¶And now forsomuch as in the beginning of the moneth of Iune about Whitsuntide, Abr. Fl. ex. I.F. martyrologio. Rockers and nurses proui|ded for quéene Maries child. the time was thought to be nie, that this yoong maister should come into the world, and that midwiues, rockers, nurses, with the cradle and all, were prepared and in a readi|nesse, suddenlie vpon what cause or occasion it is vn|certeine, a certeine vaine rumor was blowne in London of the prosperous deliuerance of the quéene, and the birth of the child: insomuch that bels were roong, bonefiers and processions made,Processions and bonefires in London for ioy of the yong prince. not one|lie in the citie of London, and in most other parts of the realme, but also in Antwerpe guns were shot off vpon the riuer by the English ships, and the mari|ners thereof were rewarded with an hundred pisto|lets or Italian crownes by the ladie regent,Triumph at Antwerpe for the same. who was the quéene of Hungarie. Such great reioising and triumph was for the quéenes deliuerie, and that there was a prince borne. Yea, diuerse preachers, namelie one the person of saint Anne within Alders|gate, after procession and Te Deum soong, tooke vpon him to describe the proportion of the child, how faire, how beautifull, and great a prince it was, as the like EEBO page image 1131 had not béene seene.

In the middest of this great adoo, there was a simple man (this I speake but vpon information) dwelling within foure miles of Barwike, that neuer had béene before halfe waie to London, which said concerning the bonefires made for quéene Maries child; Here is a ioifull triumph, but at length all will not proue woorth a messe of pottage,Q. Maries child would not come. as in déed it came to passe: for in the end all prooued cleane con|trarie, and the ioy & expectations of men were much deceiued. For the people were certified, that the quéene neither was as then deliuered, nor after was in hope to haue anie child. At this time manie talked diuerslie. Some said this rumour of the quéenes con|ception was spread for a policie: some other affirmed that she was deceiued by a timpanie or some other like disease,What became of Q. Maries child no man can tell. to thinke hirselfe with child, and was not: some thought shée was with child, and that it did by some chance miscarie, or else that she was bewit|ched: but what was the truth therof, the Lord know|eth, to whome nothing is secret. One thing of mine owne hearing and séeing I cannot passe ouer vn|witnessed.

There came to me, whome I did both heare and sée, one Isabell Malt, a woman dwelling in Alders|gate stréet in Horne allie, not farre from the house where this present booke was printed, who before wit|nesse made this declaration vnto vs, that she being deliuered of a man-child vpon Whitsundaie in the morning, which was the eleuenth daie of Iune Anno 1555, there came to hir the lord North, and another lord to hir vnknowne, dwelling then about old Fish|stréet, demanding of hir if she would part with hir child, and would sweare that she neuer knew nor had no such child. Which if she would, hir sonne (they said) should be well prouided for, she should take no care for it, with manie faire offers if she would part with the child.