“Forasmuch as in this uproar lately raised against us by certain rebels and others to blind the eyes of the simple people, we have given them to understand that the quarrel they had in hand was only religion, thinking with that cloak to cover their other ungodly designs. And so under pretence of that plausible argument to draw after them a large following of ignorant persons. Now, for preservation of our lieges whose cases were to be pitied if they blindly should be trapped in so dangerous a snare, it has pleased God, by the utterance of their own mouths and writings to us, to discover the poison that before lay hid in their hearts; albeit to persons of clear judgment the same was evident before. For what other thing might move the principal raisers of this tumult to put themselves in arms against us so unnaturally, upon whom we had bestowed so many benefits. The great honour we did to them, being thereof most unworthy, made them to misknow themselves, and their insatiable ambition could not be satisfied with heaping riches upon riches, and honour upon honour, unless they might receive in their hands ourselves and our whole realm, to be led, used, and disposed at their pleasure. But of this the multitude could not perceive if God, for disclosing of their hypocrisy, had not compelled them to utter their unreasonable desire to govern. For now, by letters sent from themselves to us, they make plain confession that the establishing religion will not content them, but we must perforce be governed by such counsel as shall please them to give us, a thing so far beyond all reason that we think the mere mention of such a demand is sufficient to make their nearest kinsfolk their mortal enemies. What is this but in a manner to invert the order of nature, to make the prince obey, the subject to command? The like was never demanded of any of our noble progenitors, nor of governors or regents. The princes ever chose their counsel of such as they thought most fit. When we ourselves were of less age, and on our first arrival in the realm, we had free choice of counsel at our pleasure. Now, when we are at our full majority, shall we be brought back to the state of pupilage and minority, or be put under tutelage? “So long as some of them bore the whole swing with us, this matter was never called in question; but now, when they cannot be permitted to do and undo all things at their own pleasure, they will put a bridle on our mouths and give us counsel after their own fantasy. This is the quarrel of religion they made you believe they had in hand; this is the quarrel for which they would have you hazard your lives, lands, and goods, in company with certain rebels against your natural princes; or, in plain language, they would be kings themselves, leaving us the bare name and title, taking to themselves the whole use and administration of the kingdom.