The next daie hir grace tooke hir iournie from thense to Woodstocke, where she was inclosed,Ladie Eliza|beth garded and warded for starting a|waie. as before in the tower of London, the souldiors gar|ding and warding both within & without the wals, euerie daie to the number of thrée score, and in the night without the wals fortie, during the time of hir imprisonment there. At length she had gardens ap|pointed for hir walke, which was verie comfortable to hir grace. But alwaies when she did recreat hir selfe therein, the doores were fast locked vp, in as strict maner as they were in the tower, being at the least fiue or six locks betwéene hir lodging and hir walks: sir Henrie himselfe kéeping the keies, and trusting no man therewith. Wherevpon she called him hir gailor: and he knéeling downe, desi|red hir grace not to call him so, for he was appoin|ted there to be one of hir officers. From such offi|cers (quoth she) good Lord deliuer me. And now by the way as digressing, or rather refreshing the rea|der, if it be lawfull in so serious a storie to recite a matter incident, & yet not impertinent to the same: occasion heere mooueth, or rather inforceth me to touch briefelie what happened in the same place and time by a certeine merie conceited man,A merie storie concerning the strict kée|ping of the la|die Elizabeth. being then about hir grace: who noting the strict & strange kée|ping of his ladie & mistres by the said sir Henrie Be|nefield, with so manie locks & dores, with such watch and ward about hir, as was strange and woonder|full, spied a goat in the ward where hir grace was. And whether to refresh hir oppressed mind, or to noti|fie hir strict handling by sir Henrie, either else both; he tooke it vp on his necke, and followed hir grace therewith as she was going into hir lodging. Which when she saw, she asked him what he would doo with it, willing to let it alone. Unto whome the said par|tie answered: No by saint Marie (if it like your grace) will I not: for I can not tell whether he be one of the quéens friends or no. I will carie him to sir Henrie Benefield (God willing) to know what he is. So leauing hir grace, he went with the goat on his necke, and caried it to sir Henrie Benefield. Who when he saw him comming with it, asked him halfe angerlie what he had there. Unto whome the partie answered, saieng: Sir (quoth he) I can not tell what he is, I pray you examine him,The strictnes of sir Henrie Benefield merilie noted. for I found him in the place where my ladies grace was wal|king, and what talke they had I can not tell. For I vnderstand him not, but he should séeme to me to be some stranger, & I thinke verelie a Welshman, for he hath a white fréese coat on his backe. And forso|much as I being the quéens subiect, and perceiuing the strict charge committed to you of hir kéeping, that no stranger should haue accesse to hir without EEBO page image 1157 sufficient licence, I haue here found a stranger (what he is I can not tell) in place where hir grace was walking: and therefore for the necessarie discharge of my dutie, I thought it good to bring the said stran|ger to you, to examine as you sée cause: and so he set him downe. At which his words sir Henrie séemed much displeased, and said: Well, well, you will ne|uer leaue this geare I sée: and so they departed.

Now to returne to the matter from whence we haue digressed. After hir grace had bene there a time she made sute to the councell that she might be suffe|red to write to the queene, which at last was permit|ted. So that sir Henrie Benefield brought hir pen, inke, and paper; and standing by hir while she wrote (which he strictlie obserued) alwaies she being wea|rie, he would carie awaie hir letters, and bring them againe when she called for them. In the finishing therof, he would haue béene messenger to the quéene of the same. Whose request hir grace denied, saieng one of hir owne men should carie them, and that she would neither trust him nor none of his therein. Then he answering againe said; None of them durst be so bold (he trowed) to carie hir letters, being in that case. Yes (quoth she) I am assured I haue none so dishonest that would denie my request in that be|halfe, but will be as willing to serue me now as be|fore. Well (said he) my commission is to the con|trarie,The cruell dealing of sir Henrie Bene|field to the ladie Eliza|beth reproo|ued. and I maie not so suffer it. Hir grace repli|eng againe said; You charge me verie often with your commission, I praie God you maie iustlie an|swer the cruell dealing you vse towards me.

Then he knéeling downe, desired hir grace to thinke and consider how he was a seruant, and put in trust there by the quéene to serue hir maiestie, pro|testing that if the case were hirs, he would as wil|linglie serue hir grace, as now he did the quéenes highnesse. For the which his answer hir grace than|ked him, desiring God that she might neuer haue need of such seruants as he was; declaring further to him, that his dooings towards hir were not good nor answerable, but more than all the friends he had would stand by. To whom sir Henrie replied & said; that there was no remedie but his dooings must be answered,The letters of the ladie Elizabeth sent to the quéene. and so they should, trusting to make good account thereof. The cause which mooued hir grace so to saie, was for that he would not permit hir letters to be caried foure or fiue daies after the writing thereof. But in fine he was content to send for hir gentleman from the towne of Woodstocke, demanding of him whether he durst enterprise the ca|riage of hir graces letters to the quéene or no. And he answered; Yea sir, that I dare, and will with all my hart. Wherevpon sir Henrie halfe against his stomach tooke them vnto him.Doctor Owen and doctor Wendie quéen Maries phy|sicians sent to the ladie Elizabeth. Then about the eight of Iune came downe doctor Owen & doctor Wen|die, sent by the quéene to hir grace, for that she was sicklie; who ministring to hir, and letting hir bloud, tarried there and attended on hir grace fiue or six daies. Then she being well amended, they returned againe to the court, making their good report to the quéene and the councell of hir graces behauior and humblenesse towards the quéenes highnesse. Which hir maiestie hearing,The popish prelats repi|ned against the ladie Elizabeth. tooke verie thankfullie: but the bishops thereat repined, looked blacke in the mouth, and told the quéene, they maruelled that she submit|ted not hir selfe to hir maiesties mercie, considering that she had offended hir highnesse.