MAster Carie, Hir most excellent ma­iestie is pleased to sende me to deliuer hir commandement to you touching this man novv here pre­sently to die. And first, I thinke it not out of purpose, to notifie his offence to these good people, vvherby he is not only vvorthie this punish­ment: but in iudgement of forraine nations, and by censure offorraine lavves, should bee deliuered to the tormentors, to endure such torture, as the qualitie of his offence in so high a case by good pollicie should cōdign­lie deserue.

And to speake of this fact, suche it vvas, and so feareful, as my heart quaketh, and my eyes can not refraine teares to repeate it a­gaine amongst you. (God for his mercies sake shielde, and defende hir most excellent Maiestie, that most mightily hath digested the notable daunger.) And so I vvil tell you [Page] of this tragedie in course as it fel out.

It liked hir highnesse in respecte of the great heate, to take the ayre of the vvater, vvher in graue and vvaightie negociation she passed the time in discourse vvith the French Embassadour by the space of an houre or tvvo. In hir returne it pleased hir to take di­uerse pauses, and the rather, by cause she ear­nestly redde a Booke, vvherin it seemed for recreations sake she toke some delighte. By meanes vvhereof (euen as it pleased God vvith his holy hande, as it vvere, to direct hir safetie) she commaunded the Bargemen to slacke their labour, and slovvly to passe on, vvhere if they had hasted but tvvo stroakes more, they had brought hir royall person in­to the shotte it selfe.

These vvordes vvere scarcely spoken out by hir Maiestie, but this caitiue most vnhap­pilie (I must say most diuellishly) discharged his Arquebuse, strongly charged vvith bul­let, into the Barge vvhere hir Maiestie vvas. (God that hath defended hir, God that hath defended hir, thou most mightie God euer vouchsafe to keepe hir.) With this blovv the [Page] second mā to the bayles of the Barge, vvith­in sixe foote of hir royall person, vvas strickē dovvn from his seate, and vvounded through both his armes, vvhich hir maiestie behelde, & kingly handled this cause, as euē straight I vvil tel you.

My Lordes of hir Maiesties counsel dis­pearsed abroade in their affaires, hearing of this moste perilous accidente, returned to Court, vvith suche speede as the vvaighte of such a cause might moue them to doe, and there vvith fearefull and louing applausure tovvard hir Maiestie, did most holily thanke our God for his singular helpe in the preser­uation of our most deare and righteous So­ueraigne.

That done according, vvith their loues, and duties of seruice to God, hir maiestie & this vvhole estate: after deliberate, and moste graue consulation of the cause, they al most humbly on their knees besought the Queene that this slaue might suffer, not this death, but tenne thousand deaths (if so it vvere pos­sible in nature to do) for his so rash & feare­full offence. Such, in deede, might the offēce [Page] haue bene, vvhich God for his mercies sake hath moste fauourablye forbidden, that it mighte haue roughte vppe to heauen, and should most miserably not only plagued this hir ovvne land, but all the true seruauntes of God dispearsed through Christendome, our Religion, & true faith in Iesus Christ, vvhich vve enioy vvith vnspekeable comfort of free conscience, might hereby haue suffered con­fusion, and persecution of bloude, and ven­gaunce amongst vs. Our peace, and secure estates encreased vvith exceeding vvelthes, and nourished vvith most svveet quietnesse of life by this hir most happie gouernment, and raigne of tvventie yeares, might hereby haue bene turned to blouddie vvarres, the fruites vvhereof is burning and spoyling of houses and goods, rauishing and destroy­ing of our vviues and children. And vvhat vengeāce soeuer the vvorld can bring forth, the same should haue fallen on vs, I saye on vs, then the most miserable mē in the vvorld. And therfore heare me I pray you. Let vs acknovvledge before God vvith all humble thankefulnesse these vnspeakeable benefits, [Page] vvhich vve haue inioyed, and still shal doe, vvhile God vpholdeth hir blessed life, and state amongst vs. The losse, and lacke of vvhom, can not but bring on vs all these ca­lamities, and ten thousand moe, vvhich I can not forsee. If then by these, and all other be­nefits, vvhich you possesse, feele, and tast of, you finde hovv inestimable, and precious a ievvell this our deare Soueraine is for vs, and amongst vs, vvhat plague, torment, or pu­nishment, could suffise you for reuenge on him, that by any means should depriue you of such heauenly, and vvorldly felicities, as daylye by hir holye hande are ministred a­mongst you? But I vvill meddle no further vvith these matters. I knovv you thanke god for them, and vvith true and faithfull obedi­ent hartes vvil euer serue hir most excellent Maiestie, vvhom he hath made his minister to distribute all these blessings into youre bosomes.

And novv, if it please you, you may vvith maruel heare the message I come of. I bring mercie to this man, the gracious pardon of our most deare Soueraigne, vvho vvith hyr [Page] mercifull eie, beholding the clearenesse of this mans hart, free from euil thoughte, and consequently from prepension of anye ma­licious fact against hir person, vouchsafeth to pull him from the Gallovvs. A notable a­ction of compassion proceding from a hea­uenly minde, and so farre different from the common nature of man, forced into a feare­full iealousie of losse of life, as hath neuer bin read nor heard of.

If casually a man suffer hurt in the fieldes by an arrovve shotte by chaunce at rouing markes, hovv reuengefully the partie offen­ded vvill follovve his processe of felonie, I haue oft seene, and the lavv doth vvel allovv it. If in the Court the meanest seruing man strike his felovv vvith his fist so that he bleed, he is to loose the same hand. Manye other examples may be giuen you, both touching the casualtie in this mans fact, and touching the place, and presence, vvherein it chanced to be done.

But our Queene looketh neither on hyr prerogatiue, on the povver of hir lavves, nor on the perill of hir person, but vvith the no­bilitie [Page] of hir hearte, the daunger onely done to hir selfe, doth as you heare, freely pardon it.

And in the sacred vvorde of hir kinglie estate I protest it vnto you, she hath firmely auovved that she had rather haue suffred the vvounds the Bargeman novv hath, ten folde, than the meanest of vs al, or of any subiects, should suffer the slaunder of so tyrannous or trayterous a facte, yea, or of the prepension, or forethoughte of so horrible a treason to­vvarde hir, though it vvere in facte neuer ex­ecuted.

Wherein to all our singular comfortes, it pleased hir vvith most princelie affection & earnestnesse, graciously to affirme, that ne­uer Prince had better, nor more kinde true Subiectes. God for his mercie directe vs, e­uer to be so, and vvith our due gratefulnesse to sacrifise at hir kinglie feete our bloud and lyues for hir seruice sake, vvhen occasion shal call vs thereto.

One other thing I find hir Maiestie trou­bled vvith, that is, the sorovv this noble yong Gentleman, M. Henrie Carie hath suffered in continual griefe of his hart for the offence [Page] of his man, vvho through the vaine ielosie of some euill dysposed persons, hath lykevvise borne some sclaunder of the cause. But it suffiseth to cleare him, that no intent of ma­lice, nor forethought of this facte, is founde in the partie himselfe. His conuersation be­sides vvith exceeding fayth and diligence in hir highnesse seruice, vvil euer deliuer him, as a most acceptable Gentleman free from this and all other euil in the sight of hir Maiestie and all the vvorlde: I shall not need therfore to speake of him, for his cause needeth none excuse.

Here may you beholde the rare goodnes of our greate and gracious Mistresse, full of Religion & pietie, Iustice and mercie, Tem­perance and magnanimitie (and that I can­not but tell you) of the most constant and noble courage that euer liued: the proofe vvhereof (the cause hard, vvherat I vvas pre­sent) I leaue to your iudgements.

Hir Maiestie taking prospecte out of the bales of hir Barge, at the very instant did see the man stroken, and behelde his fall, and heard, as it vvere, his deadly scritche, vvhom [Page] she immediately commaunded to bee taken vppe, and then beholding him all embrued vvith bloud, commaunded his vvoundes to be lapped vp vvith a scarffe of hir ovvne, and so vvith hir most constant and amiable coū ­tenance, continued hir entertainment of the Embassadour, as though there had bene no such matter. Aftervvardes the man began to fainte, hir highnesse then commaunded a cloke to be put on his body, vvith other such necessarie reliefes as vvere there presentely to be had, vvithout alteration of countenance.

Beholde this kinglie heart, and courage of rare magnanimitie, seing, as it vvere, the pre­sent death of the next to hir, neyther feared hir ovvne lyfe, nor vvas dismayed vvith this treasonable chaunce. An action more than maruellous in hir sexe. Hereof hovv much vve may reioyce, I vvant vvit to tell you. But in one vvorde, hir highnesse, that vvith hir singular vvisdome and policy hath preserued hir Empire these tvventie yeares in most ioy­full peace, vvith this courage and magnani­mitie vvill (no doubt) as mightily defend vs in the most cruell vvarres. God therefore [Page] euer blisse hir, and let vs vvith oure handes stretched vp to heauen, and oure eyes fixed on the seate of God, pray for hir long lyfe, and moste prosperous raigne ouer vs. THOMAS APPELTREE receyue thy lyfe from hir most excellent Maiestie, and praye vnto God vpon thy knees for hir all thy dayes to come. &c.

And so the people being moued to prayer for hir Maiesties moste happie escape, and for the blessing of God to lengthen hir dayes for many and many yeares, he fell dovvne on his knees vvith greate deuotion amongst them, and so departed vvith exceding ioy to the people, and a thousand blessings on himselfe.