An English Garner: Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (4 of 8)
History
An English Garner: Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (4 of 8)
English literature
I have heard of many, in my time, cast away for want of coming to
the presence of their Prince; and, in late days, I heard my Lord
of SOMERSET say that "If his brother [_The Admiral Lord THOMAS_
_SEYMOUR_] had been suffered to speak with him, he had never
suffered; but persuasions were made to him so great that he was
brought in belief that he could not live safely if the Admiral
lived, and that made him give consent to his death." Though these
persons are not to be compared to your Majesty; yet, I pray GOD, as
evil persuasions persuade not one sister against the other! and all
for that they have heard false report, and not hearken to the truth
not known.
Therefore, once again, kneeling with humbleness of heart, because
I am not suffered to bow the knees of my body; I humbly crave
to speak with your Highness: which I would not be so bold as to
desire, if I knew not myself most clear, as I know myself most true.
And as for the traitor WYATT, he might peradventure, write me a
letter; but, on my faith, I never received any from him. And as
for the copy of the letter sent to the French King, I pray GOD may
confound me eternally if ever I sent him word, message, token, or
letter, by any means! And to this truth, I will stand in to my
death.
Your Highness's most faithful subject, that hath been from the
beginning, and will be to my end,
+ELIZABETH.+.
I humbly crave but only one word of answer from yourself.]
And thus the tide [_season_] and time passed away for that time, till
the next day, being Palm Sunday, when, about nine of the clock, these
two came again, declaring that "it was time for Her Grace to depart."
She answered, "If there be no remedy, I must be contented;" willing the
Lords to go on before.
And being come forth into the garden, she did cast up her eyes towards
the window; thinking to have seen the Queen, which she could not.
Whereat she said, "She marvelled much, what the Nobility of the realm
meant; which, in that sort, would suffer her to be led forth into
captivity, the LORD knew whither! for she did not."
After all this, she took her barge, with the two aforesaid Lords,
three of the Queen's Gentlewomen, and three of her own, her Gentleman
Usher, and two of her Grooms: lying and hovering upon the water, an
hour; for that they could not shoot the Bridge [_the tide used to rush
through the narrow spaces of old London bridge, with the force of a
mill-race_]: the bargemen being very unwilling to shoot the same so
soon as they did, because of the danger thereof. For the stern of the
boat struck upon the ground, the fall was so big, and the water was so
shallow.
Then Her Grace desired of the Lords, that "She might not land at the
stairs where all traitors and offenders customably used to land"
[_called the Traitor's Gate_].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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