Hitherto the affaires of quéene Marie haue had no great good successe, as you haue heard.The ill lucke of quéene Marie in hir childbirth. But neuer worsse successe had anie woman, than had she in hir childbirth. For séeing one of these two must néeds be granted, that either she was with child or not with child; if she were with child and did trauell, why was it not séene? if she were not, how was all the realme deluded? And in the meane while where were all the praiers, the solemne processions, the deuout masses of the catholike cleargie? Why did they not preuaile with God, if their religion were so godlie as they pre|tended? If their masses Ex opere operato be able to fetch Christ from heauen, & to reach downe to purgatorie, how chanced then they could not reach to the quéens chamber, to helpe hir in hir trauell, if she had béene with child in déed? If not, how then came it to passe, that all the catholike church of England did so erre, and was so déepelie deceiued? Quéene Marie, after these manifold plagues and corrections, which might sufficientlie admonish hir of Gods disfauor prouoked against hir, would not yet ceasse hir persecution, but still continued more & more to reuenge hir catholike zeale vpon the lords faithfull people, setting fire to their poore bodies by dozens & halfe dozens togither. Wherevpon Gods wrathfull indignation increasing more and more against hir, ceassed not to touch hir more neare with priuat misfortunes and calamities.
For after that he had taken from hir the fruit of children (which chieflie and aboue all things she desi|red) then he beerest hir of that,Q. Marie le [...]t desolate of K. Philip hir husband. which of all earthlie things should haue beene hir chiefe staie of honour, and staffe of comfort; that is, withdrew from hir the affection and companie euen of hir owne husband, by whose mariage she had promised before to hirselfe whole heapes of such ioy and felicitie. But now the omnipotent gouernour of all things, so turned the whéele of hir owne spinning against hir, that hir high buildings of such ioies and felicities came all to a ca|stell come downe, hir hopes being confounded, hir purposes disappointed, and she now brought to deso|lation:The ill lucke of Q. Marie with hir hus|band. who seemed neither to haue the fauour of God, nor the hearts of hir subiects, nor yet the loue of hir husband: who neither had fruit by him while shee had him, neither could now inioy him whome she had maried, neither yet was in libertie to marrie anie other whome she might inioy. Marke here (christian reader) the wofull aduersitie of this queene, & learne withall, what the Lord can doo when mans wilfulnes will néeds resist him, and will not be ruled.
At last, when
all these faire admonitions would take no place with the queene,The finall [...]nd and death of Q. Marie. nor mooue hir to re|uoke hir bloudie lawes, nor to staie the
tyrannie of hir priests, nor yet to spare hir owne subiects; but EEBO page image 1162 that the poore seruants
of God were drawne dailie by heapes most pittifullie as sheepe to the slaugh|ter, it so pleased the
heauenlie maiestie of almightie God, when no other remedie would serue, by death to cut hir off, which in
hir life so little regarded the life of others: giuing hir throne, which she abused to the destruction of
Christs church and people, to ano|ther,
Q. Marie [...]gned fiue ye [...]res & fiue [...]neths. The shortnes [...] Maries [...]gne noted.
These short verses were thus subscribed. La. B. Te.Regina pacem nescia perpeti,I am spreta m [...]ret foedera, E [...] Simone S [...]rdio de capto Calero, pag. 1968. iam DeiIram pauet sibi imminentem,Vindicis & furiae flagellum.Ciues & hostes iam pariter suosOdit pauét & ciuium & hostiumHirudo communis, cruoremAequè auidè sitiens vtrúnque.Huic luce terror Martius assonat,Dirae, caedis mens sibi conscia,Vmbrae nocturnae quietemTerrificis agitant figuris.