23.1. The queenes answer to the for|mer motion of the parlement house.
The queenes answer to the for|mer motion of the parlement house.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Rich. Grafton. _AS I haue good cause, so doo I giue to you my hartie thanks for the good zeale and care that you séeme to haue as well to|ward me, as to the whole state of your countrie. Your petition I gather to be grounded on thrée causes, and mine answer to the same shall con|sist in two parts.The quéenes maiestie estée|meth no life so glorious as to serue God. And for the first I saie vnto you, that from my years of vnderstanding, knowing my selfe a seruitor of almightie God, I chose this kind of life, in which I doo yet liue, as a life most accep|table vnto him, wherin I thought I could best serue him, and with most quietnesse doo my duetie vnto him. From which my choise, if either ambition of high estate offered vnto me by marriages (whereof I haue records in this presence) the displeasure of the prince, the eschewing the danger of mine enimies, or the auoiding the perill of death (whose messenger the princes indignation was no little time continual|lie present before mine eies, by whose meanes if I knew or doo iustlie suspect, I will not now vtter them, or if the whole cause were my sister hir selfe, I will not now charge the dead) could haue drawen or dissuaded me, I had not now remained in this virgins estate wherein you sée me. But so constant haue I alwaies continued in this my determination (that although my words and youth maie seeme to some hardlie to agrée togither) yet it is true,The quéenes maiestie hath no mind to marrie. that to this daie I stand frée from anie other meaning, that either I haue had in times past, or haue at this pre|sent. In which state and trade of liuing wherewith I am so throughlie acquainted, God hath so hitherto preserued me, and hath so watchfull an eie vpon me, and so hath guided me and led me by the hand, as my full trust is, he will not suffer me to go alone. The maner of your petition I doo like, and take in good part: for it is simple, and conteineth no limitation of place or person. If it had béene otherwise,A most excel|lent answer of a most excel|lent princesse. I must haue misliked it verie much, and thought in you a verie great presumption, being vnfit and altogither vnméet to require them that may command, or those appoint whose parts are to desire, or such to bind and limit whose duties are to obeie; or to take vpon you to draw my loue to your likings, or to frame my will to your fansies. A guerdon constreined, and a gift fréelie giuen can neuer agrée. Neuerthelesse, if anie of you be in suspect, that whensoeuer it maie please God to incline my hart to that kind of life, my meaning is to doo or determine anie thing wher|with the realme maie haue iust cause to be discon|tented; put that out of your heads. For I assure you (what credence my assurance maie haue with you I can not tell, but what credit it shall deserue to haue, the sequele shall declare) I will neuer in that mat|ter conclude anie thing that shall be preiudiciall vn|to the realme.The quéenes promise how|soeuer God incline hir hart. For the weale and good safetie where|of, as a good mother of my countrie, I will neuer shun to spend my life. And whomsoeuer my choise maie light vpon, he shall be as carefull for the preser|uation of the realme as you, I will not saie as my selfe: for I cannot so certeinlie promise of another, as I doo surelie know of my selfe, but as anie other can be. And albeit it dooth please almightie God to continue me still in this mind, to liue out of the state of marriage: it is not to be feared, but he will so worke in my hart, and in your wisdoms, that as good prouision may be made in conuenient time, wherby the realme shall not remaine destitute of an heire that may be a fit gouernor,The quéenes words tou|ching an heire roiall the last part of their motion. and peraduenture more beneficiall to the realme than such ofspring as may come of me. For though I be neuer so carefull for your well dooings, and mind euer so to be: yet may mine issue grow out of kind and become vn|gratious. And for me it shall be sufficient, that a marble stone declare that a quéene, hauing reigned such a time, liued and died a virgine. To make an end, I take your comming to me in good part, and giue vnto you eftsoons my hartie thanks, more yet for your zeale, good will, and good meaning, than for your message and petition.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 Manie that for feare of persecution in quéene Maries daies were fled the realme,The returne of the protes|tants from exile. and liued in vo|luntarie exile, now that all persecution ceased by the gratious clemencie of this noble princesse quéene Elisabeth, they returned with all conuenient spéed home into their natiue countrie, giuing to almigh|tie God most humble thanks for that his mercifull deliuerance, in sending them a gouernor, that not onelie permitted libertie of conscience, but also was readie to aduance religion, and command frée exer|cise of common praier, preaching, and administrati|on of the sacraments, according to the right institu|tion of the primitiue churches.One set on the pillorie; and what pu|nishment the quéene by hir owne mouth appointed him. Fridaie the seauen|téenth of Februarie, one of maister Hunnings ser|uants (that was also one of the takers of fresh fish for the prouision of the queenes house) was set on the pillorie in Cheapside in the fish market ouer against the kings head, hauing a bawdrike of smelts hang|ing about his necke, with a paper on his forehead written: For buieng smelts for twelue pence the hundred, and selling them againe for ten pence the quarter. He stood so likewise on the eightéenth and the twentith daie of the same moneth, euerie one of those three daies from nine of the clocke till twelue. The last daie he should haue had one of his eares slit, EEBO page image 1182 if by great sute made to the councell by the lord ma|ior of London, he had not béene pardoned and relea|sed out of prison. This penance was assigned to him by the quéenes owne appointment, when to hir grace his trespasse was reuealed. Whereby shée gaue a tast to the people of a zealous mind to haue iustice dulie ministred, and faults accordinglie punished, namelie of those which vnder pretense of hir graces authoritie should go about to wrong and oppresse hir louing subiects.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 This yéere in the Easter holidaies on the mon|daie preached at the Spittle doctor Bill,Preachers at S [...]ittle. on the tues|daie doctor Cox, & on the wednesdaie doctor Horne: the first was hir maiesties chapleine, the other two had remained at Geneua, and in other places be|yond the seas all queene Maries time. On low sundaie maister Samson made the rehearsall ser|mon: but when the lord maior and aldermen came to their places in Paules churchyard, the pulpit doore was locked,The pulpit [...] Paules [...] all [...] and [...]. & the keie could not be heard of. Wher|vpon the lord maior sent for a smith to open the locke, which was doone; and when the preacher should enter the place, it was found verie filthie and vn|cleanlie. Moreouer, the verger that had the custodie of the keie, which opened the doore of the place where the prelats and other vse to stand at the sermon time, would not open the doore; but the gentlemen with a foorme brake it open and so came in to heare the ser|mon. This disorder chanced by reason that since Christmasse last past there was not a sermon prea|ched at Paules crosse, by meanes of an inhibition sent from the councell vnto the bishop of London, that he should admit no preacher, because of the con|trouersie betwixt the bishops and other of the clergie that were now returned into the realme, from the parties of beyond the seas.