“ Whereat your Highness may rest assured, that heaven will smile, the earth will quake, men will clap their hands, and I will always continue an humble beseecher for the flourishing estate of your royal person, whom God now and ever preserve, to his good pleasure and our great comfort. ”

“ I pray you what say you to master Luther, Bucer, Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, &c., were not all these sometimes Massmongers, and yet singular and notable instruments of promoting the Gospel and preaching the same? Whereof many have given testimony by shedding their blood.
And by whose Ministry especially hath the Gospel been published, and is as yet in this Church of England, but by such as have been Massmongers, and now zealous, godly, and learned preachers?...
It is one thing wholly to worship false gods, another thing to worship the true God falsely and superstitiously. ”

“ This makes that I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people, and to be the means under God to conserve you in safety and preserve you from danger, yea, to be the instrument to deliver you from dishonour, from shame, and from infamy ”

“ And true it is that some men write and most men believe, that in all perfect shapes a blemish bringeth rather a liking every way to the eyes than a loathing any way to the mind. Venus had her mole in her cheek which made her more amiable. Helen her scar in her chin, which Paris called Cos amoris, the whetstone of love, Aristippus his wart, Lycurgus his wen: so likewise in the disposition of the mind, either virtue is overshadowed with some vice, or vice is overcast with some virtue. ”

“ And although in war time the living of the soldiers there be such service indeed as causeth enemies to forbear that border for the time, yet is that service so dear bought as all that the poor man saveth by the defence of the soldier’s presence, when the soldier is gone, the enemy cometh and taketh all away: so as between the soldier and the enemy the poor man hath nothing left.
And where a certain number of soldiers continually do lie in garrison at the Newery and Knockfargus they are also most commonly found for their provision by cess out of the English Pale to as great a charge as before. ”

“ But the number of the ungodly is so great in power, that there is not a corner left upon the whole earth now untainted with their wicked doctrines. Amongst which Elizabeth, pretended Queen of England, is above all the shelter and refuge of error and most noisome enemies. It is she, who, after she had possessed the Kingdom, usurping (monster-like) the place of the chief Sovereign of the Church in England and the principal jurisdiction and authority thereof, hath thrown into miserable ruin the whole kingdom, when it was even brought to the Catholic Faith, and began to bring forth good fruits. ”

“ This young gallant, of more wit than wealth, and yet of more wealth than wisdom, seeing himself inferior to none in pleasant conceits, thought himself superior to all his honest conditions, insomuch that he thought himself so apt to all things that he gave himself almost to nothing but practising of those things commonly which are incident to these sharp wits, fine phrases, smooth quips, merry taunts, using jesting without mean and abusing mirth without measure. ”

“ When parents have more care how to leave their children wealthy than wise, and are more desirous to have them maintain the name than the nature of a gentleman, when they put gold into the hands of youth, where they should put a rod under their girdle, when instead of awe they make them past grace, and leave them rich executors of goods, and poor executors of godliness, then is it no marvel that the son, being left rich by his father’s will, becomes retchless by his own will. ”

“ The General used Sir Richard with all humanity, and left nothing unattempted that tended to his recovery, highly commending his valour and worthiness, and greatly bewailing the danger wherein he was, being unto them a rare spectacle and a resolution seldom approved [57] to see one ship turn towards so many enemies, to endure the charge and boarding of so many huge Armadas, and to resist and repel the assaults and entries of so many soldiers. ”

“ If any man neglect his duty in that point, his fault must not be ascribed to the rule appointed, neither yet to the whole Church.... Again, if some be admitted into the ministry, either void of learning, or lewd in life, are all the rest for their sake to be condemned?... I think you will not deny, but that there is now within this Church of England, as many{36} learned, godly, grave, wise, and worthy ministers of the Word, as there is in any one realm or particular Church in all Christendom, or ever hath been heretofore. ”

“ The charge and finding of the men of war of every private Irish lord is such a burden to his country as keepeth the same ever in great poverty, and by that means bringeth{42} them that taketh most pain to most penury, and those that getteth all to gain nothing: whereby husbandry is so hard to live by as very few covet it, as no plenty can prosper, but ever scarcity, where this is used, not only hindering the good but forwarding the evil, so far that the most mischief of all the land is fed and nourished withal. ”

“ If a father have foure sonnes, three faire and well formed both mynde and bodie, the fourth, wretched, lame, and deformed, his choice shalbe, to put the worst to learning, as one good enoughe to becum a scholer. I have spent the most parte of my life in the Universitie, and therfore I can beare good witnes that many fathers commonlie do thus: wherof, I have heard many wise, learned, and as good men as ever I knew, make great, and oft complainte: a good horseman will choose no soch colte, neither for his own, nor yet for his master’s sadle. ”

“ And thus their countries are impoverished as inhabitants having nothing left to cherish or care for (unless sometime a few cattle which the poor people are forced to drive with them wheresoever they go, for finding their Lords’ men of war) , they, as careless of their behaviour, become as idle as the rest, stealing by night and robbing by day, as at last stirreth them to war one Lord against another. ”

“ When for more ease and better defence of the Pale the soldiers are sent to lie upon the borders in peace time, where, a great number being cessed upon a small territory, the burden is so heavy to the inhabitants, upon whom if they but lie one quarter of a year, the poor people liven the worse seven years after. ”

“ When this answer was returned, and that safety of life was promised, the common sort being now at the end of their peril, the most drew back from Sir Richard and the master gunner, being no hard matter to dissuade men from death to life. ”

“ First it is to be understand that the land of Ireland was divided into several Kingdoms, and so continued of long time,{41} until the coming of King Henry the Second, who then did win by conquest the most part of the same land, and the same gave and departed amongst his nobles and certain English gentlemen and others that went with him into Ireland, in reward of their service there done, where they both planted themselves and remained as obedient subjects to the King and Crown of England and his laws, and maintained the same. ”

“ Nor yet can so few as they are in those garrisons be a scourge to any enemy of force, who may easily keep from them that he listeth not to lose, as nothing they can get themselves unless they make a sudden raid, as commonly they do upon those with whom they have no war, and take a prey of them: who, to revenge the same, cometh and spoileth all the poor people that dwelleth about those forts, to their utter decay and waste. ”

“ The appearance of their outward behaviour sheweth to be the fruits of no good trees, for they exercise no virtue, nor yet refrain or forbear any vice, but think it lawful to do every one what him listeth, as thereby should seem they neither love nor dread God, nor yet hate the Devil. ”

“ In consideration whereof we most humbly beseach your Grace for your godly care for the refourming of so great abuses tending to the offence of Almightie God, the prophanation and sclaunder of his true religion and the corrupting of our youth, which are the seed of the Church of God and the common wealth among us, to vouchsafe us your good favour and help for the refourming and banishing of so great evill out of this Citie, which ourselves of long time though to small purpose have so earnestly desired and endeavoured by all means that possibly wee could. ”

“ There is nothing in all the world that troubleth my conscience, I praise God, this only excepted. Whilst I was in the see of London, divers poor men took leases of me, and agreed with me for the same. ”

“ And tho’ amongst them the principal members are such as are not touched in private, and therefore need not speak from any feeling of the grief, yet we have heard that other gentlemen also of the House, who stand as free, have also spoken as freely in it; which gives us to know that no respects or interests have moved them, other than the minds they bear to suffer no diminution of our honour and our subjects’ love unto us. ”

“ As divers ill-disposed persons about Her Majesty have, by their crafty dealing, overthrown in this realm the true and Catholic religion towards God,{50} abused [22] the Queen, dishonoured the realm, and now seek to procure the destruction of this nobility, we have gathered ourselves together to resist force by force, and rather, by the help of God and you good people, to redress those things amiss, with the restoring of all ancient customs and liberties to God and this noble realm. ”

“ The Lords went together. The Duke of Northumberland would not agree that any searching of his Death should be Treason. So the Lords acquitted him of High Treason, and condemned him of Treason Fellonious, and so he was adjudged to be hang’d.
He gave thanks to the Lords for their open Trial, and cried Mercy of the Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess of Northampton, and the Earl of Pembrook, for his ill-meaning against them, and made suit for his Life, Wife, Children, Servants, and Debts, and so departed without the Ax of the Tower. ”

“ The cares and troubles of a crown I cannot more fitly resemble than to the drugs of a learned physician, perfumed with some aromatical savour, or to bitter pills gilded over, by which they are made more acceptable or less offensive, which indeed are bitter and unpleasant to take ”

“ Although some more ease they find by their absence than when they are lodged in their houses, and to the Queen’s Majesty an increase of charge by as much as freights and carriages by sea and land, with great allowances to victuallers and clerks, as sometime the charges is more than the principal provision so transported is worth at the arrival, and sometime the whole perisheth by shipwreck, as every way the Queen’s Majesty is a loser. ”

“ On the next day, being Sunday, there was nothing done until the evening, at which time there were fireworks shewed upon the water, the which were both strange and well executed: as sometimes, passing under the water a long space, when all men had thought they had been quenched, they would rise and mount out of the water again, and burn very furiously until they were utterly consumed. ”

“ As We do free them by the authority of these presents and exclude the said Elizabeth from the right which she pretendeth to the said kingdom, and the rest before mentioned. Commanding moreover and enjoining all and every the nobles, as subjects, people, and others whatsoever, that they shall not once dare to obey her, or any her directions, laws, or commandments, binding under the same curse those who do anything to the contrary. ”

“ In those days [15] no idolatrous sacrificers or heathenish priests were appointed to be preachers of the Gospel: but we allow, and like well, of popish mass-mongers, men for all seasons, King Henry’s priests, King Edward’s priests, Queen Mary’s priests, who of a truth (if God’s word were precisely followed) should from the same be utterly removed.... Then [15] election was made by the common consent of the whole church: now everyone picketh out for himself some notable good benefice, he obtaineth the next advowson by money or by favour, and so thinketh himself to be sufficiently chosen.... ”

“ Know I accept them with no less joy than your loves can have desire to offer such a present, and do more esteem it than any treasure or riches; for those we know how to prize, but loyalty, love, and thanks, I account them invaluable ”

“ But Nature, impatient of comparisons, and as it were disdaining a companion or copartner in her working, added to this comeliness of his body such a sharp capacity of mind, that not only she proved Fortune counterfeit, but was half of that opinion that she herself was only current. ”

“ If you thinke, we judge amisse, and write too sore against you, heare, what the Italian sayth of the English man, what the master reporteth of the scholer: who uttereth playnlie, what is taught by him, and what is learned by you, saying, Englese Italianato, e un diabolo{109} incarnato, that is to say, you remaine men in shape and facion, but becum devils in life and condition....
I was once in Italie my selfe: but I thanke God, my abode there, was but ix. dayes: And yet I sawe in that litle tyme, in one Citie, more libertie to sinne, than ever I hard tell of in our noble Citie of London in ix. ”

“ To all and every singular person and persons, of what estate or degree soever they be, that love the common wealthe, honoure and libertie of this ower native countrye, and moste for the realme of England, the Lorde Thomas Stafforde, son to the Lorde Henry, rightfull Duke of Bockingham, sendythe greetinge. ”