Herein we your Majesties most loving and obedient Subjects, earnestly depend upon your princely Refolution, which we affure our felves fhall be to God moft acceptable, and to us no other, than the State of your Regall Authoritie may afford us, and the approoved Arguments of your tender Care for our Safetie under your Charge, dooth promife to our Expectation.

A Report of Her MAJESTIES most gratious Anfwere, delivered by her felfe verbally, to the first Petitions of the Lords and Commons, being the Eftates of Parliament, in her Chamber of Prefence at Richmond, the xij. Day of November 1586. at the full almost of xxviij. Veeres of her Reigne: Whereof the Reporter requireth of all that were Hearers, a favourable Interpretation of his Intent, because he findeth that he cannot expreffe the fame answerable to the Original, which the Learned call Prototypon.

T

HE bottomleffe Graces and immeafurable Benefits bestowed upon me by the Almightie, are, and have bene fuch, as I must not onely acknowledge them, but admire them, accounting them as well Miracles as Benefites, not fo much in Refpect of his Divine Majeftie, with whome nothing is more common than to doe Things rare and fingular: as in Regard of our Weakeneffe, who can not fufficiently fet foorth his wonderfull Workes and Graces, which to mee have bene fo many, fo diversely folded and imbroydered one upon another, as in no forte I am able to expresse them.

And although there liveth not any, that may more justly acknowledge them felves infinitely bounde unto God then I, whofe Life he hath miraculously preferved at fundry Times (beyonde my Merite) from a Multitude of Perils and Dangers: yet is not that the Caufe, for which I count my felfe the deeplyeft bounde to give him my humbleft Thankes, or to yeelde him greatest Recognition but this which I fhall tell you hereafter, which will deferve the Name of Wonder, if rare Things and feeldom feene be worthie of Accompt: Even this it is, that as I came to the Crowne with the willing Hearrs of my Subjects, fo doe I now after xxviii. Yeres Reigne, perceive in you no Dimunition of good Willes, which if happily I fhould want, well might I breath, but never thinke I lived.

And now, albeit I finde my Life hath bene full dangerously fought, and Death contrived by fuch as no Defert procured: yet am I therein fo cleare from Malice (which hath the Property to make Men glad at the Falles and Faultes of their Foes, and make them feeme to doe for other Caufes, when Rancor is the Ground) as I protest it is and hath bene my grievous Thought, that one, not different in Sexe, of like Eftate, and my neere Kin, fhoulde fall into fo great a Crime: yea, I had fo litle Purpose to pursue her with any Colour of Malice, that as it is not unknowen to fome of my Lordes here, (for nowe I will play the Blabbe) I fecretly wrote her a Letter upon the Dif covery of fundry Treafons, that if fhe woulde confefle them, and privately

acknow

acknowledge them by her Letters to my felfe, fhee never fhoulde neede be called for them into fo publike Queftion. Neither did I it of Minde to circumvent her for then I knew as much as fhe could confeffe, and fo did I write. And if even yet, nowe that the Matter is made but to apparant, I thought the truely would repent (as perhappes fhe would easily appeare in outwarde fhewe to doe) and that for her, none other would take the Matter upon them, or that we were but as two Milke Maides with Pailes upon our Armes, or that there were no more Dependancie upon us, but mine owne Life were onely in Danger, and not the whole Eftate of your Religion and well Doings, I proteft (wherein you may beleeve me, for though I may have many Vices, I hope I have not accuftomed my Tongue to be an Inftrument of Untrueth) I would moft willingly pardon and remit this Offence.

Or if by my Death, other Nations and Kingdoms might truely fay, that this Realme had attained an everprofperous and florifhing Eftate: I would (I affure you) not defire to live, but gladly give my Life, to the Ende my Death might procure you a better Prince.

And for your Sakes it is, that I defire to live, to keepe you from a worse. For as for me, I affure you I finde no great Caufe I fhould be fonde to live: I take no fuch Pleasure in it, that I fhoulde much wifh it, nor conceave fuch Terror in Death, that I fhould greatly feare it: and yet I fay not, but if the Stroke were comming, perchance Flesh and Blood would be moved with it, and feeke to fhunne it.

I have had good Experience and Tryall of this World: I know what it is to be a Subject, what to be a Soveraigne: what to have good Neighbors, and fometime meete evill Willers. I have founde Treafon in Truft, feene great Benefits litle regarded, and in ftead of Gratefulnes, Courfes of Purpose to croffe.

These former Remembrances, prefent Feeling, and future Expectation of Evils, I fay, have made me thinke, An Evill, is much the better, the leffe while it endureth: and fo, them happiest, that are fooneft hence: and taught me to beare with a better Minde thefe Treafons, then is common to my Sexe: yea, with a better Heart perhaps, then is in fome Men. Which I hope you wil not meerly impute to my Simplicitie or Want of Understanding, but rather, that I thus conceived, that had their Purposes taken Effect, I fhould not have found the Blow, before I had felt it: and, though my Perill fhould have bene great, my Paine fhoulde have bene but fmal and short: wherein, as I would be loth to dye fo bloody a Death, fo doubt I not, but God would have given me Grace to be prepared for fuch an Event, Chance when it fhall, which I referre to his good Pleasure.

And now, as touching their Treafons and Confpiracies, together with the Contriver of them, I will not fo prejudicate my felfe and this my Realme, as to fay or thinke, that I might not, without the laft Statute, by the ancient Lawes of this Land, have proceeded against her, which was not made particularly to prejudice her: though perhaps it might then be fufpected, in refpect of the Difpofition of fuch as depend that Way.

It was fo farre from being intended to intrap her, that it was rather an Admonition to warne the Danger thereof: but fith it is made, and in the Force of a Lawe, I thought good, in that which might concerne her, to proceede according thereunto, rather then by Courfe of common Law: wherein, if you the Judges have not deceived me, or that the Books you brought me were not falfe (which God forbid) I might as justly have tried her, by the ancient Lawes of the Land.

But you Lawyers are fo nice in fifting and fkanning every Woorde and Letter, that many Times you ftand more upon Forme then Matter, upon Sillables then Sence of the Lawe. For in the Strictnes and exact folowing of common Forme, shee must have beene indited in Stafford Shire, have holden up her Hand at the Barre, and bene tried by a Jurie: A proper Courfe forfooth, to deale in that Manner with one of her Eftate. I thought it better therfore, for avoiding of thefe and more Abfurdities, to commit the Caufe to the Inquifition of a good Nomber of the greatest and most noble Perfonages of this Realme, of the Judges and others of good Accompt, whofe Sentence I muft approove: And all litle enough: For we Princes, I tel you, are set on Stages, in the Sight and Viewe of all the World duely obferved: The Eres of many beholde our Actions: A Spot is foone fpied in our Garments: A Blemish quickely noted in our Doings. It behooveth us therefore, to be carefull that our Proceedings bee juft and honourable.

But I must tell you one Thing more, that in this laft Ate of Parliament you have brought me to a narrowe Straight, that I must give Direction for her Death, which cannot be to mee but a moft grievous and irkefome Burthen. And leaft you might mistake mine Abfence from this Parliament (which I had almoft forgotten) although there be no Caufe why I fhould willingly come amongst Multitudes, for that amongeft many fome may be Evil: yet hath it not bene the Doubt of any fuch Daunger or Occafion that kept me from thence, but onely the great Griefe to heare this Cause spoken of, especially, that fuch a one of State and Kin, fhould neede fo open a Declaration, and that this Nation fhould be fo fpotted with Blots of Difloialtie. Wherein the leffe is my Grief, for that I hope the better part is mine, and those of the worfe not much to be accompted of, for that in feeking my Destruction, they might have fpoiled their owne Soules.

And even nowe coulde I tell you, that which woulde make you forie. It is a Secrete, and yet I will tell it you, although it is knowen, I have the Propertie to keepe Counfell, but too well oftentimes to mine owne Perill. It is not long fince mine Eyes did fee it written, that an Othe was taken within few Daies, either to kill mee or to be hanged themfelves: and that to be performed ere one Moneth were ended. Hereby I fee your Danger in me, and neither can or will be fo unthankfull or careleffe of your Confciences, as not provide for your Safetie.

I am not unmindeful of your Oth made in the Affociation, manifefting your great good Wils and Affections taken and entred into, upon good Confcience, and true Knowledge of the Guilt, for Safety of my Perfon, and Confervation of my Life, done (I proteft to God) before I heard it, or ever.

thought

thought of fuch a Matter, until a great Nomber of Handes with many Obligations were fhewed mee, at Hampten Court, figned and fubfcribed with the Names and Seales of the greateft of this Lande: which as I doe acknowledge as a perfect Argument of your true Heartes, and great Zeale to my Safetie: fo fhall my Bonde be ftronger tied to greater Care for all your good.

But for as much as this Matter is rare, waightie, and of great Confequence, I thinke you doe not looke for any prefent Refolution: the rather, for that, as it is not my Manner, in Matters of far leffe Moment, to give speedy Anfwer without due Confideration, fo in this of fuch Importance, I thinke it verie requifite with earnest Prayer to befeech his Divine Majeftie, fo to illuminate my Understanding, and infpire me with his Grace, as I may doe and determine that, which fhall ferve to the Establishment of his Church, Prefervation of your Eftates, and Profperitie of this Commonwealth under my Charge. Wherein (for that I knowe Delaie is dangerous) you fhal have with all Conveniencie our Refolution delivered by our Meffage. And what ever any Prince may merite of their Subjects, for their approoved Teftimonie of their unfained Sinceritie, eyther by governing juftly, voide of all Partialitie, or Sufferance of any Injuries done (even to the pooreft) that doe I affuredly promise inviolablie to performe, for Requitall of your fo many Defertes.

The Occafions of the Second Acceffe.

THIS Answere thus made by her Majestie, the Lords and Commons were difmiffed. And then her Highneffe fome fewe Dayes after, upon Deliberation had of this Petition, being (as it appeared) of her mercifull Difpofition of Nature, and her Princely Magnanimitie, in fome Conflict with her felfe what to doe in a Caufe fo weightie and important to her and the Realme, fent by the Lorde Chauncelour (as I heard) and by the Mouth of an Honorable Person, and a right worthy Member of the Lower Houfe, this Meffage to both Houses moving and earnestly charging them, to enter into a further Confideration, whether there might not be fome other Way of Remedy, then that they had already required, fo farre disagreeing from her owne natural Inclination. Whereupon, the Lords and Commons in either Houses affembled, had fundry Confultations, both in their feverall Houses generally, and by private Committees deputed fpecially, and after Conference had betwixt the fayd Committees, it was refolved with Unanimitie of Confent amongst them in the Lower Houfe, and by univerfall Concorde in the Upper Houle (the Queftion there propounded to every one of the Lords) that there could be found no other found and affured Meane, in the Depth of their Understanding, for the Continuance of the Chriftian Religion, Quiet of the Realme, and Safetie of her Majefties moft Royall Perfon, then that which was conteined in their former Petition. The Reafons whereof, were fummarily thefe that followe: which are more fhortly reported, then they were uttered,

A Briefe

A Briefe Report of the Second Acceffe the 24. of November 1586. and of the Anfwere made in the Name of the Lords of Parliament, to a Meffage sent from hir MAJESTIE by the L. Chancelour after hir firft Anfwere.

T

HE Lord Chauncelour accompanied with above five or fixe and twentie Lords of Parliament, came before her Highnes in her Chamber of Prefence, to deliver the Refolution of all the Lords of Parliament, concerning a Meffage which he had not long before delivered from her Majeftie, for further Confultation, whether any other Meanes could be thought of, or found out by any of them, how the Scottish Queenes Life might be spared, and yet her Majesties Perfon faved out of Perill, and the State of the Realme preferved in Quiet, declared, that according to that he had received in Commandement from her Majeftie, be bad imparted the fame to the Lordes affembled in the Upper House, whome be found by their generall Silence much amazed at the propounding thereof, confidering the fame bad bene before in Deliberation amongst them, and refolved upon, and as appeared by their former Petition exhibited to her Highneffe, wherein they had expreffed the fame Refolution. Notwithstanding, for her Majefties further Satisfaction, they had entred into a newe Confultation, and for that Purpose Selected a great Nomber of the choyceft Perfons of that higher Houfe of Parliament, to conferre thereof, either privatly or together with the Lower Houfe: which alfo was done accordingly at feveral Times. At all which Conferences it was concluded by them all, and fo afterwards by the whole Affembly of both Houfes, that there could be no other affured Meanes for the Prefervation of ber Majefties Life, and Continuance of God's Religion, and Quiet of this State, then by the full Execution of the Sentence according to their former Petition, inftantly preffing her Majestie with many Arguments and Reafons tending thereto, all which, though by Distance from his Lordship I could not wel conceive, yet this I did remember precisely and especially was one, that as it were Injustice to denie Execution of Law, at the Suit of any one particular, and the meanest of her People: fo much more, not to yeelde to the earnest Inftance and bumble Prayers of all her faithful and loving Subjects. And fo concluded with earnest Petition for her Majesties refolute Determination and Anfwere, for a prefent and Speedy Direction by Proclamation, and otherwife alfo, according to the Forme of

the Statute.

A Summarie Report of the Second Speech, uttered by the Speaker of the Lower Houfe, by Direction of all the Commons.

T

HAT if her Majestie should be fafe without taking away the Life of the Scottish Queene, the fame were most likelie and probably to grow, by one of thefe Meanes following.

1. First, that happily she might be reclaimed and become a repentant Convert, agnifing her Majesties great Mercie and Favours in remitting her beynous

Offenc