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and other monumentes, opened and exhibited; and so much, as is there sayd, to haue bene written or subscribed by the sayd Ladie Marie, the Erle Bothwell, or other, hath bene, by testimonies and othes of men of honor and credite of that contrey, testified and auowed, in presence of persones of most honorable state and authoritie, to haue bene written and subscribed, as is there alleged, and so deliuered without rasure, diminution, addition, falsifieng, or alteration, in any point. And a nomber there be in England, of very good and worshypfull calling, byside the commissioners thereto apoynted, that haue seene the originals them selues, of the same handes whoes this book doth say them to be. Whiche thinges haue been heard and vnderstoode by those that can tell, and those whoes truth, in reporting, is above all exception.

Wherefore sithe the Scottishemen haue, for satisfaction of vs, their good neyghbours, among whom the sayd Ladie Marie remayneth, to the perill of both Princes as the Scottishemen say, published these maters, to the intent that the impudencie of the sayd Ladie Maries fautors, in denyeng those truthes, may not seduce Englishe subjectes to the vnderminyng of the estate, honor, and noble procedyng of our most gracious Soueraigne, and diuertyng of affections to vndue places, and to the great perill of both realmes, which the aduersaries call, bene ficiall vnityng,' but is in deede most maleficiall confoundyng, intended to ioyne the realmes in other persones, excluding the person of our sayd Soueraigne Lady: Let vs receiue this admonishment thankefully, and gather the frute thereof, to the stablishment of our loyaltie to our owne Queene, agaynst whom the fauorers of the other side haue banded them selues in hostilitie and treason.

This I haue thought good to write to you, for your satisfaction in knowledge of the case; whom I know alreadie sufficiently satisfied in good and dutifull affection. God disclose these hollow hartes, or rather God graunt her Maiestie, and those that be in authoritie vnder her, an earnest will to see them, for they will disclose them sclues fast enough. And God send her Maiestie so to remoue the groundes of her perill, that not onely we, which by open thrustyng our selues agaynst her enemyes, haue set vp our rest vpon our Queene Elizabeth, and shall neuer be admitted to fauour on the other side, but also all wise and honest men may know that it shal be safe to be true, and daungerous to be false. Otherwise the mischief is euident. For men in nature and in policie will seke for their own safeties, which if they may not finde in truth, it is a great auauncement of falsehode. God long preserue our good and gracious Queene Elizabeth, and make her enemyes know, that there is sure perill in treason, and her true subiectes bold to sticke to her without dread of any reuenge or displeasure, So fare ye well.

For further profe, that the sayd letters, written by the said Ladie Marie, and mentioned in the sayd booke, are not counterfait but her owne, I haue herewith also sent you the most autentike testimonie of the three estates of Scotland, assembled in Parliament. The copie of which acte you shall receiue word for word, as it was enacted in Scotland in December 1567, and remaineth publikely in print, sauyng, that I haue for your more easy vnderstanding changed the Scottishe orthography, which I would to God had been done for Englishemens better satisfac

ion in Maister George Buchanans booke. Howbeit, the same is not so hard but that, after the readyng of two leaues, a man may easily enough grow acquainted with it; and doutlesse the knowlege and monumentes, therein contained, are wel worth so small a trauell to vnderstand them.

The Scottishe Act of Parliament, touching the retention of our Soueraine Lordes Mothers Persone.

ITEM, touching the article propounded by the carles, lordes, and other noblemen, who tooke armes at Carbarie hill, vpon the xv. day of June last by past, and touching their conuenynges of before, and of the cause of the apprehension of the Queene Mother to our Soueraigne Lord: and whether the sayd noblemen, and others, which tooke armes of before her sayd apprehension, and which ioyned with them, and assisted them at that tyme, or any wayes sence, haue done the dutie of noblemen, good and true subjectes of this realme, and no wayes offended, nor transgressed the lawes in that effect, or any thing depending thereupon, either preceding, or following the same.

Our Soueraigne Lord, with aduise of my Lord Regent, and three estates, and whole body of this present parliament, hath found, declared, and concluded, and by this present act, findeth, declareth, and concludeth, that the cause and occasion of the conuentions and messages of the sayd earles, lordes, noblemen, barons, and others, faythfull and true subiectes, and consequently, their takyng of armes, and comming to the fieldes, with open and displayed baners, and the cause and occasion of the taking of the sayd queenes person, vpon the sayd xv. day of June last, by past, and holdyng and deteinyng of the same, within the houses and fortalice of Lochleum, continually, sence presently, and in all tyme comming, and generally all other thinges inuented, spoken, written, or done by them, or any of them to that effect, sence the x. of Febr. last by past, vpon the which day, the late Henry Kyng, then the sayd Queenes lawfull husband, and our Soueraigne Lord the Kynges dearest Father, was treasonablic, shamefully, and horriblic murthered, vnto the day and date of this present act, and in all tymes to come, touchyng the sayd Queene, and deteinyng of her person that the cause, and all thinges dependyng thereon, or that any wayes may perteine therto, the intermission, or disponyng vpon her propertie, casualties, or whatsoeuer thing perteyning, or that any wayes might perteyne to her, was in the sayd Queenes own default, in so far as by diuers her priuie letters, written wholly with her own hand, and sent by her to lames sometime Earle of Bothwell, chief executor of the said horrible murther, aswell before the committing therof, as therafter, and by her vngodly and dishonorable procedyng to a pretended marriage with him, sodainly and vnprouisedly therafter, it is most certain, that she was prinie, airt, and part, of the actual deuise, and due of the foresaid murther, of the King her lawful husband, and father to our Soueraigne Lord, committed by the said Iames,

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sometime Earle of Bothwell, his complices and partakers. And therfore, iustly deserueth what soeuer hath ben done to her, in any time by gone, or that shal be vsed towardes her, for the sayd cause in time comming, which shal be vsed by aduise of the nobilitie, in respect that our sayd Soueraigne Lordes Mother, with the sayd Iames, sometime Earl of Bothwell, yeid about by indirect and coloured meanes to colour, and hold backe the knowlege of the truth of the committers of the sayd crime. Yet all men in their hartes were fully perswaded, of the authours and deuisers ef that mischieuous and vnworthie fact, awaityng while God should moue the hartes of some to enter in the quarell, for reuengyng of the same. And in the meane time, a great part of the nobilitie, vpon iust fear to be handled and demeaned in semblable manner, as the Kyng had bene of before; perceiuyng also the Queene so 'thrall, and so blindly affectionate to the priuate appetite of that tyranne, and that both he, and she, had conspired together such horrible crueltie, being therwith all garnished with a companie of vngodly and vitious persons, ready to accomplish all their vnlawful commaundementes, of whom he had a sufficient nomber, continually awaytyng vpon him, for the same effect, all noble and vertuous men, abhorrying their tyrannie, and companie, but chiefly suspecting, that they, who had so treasonablie put downe and distroyed the father, should make the innocent prince, his onely sonne, and the principall and almost onely comfort, sent by God to this afflicted nation, to tast of the same cup' (as the many inuented purposes to passe where he was, and also where the noblemen were in) by their open confession gaue sufficient warnyng and declaration, where through the sayd carles, lordes, barons, and others, faythful and true subjectes, taking armes, or otherwayes whatsoeuer ioynyng and assisting in the sayd action, and in the sayd conuentions, displaying baners, and commyng to the fieldes, takyng and reteinyng of the Queenes person, aswell in tymes by past, as hereafter, and all others that haue therafter, or shall in any time comming adioyne to them, and all thinges done by them, or any of them, touching that cause, and all other thinges depending thereon, or that any wayes may appertaine therto, the intromission, or disponing upon her propertie, or casualties, or whatsoeuer other thinges perteyning, or any wayes might apperteyne to her, was in default of her selte, and the sayde Iames, sometime Earle of Bothwell, and by the horrible and cruel murther of our sayd Soueraigne Lordes late dearest father, conspired, deuised, committed, counseled, and coloured by them,' and not condignely punisht according to the lawes, &c.

This act with the rest is thus subscribed in the Scottishe booke. Extractum de libro actorum parlamenti per me Jacobum Makgill de Rankelour nether clericum rotulorum registri ac consilij S. D. N. Regis sub meis signo et subscriptione manualibus. Jacobus Makhill. And is imprinted at Edinburgh, by Robert Lexpreuik, printer to the King's Majestie the vi. day of Aprill, in the yeare of God 1568.

AN EPITAPH,

OR RATHER

A SHORT DISCOURSE MADE VPON THE LIFE AND DEATH

OF

DR. BONNER,

Sometime vnworthy Bishop of London,

Whiche dyed the Fifth of September in the Marshalsie.

Imprinted at London, at the long Shop adjoyning vnto S. Mildreds Church in the Pultrie, by John Allde, An. Dom. 1569. Sept. 14. Duodecimo, containing fourteen Pages.

Quam cito de viuis extirpabuntur iniqui?
Fidentum Domino pars bona fortis erit:
Per breue tempus adhuc et non erit impius vltra,
Quaretur, nec erit quo fuit ante loco.

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Whiche cheerful wil be sure to all,
Of faithful Englishe blood;
Whose harts did neuer hate the truthe,
Nor gospel yet withstood.

A man there was, a quondam great
Of might, of pomp, and praise ;
Of Englishe blood, though Englishe loue
Were small in all his wayes.

As did appeer by Roomishe acts,
Proceeding from his hight;

Whiche prooude him not an Englishe man,
But sure a Romain right.

For neuer faithful Englishe hart

Was foe to natiue soil;

Yet hee in natiue land did seek,
Christ's faithful flock to spoil.

And also then be wrought much wo,
To England's chiefest stayes;

He spilt their blood, and mockt God's woord,
Whereby his gaue him praise:

Seducing men from sacred truthe,
To walke in Roomish trade;
Whereby this land was ransackt sc,
So spoil'd and so bare made,

That many yet doo feel the smart
Of that unhappy time;

Though God haue clensed now these parts,
From suche moste vgly crime.

Wherwith this land infected was,
By Balams brood throughout;

Who sought a mischeef huge and great,
As then to bring about.

And more then so, t'encrease, by blood,
The great and pining lack

Of pastors pure, and pillers strong,
Whiche then were brought to wrack.

Without remorse, his mates and he
Ful sore did them torment;
By seeking of their death and losse,
Which lov'd Christes Testament.

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