Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
History
Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
Curiosities and wonders; Encyclopedias and dictionaries; Folklore
"My loving People,--We have been persuaded by some that are careful of
our safety, to take heed how we trust ourselves to armed multitudes
for fear of treachery; but assure you I do not desire to live to
distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. I have always
so behaved myself that under God I have placed my chiefest strength
and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects; and
therefore I am come among you at this time, not as for my recreation or
sport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live
or die amongst you all--to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and
for my people, my honour and my blood even in the dust. I know that I
have but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart of a
king, and a king of England too; and I think foul scorn that Parma or
Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of
my realms to which, rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I will
myself take up arms--I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder
of every one of your victories in the field."
The most full description of Elizabeth's reception at Tilbury is
printed in a sort of doggrel poem, headed, "Elizabetha Triumphans,
briefly, truly, and effectually set forth, declared, and handled by
James Aske."
The poem mentions, that when about 20,000 well-appointed men had
arrived at Tilbury, orders were sent to the various shires to cause the
troops in each to remain until further notice; and so great was the
desire to meet the enemy, that one thousand men of Dorsetshire offered
L500 to be allowed to march to the camp at Tilbury.
The alarm of the Spanish invasion was, however, not the last to
threaten the Londoners, and direct attention to Tilbury.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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