22.1. A copie of a letter sent from the coun|cell vnto Edmund Bonner bishop of London, concerning queene Marie conceiued with child.
A copie of a letter sent from the coun|cell vnto Edmund Bonner bishop of London, concerning queene Marie conceiued with child.
_AFter our hartie commendations vnto your good lordship.The councel [...] letter to bishop Bonner of the quéenes con|ceiuing of child. Whereas it hath plea|sed almightie God amongst other his in|finit benefits of late most gratiouslie powred vpon vs and this whole realme, to extend his benediction vpon the quéens maiestie in such sort, as she is conceiued & quicke of child; whereby (hir ma|iestie being our naturall liege ladie, quéene and vn|doubted inheritor of this imperiall crowne) good EEBO page image 1124 hope of certeine succession in the crowne is giuen vnto vs, and consequentlie, the great calamities, which (for want of such succession might otherwise haue fallen vpon vs & our posteritie) shall by Gods grace be well auoided,If Quéene Marie were quicke with ch [...]ld on the 1 [...] of the mo|neth of No|uember and afterward did labour in the moneth of Iune, then went she al|most seuen moneths quicke with child. if we thankefullie acknow|ledge this benefit of almightie God, indeuoring our selues with earnest repentance to thanke, honor, & serue him as we be most bounden. These be not one|lie to aduertise you of these good news, to be by you published in all places within your dioces; but also to praie and require you, that both your selfe doo giue God thanks with vs for this his especiall grace, and also giue order that thanks maie be openlie giuen by singing of Te Deum in all the churches within your said dioces; and that likewise all priests and other ecclesiasticall ministers, in their masses and other diuine seruices, may continuallie praie to almightie God, so to extend his holie hand ouer his maiestie, the kings highnesse and this whole realme, as this thing being by his omnipotent power gratiouslie thus begun, may by the same be well continued and brought to good effect, to the glorie of his name. Wherevnto albeit we doubt not ye would of your selfe haue had speciall regard without these our let|ters: yet for the earnest desire we haue to haue this thing doone out of hand, & diligentlie continued, we haue also written these our letters, to put you in re|membrance: & so bid your lordship most hartilie well to fare. From Westminster the 27 of Nouember. 1554.
Your assured and louing friends S. Winton. Chancel. Arundell. F. Shrewesburie. Edward Darbie, Henrie Sussex. Iohn Bathon. R. Rich. Thomas Warthom. Iohn Huddilstone. R. Southwell.
Upon this letter of the councels sent to bishop Bonner (signifieng the good news of quéene Marie to be not onelie conceiued, but also quicke with child, which was in the moneth of Nouember, the eight and twentith daie) it is out of count what great talke began at this time to rise in euerie mans mouth, with busie preparation and much adoo, especiallie among such as séemed in England to car|rie Spanish hearts in English bodies. In num|ber of whome here is not to be forgotten, nor defrau|ded of his condigne commendation for his woorthie affection toward his prince and hir issue, one sir Ri|chard Southwell, who being the same time in the parlement house, when as the lords were occupied in other affaires and matters of importance, sudden|lie starting vp for fulnesse of ioy, burst out in these words following:The words of sir Richard Southwell in the parlement house for his yoong maister. Tush my maisters (quoth he) what talke ye of these matters? I would haue you take some order for our yoong maister that is now comming into the world apace, least he find vs vn|prouided, &c. By the which words both of him, and also by the foresaid letters of the councell, and the common talke abroad, it may appeare what an assu|red opinion was then conceiued in mens heads of quéene Marie, to be conceiued and quicke with child. In somuch that at the same time, and in the same parlement, there was eftsoones a bill exhibited, and an act made vpon the same, the words whereof for the more euidence, I thought here to exemplificat.
22.1. The words of the act.
The words of the act.
_ALbeit we the lords spirituall & temporall, & the commons in this present parlement assembled, haue firme hope & confidence in the goodnes of almightie God, that like as he [...]ath hitherto miraculouslie preserued the quéenes maiestie from manie great imminent perils and dangers; euen so he will of his infinit goodnesse giue hir highnesse strength, the rather by our conti|nuall praiers to passe well the danger of deliue|rance of child, wherewith it hath pleased him (to all our great comforts) to blesse hir: yet for so much as all things of this world be vncerteine, and hauing before our eies the dolorous experience of this in|constant gouernment during the time of the reigne of the late king Edward the sixt, doo plainlie sée the manifold inconueniences, great dangers and perils that maie insue to this whole realme, if foresight be not vsed to preuent all euill chances, if they should happen. For the eschewing hereof, we the lords spiri|tuall and temporall, & the commons in this present parlement assembled; for and in consideration of a most speciall trust and confidence that we haue and repose in the kings maiestie, for and concerning the politike gouernment, order,Order taken by parlement for quéene Maries child. and administration of this realme in the time of the yoong yéeres of the is|sue or issues of hir maiesties bodie to be borne, if it should please God to call the quéenes highnesse out of this present life, during the tender yeares of such issue or issues (which God forbid) according to such or|der & maner as hereafter in this present act his high|nesse most gratious pleasure is, should be declared and set foorth, haue made our humble sute by the as|sent of the quéens highnesse, that his maiestie would vouchsafe to accept & take vpon him the rule, order, education & gouernment of the said issue or issues to be borne as is aforesaid, vpon which our sute being of his said maiestie most gratiouslie accepted, it hath pleased his highnes, not onlie to declare, that like as for the most part his maiestie verely trusteth that al|mightie God (who hath hitherto preserued the quéens maiestie) to giue this realme so good an hope of cer|teine succession in the blood roiall of the same realm, will assist hir highnes with his graces and benedicti|ons to sée the fruit of hir bodie well brought forth,Trust disap|pointed. liue and able to gouerne (whereof neither all this realme, ne all the world besides, should or could receiue more comfort than his maiestie should & would) yet if such chance should happen, his maiestie at our humble de|sires is pleased & contented not onlie to accept & take vpon him the cure and charge of the education, rule, order, and gouernment of such issues, as of this most happie mariage shall be borne betwéene the quéenes highnes and him: but also during the time of such go|uernment, would by all waies & meanes studie, tra|uell and imploie himselfe to aduance the weale, both publike & priuat, of this realme & dominions there|to belonging, according to the said trust in his maie|stie reposed, with no lesse good will & affection than if his highnes had béene naturallie borne among vs. In consideration whereof, be it enacted by the king & the quéens most excellent maiesties, by assent of the lords spirituall and temporall, & the commons in this present parlement assembled, and by the authoritie of the same, &c: as it is to be séene in the act more at large ratified and confirmed at the sam [...] parlement, to the same intent and purpose.