London and the Kingdom - Volume 3 / A History Derived Mainly from the Archives at Guildhall in the Custody of the Corporation of the City of London.

by Reginald R. Sharpe

The Queenes maiestie was sundry wise aboute the latter ende of this sommer infourmed of some secrete whisperinges in certaine places of Yorkshire, and the Bishopricke of Durham that there was lyke to be shortly some assemblies of Lewde people in those partes tendinge to a rebellyon: Whereof, because at the first the informacõns conteyned no evident or direct cause or proofe therfore her Maiestie had the lesse regarde therto, untill upon certayne convencõns and secrete meetinges of the Earles of Northumberlande and Westmerlande, w^th certen personnes of suspected behavor, the formor reportes were renewed and thereof also the saide two Earles were in vulgare speaches from place to place expresslye noted to be the auctors, whereupon the Earle of Sussex, lorde President of her Ma^ties councell in those north partes, gave advertisment of the like brutes, addinge nevertheles (to his knowelege) there was no other matter in dede but lewde rumors, sodaynly raised and sodaynly ended. And yet shortely after he sent for the two Earles w^th whom he conferred of those rumors: who as thei could not deny but that thei had harde of suche, yet (as it nowe afterward apperethe) falsely then dissemblinge, thei protested themselves to be free from all suche occasions, offeringe to spende theire lyves against any that shulde breake the peace and so muche trusted by the said lorde president upon theire othes, they were licensed not only to departe, but had powre geven to examyn the causes of the said brutes. Neverthelesse the fire of theire treasons w^ch thei had covered was so greate, as it did newly burst out mo flames. Whearupon her Maiestie beinge alwais lothe to enter in any open misport of any of her nobilitie, and therfore in this case desirous rather to have bothe the saide Earles cleared from suche sclaunders and her good people that lived in feare of spoile to be quitted comaunded the lord President (as it semed) havinge than discovered somewhat further of theire evill purposes, dyd onely at the first write to them to come to hym to consult upon matters apperteynynge to that councell, whereunto they made delatory and frivolous answeres: and so beinge once agayne more earnestly required, thei more flatly denyed. And last of all her Maiestie sent her owne private letters of comaundement to them to repaire to her presence all w^ch notw^thstandinge, thei refused to come: And havinge before the delivery of her Ma^ties letters to them assembled as great numbers as they could (w^ch were not many, for that the honester sorte dyd refuse them) thei did enter into an open and actuall rebellion armynge and fortifyinge them selfes rebelliously in all warlike maner and have invaded houses and churches and published proclamacõns in there owne names to move her Ma^ties subiectes to take theire partes, as personnes that meane of theire private auctorite to breake and subvert Lawes threateninge the people that if thei cannot atchive theire purposes, then strangers will enter the Realme to fynyshe the same. And w^th this they adde, that they meane no hurte to her Ma^ties personne a pretence always first published by all traitors. And as for reformacõn of any greate matter, it is evident thei be as evill chosen two personnes (if there qualities be well considered) to have creditt, as can be in the whole Realme. And nowe her Maiestie manifestly percyvinge in what sorte these two Earles beinge both in povertie, the one havinge but a very small porcõn of that wiche his auncesters had and lost, and the other havinge almost his whole patrimony wasted, do go aboute throughe the perswasion of a nomber of desperat persons associated as parasites w^th them to satisfie there privat lacke and ambicioun w^ch cannot be by them compassed w^thout coveringe at the first certeine highe treason against the quenes Ma^ties person and the Realme, longe hidden by suche as have heretofore provoked them, w^th the cover of some other pretended generall enterprises hathe thought good that all her good lovinge subiectes shulde spedely understand howe in this sorte the said two Earles contrary to the naturall propertie of nobilitie (w^ch is instituted to defende the prince beinge the head and to preserve peace) have thus openly and traitorrously entred into the first rebellyon and breach of the publique blessed peace of this Realme that hath heppened (beyonde all former examples) duringe her Ma^ties raigne w^ch nowe haithe contynued above eleven yeares, an acte horrible against god the only gever of so longe a peace; and ungratefull to there soveraigne Lady to whom thei two particularly have heretofore made sundry professions of there faith and lastely most unnaturall and pernicious to theire natyve cuntrey that hath so longe enyoied peace, and nowe by there only mallyce and ambicioun is to be trobled in that felicitie. And herew^th also her Maiestie chargeth all her goode subiectes to employ there hole powers to the preservacõn of comon peace (w^ch is the blessinge of almightie god) and spedely to apprehend and suppresse all maner of personnes that shall by any dede or word shewe them selfes favorable to this rebelliouse entreprise of the said two Earles, or any there associates who as her Maiestie hath already willed and commaunded to be by the forsaid Earle of Sussex, her liefetenaunt generall in the northe, published rebells and traitors against her Crowne and dignytye so dothe her Ma^tie by these presentes for avoidinge of all pretences of ignoraunce reiterat and eftsonnes notifie the same to her whole Realme, w^th all their adherentes and favorers to be traitors, and so to be taken and used to all purposes not doubtinge but this admonicõn and knowlege geven, shall suffice for all good subiectes to retaine them selves in there dwetes, and to be void from all seducinge by these foresaid rebells and traitors or there adherentes and favorers, whatsoever there pretences shalbe made or published by them selves, or suche as have not the grace of god to delighte and lyve in peace, but to move uprores to make spoile of the goodes and substances of all good people, the true proper fruytes of all rebellions and treasons geven at the Castell of Windsor the xxiiij daie of November 1569 in the twelfth yere of her Ma^ties raigne.

god save the quene.

No. 48.

Letter from Queen Elizabeth to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London on the occasion of the discovery of the Babington conspiracy. Dated Windsor Castle, 18 August 1586.

Journal 22, fo. 52.

Right trustie and welbeloved we grete you well being given tunderstand howe greatlie our good and most Loving subiectes of that Cittie did reioyce at the apprehension of certayne develish and wicked mynded subiectes of ours that through the greate and singuler goodnes of god have of late ben detected to have most wickedlie and unnaturallie conspired not onelie the takinge awaie of our oune lief, but also to have stirred upp (as mutche as in them laye) a generall rebellion throughout our whole realme: we could coulde [sic] but by our owne lettres witnes unto you the grate and singuler contentment we receyved uppon the knowledge thereof assuringe you that we did not so mutche reioyce at the escape of the intended attemp against our owne person, as to see the greate Joye our most Lovinge subiectes tooke at the apprehension of the contrivers thereof, w^ch (to make their Love more apparent) the have (as we are to our greate comfort enformed) omitted no outwarde shewe, that by anie externall acte might witnes to the worlde, the inward love and dutifull affeccion they beare towardes us, and as we have as greate cause w^th all thankfulness, to acknowledge godes greate goodnes towardes us throughe the infinit blessinge he layeth uppon us as manie as ever Prince hadd, yea rather, as ever creature hadd; Yet doe we not for anie worldlie blessinge receyved from his devine Ma^tie so greatlie acknowledged them, as in that it hath pleased him to inclyne the hartes of our subiectes. Even from the first begynninge of our reigne, to carrie as greate Love towardes us, as ever Subiectes carried towarde Prince, whiche ought to move us (as it dothe in verey deede) to seeke w^th all care and by all good meanes that apparteyne to a christian Prince, the conservacion of so loving and dutifull affected subiectes. Assuringe you that we desire no longer to Live, then while we maie in the whole course of our governement carrie our self in sutche sorte, as maie not onelie nourish and contynewe their Love and goodwill towardes us, but also increasse the same we thinke meete that theise our lettres should be also commynicated in sum generall assemblie to our most Lovinge subiectes the commons of that cittie. Geven under our signet at our castell of Wyndesor the xviij^th daie of August 1586 in the xxviij yere of our Reigne.

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.