugh O-Moloy a seditious man and pacifies this Countrey and that of Magohiganores and Ocaroles and in the very bud crushed a great conspiracie that was a growing and beginning to spread For some of the chiefest Families in Lemster and many others that were originally English driuen partly by the affection they bore to the Romish Religion and partly for their hatred to the new-come English who since their comming had excluded them contrary to the Law from all gouernments and Magistracy as if they had beene naturall Irish had conspired to kill the Lord Deputie and his Family to surprize the Castle of Dublin wherein was all the prouision of war and to kill all the English that were in Ireland and this conspiracy was so closely carried that it was neuer conferred vpon with more than two in a company Neuerthelesse among so many complices it came to light and was extinct with the death of a few men and amongst them of chiefest note was I. Nogent Baron of Fiske a man singular in fame and life who was as the Irish report seduced by the craft of those that enuyed him and his conscience assuring himselfe of his innocency chose rather though the Deputie promised to giue him his life if hee would confesse himselfe guiltie to dye an innocent by an infamous death than to liue in infamy for betraying his innocency And verily howsoeuer the truth of this businesse was in it selfe the Queene was much offended with the Lord Gray for the death of those men whom the Earle of Sussex being more offended therewith for rarely is true loue betweene great Ones the more stirred vp by reason of the cruelty which before hee had vsed toward the Spaniards which yeelded and now against Subiects that he had diminished the glory of his Princesse and augmented the number of her enemies Howbeit hee forbare not to terrifie Turlough-Leinich who began to raise tumults in Vlster and driue him to conditions of peace Whereby hee likewise brought the O-Brins the O-Mores and the Cauanaghies Rebels in Lemster humbly to desire peace and to offer Hostages These matters of Ireland though time doth much disioyne them for the helpe of memory I haue thought to put them together In Scotland some Ministers and some of the great Ones considering the Earle of Lenox of whom I haue spoken to be strong in the Kings fauour stirred vp Iames Stuart of Ochiltrie Captaine of the Guard who carried the title of Earle of Arran I know not by what grant from Iames Hamilton Earle of Arran a man of an vnable spirit for which cause he was ordained his Tutor to be his Emulator But the King quickly reconciled them When this would not succeed they brought him as much as
accepted the Challenge which two after a while trauersing their ground to and fro without one drop of blood-shed betooke themselues to drinke freely together and so of enemies became friends and parted Yet here wee must not omit to obserue that our Englishmen who of all the Northerne Nations haue beene most commended for sobrietie haue learned since these Low-Country warres so well to fill their cups and to wash themselues with Wine that whilest they at this day drinke others healths they little regard their owne And that this vicious practice of drunkennesse hath so ouerflowed the Land that lawes proscripts of restraint are vsually made for the drying vp of the same But whilest they were all this while contending in the Low-Countries for Dorppes Villages the King of Spaine getteth into his hands the rich Kingdome of Portugall For Henry which was King hauing paid Natures tribute the yeare before left the Realm to diuers Competitors amongst whom Philip King of Spaine sonne of his eldest Sister puissant enough in force though not in right by reason of his priority in blood and descent comming of the elder line and being Male thought with his friends himselfe worthiest to bee preferred to the succession of the said Kingdome before the women the yonger sort and such as did lesse participate of the blood The Duke of Sauoy reiected for that he came of the yonger Sister Farnese sonne to the Prince of Parma borne of the eldest Daughter of EDWARD brother King HENRY and KATHERINE of Brabant second daughter to the said EDWARD grounding themselues only vpon the benefit of Representation a simple fiction could not annihilate the true Title of Inheritance nor intercept the King of Spaines lawfull succession and this the Spaniards stood to maintaine And as touching Don Antonio Prior of Crates sonne to Lewis the second brother of King HENRY he was ipso facto reiected for that he was illegitimate The King of Spaine neuerthelesse propounded the matter twice to his Clergy and men of Law to decide the cause charging them in the name of God and vpon their faith and saluation to tell him freely whether hee had rightfull claime or no to that Kingdome They hauing with vnanimous voice assured him that it was proper to him he quickly putting forth first the Duke of Alua put to flight Antonio elected of the people and within 70 dayes brought all Portugall vnder his iurisdiction But touching the Right of Katherin de Medicis the Queen of France who claimed it from Alphonsus and the Earles of Boulogne for 320 yeares agone that the Spaniards laughed at as a Title out of date and fetcht from the old Prophetesse the Mother of Euander a thing iniurious to so many of the Kings of Portugal which had lawfully and lineally succeeded one another and therefore ridiculous to both Spaniards and Portugals Whereat the Queene incensed with anger and considering how mightily the Spaniard now in his ascendant enriched himselfe farre and neare by the accession or surcrease of this new-got Kingdome his Ilands and the East Indies breeding a feare within her to her selfe and the Princes her neighbouring friends aduised them and amongst the rest the Queene of England that it was already high time to stay the Spaniards in his mounting and to stop him vp within his owne bounds before his ambition should extend any further Queene ELIZABETH who was not to learne what shee had to doe in that nature for her selfe and her friends and foreseeing how dangerous the growing greater of the neighbour Princes would be lent eare thereto with no light attention but with great and Royall kindnesse entertained Antonio banished out of Portugall and recommended to her from France thinking that Spaine could not take exception thereat because hee was of her Alliance issued from the Blood Royall of England and of the House of Lancaster as shee well knew nor in any Treaties that euer had past betwixt Spaine and England was any caueat at all inferred forbidding England to receiue or to haue commerce with the Portugals At the same time for the more confirmation of assured amitie the Queene of France and the King her sonne prosecuting the mariage of the Duke d' Anjou addrest an honourable ambassage into England for the consummation thereof came ouer François de Bourbon Prince of Daulphiné Arthur de Cosse Cont de Secondigny Marshal of France Louis de Lusignan M. de S. Gelais Lansac Salignac Mauuisser Bernarde Brisson President of the Parliament of Paris and one of the learnedest men of France and others who as they they were of Honorable ranke were very nobly receiued and banqueted in a Banquetting-House built on purpose neere Westminster richly adorned with rare and sumptuous furniture and Titls and Tournaments proclaimed which were presented in a most princely manner by Philip Earle of Arundell Fred Lord Winsor Philip Sidney and Fulk Greuill Knights against all commers with sundry other courtly sports and Princely recreations not necessarily coincident to our History To conferre with them concerning these Nuptials were appointed the Baron of Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England the Earles of Sussex Lincolne Bedford and Leicester together with Sir Christopher Hatton and Secretary Walsingham Amongst whom these matrimoniall Contracts following were concluded vpon THe Duke d' Anjou and the Queene of England within six weekes after the ratification of these Articles shall personally contract mariage here in England The Duke and his associates seruants and friends being no English subiects shall haue libertie to vse their owne Religion in a certain place in their houses without molestation or impeachment He shall not alter any part of the Religion now receiued in England Hee shall inioy and haue the Title and Dignity of King after the mariage shall bee consummate but notwithstanding shall leaue intirely to the Queene the managing of affaires And whereas his demand was that immediately after the celebration of the mariage he should be crowned King instantly to inioy the title and dignity during the gouernment of the Kingdome in the minority of their children The Queene answered she would propound and further it at the next high Court of Parliament to be holden within fifteen dayes after the ratification Letters Patents and other things shal be passed in both their names as in the time of Philip and MARIE The Queene by Act of Parliament shall ordaine an Annuall pension for the Duke but the valuation thereof shall bee left to her pleasure she will also ordaine the said Pension to continue if he shall surviue her The Duke in Dowry shall bestow on the Queene to the value of forty thousand Crownes per annum out of his Duchy of Berry and shall forthwith infeofe her therein As touching their Issue it shall likewise be enacted by Parliament in England and registred in the Annals of France as followeth That the Heires of them as well Males as Females by maternall right of
Inheritance should succeed to the Crowne of England And if there bee two males the elder shal succeed to the Crown of France and the yonger shal haue the hereditary Right of his Mother And if one sole male he shal come to both the Crownes and shall resyde in England euery two yeares eight moneths And if the Duke shall not attaine the Kingdome of France the children shall succeed in Appanage If he suruiue the Queene he shall haue the tuition of his children till the sonnes shall accomplish the age of eighteene yeares and the daughters fifteene But if hee die before the tuition shall be left to the Authoritie of the Parliament Hee shall not promote any stranger to any Office in England nor shall hee change any ancient Rite or Custome He shall at no time carry the Queene or her Children out of the Realme without consent of the Nobilitie If shee dye issuelesse hee shall no longer challenge any right in England nor carie or conuay any of her Iewels out of the Land he shall suffer euery one and all places of the Kingdomes to bee guarded kept by the natiue English shall not take or cause to be taken away any munition of Warre Hee shall not engage England into any foraine warres Hee shall to his power procure the Land peace with other Nations The Queene shall onely enioy the Supremacie nor shall assume any Title which may happen to fall vpon the Duke as it were holding by the custome of England The Duke by this match intendeth not to preiudice the Right of his succession to the Kingdome of France The present Contract shall bee read published and kept vnder Record in all the Courts of France and England within six moneths after the Espousals with the Authoritie of the most Christian King for the ratification of these Articles There shall bee made a Treatise Confederation and League betwixt England and France These things shal be confirmed de bona side with an Oath on the part of the King of France as well for him as for his Heires who shall deliuer Letters of the confirmation thereof with all possible expedition hee may carying assurance that the Articles in the present Treaty contained shall be kept inuiolably also A reseruation apart was added vnder the hands and seales of all the Commissioners implying thus much That ELIZABETH was not bound to the consummation of the mariage till the Duke she should haue commutually satisfied and reciprocally setled each other in certaine things betwixt themselues and concerning these points they were within six weekes by writing to certifie the King of France Before the six weekes were expired Secretarie Somer was sent into France about this businesse But the King refuseth to giue him audience vrging the instant celebration of the mariage already concluded as if there had been nothing else remaining to bee done Somer shewing vnder signe and seale that there was first a defensiue league offensiue to bee performed maintaineth the contrary To moderate the matter there was sent ouer Sir Fran Walsingham with Sir Henry Cobham Leiger Ambassador in France and Somer who deliuered this or the like speech ALthough the vulgar sort doth censure hardly of the procrastinating of this contracted mariage Queene ELIZABETH intendeth nothing more then to content her people who are instant to haue her marry that they may be secured of a succession in her children Her Maiestie being sought to by the Duke of Anjou by good right hath his loue preferred before all other Princes by reason of his vertues and resplendent race and shee protesting to beare vnto him most soueraigne loue holding off from the consummation of mariage onely vntill she could haue knowledge from her people how they stand affected thereunto holding it a point of wisdome in the meane time rather to foresee then to repent too late seeming in these respects to demurre the more by reason of the ciuill warres in France the vnfortunate Duke of Anjous vndeseruedly falling out of the Kings fauour and in England an auersion of heart in most of the best of her Subiects since the first motion of the mariage yet all this breeds nor brings no diminution of true loyall loue in her Maiesty towards the said Duke Also it was at this time out of season for the French King to vrge a present consummation knowing the Duke was newly entred into warre against the King of Spaine the which he might not suddenly abandon or relinquish without great dishonour to himselfe discommoditie to the Kingdome of France and England as also the ruine of Flanders the Spaniard there growing dayly greater and greater Moreouer in stead of continuing peace at home for which the people prayeth they must of necessitie bee brought to bloody warres the Queenes husband being so deepely engaged thereinto For these reasons from henceforth that Treaty of sudden mariage is to surcease vntill the Duke of Anjou were dis-intangled out of these warres and that interchangeable conditions of Offensiue and Defensiue Alliance bee passed betwixt the two Kingdomes of France and England And assuredly the Queene desired it aboue all things But the French would promise no other thing but to passe to couenants of mutuall defensiue and as for the offensiue would heare it no further spoken of vntill the Nuptials were celebrated Within a short space after the Duke whom the States had elected Gouernor of Flanders comes into England after he had happily raised the siege of Cambray at the charge and cost of Queene ELIZABETH who had supplyed him with great summes of money by the hands of Henry Seimor Palauicine an Italian and Bex a Frenchman The hope he relyed vpon was this that if he should not presently dispatch the mariage yet should hee so effect that by the fauour of the Queene whom the Dutch honoured as an earthly Goddesse he should bee the better welcome to the Low-Countri-men at his returne He ariued safe in England and was magnificently entertained and receiued with all royall courtesies could be expected euident testimonies of honour and loue which her Maiestie shewed apparantly insomuch that on a time on the day of the solemnization of her Coronation he being entred into amorous Discourse with her Maiestie the great loue which shee bore him drew a Ring from her finger which shee gaue him vpon certain condâ—tions meant and agreed vpon betwixt them The assistants tooke that for an argument and assurance that a mariage was by reciprocall promise contracted betweene them Amongst others Aldegondy Gouernor of the City of Antwerpe dispatched messengers suddenly ouer into the Low-Countries where for great ioy at the hearing thereof both in Antwerpe and all ouer Flanders were made bonefires and their great Artillerie shot off But this bred sundry opinions among the Courtiers For as some reioyced exceedingly others were astonisht at it some quite strucke downe with sadnesse The Earle of Leicester who had laid a secret plot
memory all iniury and offences She would acknowledge her the true and lawfull Queene of England and neuer pretend or take vpon her any claime or right to the Crowne during her life neither would shee euer enterprise any thing either directly or indirectly against her but for euer renounce all interest in the title and Armes of England which by the command of Francis her husband and the Popes Buls of deposition she arrogated vnto her selfe Yea furthermore would be included in that association and defensiue League for the Queenes saueguard without preiudice to that ancient alliance which hath been betweene France and Scotland Prouided that nothing be enterprised during the life of Queene ELIZABETH or after her death to the preiudice of her her sonne and their heires in the succession before it were first declared before the assembly of the Estates of England She would for the confirmation of these things remaine in England for a time as a pledge and if so be she might bee permitted to depart out of England she would leaue other hostages Furthermore she would not alter any thing in Scotland onely she desired that shee and those of her Family might be suffered to haue the free vse of their Religion in her owne house Shee would forget and forgiue all iniuries which shee had receiued in Scotland with this condition that whatsoeuer had beene raised to her infamy and disgrace might be abolished Shee would recommend to the King such Counsellors as she knew to be studious of peace with England She would reconcile the fugitiue Noblemen if it were possible for her if also they would submissiuely acknowledge their fault and if the Queene of England would promise to assist the King against them if after their reconciliation they should fall from obedience As for the mariage of her sonne shee would doe nothing without the priuitie of the Queene Shee desired that because she would doe nothing without the counsell and consent of her sonne he might be ioyned in this treatie for the more solid and firme assurance thereof Shee doubted not but the King of France would intercede and conioyntly oblige his faith with the Princes of Loraine to entertaine and effect the conuentions thereof Shee entreats for a mature and happy answer lest any discommoditie or hindrance should fall betweene And finally requested that shee might bee allowed a little more liberally in her imprisonment whereby shee might clearely perceiue the loue of the Queene towards her Queene ELIZABETH seemed to take a great delight in these things as being full of courtesie and honour and was then almost perswaded to grant her libertie but there were some in England that with new propositions apprehensions of strange doubts did disswade her But the matter being almost knowne all ouer those Scots of the aduerse faction did labour to trouble and hinder the same Crying out that it would be the finall ruine of Queene ELIZABETHS safety if shee were set at liberty of both the Kingdomes if she were admitted to the administration of Scotland conioyntly with her sonne and lastly of the true Religion through Great Britaine if she were onely permitted to exercise the Roman Religion Not contented with this certaine Ministers in Scotland after they had charged the Queen with slanders and calumnies euen in their Pulpits common assemblies they vehemently bitterly exclaimed against the King and his Counsell whereupon being commanded to appeare before them with disdaine and contempt they refused it As if the Pulpits were exempt from the authoritie of Kings and Ecclesiasticall persons subiect not to the command of the Prince but of the Presbytery contrarie to the Lawes enacted the same yeare by the assembly of the estates wherein was confirmed the Kings authoritie for euer ouer all his subiects as well Ecclesiasticall as Lay-men that is the King and his Councell to be fit and competent Iudges in all causes and whosoeuer denyed or refused the same to be holden guilty Laesae Maiestatis The assemblies of Ecclesiasticall persons as well generall as speciall as also those of the Lay-men wherein they arrogated to themselues an infinite power of calling of an assembly at their owne pleasure against the Kings consent in which they would prescribe lawes to the King and Kingdome were vtterly prohibited and abolished The popular equalitie of Ministers was abrogate The authoritie and iurisdiction of Bishops whose calling the Presbyters condemned as Antichristian was established And all defamatory writings against the King the Queene his Mother and the Councell were interdicted And namely the History of Buchanan and the Dialogue of the right of the Kingdome as containing many things worthy to bee condemned and extirpate Some of the Ministers receiued these things with such impatience that they streight left their Countrey and powred out their complaints and griefes throughout al England as if the True Religion had now beene chased out of Scotland But Queene ELIZABETH with a deafe eare neglected them deeming of 〈◊〉 as authors of â—ouation neither would she permit them to preach in England neuerthelesse she made vse of them to hinder all preiudice and detriment which the Religion in Scotland might receiue And likewise when the Earle of Arran was with all respect imployed for the conseruation of the amity with England Shee thought they would opportunely serue to the purpose that the fugitiue Scots might not be banisht from the assemblies which were instantly to be holden nor the King diuerted from the friendship of the English Whereupon a parley was appointed betweene the Earle of Arran and Hunsdon Gouernor of Barwicke But before it was holden the fugitiues and all those which were in the expedition with Sterlin were banished from the Assemblies which were hastily to be Conuocated Whom Arran likewise in his Parley which presently followed charged with many weighty accusations and amongst the rest that they had of new conspired the ruine of the King But he deuoutly promised not to pretermit any thing which hee thought would content and pleasure Queene ELIZABETH neither would he doe any thing that might endamage her so long as he remained in grace and fauour with the King Notwithstanding these things the Scottish borderers by the priuat practices of the Spaniard who laboured to withhold Queen ELIZABETH from the Flemmish warres being a moneth after brought into Rhedisdale performed there all the deeds of hostilitie the bordering English in like manner vvith fire and slaughter reuenged themselues of that iniurie vpon Liddesdall Then was sent Ambassador from Scotland Patricke Gray heire of that Family a complete yong man that thought himselfe equall if not exceeding for the dispatch of greatest affaires The especiall tenour of his Ambassie was for the repressing of the incursions on both sides for the restoring of goods taken by Pyracie and for the reconciling according to the League of the Scottish fugitiues or else remouing of them from the frontiers of Scotland because they continually
subiects In the meane time as I dayly laboured in the Court for the gouernment of Saint Katherines I receiued Letters from the Cardinall Comense wherein I found mine enterprize much commended and an absolution in the Popes name This I likewise imparted to the Queen What effect it wrought with her I know not But it gaue fresh courage to mee and remoued all scruple Neuerthelesse I had no will to offer any violence to the Queene if she would be perswaded to deale more mildly with the Catholiques But so often as I was to come into her presence I laid aside my dagger lest I should be transported to murder her And when I considered her person and her truely royall vertues I was distracted with many doubtfull cares for my vowes were recorded in heauen my Letters and promises amongst men These things did I often tosse ouer in my vnquiet minde She neuer deserued well of mee indeed she saued my life but if in such a cause had shee taken it away it had beene tyrannie Thus being discontented with my estate and condition I left the Court. At last I happened on a booke of Alans against the Iustice of Great Britaine out of which I was taught That Princes excommunicate for heresie might be lawfully depriued both of rule and life This vehemently incited me to prosecute my purpose This to Neuil whom I had inuited to my table I read ouer six whole moneths before he did accuse me After this he came home to me And let vs heare quoth hee somewhat since we can obtaine nothing of the Queen and so he propounded some things concerning the releasing of the Queene of Scots But quoth I a matter of more weight and more aduantagious to the Catholique Church is now hammered in my head The next day he likewise visited me and touching the Bible with his hand he did sweare he would conceale and constantly pursue all whatsoeuer that might bee profitable to the Catholique Religion I in the same manner took mine oath So we determined with ten Knights more to set vpon the Queene as shee rid through the fields and there to murder her which thing till now he hath concealed But receiuing newes of the Earle of Westmerlands death being transported with the hope of succeeding him he forthwith violating his oath discouered and accused me This was his confession in the presence of the Lord of Hunsdon and Fra. Walsingham Priuy Counsellors to the Queene acknowledging his fault he craued pardon by his Letters to the Queene to Burghley the chiefe Treasurer and to the Earle of Leicester A few daies after being brought to iudgement in the Palace of Westminster and the Articles of his accusation being read he confessed himself guilty His confession being recorded in the Acts Iudgment was demanded to be pronounced against him confessing himselfe guilty Whereupon Hatton thought it expedient to satisfy the multitude there present that the crime might openly bee declared according to his confession which Parry of his owne accord confirmed and desired the Iudges that he might reade it himselfe But the Clerk of the Crowne did read it with the letters of Cardinall Comese those which Parry had writ to the Queene to Burghley to Leicester which he acknowledged for true yet he denyed that he euer had any absolute determination to kill the Queene But being commanded to speake if he had any thing to hinder iudgement from being pronounced against him hee disturbedly answered as tormented in his conscience for the crime which he had vndertaken and said I see plainely that I must dye because I was not fast and constant in my resolution Being commanded to speake his meaning more amply My blood quoth he be vpon you So the sentence of death being pronounced he began to rage and summoned the Queene to Iudgement before God The fift day after he was set vpon a Slead and drawne through the middest of the Citie to Westminster being at the place of his execution after he had vaunted how faithfull a guardian he had beene vnto the Queene hee said hee neuer had any intention to take her life away Thus in boasting manner not in a word committing himselfe to God he was punisht like a Traytor according to the Law in the great Palace yard at Westminster where the States of the Kâ—ngdome were in great number assembled for the holding of the Parliament Iâ— this Parliament some either out of a desire of nouation or reformation earnestly persecuted the Ecclesiasticall estatâ— although the Queene had forbidden it demanding lawes to represse the iurisdiction of Bishops in that which conceâ—ned the gift of Faculties in the Collation of the holy Orders Ecclesiasticall Censures and the oath they take in their office proposing a new oath to be taken in the Chanâ—ery and Kings Bench that is they should not counterâ—and the ciuill Law of England They required that eueâ—y Pastor should be resident in his owne Church and decâ—â—med that the Church of England was destitute of learned teachers when without doubt it could then number vp more learned Diuines then any former age or any other reformed Church But the Queene fauouring aboue all the Ecclesiasticall moderation reproued those Nouators as changing still to worse and reiected their demands and propositions as intended to subuert her Prerogatiue and soueraigne power ouer Ecclesiasticall matters But as for the Association which I haue spoken of it was by the suffrages of all confirmed and established THat foure and twenty or more of the Queenes Priuy Councell or of the Nobilitie chosen by the Queenes Letters Patents should make inquest after those that would inuade the Kingdome incite rebellion or attempt to offend or offer violence to the Queenes Person for or by any one whomsoeuer that shall lay claime to the Crowne of England And that he for whom or by whom any such thing is attempted shall be altogether vncapable of the Crowne of England and depriued of all right and pursued to the death by all the Queenes subiects if by these foure and twenty Noblemen they shall be iudged culpable of inuasion rebellion offence or violence and so publikely declared Lawes also were enacted for the defence of the Queene against the Iesuites and Popish Priests which did then inuent by the Ball of Pius Quintus the Pope many mischieuous and dangerous matters That is to say That they should depart the Realme within fortie dayes And that those which should after that time come or stay in the Kingdome should bee holden guilty of Laesae Maiestatis And all such as wittingly or willingly did receiue or nourish them should be guilty of Felony For so are all capitall Crimes vnder Laesae Maiestatis called That those which were brought vp amongst the Seminaries if they returned not within sixe moneths after the denunciation made and submitted themselues to the Queene in the presence of a Bishop or two Iustices should be holden
are you not of royall estate neyther by the Caesarian Canon nor Law of nations or of nature exempt from answering in such a case For all iustice would swarue nay ly dead if such crimes should escape vnpunished If you be innocent you dishonour your selfe in your reputation to refuse to come to iudgement You protest your selfe to be so but the Queene thinkes otherwise yet not without cause to her great griefe and hath appointed persons honourable wise and vpright to examine your innocency who must heare you with equity and fauour and will be very ioyfull that you shall cleare your selfe of these crimes Beleeue mee the Queene her selfe will greatly reioyce for she assured me at my departure that no greater griefe had euer befalne her than this of your accusation wherefore setting aside this vaine conceit of soueraignety which at this time standeth you in no stead shew your selfe blamelesse attract no more suspicion to your selfe by subterfuge but rather wipe away the spot which else will sticke perpetually vpon your reputation I refuse not said she to answer in open Court of Parliament before the States of the Realme lawfully conuecated so I may be declared next heir to the crown or else before the Queene and Councell so my protestation be admitted and I acknowledged the Qâ—eenes next kinswoman The Chancellor asked her if she would answer when her Protestation was admitted Neuer will I quoth she put my selfe vnder this new Law mentioned in the Commission Whereupon the Treasurer concludeth We will proceede notwithstanding in the case to morrow be you absent or obstinate Examine said she your owne conscience respect your credite and God reward you and your children as you deale with me in yâ—ur iudgement The morrow after which was the 14. of the moneth shee sent for some of the Commissioners to come to her and desired them that her Protestation might be admitted and approued The Treasurer asked her if she would answer the Commission if it were simply admitted and recorded in writing without approbation At last she condescended though very hardly because she would not seeme to derogate from her predecessors or successors And then she said that being perswaded by Hattons reasons after she had thought of them considerately she desired to purge her selfe of the imputed crime Instantly the Commissioners came together in the Chamber of presence at the vpper end whereof was placed a Chaire of Estate for the Queene of England and in a remote place below a Chaire for the Queene of Scotts opposite to the other By the wals on the otherside were seats on the one side sate the Lo Chancellor of England the Earles of Oxford of Kent Derby Worcester Rutland Cumberland Warwick Pembroke and Lincolne and the Viscount Montagu on the other side the Barons d'Abergaveny Zouch Mâ—rley Stafford Gray Lumley Sturton Sands Wentworth Mordant S. Iohn of Bletso Compton and Cheny After these the Knights that were of the Priuy Councell Crâ—fts Hatton Walsingham Sadler Mildmay and Poulet Right ouer against the Earles sate the two chiefe Iustices and the chiefe Baron of the Exchequer on the other side the two Barons the other Iustices Dale and Ford Doctors of the Ciuill Law and at a little table in the midst of the roome Popham Atturney Egerten the Queenes Sollicitor Gaudy Sergeant at Law the Clerke of the Crowne and two other Notaries When she was come and set in her place Bromley Lord Chancellor turning towards her spake to this effect THe Queenes most excellent Maiesty of England being certified to her extreame griefe of heart that you haue practised the subuersion and ruine of her the Kingdome of England and the Religion established therein to discharge her selfe of her duty towards God her selfe and her subiects without any malice of hart hath appointed these Commissioners to vnderstand the things you are accused of how you can discharge your selfe of them and demonstrate your innocency Vpon this she rose vp and said She was come into England to craue the ayde that was promised her and yet euer since she had beene kept a prisoner protesting withall that she was no subiect to the Qu. of England but a free and absolute Queene and therefore ought not to be brought to appeare vpon any cause whatsoeuer before any Commissioner or Iudge but God the soueraigne Iudge of the World nor would she derogate so much from royall Maiestie or her sonne the King of Scotts her successors or other absolute Princes But shee was now come in presence to answer what should be obiected and desired her seruants to beare witnesse of the same The Chancellor taking no notice of her being promised ayde answered That this protestation was vaine forasmuch as whosoeuer in England of what condition or estate soeuer shall offend the law must be subiect to the same and be examined and iudged according to the late established Act. Therefore this protestation made as it were in preiudice both of the Queene and her Lawes was not sufferable The Commissioners notwithstanding commanded it to be recorded with the L. Chancellors answer Then the Commission which was grounded vpon this Law whereof I haue so often made mention being openly read she with great an imositie againe reinforceth her former protestation is a thing directly enacted against her and of set purpose whereof she charged them vpon their credites The Treasurer hauing answered that euery one in this Kingdom did hold the Lawes euen the newest of all not to be contradicted said That the Commissioners should iudge her accordingly what protestation or interruption soeuer shee made or interiected In conclusion she said she was ready to giue attention and to answere any fact against the Queene of England Gaudy expounded the Law from point to point affirming that she had offended against it and then entring into an historicall narration of Babingtons conspiracie he concluded That shee had knowne approued and consented to the same promised assistance and had shewne the way and maner To which she answered boldly THat she neuer knew Babington nor had receiued any Letter from him nor written to him nor attempted the Queenes death and to make it good they must shew some signe vnder her owne hand That shee neuer had heard speech thereof neyther did she know or assist Ballard But she had learned of some that the Catholicks suffered great troubles in England and that shee had writ to the Queene intreating her to haue compassion on them That many persons whom she knew not had offered her their seruice yet she stirred not any vp to commit any crime and being in prison she neyther knew of nor could hinder their practises Moreouer they insist vpon Babingtons confession that there had beene entercourse of letters betwixt them She confessed that shee had had conference by letters with diuers yet notwithstanding it followed not that therefore she was accessary to their wicked designes Shee desired them to shew any
extract the particularities of the things you had intreated of with Babington As he was thus speaking she interrupted him saying That the circumstances indeed were probable but not the thing That her sincerity depended not vpon her Secretaries fidelity or memory though she knew them to be ingenuous Or if for feare of punishment or hope of profite and escape they had confessed any thing it was not to be admitted for diuerse good reasons which she had alleaged before That the mindes of men are carried away with many passions for her Secretaries would neuer haue confessed such things if eyther profite or some other hope had not induced them thereto That the letters might be directed to others than them they were written to and that oftentimes many things had beene inserted that were not dictated And if her papers had not beene taken from her or if she had a Secretary she could more soundly haue confuted their obiections But said the Lo Treasurer they will obiect nothing but since the xix of Iune and your papers would stand you in no stead seeing the Secretaries and Babington himselfe vninforced by torture haue confessed that you sent these letters to Babington But if you shall deny this let the Commissioners iudge whether there be more credite to be giuen to your denyall or their affirmation But to returne to the point marke what I denounce as a Counsellor You haue mentioned many things for the procuring of your liberty which haue had no successe and that hath proceeded from your selfe or the Scotts not from the queene For your Lords of Scotland haue refused to deliuer the King of Scotts in hostage and when last there was a treaty about your liberty Parry was sent from Morgan your clyent to slay the queene Ah said shee you are mine aduersary I replyed he I am aduersary to all Q. Elizabeth's enemies But enough of this Let vs returne to our proofes When she refused to heare Yet we will heare said he And I too answered she in another place and will defend myselfe Now they read againe her letters to Charles Paget wherin she certified him That there was no way left for the K. of Spaine to bring the Low-countries into his subiection but by placing a Prince in England to serue his turne And her letters to the Lo Paget to hasten the ayde he should send for the inuading of England And those which Cardinall Allen had sent her wherein he saluted her by the name of Most excellent Lady and certified her that the matter was recommended to the Prince of Parma Whilest they were reading them she said That Babington and her Secretaries had accused her to excuse themselues That she neuer heard of six murtherers the rest were nothing to the purpose She held Allen a venerable Prelate and knew no other head of the Church but the Pope of Rome neyther could shee tell how he or other stranger kings did style her nor could she hinder them in their letters from calling her queene of England Affirming that her Secretaries were not to be trusted for that they had proceeded against her contrary to the duety and fidelity which they had sworne to her That the periured are not to be credited though they sweare neuer so much neyther did shee thinke their oathes were to be taken in any Câ—uâ—t of conscience because formerly they had sworne fidelity and silence neyther were they any English subiects That Nauue had often written otherwise than she dictated and Curle alwayes that which he told him That she could beare with their faults â—n all things but such as touched her honour They might also confesse these things for to saue themselues thinking that in so doing she could not hurt them and that being a queene they would deale more gently with her And that she had neuer heard of Ballard but of one Hallard that had offered his seruice to her which notwithstanding she refused because she had heard that he had likewise proffered it to Walsingham After this when they read certaine notes out of letters which Curle confessed hee had written to Mendoza in her secret characters and pressed her with them as hauing had a purpose to make ouer the title of the kingdome to the Spaniard and that Allen and Parsons were resident now in Rome for that cause shee protesting that they had forsworne themselues answered I being a prisoner without hope of liberty languishing in griefe and in dispayre tâ— performe that which many expected from me who am nâ—w in my declining age and without my health some were of opinion to settle the succession of the English Crowne vpon the Spaniard or some other English Catholick A booke was sent me to declare the Spaniards right but because I refused to receiue it sâ—me were grieued at me As for the rest being at this instant out of all hope of aide from England I haue resolued not to reiect that of the Stranger Vpon that Sir Thomas Egerton the Queenes Sollicitor opened to the Commissioners what would become of them their honours goods and children if the kingdome were so transported But the L. Treasurer answered That could not be because by the Law the Crowne was hereditarie Then askâ—d he the Queene of Scotts if she had any more to say She desired to be heard in open Parliament or in presence of Queene Elizabeth and her Councell not doubting but one Queene would haue consideration of another Then rising vp with a bold countenance she conferred apart with the L. Treasurer Hatton and Walsingham about some businesse That being done they reiourned their meeting together again vntill the xxv of October in the Starre Chamber at Westminster And this is that which I haue gathered from the memories of Ed. Barker chief Clerke of the Councell Tho. Wheeler publique Notary and Clerke of the Court of Canterbury and other credible persons whose assistance I haue had in this At the time appointed all the CoÌ„missioners being assembled together except the Earles of Shrewsbury Warwick who then were sick Nauue and Curle hauing voluntarily without hope of future preferment or present reward affirmed ratified by oath that all euery the letters copies of letters to fore produced were most true sentence was pronounced against the Q of Scotland signed and sealed by the Commissioners and recorded in these words WIth one vnanimous accord and consent of theirs they pronounce and giue their sentence and iudgement which was read aloud vpon the last day and in the assigned place saying That since the end of the aforesaid Sessions of Parliament specified in the said Commission to wit since the said first day of Iune in the yeare xxvij afore mentioned and before the date of the said Commission many things haue bin attempted and conceiued against the Realme of England by Anth. Babington and others with the knowledge and priuity of the said Mary pretending that the Crowne of England
appertayneth to her tending to the hurt death and destruction of the royall person of our soueraigne La the Q. that is to say that since the first of Iune Ann. 27. and before the date of this Commission the said Mary pretending as aforesaid practised and conceiued against this Realm many things tending to the hurt death and destruction of the royall person of our said Lady Q. Elizabeth against the forme of the Statute specified in the said Commission This sentence bred diuers doubtfull opinions amongst men because it was grounded onely vpon the credite of the Secretaries and they were neuer brought face to face as was required by the first Statute Anno 13. of Elizab. some thinking them men of credite and some not I saw Nauue's Apology which he wrote to the Kings Maiesty in Scotland 1605. wherein he greatly laboureth to excuse him selfe protesting that he was neyther author nor perswader to this matter nor yet the first discouerer And that he had neither by negligence nor ignorance fayled in his devoire but stoutly at his death defended the contrary to all the accusations brought against the Queene his Mistresse notwithstanding there are publicke Acts thereof to be seene Now the same day the Commissioners and Iudges of the Realme declared That this sentence did derogate nothing from the right or honour of Iames King of Scotland but that he remained and was in the same ranke estate and right as if it had neuer beene A few dayes after the Parliament sate at Westminster commenced by certaine authoritie granted by Qu. Elizabeth to the Archb. of Canterbury the L. Treasurer and the Earle of Derby as her Lieutenants and that not without example wherein was confirmed a Proscription that the goods possessions of the L. Paget C. Paget Sir F. Englefield E. Iones Chediock Tichburne C. Tilney other traytors were adiudged confiscate The States of the Realme also after they had by generall suffragie and consent approued and confirmed the sentence pronounced against the queene of Scotland all with one accord by the Lo. Chancellor presented a petition to the queene wherein they desired that for the preseruation of the true Religion of Christ the tranquillitie of the land the securitie of her person the good of them all and their posteritie the Sentence against Mary Q. of Scotland might be publickly pronounced according to the tenour of the Law alleaging reasons drawne from the dangers stirred and practised against Religion her own person and the Realme by her who was a mother-nourse of the Romane Religion and had sworn an inviolable accord to extirpate the Religion now established and had long since laid claime to the Crowne Q. Elizabeth yet liuing esteeming that seeing she was excommunicated it was lawfull to conspire against her and meritorious to take away her life She had ruinated some noble houses of the land and had kindled the fire of rebellion in England That to pardon her were to destroy the people who much repined at her impunitie and that she could not be freed from the oath conspiracie otherwise than by punishment and lastly they recited the example of the horrible vengeance of God against K. Saul for not putting Agag and Benadad to death And this is that which was presented by the States of the Parliament Queene Elizabeth with a most graue countenance and â—â—â—â—sticall speech answered to this effect THe benefites which God hath bestowed vpon me are so great that I doe not only acknowledge them with humilitie but call them to minde with admiration wanting wordes sufficiently to expresse them And although there be no mortall aliue more bound to the Almighty who hath so often and so miraculously deliuered me from eminent dangers yet am I most of all for this that after hauing gouerned this kingdome now the space of 28 yeares I doe finde in my subiects the same if not farre greater affection than when I came first to the Crowne the which entire loue if I should finde to fayle I might well perhaps perceiue my selfe to breathe but not to liue And now my life hath bin attempted to be taken away it grieueth mee most that it was by such a person as was of mine owne sex estate and ranke to whom I was so farre from bearing ill will that on the contrary after she had complotted diuerse matters against me I wrote to her in priuate that if in any writing secretly she would acknowledge them I would bury them all in obliuion Neyther would I haue done this to entrap or circumuent her for I knew already all she could confesse and although the matter was at that passe yet if she had but shewed her selfe truely penitent none should haue taken her cause against me in hand Neuerthelesse if only it had concerned mine owne life and not the safegard of my people without ostentation be it spoken I would willingly haue pardoned her If England by my death might flourish the more or gaine a better Prince I could bee well content to lay downe my life for I desire to liue onely for your good and the peoples Neyther is there any cause I haue so ledde my life why I should desire life or feare death I am not ignorant of the common state of life I haue obeyed I haue commanded I haue had both good bad neighbours I haue found treason in trust I haue bestowed some benefites ill and where I haue done good I haue beene badly requited When I ponder these things in minde I see what the condition of the present time is and I foresee the future thinking them the happiest that soonest depart hence But against these and such like I haue put on a warlike resolution that whatsoeuer shall happen death shall not surprise me vnprouided As touching these late treasons I will not so much preiudice neither my selfe nor the ancient lawes of my countrey in such fashion as not to thinke this arch-treason to be subiect thereto although this new had neuer bin made the which although some fauourers of her haue suspected so was not made against her but was so far from entangling her that rather it was an aduertisement or preadmonition to her not to come within the danger of it neuerthelesse seeing she hath now incurred the lawe it is thought good to proceede against her by vertue thereof But you captious Lawyers you are so precise so curious in the quercks and quidities of law to follow the formalitie of it in stead of interpreting the true sense that forsooth according to the form of proceeding she should be called to iudgment within the countie of Staffordshire there to appeare holding vp her hand at the Barre to stand to the verdict of twelue men vpon her fact And is this a braue fashion of proceeding against a Princesse But I haue thought good rather auoyding such absurdities that it was more conuenient to referre a matter of such importance to the Peeres and Iudges of the Realme
that blood cryeth for blood and to be seuere vpon her cannot but seeme a thing cruell and bloody That the K. of France would endeuour seriously to dissolue the designes of those which conspired against Queen Elizabeth and that the Guises the Queen of Scotland's kinsmen should swear and subscribe to do the same who would take it very grieuously if she were put to death and perhaps would not suffer it vnreuenged Finally they required she should not be handled with such rigorous and extraordinary iudgement for if shee were the King of France could not but take it as a most grieuous offence howsoeuer the other Princes tooke it To euery one of these Articles answer was made in the Margent That the Queene of England hoped that the most Christian king of France made no lesse reckoning of her than of the Queene of Scotland who had practised her destruction she being an innocent Princesse her neere Kinswoman and in league of Alliance with the King of France That it is expedient for Kings and their Countries that wicked actions be not left vnpunished especially against Princes That the English who acknowledge Queen Elizabeth the sole Supreame Gouernesse of England cannot at once acknowledge two Soueraignes free and absolute Princes nor any other whilst she liued could participate in equalitie with her Neither could she perceiue how the Queene of Scotland and her Sonne which then raigned could be held at once for Soueraigne and absolute Princes Whether that the safetie of Queene Elizabeth be exposible to greater perils shee being put to death seeing it dependeth vpon future contingencie That the Estates of England hauing well weighed this point are otherwise conceited namely That whilst shee liueth there will alwaies be new plots of mischiefe breeding especially because it is now come to that issue that there is no hope left for the one if the other be not extinct and this saying should often present it selfe to her mind Either I shall dispatch her or shee me And the lesser time her life shall last the more celeritie will the Conspirators vse to execute their plots That hitherto she would neuer renounce her claime and challenge to the English Crowne and therefore was for iust cause to be detained in prison and detained must be till she renounce it although she came to England for succour and support And for what cause soeuer she was put in prison she is to be punished for the faults she hath cōmitted since the time of her imprisonment That the Queene of England had pardoned her before when shee was condemned of all the Estates for consenting to the Rebellion in the North the which was raised to haue made the Maryage betwixt her and tbe Duke of Norfolke and to pardon her againe were imprudent and cruell mercy That none are ignorant of that Maxime of the Lawyers An offender found within the Territorie of another is to be punished where he is found to haue committed the fault without respect of Dignitie Honour or Priuiledge And that the same is permitted as well by the Lawes of England as also by the examples of Licinius Robert King of Sicilie Bernard King of Italy Conradine Elizabeth Queene of Hungary Ioan Queene of Naples and of Deiotarus for whom Cicero pleading said It is not a thing vniust though vnusuall for a King to be arraigned His very words are these Primùm dico pro capite fortunisque Regis quod ipsum etsi non iniquum est in tuo duntaxat periculo tamen est ita inusitatum Regem capitis reum esse tante hoc tempus non sit auditum That shee that hath beene found guiltie by a iust Iudgement ought to vndergoe punishment forasmuch as that which is Iust is Honest and that which is Honest is also profitable That the History of Porsenna hath no allusion to the matter in question except it were to be thought that there are a great number yet behinde of them which conspire against Queene Elizabeth and so could perswade her out of feare and some little respect of honour to dismisse the Queene of Scotland without putting her to any paine as Porsenna past off Mutius after Mutius had told him there was yet 300. more of his Fellow-Confederates which had sworne his death Besides that Mutius set vpon Porsenna in open warre and assured himselfe that by sending Mutius away he was out of all danger That blood is to be spared but that is innocent blood That God hath said Blood cryeth for blood it is true and that France both before the Massacre of Paris since cā testifie this That punishment by death iustly inflicted cannot be accounted bloody no more than a wholsome medicine can be deem'd hurtfull Howsoeuer the Guises the Queene of Scotlands Cousens relish it Queene Elizabeth hath more nearer cause to respect her selfe her owne safetie her Nobilitie and the good of her People on whose loue shee wholly dependeth than the discontent of any other whosoeuer And that the matter was now at that point that the old Prouerbe of the two Princes Conradine the King of Sicilie and Charles the Duke of Anjou might be vsed and truly said of these two Queens THE DEATH OF MARY THE LIFE OF ELIZABETH And THE LIFE OF MARY THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH The promises of the French King or the Guises cannot secure the Queene of England nor the Realme of assured safetie much lesse make amends for her death if she be made away That the French King cannot discouer or keepe in the plots of Treason which are practised against him in his owne Country much lesse this against the Queene of England for that Treason is closely carryed and therefore ineuitable And if the wicked act were once committed what good would come on it to claime their promises How can the life of an incomparable Prince after death be repaired and what redresse can be found out for the Common-wealth failing with her in this sad confusion of all things That the hand-writings or oathes of the Guises can be of no great moment for that they hold it a meritorius matter to put to death the Pope of Romes Aduersaries and may easily haue a dispensation of their oath And when Queene Elizabeth shall be slaine and the Queene of Scotland which is of the House of the Guises aduanced to the Royaltie who is he will accuse them for her death or if they should be accused that can bring her to life againe But in that the Ambassadours haue said That the Iudgement was rigorous and extraordinary they haue spoken indiscreetly for they saw neither the proceedings of the businesse nor heard the proofes and haue with too much asperitie reprehended the Estates of the Realme of England being Personages of chiefest note in the Kingdome for noblenesse of Birth Vertue Wisedome and Pietie Yea and that they haue altogether deliuered these speeches from the King of France to terrifie the Queene of England and the Estates of the Land That the