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The true copie
of a letter

from
the queenes majestie, to the

Lord Maior of London, and his brethren:

conteyning a
most gracious acceptation of the great joy which her Subjectes
tooke upon the apprehension of divers persons, detected
of a most wicked conspiracie, read openly in a
great assemblie of the Commons in the Guildhall
of that Citie, the 1586-08-2222. day of August. 1586.


Before the reading whereof, maister
James Dalton, one of the Counsellours
of that Citie, in the
absence of the Recorder,
made this speach hereafter
folowing.

Imprinted at London by Christopher
Barker
, Printer to the Queenes most
excellent Majestie.
15861586

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A royal crest with crowned lions and a dragon, inscribed with two phrases: “Honi soit qui mal y pense”, and “Dieu et mon droit”
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By the Queene.

To our right trustie and welbeloved,
the Lord Maior of our Citie of London, and
his brethren the Aldermen of the same.


Right trustie and welbeloved, wee
greete you well. Being given to understand
how greatly our good and
most loving Subjects of that Citie
did rejoyce at the apprehēensiōon of certaine
devilish and wicked minded
subjects of ours, that through the
great and singular goodnes of God
have bene detected, to have most wickedly and unnaturally
conspired, not onely the taking away of our owne life, but also
to have stirred up (as much as in them lay) a generall rebellion
throughout our whole Realme: we coulde not but
by our owne letters witnesse unto you the great and singular
contentment we received upon the knowledge thereof,
assuring you, that we did not so much rejoyce at the escape
of the intended attempt against our owne person, as to see
the great joy our most loving Subjects tooke at the apprehension
of the contrivers thereof, which, to make their love
more apparant, they have (as we are to our great comfort
informed) omitted no outwarde shewe, that by any externall
acte might witnesse to the world the inwarde love and
duetifull affection they beare toward us. And as we have
as great cause with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge Gods
great goodnesse toward us, through the infinite blessings
he layeth upon us, as many as ever Prince had, yea rather,
as ever Creature had: yet doe we not for any worldly blessing
received from his divine Majestie, so greatly acknowledgeA.ii. ledge A2v
the same, as in that it hath pleased him to incline the
heartes of our subjects even from the first beginning of our
reigne, to carrie as great love towards us, as ever Subjects
caried toward Prince, which ought to move us (as it doeth
in very deede) to seeke with all care, and by all good meanes
that appertaine to a Christian Prince, the conservation of
so loving and duetifully affected Subjects: assuring you that
we desire no longer to live, then while we may in the whole
course of our governement carrie our selfe in such sort, as
may not onely nourish and continue their love and good
will towards us, but also encrease the same. Wee thinke
meete, that these our letters shoulde be communicated in
some generall assemblie to our most loving Subjects the
Commoners of that Citie. Yeven under our Signet at
our Castell of Windsor, the 1586-08-1818. day of August 1586.
in the 28. yeere of our reigne.

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Right worshipful, my good countreymen
& Citizens of this most noble
Citie of Londōon. Since the late bruite
and report of a most wicked and traiterous
conspiracie, not onely to take
away the life of our most gratious Soveraigne,
(whom God graunt long to live & reigne over us)
but also to stirre up a general rebellion throughout
the whole Realme: the great and universall joy of
you all of this Citie, upon the apprehension of divers
of that most wicked conspiracie alate declared
and testified, by many outward acts & shewes,
hath wrought in the Queenes most excellent Majestie
such a gratious contentmēent, that it hath moved
her Highnes, by her letters signed with her
owne hand, to signifie unto my L.Lord Maior of this
Citie and his brethren, her most Noble & Princely
acceptation thereof, and that in such sort, as thereby
may appeare, that her Highnes hath not more,
no not so much rejoyced at the most happie escape
of the wicked mischiefe intended against her owne
person, as at the joye which her loving Subjectes,
and namely you of this Citie of London tooke at
the apprehension of the practisers of that intended
Treason.

By occasion whereof, her highnes brought to
a thankefull Remembrance, and acknowledging
of Gods infinite blessings bestowed on hir, comparable
with any Prince or creature in the worlde,
no worldly thing more or like accompteth of, then
of the heartie love of her loving & faithful subjects A.iii. many A3v
many wayes and many times before now, but especially
by this our great joye in this fort, at this
time, and upon this occasion shewed.

And that her exceeding great love and acceptation
of our Rejoycing may the more appeare unto
you, it hath pleased her Highnes in the same letters
to declare, that she desireth not longer to lyve
among us, then she shal maintayne, continue, nourish
and increase the love and good will of her Subjects
toward her. And this her Highnes hath willed
to be made knowen unto you all, with this, that
shee will not faile with all care, and by all good
meanes that appertaine to a Christian prince, to
seeke the cōonservation of you all so loving and duetifully
affected Subjects.

This her Majesties pleasure in part now declared,
and more to be made knowen to you by her owne
letters, which you shall heare readde, my Lord
Maior and his brethren have required mee to declare
unto you all, that they doe heartily rejoyce
and thanke God for the happie day of the good
acceptation of this your great joy, and my L.Lord himselfe
hath willed me to give you all hearty thankes
in his name, for that in the time of his service your
duetifull behaviours have gotten to the Citie so
Noble and worthie a Testimonie of duetie and
loyaltie, of so Noble and worthie a Queene.

Now for asmuch as Gods blessings wonderfully
abound, and one joye comes upon another, let us
not be unthankefull to God, but acknowledge his
goodnesse, and attribute the same (as in deede
we ought) to the sincere Religion of Almightie
God, most godly established
by the Queenes most excellent A4r
excellent Majestie, which hath taught us to knowe
God aright, our duetie to our Soveraigne, and to
love our countrey, and hath made us duetifull and
obedient Subjects, rejoycing at all good things
happening to her Majestie, her Realme, or to any
in her Noble service, the true effectes of a true and
good Religion: Whereas the contemners thereof,
and immoderate affectors of the Romish religion
and superstitions, being voyde of the true
knowledge of God, have declyned from God,
their allegiance to their Prince, their love to
their Countrie, and have becomme Inventers
of mischiefes, bruters and spreaders abroade of
false and seditious rumors, such as joye at no
good thing, but contrariwise rejoyce at every evill
successe, the badges and markes of their profession,
who have before this, in this Realme and in
other her Highnes dominions, stirred up rebellion,
forraine invasion, and many times practised
the very death and destruction of the Queene her
selfe, the Ruyne and subversion of the whole
Realme, the proper effects of their Romish religion.

We have beheld all these things, and seene in
our dayes the Ruyne and mischiefes invented againsst
others, fall upon the Inventers themselves:
and have knowen the wicked and violent hands of
divers of them, devilishly to kill and murther
themselves, when most trayterously they woulde,
and most happilie they could not, flea the Lordes
annoynted.

As we have knowen all these things, so God be
thanked, that by a better Religion, having bene better A4v
better taught, we have bene no partakers of their
wicked divises, but have put to our helping hands
as occasion hath served, and ever ready to overthrowe
the auctors and devisers thereof.

And I have no doubt, but we of this Noble Citie,
who hitherto have bene alwayes readie duetifully
and faithfully to serve her Majestie upon all
occasions, (her Highnes now so graciously accepting
onely of our rejoycing at the apprehension of
her enemies, evēen the least part of the duty of a good
Subject to so good a Queene) will be readie every
one with all that we can make, and with the uttermost
adventure of all our lives, speedily to be revenged
upon all such as shall villainously and traiterously
attempt or put in ure any mischiefe to her
Noble person, and in the meane time will have a
better eye & eare to all suspitious & miscontented
persons, to their sayings and doings, to their false
bruites and reports, to the places and corners of
their haunt and resort, to their harborers, companions,
ayders and mainteiners.

God uphold and continue his Religion among
us, and increase our zeale therein, which hath
made us so loving and loyall, and so beloved and
acceptable Subjectes to so worthy a Prince, and
roote out the wicked and Romish religion, That
hath made so many disloyall and traiterous Subjectes:
to whom is both odious and irkesome, the
long life & prosperous Reigne of our most noble
Queene Elizabeth. God confounde all such traytors,
and preserve her Highnesse long to live and
reigne over us.