And heere, bicause we are come to the knitting vp of quéene Maries reigne, I cannot ouers [...]p with si|lence that notable and néedfull discourse of master Fox concerning our blessed souereigne, quéen Eliza|beth, whose maiestie the Lord of his mercie inuiron with fréends as in number manie, so in seruice tru|stie; and whose enimies the same Lord in iustice root out from the land of the liuing, heaping vpon them plague after plague, to their vtter confusion, bicause they haue reiected the gratious means of their con|uersion. Thus therefore writeth master Fox concer|ning the mischéefous persecution and miraculous preseruation of ladie Elizabeth, now quéene of Eng|land, from extreame calamitie and danger of life, in the time of queene Marie hir sister.

But (saith master Fox) when all hath béene said and told,The blessed protection of almightie God in preser|uing the ladi [...] Elizabeth in hir manifold dangers and troubles. whatsoeuer can be recited touching the admira|ble working of Gods present hand in defending and deliuering anie one person out of thraldome, neuer was there since the memorie of our fathers, anie ex|ample to be shewed, wherin the Lords mightie power hath more admirablie and blessedlie shewed it selfe, to the glorie of his owne name, to the comfort of all good hearts, and to the publike felicitie of this whole realme, than in the miraculous custodie and outscape of this our souereigne ladie, now quéene, then ladie Elizabeth, in the strict time of queene Marie hir sister. In which storie, first we haue to consider in what extreame miserie, sicknesse, feare, and perill hir highnesse was; into what care, what trouble of mind,The trouble [...] of ladie Eli|zabeth in Q. Maries [...] and what danger of death she was brought. First with great routs and bands of armed men (and hap|pie was he that might haue the carrieng of hir) be|ing fetched vp as the greatest traitour in the world, clapped in the tower, and againe tossed from thence, from house to house, from prison to prison, from post to piller, at length also prisoner in hir owne house, and garded with a sort of cut-throats, which euer EEBO page image 1152 gaped for the spoile, whereby they might be fingering of somewhat.

Secondlie, we haue againe to consider, all this notwithstanding, how strangelie, or rather miracu|louslie from danger she was deliuered: what fauour and grace she found with the almightie, who when all helpe of man, and hope of recouerie was past, stret|ched out his mightie protection, and preserued hir highnesse, and placed hir in this princelie seat of rest and quietnesse, wherin now she sitteth, and long maie she sit, the lord of his glorious mercie grant, we be|séech him Amen.. In which storie, if I should set foorth at large and at full, all the particulars and circumstan|stances therevnto belonging, and as iust occasion of the historie requireth, besides the importunate length of the storie discoursed, peraduenture it might mooue offense to some being yet aliue, and truth might get me hatred. Yet notwithstanding, I intend (by the grace of Christ) therein to vse such breuitie and mo|deration, as both may be to the glorie of God, the discharge of the storie, the profit of the reader, & hurt to none, suppressing the names of some, whome here although I could recite, yet I thought not to be more cruell in hurting their name, than the quéene hath béene mercifull in pardoning their liues.