On the day before her coronation the Queen received the Pageant devised in her honour by the City of London. A full account of this Pageant is preserved in a tract first printed in 1604, and reproduced in Nichols’s _Progresses of Queen Elisabeth_. It is too long to quote in full. The following, therefore, is greatly abridged from the original:— “Entryng the Citie was of the People received marveylous entirely, as appeared by the assemblie, prayers, wishes, welcomminges, cryes, tender woordes, and all other signs, which argue a wonderfull earnest love of most obedient subjectes towarde theyr soveraigne. And on thother side, her Grace, by holding up her hand and merie countenance to such as stode farre of, and most tender and gentle language to those that stode nigh to her Grace, did declare herselfe no leswe thankefully to receive her Peoples good wyll than they lovingly offered it unto her. To all that wyshed her Grace well, she gave heartie thankes, and to such as bade God save her Grace, she sayde agayne God save them all, and thanked them with all her heart: so that on eyther syde there was nothing but gladnes, nothing but prayer, nothing but comfort. The Quenes Majestie rejoysed marveilously to see that so exceadingly shewed towarde her Grace, which all good Princes have ever desyred. I meane so earnest love of subjectes, so evidently declared even to her Grace’s owne person, being carried in the middest of them.”... “Thus therefore the Quenes Majestie passed from the Towre till she came to Fanchurche, the people on eche side joyously beholdyng the viewe of so gracious a Ladye theyr Quene, and her Grace no lesse gladly notyng and observing the same. Nere unto Fanchurch was erected a scaffolde richely furnished, whereon stode a noyes of instrumentes and a chylde in costly apparell, which was appoynted to welcome the Quenes Majestie in the hole Cities behalfe. Against which place when her Grace came, of her owne wyll she commaunded the chariot to be stayde, and that the noyes might be appeased tyll the chylde had uttered his welcome oration, which he spake in English meter as here followeth:— ‘O pereles Soveraygne Quene, behold what this thy Town Hath thee presented with at thy fyrst entraunce here: Behold with how riche hope she ledeth thee to thy Crown, Beholde with what two gyftes she comforteth thy chere. The first is blessing tonges which many a welcome say, Which pray thou mayst do wel, which praise thee to the sky, Which wish to thee long lyfe, which blesse this happy day Which to thy kingdomes heapes, all that in tonges can lye. The second is true hertes which love thee from their roote, Whose sute is tryumphe now, and ruleth all the game. Which faithfulness have wone, and all untruthe driven out, Which skip for joy when as they heare thy happy name.