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12 | <title>Elizabeth I: Poetry</title>
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17 | <div align="left">
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18 | <div align="left">
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19 | <div align="center"><b>I am redesigning the Elizabethan <a
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20 | href="eliz1-writings.html#Speeches">speeches </a>- <a href="eliz1-writings.html#Letters">letters </a>- <a
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21 | href="eliz1-writings.html#Poetry">poetry</a> pages - as of 15 October 2002.<br>
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22 | Until I'm finished, all the text is posted here. Click the above
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23 | links to visit the different sections.</b><br>
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24 | </div>
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25 |
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26 | <p><b><a name="Poetry"></a>COMPOSED 1554-5 </b></p>
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27 |
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28 | <p>Much suspected by me, <br>
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29 | Nothing proved can be, <br>
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30 | Quoth Elizabeth prisoner. </p>
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31 |
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32 | <p> </p>
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33 |
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34 | <hr width="100%">
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35 | <p><b>WRITTEN ON A WALL AT WOODSTOCK, 1554-5 </b></p>
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36 |
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37 | <p>Oh Fortune, thy wresting wavering state <br>
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38 | Hath fraught with cares my troubled wit, <br>
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39 | Whose witness this present prison late <br>
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40 | Could bear, where once was joy's loan quit. <br>
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41 | Thou causedst the guilty to be loosed <br>
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42 | From bands where innocents were inclosed, <br>
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43 | And caused the guiltless to be reserved, <br>
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44 | And freed those that death had well deserved. <br>
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45 | But all herein can be nothing wrought, <br>
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46 | So God send to my foes all they have thought. </p>
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47 |
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48 | <p> </p>
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49 |
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50 | <hr width="100%">
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51 | <h3><small><small> </small></small></h3>
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52 |
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53 | <h3><b><small> <font size="+0"><small>WRITTEN IN HER FRENCH PSALTER, 1554-5</small></font></small></b></h3>
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54 | No crooked leg, no bleared eye, <br>
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55 | No part deformed out of kind, <br>
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56 | Nor yet so ugly half can be <br>
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57 | As is the inward suspicious mind.<br>
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58 | </div>
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59 | </div>
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60 |
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61 | <hr width="100%">
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62 | <p><b>THE DOUBT OF FUTURE FOES, 1568-70</b> </p>
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63 |
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64 | <p>The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy, <br>
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65 | And wit me warns to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy; <br>
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66 | For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects' faith doth ebb, <br>
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67 | Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom weaved the web. <br>
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68 | But clouds of joys untried do cloak aspiring minds, <br>
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69 | Which turn to rain of late repent by changed course of winds. <br>
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70 | The top of hope supposed the root upreared shall be, <br>
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71 | And fruitless all their grafted guile, as shortly ye shall see. <br>
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72 | The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds, <br>
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73 | Shall be unsealed by worthy wights whose foresight falsehood finds. <br>
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74 | The daughter of debate that discord aye doth sow <br>
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75 | Shall reap no gain where former rule still peace hath taught to know.
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76 | <br>
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77 | No foreign banished wight shall anchor in this port; <br>
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78 | Our realm brooks not seditious sects, let them elsewhere resort. <br>
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79 | My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ <br>
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80 | To poll their tops that seek such change or gape for future joy. </p>
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81 |
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82 | <p> </p>
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83 |
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84 | <hr width="100%">
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85 | <p><b>THAT WHICH OUR SOVEREIGN LADY WROTE IN DEFIANCE OF FORTUNE, 1568-70</b>
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86 | </p>
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87 |
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88 | <p>Never think you fortune can bear the sway <br>
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89 | Where virtue's force can cause her to obey. </p>
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90 |
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91 | <p> </p>
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92 |
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93 | <hr width="100%">
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94 | <p><a href="http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/eliz/poetry.html"></a></p>
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95 |
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96 | <p><b><font size="+0">ON MONSIEUR'S DEPARTURE, 1582</font></b> </p>
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97 |
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98 | <p>I grieve and dare not show my discontent, <br>
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99 | I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, <br>
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100 | I do, yet dare not say I ever meant, <br>
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101 | I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate. <br>
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102 | I am and not, I freeze and yet am burned, <br>
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103 | Since from myself another self I turned. <br>
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104 | My care is like my shadow in the sun, <br>
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105 | Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, <br>
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106 | Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done. <br>
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107 | His too familiar care doth make me rue it. <br>
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108 | No means I find to rid him from my breast, <br>
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109 | Till by the end of things it be supprest. <br>
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110 | Some gentler passion slide into my mind, <br>
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111 | For I am soft and made of melting snow; <br>
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112 | Or be more cruel, love, and so be kind. <br>
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113 | Let me or float or sink, be high or low. <br>
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114 | Or let me live with some more sweet content, <br>
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115 | Or die and so forget what love ere meant. </p>
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116 |
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117 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><font size="+1"><br>
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118 | <a name="Speeches"></a>ELIZABETH'S MARRIAGE SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT, 1559</font>
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119 | <br>
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120 | <font size="-1">Elizabeth's Parliament thought to bully her into marriage.
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121 | From Henry VIII's accession in 1509 onwards, the Tudor dynasty was always
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122 | consumed by the problem of succession. For a hundred years, Englishmen
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123 | - and many Europeans - discussed the topic. It was of vital importance.
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124 | Elizabeth, however, would not be bullied and refused to marry. She
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125 | responded to Parliament's demand for her marriage with a wonderful extemporaneous
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126 | speech. This was in 1559, barely a year into her reign.</font>
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127 | <p>When the Assembly of Parliament was now to be dissolved, they all thought
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128 | good that the Third Estate, or Lower House, should advise the Queen to
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129 | marry betimes: yet would not the Temporal Lords joyn with them, lest any
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130 | of them might seem to propound it in hope to prefer himself. Thomas Gargrave
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131 | therefore, Speaker of the Lower House, with some few selected men, after
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132 | leave obtained, came unto the Queen, and making his excuse by his Office,
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133 | the Queen's Courtesie, and the Weightiness of the matter, went forward to
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134 | this purpose: There is nothing which with more ardent affection we beg of
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135 | God in our daily prayers, than that our Happiness hitherto received by your
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136 | most gratious Government may be perpetuated to the English Nation unto all
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137 | eternity, Whilstin our mind and cogitation we cast many ways how this may
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138 | be effected, we can find none at all, unless your Majesty should either reign
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139 | for ever, (which to hope for is not lawfull;) or else by Marriage bring forth
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140 | Children, Heirs both of their Mother's Vertue and Empire, (which God Almighty
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141 | grant.) This is the single, the onely, the all-comprehending Prayer of all
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142 | English-men. All other men, of what place and degree soever, but especially
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143 | Princes, must have a care, that though themselves be mortal, yet the Commonwealth
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144 | may continue immortal. This immortality may your Majesty give to the English,
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145 | if (as your humane nature, Age, Beauty and Fortune do require,) you will
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146 | take some man to your Hus band, who may be a Comfort and Help unto you,
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147 | and a Consort in Prosperity and Adversity. For (questionless) more availeth
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148 | the Help of one onely Husband for the effecting of matters, than the joynt
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149 | Industry of many men. Nothing can be more contrary to the publick Respects,
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150 | than that such a Princess, in whose Marriage is comprehended the Safety
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151 | and Peace of the Commonwealth, should live unmarried, and as it were a Vestal
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152 | Virgin. A Kingdom received from Ancestours is to be left to Children, who
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153 | will be both an Ornament and Strength to the Realm. The Kings of England
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154 | have never been more carefull of any thing, than that the Royal Family might
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155 | not fail of Issue. Hence it was, that within our fresh memory Henry the
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156 | VII. your Grandfather, provided his Sons Arthur and Henry of Marriage even
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157 | in their tender years. Hence it was that your Father sought to procure Mary
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158 | Queen of Scots to be a Wife for his young Son Prince Edward, then scarce
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159 | eight years old: and very lately your Sister, Queen Mary, being well in
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160 | years, married Philip of Spain . If lack of Children use to be inflicted
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161 | by God as a great Punishment as well upon Royal as private Families; what
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162 | and how great a Sin may it be, if the Prince voluntarily pluck it upon himself,
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163 | whereby an infinite heap of Miseries must needs overwhelm the Commonwealth
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164 | with all Calamities which the mind even dreadeth to remember? Which that it
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165 | may not come to pass, not onely we few that are here to present, but even
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166 | all England , yea all English men, do prostrate our selves at your feet, and
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167 | with humble voice and frequent Sighs do from the bottom of our hearts most
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168 | submissively pray and beseech you. These things spake he eloquently and more
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169 | amply. </p>
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170 |
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171 | <p><font size="+1"><small>ELIZABETH'S REPLY:<small> <big>(</big></small></small></font><small>She
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172 | answered briefly:)</small> In a matter most unpleasing, most pleasing to
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173 | me is the apparent Good will of you and my People, as proceeding from a very
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174 | good mind towards me and the Commonwealth. Concerning Marriage, which ye so
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175 | earnestly move me to, I have been long since perswaded, that I was sent into
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176 | this world by God to think and doe those things chiefly which may tend to
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177 | his Glory. Hereupon have I chosen that kind of life which is most free from
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178 | the troublesome Cares of this world, that I might attend the Service of God
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179 | alone. From which if either the tendred Marriages of most Potent Princes,
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180 | or the danger of Death intended against me, could have removed me, I had long
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181 | agone enjoyed the honour of an Husband. And these things have I thought upon
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182 | when I was a private person. But now that the publick Care of governing the
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183 | Kingdom is laid upon me, to draw upon me also the Cares of Marriage may seem
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184 | a point of inconsiderate Folly. Yea, to satisfie you, I have already joyned
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185 | my self in Marriage to an Husband, namely, the Kingdom of England. And behold
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186 | (said she which I marvell ye have forgotten,) the Pledge of this my Wedlock
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187 | and Marriage with my Kingdom. (And therewith she drew the Ring from her Finger,
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188 | and shewed it, wherewith at her Coronation she had in a set form of words
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189 | solemnly given her self in Marriage to her Kingdom.) Here having made a pause,
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190 | And do not (saith she) upbraid me with miserable lack of Children: for every
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191 | one of you, and as many as are Englishmen, are Children and Kinsmen to me;
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192 | of whom if God deprive me not, (which God forbid) I cannot without injury
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193 | be accounted Barren. But I commend you that ye have not appointed me an Husband,
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194 | for that were most unworthy the Majesty of an absolute Princess, and unbeseeming
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195 | your Wisedom, which are Subjects born. Nevertheless if it please God that
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196 | I enter into another course of life, I promise you I will doe nothing which
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197 | may be prejudicial to the Commonwealth, but will take such a Husband, as
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198 | near as may be, as will have as great a Care of the Commonwealth as my self.
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199 | But if I continue in this kind of life I have begun, I doubt not but God
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200 | will so direct mine own and your Counsels, that ye shall not need to doubt
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201 | of a Successour which may be more beneficial to the Commonwealth than he
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202 | which may be born of me, considering that the Issue of the best Princes many
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203 | times degenerateth. And to me it shall be a full satisfaction, both for the
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204 | memorial of my Name, and for my Glory also, if when I shall let my last breath,
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205 | it be ingraven upon my Marble Tomb, Here lieth Elizabeth, which Reigned a
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206 | Virgin, and died a Virgin. <br>
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207 | </p>
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208 |
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209 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><br>
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210 | <font size="+1">ELIZABETH'S SPEECH AT TILBURY, 1588</font> <br>
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211 | <font size="-1">The English forces were gathered to fight the Spanish
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212 | Armada; their unlikely victory was one of the great highlights of Elizabeth's
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213 | reign.</font> <br>
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214 | <br>
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215 | My loving people, <br>
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216 | We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take
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217 | heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery;
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218 | but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving
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219 | people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God,
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220 | I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and
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221 | good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see,
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222 | at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the
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223 | midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down
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224 | for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even
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225 | in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I
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226 | have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think
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227 | foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade
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228 | the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by
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229 | me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and
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230 | rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your
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231 | forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in
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232 | the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant
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233 | general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble
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234 | or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your
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235 | concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a
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236 | famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.
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237 | <br>
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238 | <br>
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239 |
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240 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><b><br>
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241 | <a name="Letters"></a>To King Edward VI, 15th May 1546.</b> <br>
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242 | <font size="-1"></font>
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243 | <p>Like as the rich man daily gathereth riches to riches, and one bag of
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244 | money layeth a great sort till it come to infinite, so methinks your Majesty,
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245 | not being sufficed with many benefits and gentleness showed to me afore this
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246 | time, doth now increase them in asking and desiring where you may bid and
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247 | command, requiring a thing not worthy the desiring for itself, but made worthy
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248 | for your Highness's request. My picture, I mean, in which if the inward
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249 | good mind toward your Grace might as well be declared as the outward face
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250 | and countenance shall be seen, I would not have tarried the commandment but
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251 | prevent it, nor have been the last to grant but the first to offer it. For
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252 | the face, I grant, I might well blush to offer, but the mind I shall never
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253 | be ashamed to present. For though from the grace of the picture the colours
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254 | may fade by time, may give you weather, may be spotted by chance; yet the
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255 | other nor time with her swift wings shall overtake, nor the misty clouds
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256 | with their lowerings may darken, nor chance with her slippery foot may overthrow.
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257 | Of this although yet the proof could not be great because the occasion hath
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258 | been but small, notwithstanding as a dog hath a day, so may I perchance have
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259 | time to declare it in deeds where now I do write them in words. And further
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260 | I shall most humbly beseech your Majesty that when you shall look on my picture,
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261 | you will vouchsafe to think that as you have but the outward shadow of the
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262 | body before you, so my inward mind wisheth that the body itself were oftener
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263 | in your presence; howbeit because both my so being I think could do your
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264 | Majesty little pleasure, though myself great good; and again because I see
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265 | as yet not the time agreeing thereunto, I shall learn to follow this saying
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266 | of Horace, ' Feras non culpes quod vitari non potest.' And thus I will (troubling
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267 | your Majesty I fear) end with my most humble thanks. <br>
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268 | Beseeching God long to preserve you to His Honour,
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269 | to your comfort, to the Realm's profit, and to my joy. From Hatfield
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270 | this 15th day of May. <br>
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271 | Your Majesty's most humble sister and servant, <br>
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272 | Elizabeth. </p>
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273 |
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274 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><br>
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275 | <b>To the Dowager Queen Katharine Parr, 31st July 1548.</b> <br>
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276 | <font size="-1">This was written after Elizabeth had left Katharine's
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277 | home (after the Thomas Seymour debacle.) Katharine was due to deliver
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278 | her first child soon; she died shortly after childbirth.</font> Although
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279 | your Higness's letters be most joyful to me in absence, yet, considering
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280 | what pain it is for you to write, your Grace being so sickly, your commendations
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281 | were enough in my Lord's letter. I much rejoice at your health, with the well
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282 | liking of the country, with my humble thanks that your Grace wished me with
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283 | you till you were weary of that country. Your Highness were like to be cumbered,
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284 | if I should not depart till I were weary of being with you; although it were
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285 | the worst soil in the world, your presence would make it pleasant. I cannot
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286 | reprove my Lord for not doing your commendations in his letter, for he did
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287 | it; and although he had not, yet I will not complain on him; for he shall
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288 | be diligent to give me knowledge from time to time how his busy child doth;
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289 | and if I were at his birth, no doubt I would see him beaten, for the trouble
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290 | he hath put you to. Master Denny and my lady, with humble thanks, prayeth
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291 | most entirely for your Grace, praying the Almighty God to send you a most
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292 | lucky deliverance, and my mistress wisheth no less, giving your Highness
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293 | most humble thanks for her commendations. <br>
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294 | Written with very little leisure this last day of July.
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295 | <br>
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296 | Your humble daughter, <br>
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297 | Elizabeth. <br>
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298 | <br>
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299 |
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300 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><br>
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301 | <b>To Princess Mary, 27th October 15--.</b> Good Sister, as to hear of
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302 | your sickness is unpleasant to me, so is it nothing fearful; for that I understand
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303 | it is your old guest that is wont oft to visit you, whose coming though
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304 | it be oft, yet is it never welcome, but notwithstanding it is comfortable
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305 | for that iacula præuisa minus feriunt. And as I do understand your
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306 | need of Jane Russel's service, so am I sorry that it is by my man's occasion
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307 | letted, which if I had known afore, I would have caused his will give place
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308 | to need of her service. For as it is her duty to obey his commandment, so
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309 | is it his part to attend your pleasure; and, as I confess, it were meeter
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310 | for him to go to her, since she attends upon you, so indeed he required the
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311 | same, but for that divers of his fellows had business abroad that made his
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312 | tarrying at home. <br>
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313 | Good Sister, though I have good cause to thank you for your oft sending
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314 | to me, yet I have more occasion to render hearty thanks for your gentle
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315 | writing, which how painful it is to you, I may well guess by myself; and
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316 | you may well see by my writing so oft, how pleasant it is to me. And thus
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317 | I end to trouble you, desiring God to send you as well to do, as you can
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318 | think and wish, or I desire or pray. From Ashridge, scribbled this 27th
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319 | of October. <br>
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320 | Your loving sister, <br>
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321 | Elizabeth. <br>
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322 | <br>
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323 |
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324 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><br>
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325 | <b>To Queen Mary, 16th March 1554.</b> <br>
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326 | <font size="-1">This was written when the order came that Elizabeth was
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327 | to be sent to the Tower, on suspicion that she was implicated by Wyatt's
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328 | rebellion. Wyatt's correspondence with Elizabeth was seized, and amongst
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329 | the evidence produced was an alleged copy of a letter written by Elizabeth
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330 | to Henri II of France. It was a forgery.</font>
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331 | <p>If any ever did try this old saying, 'that a king's word was more than
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332 | another man's oath,' I most humbly beseech your Majesty to verify it to
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333 | me, and to remember your last promise and my last demand, that I be not not
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334 | condemned without answer and due proof, which it seems that I now am; for
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335 | without cause proved, I am by your council from you commanded to go to the
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336 | Tower, a place more wanted for a false traitor than a true subject, which
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337 | though I know I desire it not, yet in the face of all this realm it appears
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338 | proved. I pray to God I may die the shamefullest death that any ever died,
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339 | if I may mean any such thing; and to this present hour I protest before God
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340 | (Who shall judge my truth, whatsoever malice shall devise), that I never
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341 | practised, counselled, nor consented to anything that might be prejudicial
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342 | to your person anyway, or dangerous to the state by any means. And therefore
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343 | I humbly beseech your Majesty to let me answer afore yourself, and not suffer
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344 | me to trust to your Councillors, yea, and that afore I go to the Tower, if
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345 | it be possible; if not, before I be further condemned. Howbeit, I trust assuredly
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346 | your Highness will give me leave to do it afore I go, that thus shamefully
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347 | I may not be cried out on, as I now shall be; yea, and that without cause.
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348 | Let conscience move your Highness to pardon this my boldness, which innocency
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349 | procures me to do, together with hope of your natural kindness, which I trust
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350 | will not see me cast away without desert, which what it is I would desire
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351 | no more of God but that you truly knew, but which thing I think and believe
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352 | you shall never by report know, unless by yourself you hear. I have heard
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353 | of many in my time cast away for want of coming to the presence of their
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354 | Prince; and in late days I heard my Lord of Somerset say that if his brother
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355 | had been suffered to speak with him he had never suffered; but persuasions
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356 | were made to him so great that he was brought in belief that he could not
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357 | live safely if the Admiral lived, and that made him give consent to his death.
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358 | Though these persons are not to be compared to your Majesty, yet I pray to
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359 | God the like evil persuasions persuade not one sister against the other,
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360 | and all for that they have heard false report, and the truth not known. Therefore,
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361 | once again, kneeling with humbleness of heart, because I am not suffered
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362 | to bow the knees of my body, I humbly crave to speak with your Highness, which
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363 | I would not be so bold as to desire if I knew not myself most clear, as I
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364 | know myself most true. And as for the traitor Wyatt, he might peradventure
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365 | write me a letter, but on my faith I never received any from him. And as
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366 | for the copy of the letter sent to the French King, I pray God confound me
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367 | eternally if ever I sent him word, message, token, or letter, by any means,
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368 | and to this truth I will stand in till my death. <br>
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369 | Your Highness's most faithful subject, that hath been
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370 | from the beginning, and will be to my end, <br>
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371 | Elizabeth. </p>
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372 | I humbly crave but only one word of answer from yourself. <font
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373 | size="-1">(added as a postscript)</font> <br>
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374 |
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375 | <hr width="100%" size="2"><a
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376 | href="scot-letters.html"><br>
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377 | Read Elizabeth's last letter to Mary, queen of Scots and her letter to
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378 | King James VI informing him of Mary's execution.<br>
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379 | </a><br>
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380 | <br>
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381 |
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382 | <div align="center"><small><a
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383 | href="primary.html">to Primary Sources</a><br>
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384 | <a href="http://englishhistory.net/tudor.html">to Tudor England</a></small><br>
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385 | <br>
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386 | </div>
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387 |
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388 | <p> </p>
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389 | <br>
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390 | <br>
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391 | <br>
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392 | <br>
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393 | </body>
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394 | </html>
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