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1587

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Therefore now to enter into the discourse of this tragicall matter,The historie of the ladie Elizabeth. first here is to be noted, that quéene Marie when she was first queene, before she was crowned, would go no whither, but would haue hir by the hand, and send for hir to dinner and supper: but after she was crowned, she neuer dined nor supped with hir, but kept hir aloofe from hir, &c. After this it happened, immediatlie vpon the rising of sir Tho|mas Wiat (as before was mentioned,

These refe| [...]cies by the page where| [...]uer they [...]ll in this [...]course of [...]. Elizabeth [...]ment of the impression published 1583

Sir Richard Southwell, sir Edward Hastings, and [...] Thomas Cornwallis, [...] to fetch [...] ladie Eli|zabeth, with w [...]om also [...]erward was sent the [...] William [...]ward, &c.

pag. 1418, 1419) that the ladie Elizabeth and the lord Court|neie were charged with false suspicion of sir Thomas Wiats rising. Wherevpon quéene Marie, whether for that surmise, or for what other cause I know not, being offended with the said Elizabeth hir sister, at that time lieng in hir house at Ashridge, the next daie after the rising of Wiat, sent to hir thrée of hir councellors, to wit, sir Richard Southwell, sir Ed|ward Hastings, then master of the horsse, and sir Thomas Cornwallis, with their retinue and troope of horsemen, to the number of two hundred & fiftie. Who at their sudden and vnprouided comming, found hir at the same time sore sicke in hir bed, and verie féeble and weake of bodie. Whither when they came, ascending vp to hir graces priuie chamber, they willed one of hir ladies, whome they met, to de|clare vnto hir grace, that there were certeine come from the court, which had a message from the quéene.

Hir grace hauing knowledge thereof, was right glad of their comming: howbeit, being then verie sicke, and the night farre spent (which was at ten of the clocke) she requested them by the messenger, that they would resort thither in the morning. To this they answered, and by the said messenger sent word againe, that they must néeds sée hir, and would so doo, in what case soeuer she were.The [...] of the knights. Whereat the ladie be+ing against, went to shew hir grace their words: but they hastilie following hir, came rushing as soone as she into hir graces chamber vnbidden. At whose so sudden comming into hir bed chamber, hir grace be|ing not a little amazed, said vnto them: Is the hast such, that it might not haue pleased you to come to+morrow in the morning? They made answer, that they were right sorie to see hir in that case. And I (quoth she) am not glad to see you here at this time of the night. Wherevnto they answered, that they came from the quéene to doo their message and dutie: which was to this effect, that the quéens pleasure was, that she should be at London the seauenth daie of that present moneth. Wherevnto she said; Certesse, no creature more glad than I to come to hir maie|stie, being right sorie that I am not in case at this time to wait on hir, as you your selues do sée and can well testifie.

In deed we sée it true (quoth they) that you doo saie:I strait com|mission from the quéene to bring the ladie Elizabeth either quicke or dead. for which we are verie sorie: albeit we let you to vn|derstand, that our commission is such, and so strai|neth vs, that we must néeds bring you with vs, either quicke or dead. Whereat she being amazed, sorrow|fullie said, that their commission was verie sore: but yet notwithstanding she hoped it to be otherwise, and not so strict. Yes verelie, said they. Wherevpon they called for two physicians, doctor Owen and doctor Wendie, demanding of them, whether she might be remooued from thence with life, or no. Whose answer and iudgement was, that there was no impediment (in their iudgement) to the contrarie, but that she might trauell without danger of life.The gentle|nesse of quéene Marie to send hir horslitter to bring hir sister to trou|ble. In conclusi|on, they willed hir to prepare against the morning at nine of the clocke to go with them, declaring that they had brought with them the queenes litter for hir. After much talke, the messengers declaring how there was no prolonging of times and daies, so departed to their chamber, being interteined and cheared as apperteined to their worships.

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