The dores were locked and bolted vpon hir: which did not a little discomfort and dismaie hir grace.The christian praier of ladi [...] Elizabeth. At what time she called to hir gentlewoman for hir bóoke, desiring God not to suffer hir to build hir foun|dation vpon the sands but vpon the rocke, whereby all the blasts of blustering weather should haue no power against hir. The doores being thus locked, and she close shut vp, the lords had great conference how to kéepe ward and watch, euerie man declaring his opinion in that behalfe, agreeing strictlie and cir|cumspectlie to kéepe hir. Then one of them,The lord of Sussex spea|keth for ladie Elizabeth. which was the lord of Sussex swearing, said: My lords, let vs take héed, and doo no more than our commission will beare vs, what soeuer shall happen hereafter. And further, let vs consider that she was the king our maisters daughter, and therefore let vs vse such EEBO page image 1154 dealing, that we may answer vnto it hereafter, if it shall so happen, for iust dealing (quoth he) is alwaies answerable. Wherevnto the other lords agréed that it was well said of him, and therevpon departed. Be|ing in the tower, within two daies, commandement was that she should haue masse within hir house. One maister Yoong was then hir chapleine: and bi|cause there was none of hir men so well learned to helpe the priest to saie masse, the masse staied for that daie.

The next daie two of hir yeomen, who had gone long to schoole before, and were learned, had two abcies prouided and deliuered them, so that vpon the abcies they should helpe the priest. One of the said yeomen, holding the abcie in his hand, pretending ignorance at Kyrie eleison, set the priest, making as though he could answer that no further. It would make a pitifull and a strange storie, here by the waie to touch and recite what examinations and rackings of poore men there were, to find out that knife which should cut hir throte: what gaping among my lords of the cleargie, to see the daie wherein they might wash their goodlie white rochets in hir innocent bloud, but especiallie the bishop of Winchester Ste|phan Gardiner, then lord chancellor, ruler of the rost, who then within fiue daies after came vnto hir, with diuerse others of the councell, and examined hir of the talke that was at Ashridge,The bishop of Winchester [...] to ladie Elisabeth. betwixt hir and sir Iames Acroft, touching hir remouing from thence to Dunnington castle, requiring hir to declare what she meant thereby.

At the first, she being so suddenlie asked, did not well remember anie such house: but within a while, well aduising hir selfe, she said; In déed (quoth she) I doo now remember that I haue such a place,Ladie Elisa|beth examined [...] the bishop [...] Winchester. but I ne|uer laie in it in all my life. And as for anie that hath mooued me therevnto, I doo not remember. Then to inforce the matter, they brought foorth sir Iames A|croft. The bishop of Winchester demanded of hir what she said to that man? She answered, that she had little to saie to him, or to the rest that were then pri|soners in the tower. But my lords (quoth she) you doo examine euerie meane prisoner of me, wherein me thinks you doo me great iniurie. If they haue doone euill and offended the quéenes maiestie, let them an|swer to it accordinglie. I beséech you my lords, ioine not me in this sort with anie of these offendors. And as concerning my going vnto Dunnington castle, I doo remember that maister Hobbie and mine offi|cers and you sir Iames Acroft, had such talke: but what is that to the purpose, my lords, but that I may go to mine owne houses at all times?