Why then (said the queene) belike you will to o|thers. No, if it please your maiestie (quoth she) I haue borne the burthen, and must beare it; I humblie be|séech your maiestie to haue a good opinion of me,Small com|fort at the quéenes hand toward hir si|ster. and to thinke me to be your true subiect, not onelie from the beginning hitherto, but for euer, as long as life lasteth: and so they departed with verie few comfor|table words of the queene, in English: but what she said in Spanish, God knoweth. It is thought that king Philip was there behind a cloth,

King Philip thought to be a friend to ladie Elisa|beth.

Ladie Elisa|beth by Gods prouidence set at libertie. Sir Henrie Benefield discharged.

Mistresse Ashleie sent to the Fléet. Thrée gentle|women of ladie Elisa|beths sent to the tower. Note the woonderfull working of the Lords prouidence in sauing of ladie Elisabeth. Ladie Elisa|beth deliuered by the death of Stephan Gardiner.Then there came to Lamheire, master Gerning|ham, and master Norris gentleman vsher, quéene Maries men, who tooke awaie from hir grace mi|stresse Ashleie to the Fléet, and thrée other of hir gen|tlewomen to the tower: which thing was no little trouble to hir grace, saieng: that she thought they would fetch all awaie at the end. But God be prai|sed, shortlie after was fetched awaie Gardiner tho|rough the mercifull prouidence of the Lords good|nesse, by occasion of whose opportune deceasse (as is partlie touched in this storie before, pag. 1705) the life of this excellent princesse, the wealth of all Eng|land, was preserued. For this is crediblie to be suppo|sed, that the said wicked Gardiner of Winchester had long laboured his wits, and to this onelie most principall marke bent all his deuises, to bring this our happie and deere souereigne out of the waie, as both by his words and dooings before notified maie sufficientlie appeare.

But such was the gratious and fauourable proui|dence of the Lord, to the preseruation not onlie of hir roiall maiestie, but also the miserable and wofull state of this whole Iland, and poore subiects of the same, whereby the proud platforms and péeuish prac|tises of this wretched Achitophell preuailed not: but contrariwise, both he, and all the snares and traps of his pernicious counsell laid against an other, were turned to a net to catch himselfe,How the Lord here began to worke for ladie Elisa|beth. according to the prouerbe: Malum consilium consultori pessimum. After the death of this Gardiner, followed the death also and dropping awaie of other hir enimies, whereby by little and little hir leopardie decreased, feare dimini|shed, hope of comfort began to appeare as out of a darke cloud. And albeit as yet hir grace had no full assurance of perfect safetie, yet more gentle inter|teinment dailie did grow vnto hir, till at length to the moneth of Nouember, and seauentéenth daie of the same, three yeares after the death of Stephan Gardiner, followed the death of quéene Marie, as heretofore at large hath béene trulie declared. Al|though this historie following be not directlie apper|teining to the former matter,A note of a storie decla|ring the ma|lignant harts of the papists towards ladie Elisabeth. yet the same maie here not vnaptlie be inserted, for that it dooth discouer and shew foorth the malicious hearts of the papists to|wards this vertuous quéene our souereigne ladie in the time of queene Marie his sister, which is reported as a truth crediblie told by sundrie honest persons, of whome some are yet aliue, and doo testifie the same. The matter whereof is this.