“We greet you well, and have received sure advertisement that our dearest brother the King, our late sovereign lord, is departed to God’s mercy; which news, how woeful they be unto our heart, he only knoweth, to whose will and pleasure, we must and do, humbly submit us and our wills. But in this so lamentable a case, that is to wit, now after his Majesty’s departure and death, concerning the crown and governance of this realm of England, with the title of France, and all things thereto belonging, what hath been provided by act of Parliament, and the testament and last will of our dearest father, beside other circumstances advancing our right, you know, the realm and the whole world knoweth; the rolls and records appear by the authority of the King our said father, and the King our said brother, and the subjects of this realm; so that we verily trust that there is no true good subject that is, can or would pretend to be, ignorant thereof. And of our part we have of ourselves caused, and as God shall aid and strengthen us, shall cause, our right and title in this behalf to be published and proclaimed accordingly. And albeit this so weighty a matter seemeth strange, that our said brother, dying upon Thursday at night last past, we hitherto had no knowledge from you thereof, yet we consider your wisdom and prudence to be such, that having eftsoons amongst you debated, pondered, and well weighed this present case with our estate, with your own estate, the commonwealth and all our honours, we shall and may conceive great hope and trust, with much assurance in your loyalty and service; and therefore for the time, interpret and take things not to the worst; and that ye will like noblemen work the best. Nevertheless, we are not ignorant of your consultations to undo the provisions made for our preferment, nor of the great bands and provisions forcible, wherewith ye be assembled and prepared, by whom, and to what end, God and you know, and nature can but fear some evil. But be it that some consideration politic, or whatsoever thing else hath moved you thereto; yet doubt you not my lords, but we can take all these your doings in gracious part, being also right ready to remit and fully pardon the same, and that freely, to eschew bloodshed and vengeance against all those that can or will intend the same; trusting also assuredly, you will take and accept this grace and virtue in good part, as appertaineth, and that we shall not be enforced to use the service of other our true subjects and friends, which in this our just and right cause, God, in whom our whole affiance is, shall send us. Wherefore my lords, we require you and charge you, and every of you, that of your allegiance, which you owe to God and us, and to none other, for our honour, and the surety of our person, only employ yourselves, and forthwith, upon receipt hereof, cause our right and title to the crown and governance of this realm to be proclaimed in our city of London, and other places, as to your wisdom shall seem good, and as to this case appertaineth; not failing hereof, as our very trust is in you. And this our letter signed with our hand, shall be your sufficient warrant in this behalf.
“Given under our signet at our manor of Kenninghall, the 9th of July 1553.”
This display of courage made no impression on the conspirators, and they made answer:—
“Madam,
“We have received your letters the 9th of this instant, declaring your supposed title, which you judge yourself to have, to the imperial crown of this realm, and all the dominions thereunto belonging. For answer whereof, this is to advertise you, that for as much as our sovereign lady queen Jane is after the death of our sovereign lord Edward the 6th, a prince of most noble memory, invested and possessed with the just and right title in the imperial crown of this realm, not only by good order of old ancient laws of this realm, but also by our late sovereign lord’s letters patent, signed with his own hand, and sealed with the great Seal of England, in presence of the most part of the nobles, councillors, judges, with divers other grave and sage personages, assenting and subscribing to the same. We must therefore of most bound duty and allegiance assent unto her said grace, and to none other, except we should, which faithful subjects cannot, fall into grievous and unspeakable enormities. Wherefore we can no less do, but for the quiet both of the realm and you also, to advertise you, that forasmuch as the divorce made between the King of famous memory Henry 8th and the lady Katherine, your mother, was necessary to be had, both by the everlasting laws of God, and also by the ecclesiastical laws, and by the most part of the noble and learned universities of Christendom, and confirmed also by the sundry acts of Parliament, remaining yet in their force, and thereby you justly made illegitimate and unheritable to the crown imperial of this realm, and the rules and dominions, and possessions of the same, you will, upon just consideration hereof, and of divers other causes lawful to be alleged for the same, and for the just inheritance of the right line and godly order, taken by the late King our sovereign lord King Edward the 6th, and agreed upon by the nobles and great personages aforesaid, surcease by any pretence, to vex and molest any of our sovereign lady Queen Jane her subjects, from their true faith and allegiance unto her grace: assuring you, that if you will for respect, show yourself quiet and obedient, as you ought, you shall find us all and several ready to do you any service that we with duty may, and be glad with your quietness, to preserve the common state of this realm: wherein you may be otherwise grievous unto us, to yourself and to them. And thus we bid you most heartily well to fare.
“From the Tower of London, in this 9th July 1553.
“Your ladyship’s friends, showing yourself an obedient subject.”
Then follow the signatures of all the members of the Council, thus:—
“Thomas Canterbury, the Marquis of Winchester, John Bedford, Will. Northampton, Thomas Ely, chancellor; Northumberland, Henry Suffolk, Henry Arundel, Shrewsbury, Pembroke, Cobham, R. Rich, Huntingdon, Darcy, Cheney, R. Cotton, John Gates, W. Peter, W. Cecill, John Cheeke, John Mason, Edward North, R. Bowes”.[295]