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THE TRVE CO-
PIE OF A LETTER FROM
THE QVEENES MAIESTIE, TO THE
Lord Maior of London, and his brethren : conteyning a
most gracious acceptation of the great ioy which her Sub-
iectes tooke vpon the apprehension of diuers persons, dete-
cted of a most wicked conspiracie, read openly in a
great assemblie of the Commons in the Guildhall
of that Citie, the 22. day of August, 1 5 8 6.
Before the reading whereof, maister
Iames Dalton, one of the Coun-
sellours of that Citie, in the
absence of the Recorder,
made this speach here-
after folowing.
¶ Imprinted at London by Christopher
Barker, Printer to the Queenes most
excellent Maiestie.
1 5 8 6
B Y T H E Q V E E N E.
To our right trustie and welbe
loued, the Lord Maior of our Citie of London, and
his brethren the Aldermen of the same.
Ight
trustie and welbeloued, wee greete you well. Being giuen to vnderstand how greatly
our good and most louing Subiects of that Citie did reioyce at the apprehension of
certaine deuilish and wicked minded subiects of ours , that through the great and
singular goodnes of God haue bene detected, to haue most wickedly and vnnaturally
conspired, not onely the taking away of our owne life, but also to have stirred vp
(as much as in them lay) a generall rebellion throughout our whole Realme : we coulde
not but by our owne letters witneße vnto you the great and singular contentment
we receiued vpon the knowledge thereof, aßuring you, that we did not so much
reioyce at the escape of the intended attempt against our owne person, as to see
the great ioy our most louing Subiects tooke at the apprehension of the contriuers
thereof, which, to make their loue more apparant, they haue (as we are to our
great comfort informed) omitted no outwarde shewe, that by any externall acte
might witneße to the world the inwarde loue and duetifull affection they
beare toward vs, through the infinite bleßings he layeth vpon vs, as
many as euer Prince had, yea rather, as euer Creature had : yet doe we not
for any worldly blessing receiued from his diuine Maiestie, so greatly
acknowledge the same, as in that it hath pleased him to incline the heartes
of our Subiects euen from the first beginning of our reigne, to carrie as great
loue towards vs, as euer Subiects caried toward Prince, which ought to moue
vs (as it doeth in very deede) to seeke with all care, and by all good meanes
that appertaine to a Christian Prince, the conseruation of so louing and duetifully
affected Subiects : aßuring you that we desire no longer to liue, then while
we may in the whole course of our gouernement carrie our selfe in such sort, as
may not onely nourish and continue their loue and good will towards vs, but also
encrease the same. Wee thinke meete, that these our letters shoulde be communicated
in some generall aßemblie to our most louing Subiects the Commoners of
that Citie. Yeuen vnder our Signet at our Castell of Windsor, the 18. day of August
1 5 8 6. in the 28. yeere of our reigne.
Ight
worshipful, my good countreymen & Citizens of this most noble Citie of Londõ.
Since the late bruite and report of a most wicked and traiterous conspiracie,
not onely to take away the life of our most gratious Soueraigne, (whom God graunt long to liue
& reigne ouer vs) but also to stirre vp a general rebellion throughout the whole Realme :
the great and vniuersall ioy of you all of this Citie, vpon the apprehension of diuers of that
most wicked conspiracie alate declared and testified, by many outward acts
& shewes, hath wrought in the Queenes most excellent Maiestie such a
gratious contentmet, that it hath moued her Highnes, by her letters signed
with her owne hand, to signifie vnto my L. Maior of this Citie and his brethren,
her most Noble & Princely acceptation thereof, and that in such sort, as thereby
may appeare, that her Highnes hath not more, no not so much reioyced at the
most happie escape of the wicked mischiefe intended against her owne person,
as at the ioye which her louing Subiectes, and namely you of this Citie of
London tooke at the apprehension of the practicers of that intended Treason.
By occasion whereof, her Highnes brought to a thhankefull Remembrance, and acknowledging
of Gods infinite blessings bestowed on hir, comparable with any Prince or creature
in the worlde, no worldly thing more or like accompteth of, then of the heartie
loue of her louing & faithful subiects many wayes and many times before now,
but especially by this our great ioye in this sort, at this time, and vpon this occasion
shewed.
And that her exceeding great loue and acceptation of our Reioycing may the more appeare
vnto you, it hath pleased her Highnes in the same letters to declare, that she
desireth not longer to lyue among vs, then she shal maintayne, continue, nourish
and increase the loue and good will of her Subiects toward her. And this her
Highnes hath willed to be made knowen vnto you all, with this, that shee will not
faile with all care, and by all good meanes that appertaine to a Christian prince, to
seeke the cõseruation of you all so louing and duetifully affected Subiects.
This her Maiesties pleasure in part now declared, and more to be made knowen to you
by her owne letters, which you shall heare readde, my Lord Maior and his brethren
haue required mee to declare vnto you all, that they doe heartily reioyce
and thanke God for the happie day of the good acceptation of this your great ioy,
and my L. himselfe hath willed me to giue you all hearty thankes in his name, for
that in the time of his seruice your duetifull behauiours haue gotten to the Citie so
Noble and worthie a Testimonie of duetie and loyaltie, of so Noble and worthie a Queene.
Now forasmuch as Gods blessings wonderfully abound, and one ioye comes vpon another, let vs not
be vnthankefull to God, but acknowledge his goodnesse, and attribute the same ( as in deede
we ought) to the sincere Religion of Almightie God, most godly established by the Queenes most
excellent Maiestie, which hath taught vs to knowe God aright, our duetie to our
Soueraigne, and to loue our countrey, and hath made vs duetifull and obedient
Subiects, reioycing at all good things happening to her Maiestie, her Realme, or to any
in her Noble seruice, the true effectes of a true and good Religion : Whereas the
contemners thereof, and immoderate affectors of the Romish religion and superstitions,
being voyde of the true knowledge of God, haue declyned fvrom God, their allegiance to their
Prince, their loue to their Countrie, and haue becomme Inuenters of mischiefes, bruters and
spreaders abroade of false and seditious rumors, such as ioye at no good thing,
but contrariwise reioyce at euery euill successe, the badges and markes of their
profession, who haue before this, in this Realme and in other her Highnes dominions,
stirred vp rebellion, forraine inuasion, and many times practised the very death
and destruction of the Queene her selfe, the Ruyne and subuersion fo the whole
Realme, the proper effects of their Romish religion.
We haue beheld all these things, and seene in our dayes the Ruyne and mischiefes
inuented against others, fall vpon the inuenters themselues: and haue knowen the wicked
and violent hands of diuers of them, deuilishly to kill and murther themselues, when most
trayterously they woulde, and most happilioe they could not, flea the Lordes annoynted.
As we haue knowen all these things, so God be thanked, that by a better
Religion, hauing bene better taught, we haue bene no partakers of their wicked
deuises, but haue put to our helping hands as occasion hath serued, and euer
ready to ouerthrowe the auctors and deuisers thereof.
And I haue no doubt, but we of this Noble Citie, who hitherto haue bene alwayes
readie duetifully and faithfully to serue her Maiestie vpon all occasions, (her
Highnes now so graciously accepting onely of our reioycing at the apprehension of
her enemies, eue the least part of the duty of a good Subiect to so good a Queene)
will be readie euery one with all that we can make, and with the vttermost aduenture
of all our liues, speedily to be reuenged vpon all such as shall villainously and
traiterously attempt or put in vre any mischiefe to her Noble person, and in the
meane time will haue a better eye & eare to all suspitious & miscontented
persons, to their sayings and doings, to their false bruites and reports, to the
places and corners of their haunt and resort, to their harborers, companions,
ayders and mainteiners.
God vphold and continue his Religion among vs, and increase our zeale therein,
which hath made vs so louing and loyall, and so beloued and acceptable Subiectes
to so worthy a Prince, and roote out that wicked and Romish religion, that hath made
so many disloyall and traiterous Subiectes : to whom is both odious and irkesome,
the long life & prosperous Reigne of our most noble Queene Elizabeth. God
confounde all such traytors, and preserue her Highnesse long to liue and reigne ouer vs.
Disclaimer: The anti-Catholic opinions of James
Dalton in the second part of the above Web page are not a reflection of mine.
His transcribed speech is part of a historical document, and its presence on
this Web site should not be inferred as anything more than a preservation of
a historical document in electronic form. -- JSL
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