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.

Soone after the stirre of Wiat and the troubles that happened to this queene for that cause:Rober Far|rer of London a sore enimie to ladie Eli|sabeth. it fortu|ned one Robert Farrer a haberdasher of London, dwelling neere vnto Newgate market, in a certeine morning to be at the Rose tauerne (from whence he was seldome absent) and falling to his common drinke, as he was euer accustomed, and hauing in his companie thrée other companions like vnto him|selfe,Laurence Shiriffe, sworne friend and seruant to ladie Elisa|beth his mi|stresse. it chanced the same time one Laurence Shiriffe grocer, dwelling also not farre from thence, to come into the said tauerne, and finding there the said Far|rer (to whome of long time he had borne good will) sat downe in the seat to drinke with him, and Farrer hauing in his full cups, and not hauing considerati|on who were present began to talke at large, and namelie against the ladie Elisabeth, and said:Robert Far|rer raileth a|gainst ladie Elisabeth. That gill hath béene one of the chiefe dooers of this rebelli|on of Wiat, and before all be doone, she and all the heretikes hir partakers shall well vnderstand of it. Some of them hope that she shall haue the crowne, but she and they (I trust) that so hope, shall hop head|lesse, or be fried with fagots before she come to it.

The aforesaid Laurence Shiriffe grocer, being then seruant vnto the said ladie Elisabeth,The part of a good trustie seruant. & sworne vnto hir grace, could no longer forbeare his old ac|quaintance and neighbor Farrer in speaking so vn|reuerentlie of his mistresse, but said to him: Far|rer, I haue loued thée as a neighbour, and haue had a good opinion of thée, but hearing of thée that I now heare, I defie thée: and I tell thée I am hir graces sworne seruant, and she is a princesse, and the daugh|ter of a noble king, and it euill becommeth thée to call hir a gill, and for thy so saieng, I saie thou art a knaue, & I will complaine vpon thée. Doo thy woorst said Farrer, for that I said, I will saie againe: and so Shiriffe came from his companie. Shortlie after,Robert Far|rer complai|ned of to the commissio|ners, but no redresse was had. the said Shiriffe taking an honest neighbour with him, went before the commissioners to complaine: the which commissioners sat then at Boner the bi|shop of Londons house beside Pauls, and there were present Boner then being the chiefe commissioner, the lord Mordant, sir Iohn Baker, doctor Derbishire chancellor to the bishop, doctor A knaue. Storie, doctor Harps|field, and others. The aforesaid Shiriffe comming before them, declared the maner of the said Robert Farrers talke against the ladie Elisabeth. Boner answered, Peraduenture you tooke him woorse than he meant. Yea my lord (said doctor Storie) if you knew the man as I doo, you would saie that there is not a better catholike, nor an honester man in the ci|tie of London.