When the childe had thus ended his speache, he reached his booke
towardes the Quenes Majestie, whiche, a little before, Trueth had let
downe unto him from the hill: whiche Sir John Parrat was received,
and delivered unto the Quene. But she, as soone as she had receyved
the booke, kissed it, and with both her handes helde up the same, and
so laid it upon her breast, with great thankes to the Citie thereof.
And so went forward towardes Paules Churchyarde.... When she was come
over against Paules Scole, a childe appointed by the scolemaster
thereof pronounced a certein oration in Latin, and certein verses,
which also wer there written.”... “In this maner, the people on either
side rejoysing, her Grace went forwarde, towarde the Conduite in
Flete-street, where was the fifte and last Pageaunt erected, in forme
following: From the Conduite, which was bewtified with painting, unto
the North side of the strete, was erected a stage, embattelled with
foure towres, and in the same a square platte rising with degrees, and
uppon the uppermost degree was placed a chaire, or seate royall, and
behynde the same seate, in curious and artificiall maner, was erected
a tree of reasonable height, and so farre advaunced above the seate as
it did well and semelye shadow the same, without endomaging the syght
of any part of the Pageant: and the same tree was bewtified with leaves
as greene as arte could devise, being of a convenient greatnes, and
conteining therupon the fruite of the date, and on the toppe of the
same tree, in a table, was set the name thereof, which was ‘A palme
tree’: and in the aforesaide seate, or chaire, was placed a semelie
and mete personage, richlie apparelled in Parliament robes, with a
sceptre in her hand, as a Quene crowned with an open crowne, whose name
and title was in a table fixed over her head, in this sort: ‘Debora
the judge and restorer of the House of Israel, Judic. iv.’ And the
other degrees, on either side, were furnished with vi personages: two
representing the Nobilitie, two the Clergie, and two the Comminaltye.
And before these personages was written, in a table, ‘Debora with her
estates, consulting for the good Government of Israel.’ At the feete of
these, and the lowest part of the Pageant, was ordeined a convenient
rome for a childe to open the meaning of the Pageant. When the Quenes
Majestie drew nere unto this Pageant, and perceived, as in the other,
the childe readie to speake, her Grace required silence, and commaunded
her chariot to be removed nigher, that she myght plainlie heare the
childe speake, whych said as hereafter foloweth:—
‘Jaben of Canaan King had long by force of armes
Opprest the Israleites which for God’s People went:
But God minding at last for to redresse their harmes,
The worthy Deborah as judge among them sent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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