No. 49.

Speech made by a member of the Common Council 22 Aug., 1586, upon the occasion of the discovery of the Babington conspiracy.

Journal 22, fo. 52.

Right worshipfull my good countreymen & citezens of this most noble cittie of London. Since the late brute and report of a most wicked and tray terouse conspiracie, not onelie to take awaie the leif of our most gracious soveraigne whom god graunt longe to lyve & raigne over us but also to stuer upp a generall rebellion throughout the whole realme; the greate and universall ioye of you all of this cittie, uppon the apprehension of divers of that most wicked conspiracy a late declared and testified by manie outward actes & shewes hathe wrought in the quenes most excellent maiestie sutche a gracious contentement, that it hathe moved hir highnes, by hir letters signed w^th hir owne hand to signifie unto my L. Maior of this cittie, and his bretherein, her most noble and pricelie acceptacioun thereof And that in sutche sorte as there by maie appeare that hir highnes hath not more no not so mutche reioyced at the most happie escape of the wicked mischeif intended against hir owne person as att the ioye w^ch her lovinge subiectes and namelie you of this cittie of London looke at the apprehension of the practizers of that intended treason By occasion whereof hir highnes brought to a thankfull rememberance, and acknowledginge of godes infinite blessing bestowed on hir, comparable w^th anie prince or creature in the worlde no worldly thinge more or like accompteth of them of the heartie love of hir lovinge faithfull subiectes many wayes and many tymes before nowe but especially by this our greate ioye in this sorte at this tyme and uppon this occasion shewed.

And that hir exceadinge greate love and exceptacion of our reioycinge maye the more appeare unto you, it hath pleased hir highnes in the same letter to declare that she desireth no longer to live amonge us, then she shall maynteyne contynue norish & increase the love and goodwill of her subiectes towardes hir And this her highenes hath willed to be made knowen unto you all w^th this, that she will not faile w^th all care and by all good meanes that apperteyne to a Christian prince to seke the conservacion of you all so lovinge and dowty full affected subiectes This hir maiesties pleasure in parte nowe declared & more to be made knowen to you by hir owne letters, w^ch you shall heare redd, my lorde maior and his bretheren have required me to declare unto you all that they doe hartelie reioyce and thank god for the happie daie of the good acceptacion of this your greate ioye. And my L. himself hathe willed me to give you all hartie thankes in his name for that in the tyme of his service your dutifull behaviours have gotten to the cittie so noble & worthie a testimonie of dewtie & loyaltie of so worthie & noble a quene.

Now for asmutche as godes blessinges wonder fullie abounde & one ioye cometh uppon an other let us not be unthankfull to god but acknowledge his goodnes, attribute the same (as in deede we ought) to the sincere religion of allmightie god most godlie established by the quenes most excellent ma^tie w^ch hath taught us to knowe god a right our dowtie to our soveraigne and to love our countrey, and hath made us dutifull & obedient subiectes reioycinge att all good thinges happeninge to hir ma^tie hir realme or to anie in hir noble service the true effectes of a true & good religion. Whereas the contempners thereof & the immoderate affectors of the Romish religion & suspersticions, beinge voide of the true knowledge of god, have declyned from god, their allegiance to their prince their love to their countrey, And have become inventors of mischifes, brutors and spreaders abrode of false and sediciouse rumors, sutche as ioye at no good thinge but contrarie wise reioyse at everie evell successe, the badges and markes of their profession, who have before this, & in this realme and other hir highnes dominions stirred upp rebellion forrein invasion, and manie tymes practized the verey deathe & destruccion of the quene hir self the ruyne & subversion of the whole realme the proper effectes of their romishe religion.

We have behelde thes thinges & seene in our daies the ruyne and mischeifes invented against others fall uppon the inventors themselves & have knowen the wicked and violent handes of divers of them devilishlie to kill & murdre them selves whom most trayterouslie then woulde, and most happilie the could not slea the Lordes annoynted.

As we have knowen all thes thinges, so god be thanked, that by a better religion, havinge ben better taught, we have ben no partakers of their wicked devises, But have put to our helpinge handes as occasion hath served, and over redie to ever throwe the auctors & devisers there of.

And I have no doubt, but we of this noble cittie, who hetherto have ben alwaies redie dutifullie & faithfully to serve hir maiestie uppon all occasions (her highnes now so graciouslie acceptinge onely of our reioycinge at the apprehension of her enemies ever the least parte of the dutie of a good subiecte to so good a quene) wilbe redie everie one w^th all y^t we can make, & w^th the uttermost adventure of all our lives spedilie to be revenged uppon all sutche as shall vilanouslie & trayterouslie attempe or put in ure anie mischeif to her noble person, and in the meane tyme will have a better eye and eare to all suspicious miscontented persons to their sayenges and doinges to their false brutes and reportes, to the places and corners of their haunt & resort, to their harbours companions, ayders & maynteyners.

God upholde and contynue his religion amonge us & increase our zeale therein w^ch hathe made us so lovinge & loyall and so beloved & acceptable subiectes to so worthie a prince, & roote out the wicked & romishe religion that hath made so manie disloyall & trayterous subiectes, to whom is bothe odious & irkesome the longe lief and prosperouse reygne of our most noble quene Elizabeth. God confounde all sutche traytors and preserve hir hignes longe to live and raigne over us.