swered: that he durst not permit that, adding that in his iudgement it woulde rather hurte then profite her grace in so doinge. But the other Lord, more courteous & fauorable (who was the MarginaliaThe Erle of Sussex gentle to the Lady Elizabeth.Earle of Sussex) kneelynge downe, toulde her grace, that shee shoulde haue liberty to write, & as he was a true man he would delyuer it to the Quenes highnes, and bryng an answer of the same, what soeuer came therof. MarginaliaLady Elizabeth wryteth to the Quene but it wold not serue.Whereupon shee wrote, albeit she coulde not, ne mighte not speake wyth her, to her greate discomforte, beinge no offendor agaynste her maiesty. And thus the tyde and tyme passed away for that tyme, tyl the next daye, beinge Palme Sonday, when aboute. ix. of the clocke those two came agayne, declaring that it was tyme for her grace to departe, shee aunsweringe: if there be no remedye, I must bee contented, willinge the Lordes to go on before. And being come forth into the garden, she did cast vp here eyes towarde the windowe, thynking to haue sene the Quene, which she could not. Wherat she sayde, she maruailed muche what the nobilitye of the realme ment, which in that sorte woulde suffer her to be ledde into captiuity, the Lorde knewe whether, for shee did not. After all this she tooke her barge with the two foresayde Lordes, MarginaliaLady Elzabeth sent to the Tower. three of the Quenes gentlewomen, and three of her owne, her gentleman Vsher, and two of her Groomes, lyeng and houering vpon the water an houre, for that they coulde not shoote the bridge, the Bardge men being verye vnwylling to shoote the same so soone as they dyd, because of the daunger thereof. For the sterne of the boate stroke vpon the ground, the fal was so bigge, and the water was so shallowe. Then her grace desired of the Lordes that she might not lande at the stayres where all Traytours and Offendors customablye vsed to lande. They aunswered that it was past theyre remedye, for that otherwise they hadde in commaundement. MarginaliaThe wordes of the Lady Elizabeth entring the tower.Well, sayde shee, if it be so my Lordes, I must nedes obey it, protesting before al your honours, that here nowe steppeth as true a subiecte, as euer was towardes the Quenes highnes. And before thee O God, I speake it, hauinge none other frendes but onelye thee. The Lordes declared vnto her, that there was no tyme then to try the truth. You haue sayd wel my Lords (quod she). I am sory þt I haue troubled you. So then they passed on and went into the Tower, where wer a greate companye of harnised men, and armed souldiours warding on both sides, whereat shee beinge amased, called the Lordes to her, and demaunded the cause why those poore men stoode there. They declared vnto her that it was the vse & order of þt place so to do. And if it be (quod she) for my cause, I beseche you that they may bee dismissed. Whereat, the poore men kneeled
[Back to Top]downe, and with one voyce desired God to preserue her grace, who the nexte day were relesed of their colde coates. After thys, passinge a litle further, she sate downe vppon a colde stone, and there rested her selfe. To whom the Lieutenaunt then being, sayed: Madam, you were best to come out of the raine. For you sit vnwholesomlye. She then replyeng, aunswered agayne: better syttynge here then in a worse place. For God knoweth, I knowe not whether you will bringe me. With that her gentleman Vsher wepte, shee demaunding of hym what he mente so vncomfortably to vse her, seeinge shee tooke hym to be her comfortour and not dismayor, especiallye for that she knewe her truth to bee such, þt no man should haue cause to wepe for her. But furth she wēt into the prison. The doores were locked & bolted vpon her. Which did not a litle discomfort and dismay her grace. At what tyme she called to her Gentlewoman for her booke, MarginaliaThe christian praier of the Lady Elisabeth.desirynge God not to suffer her to build her foundation vpon the sands, but vpon the rocke, wherby all blastes of blustering weather shoulde haue no power against her. After the dores thus locked, and she close shut vp, the Lords had great conference how to keepe ward and watche, euerye man declaringe his opinion in that behalfe, agreeing straightly and circumspectly to kepe her, while that one of them (I meane the Lorde of Sussex, swearing) sayd: MarginaliaThe Lorde of Sussex speaketh for the Lady Elizabeth.my Lordes, let vs take hede, and do no more then our commission will beare vs, what so euer shall happen here after. And further, let vs consider that she was the kinge our maister his daughter, and therfore let vs vse suche dealinge, that we maye aunswer vnto it hereafter, if it shall so happen. For iust dealing (quod hee) is alwayes aunswerable. Whereunto the other Lordes agreed that it was well saide of hym, and thereupon departed.
[Back to Top]It would make a pitiful and a straunge story, here by the way to touch and recite what examinations and rackinges of poore men ther were to fynde out that knife that shoulde cut her throte, what gapinge amonge my Lordes of the Clergy, to se the day wherin they might washe their goodly whyte rotchets in her innocent bloud. MarginaliaByshop of Winchester enemi to Lady Elizabeth.But especially the byshop of Winchester Steuen Gardiner,
This passage is reprinted from John Aylmer, An harborow for faithfull and trewe subiectes (London: 1559), STC 1005, sigs. N3v-N4r, except that Foxe added the phrase blaming Stephen Gardiner.