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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.

RIght 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.
RIght 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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