to his Lordship in his Maiesties chamber. And that my Lord directed him to go vp to the gallerie to his brother; and immediatlie my Lord followed vp, and commanded the deponer to byde there with his brother, and to doe anie thing that hee bade him. The deponer enquyred at the Maister, What haue yee to do, Sir? The Maister answered, yee must goe in heere, and tarry vntill I come backe, for I will take the key with mee. So he lokked the deponer in the rounde within the chamber, and took the key with him. Shortly therafter, the maister returned, and the Kings Maiestie with him, to the saide cabinet in the rounde; and the Maister, opening the dore, entered with the King into the said rounde; and at his very entrie, couering his head, pulled out the deponers dagger, and held the same to his Maiesties breast, saying, Remember you of my Fathers murther? Yee shall now die for it; and minting to his Hienes heart with the dagger, the deponer threw the same out of the Maisters hand, and swore, that, as God shall iudge his soule, if the Maister had retained the dagger in his hand the space that a man may go six steppes, he would haue striken the King to the hilts with it: but wanting the dagger, and the Kings Maiestie giuing him a gentle answere, hee saide to the Kings Maiestie with abhominable oathes, that, if hee would keep silence, no thing should aile him, if hee woulde make such promise to his brother as they would craue of him; and the Kings Maiestie enquyring what promise they would craue? He answered, that he would bring his brother. So he goes forth, and lokkes the dore of the rounde vppon his Maiestie and the deponer, hauing first taken the King sworne that hee should not cry, nor open the

windoe.

And his Maiestie enquyring at the deponer what he was? He answered, a seruant of my Lords. And his Maiestie asking at the deponer, if my Lorde woulde doe anie euill to him? The deponer answered, as God shall judge my soule, I shall die first. And, the deponer preising to haue opened the windoe, the Maister entered, and said, Sir, there is no remedie, by God, you must die; and, hauing a loose garter in his hand, preissed to have bound his Maiesties hands, and the deponer pulled the garter out of Maister Alexanders hand. And then the Maister did put one of his hands in his Maiesties mouth, to haue staied him to speak, and held his other arme about his Hienes neck and that this deponer pulled the Maisters hand from his Hienesse mouth, and opened the windoe: and then his Maiestie cried out therat, wherupon his Hienes seruant came in at the gate, and this deponer did run and open the dore of the turn-pyke heade, whereat John Ramsay entered; and the deponer stoode in the chamber vntil he did see lohn Ramsay giue the Maister ane stroke, and thereafter priuilie conuoyed him selfe downe the turnpyke to his owne house; and the deponers wife enquyring of him what the fraie meaned? The deponer answered, that the Kings Maiestie would haue been twise stikked, were not he releeued him.

Sic subscribitur,

Andrew Hendersoun, with my Hand.

Further, the saide Andrew Hendersoun depones, that, after his returning from Falkland upon the fifth of this instant, Maister Iohn Montcrief enquyring of him where he had beene? He answered, that he had bene beyond the bridge of Erne; and sayes, that he gaue that answere to Maister Iohn, because my Lord commanded him to let no man knowe that he was to ride to Falkland; and that my Lords direction to him was to come backe with his brother Maister Alexanders answere, and to leave Andrew Ruthwen to await upon the Maister. Sic subscribitur,

Andrew Hendersoun, with my hand.

Further, the saide Andrew Hendersoun depones, that, when hee had taken the Maisters hand out of the Kings Maiesties mouth, and was opening the windoe, Maister Alexander said to him, will thou not helpe? Wo betyde thee, thow will make vs all die.

Sic subscribitur,

Andrew Hendersoun, with my Hand.

THE

GOLDEN SPEECH OF QUEEN ELISABETH,

TO

HER LAST PARLIAMENT,

November 30. Anno Dom. 1601. [From a 4to Edition.]

Within these three hundred years last past, almost all Europe (except Muscovy) lived under the happy form of a mixt monarchical government; having this maxim of the ancients, that the King and the people's interest are one and the same. The King had his dues, and the people had theirs; as it was then in France, Spain, Germany, Poland, &c. But the Pope, envying the happiness of princes, and people, under this mild monarchy; and to secure his new Trentine Antichristian supremacy, having gotten his Jesuits to be King's confessors, flattered and wheedled princes, that, as in the text, This shall be the manner of your kings; God was giving the people the Jus Divinum of Government, when, in truth, he was threatening them with the plague of Tyrants! And this took such effect, as to turn the former easy monarchies into absolute illegal tyrannies; which first began by Lewis the Eleventh, in France, and followed by that horrid Inquisition in Spain, &c. So that Europe, and the West Indies, have been the shambles of Papal barbarities in the massacres of millions of Christians, and other human souls, ever since.

Our wise Queen Elisabeth, therefore, having a right regard to the general good and weal of the people, accommodated her government to the true genius of the monarchical institution, as it then stood: for she constantly courted the people, expressing her monarchy was founded in the people's affections: and by that expedient kept up herself and monarchy to that height and glory, as it first stood in its natural foundation; and this against all foreign powers. And she thus answered all the ends of government; for factions and parties were thus sunk, the interest of court and country were made one, and virtue, honesty, and piety were restored and encouraged.'

This Speech ought to be set in letters of gold, that as well the majesty, prudence, and virtue of her gracious Majesty, Queen Elisabeth, might in general most exquisitely appear; as also that her religious love, and tender respect, which she particularly, and constantly, did bear to her Parliament, in unfeigned sincerity, might be nobly and truly vindicated, and proclaimed, with all grateful recognition to God for so great a blessing to his people of England, in vouchsafing them heretofore such a gracious Princess, and magnanimous defender of the Reformed Religion, and heroick patroness of the Liberty of her Subjects, in the Freedom and Honour of their Parliaments; which have been, under God, the continual conservators of the splendor, and wealth of this kingdom, against tyranny and oppression.

Her Majesty being set under State in the Council-chamber at White-hall, the Speaker, accompanied with Privy-counsellors, besides Knights and Burgesses of the Lower House, to the number of eight-score, presenting themselves at her Majesty's feet, for that so graciously and speedily she had heard and yielded to her subjects desires, and proclaimed the same in their hearing, as followeth;

Mr. Speaker,

WE

:

E perceive your coming is to present thanks unto us: 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 of riches; for those We know how to prize, but Loyalty, Love, and Thanks, I account them invaluable and though God hath raised Me high, yet this I account the glory of my Crown, that I have reigned with your loves. 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 mean, under God, to conserve you in safety, and to preserve you from danger; yea, to be the instrument to deliver you from dishonour, shame, and infamy; to keep you from servitude, and from slavery under our enemies, and cruel tyranny, and vile oppression, intended against Us: for the better withstanding whereof, We take very acceptably your intended helps, and chiefly in that it manifesteth your loves, and largeness of heart to your Sovereign. Of myself I must say this, I never was any greedy scraping grasper, nor a strict fast-holding Prince, nor yet a waster; my heart was never set upon any wordly goods, but only for my subjects good. What you do bestow on Me, I will not hoard up, but receive it to beThe Pope and Popish Princes, especially the King of Spain,

stow on you again; yea, my own properties I account yours, to be ex pended for your good, and your eyes shall see the bestowing of it for your welfare.

Mr. Speaker, I would wish you, and the rest to stand up, for, I shall yet trouble you with longer Speech. Mr. Speaker, you give Me thanks, but I am more to thank you, and I charge you, thank them of the Lower House from Me, for, had I not received knowledge from you, I might have fallen into the lapse of an error, only for want of true information. Since I was Queen, yet did I never put my pen to any grant, but upon pretext and semblance* made Me, that it was for the good and avail of My subjects generally, though a private profit to some of My antient servants, who have deserved well; but that My grants shall be made grievances to My people, and oppressions, to be privileged under colour of our patents, our princely dignity shall not suffer it. When I heard it, I could give no rest unto my thoughts until I had reformed it, and those varlets, lewd persons, abusers of My bounty, shall know that I will not suffer it. And, Mr. Speaker, tell the House from Me, I take it exceeding grateful that the knowledge of these things are come unto Me from them. And though, 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 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. The zeal of which affection tending to ease my people, and knit their hearts unto Us, I embrace with a princely care, far above all earthly treasures. I esteem my people's love, more than which I desire not to merit; and God, that gave Me here to sit, and placed me over you, knows that I never respected myself, but as your good was concerned in Me; yet what dangers, what practices, and what perils I have passed, some, if not all of you know, but none of these things do move Me, or ever made Me fear, but it is God that hath delivered Me. And, in My governing this land, I have ever set the last judgment-day before My eyes, and so to rule, as I shall be judged and answer before a higher judge, to whose judgment-seat I do appeal, in that never thought was cherished in My heart that tended not to My people's good. And if My princely bounty have been abused, and My grants turned to the hurt of My people, contrary to my will and meaning, or if any in authority under Me have neglected, or converted what I have committed unto them, I hope God will not lay their culpst to my charge. To be a King, and wear a crown, is a thing more glorious to them that see it, than it is pleasant to them that bear it; for Myself, I never was so much enticed with the glorious name of a king, or the royal authority of a queen, as delighted that God hath made Me his instrument to maintain his truth and glory, and to defend this kingdom from dishonour, damage, tyranny, and oppression. But should I ascribe any of these things unto Myself, or My sexły weakness, I were not worthy to

live, and of all most unworthy of the mercies I have received at God's hands; but to God only and wholly all is given and ascribed. The cares and trouble 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; and, for My own part, were it not for conscience-sake, to discharge the duty that God hath laid upon Me, and to maintain his glory, and keep you in safety, in My own disposition I should be willing to resign the place I hold to any other, and glad to be freed of the glory with the labours; for it is not My desire to live or reign longer, than My life and reign shall be for your good." And, though you have had, and may have, many mightier and wiser princes sitting in this seat, yet you never had, nor shall have any, that will love you better.

Thus, Mr. Speaker, I commend Me to your loyal loves, and yours to My best care, and your further counsels; I pray you, Mr. Comptroller, and Mr. Secretary, and you of My council, that, before these gentlemen, depart into their countries, you bring them all to kiss My hand.

THE TRUE HISTORY

OF THE LATE AND LAMENTABLE ADVENTURES

OF

DON SEBASTIAN, KING OF PORTUGAL, After his Imprisonment in Spain, until this present Day,

Being now in SPAIN, at ST. LUCAR DE BARRAMEDA.

There is no power but from God. Rom. xii.

London, printed by Simon Stafford and James Shaw, 1602. Quarto, containing twenty-eight Pages.

THIS

HIS unfortunate King, Don Sebastian, having been brought fromt Florence to Naples, was put into the castle of Oeuf, into a chamber, without any other furniture in it, than a halter, and a long knife of the length of half the arm; where, for the space of three days, they neither gave him aught to drink, or to eat, nor whereon to lie; which. space he spent in continual prayers, enduring his crosses with incredible

• This is the 79th number in the Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library.