MarginaliaAn. 1553.neth not faylyng hereof as our very trust is in you. And thus our letter signed with our hand shalbe your sufficient warrant in this behalfe. Yeuen vnder our Signet at our Manor of Kenyngall the ix. of Iuly. 1553.

To this letter of the Lady Mary, the Lordes of the Counsayle make aunswere agayne as foloweth.

MarginaliaA letter of the Counsaile aūwering againe to the Lady Mary.MAdame we haue receaued your letters the ix. of this instant, declaryng your supposed title, which you iudge your selfe to haue to the Imperiall crowne of this Realme and all the dominions therunto belonging. For aūswere wherof this is to aduertise you that for asmuch as our soueraigne Lady Queene Iane is after the death of our soueraigne Lord Edward the sixt, a Prince of most noble memory inuested and possessed with the iust and right title in the Imperiall crowne of this Realme, MarginaliaLady Iane inuested in possession of the crowne by K. Edwardes will and assent of the whole Counsaile. not onely by good order of old auncient good lawes of this Realme, but also by our late soueraigne Lordes letters patentes signed with his own hand, and sealed with the great seale of England in presence of the most part of the nobles, Counsellours, iudges, with diuers other graue and sage personages, assentyng and subscribyng to the same: We must therfore as of most bound duety and allegeance assent vnto her sayd grace, and to none other, except we should (which faithfull subiectes can not) fall into greuous and vnspeakeable enormities. Wherfore we can no lesse do, but for the quyet both of the Realme and you also, to aduertise you, that for asmuch as the diuorce made betwene þ^e king of famous memory K. Henry the eight, and the Lady Katherine your mother, was necessary to be had both by the euerlastyng lawes of God, and also by the Ecclesiasticall lawes, and by the most part of the noble and learned vniuersities of Christendome, and confirmed also by the sondry Actes of Parlamentes remayning yet in their force, and thereby you iustly made MarginaliaLady Mary recounted illegitimate.illegitimate and vnheritable to the crowne Imperial of this Realme, and the rules, dominiōs, and possessions of the same: you will vpon iust consideration hereof, and of diuers other causes lawful to be alledged for the same, & for the iust inheritaūce of the right lyne and godly orders taken by the late kyng our soueraigne Lorde kyng Edward the sixt, and agreed vppon by the nobles and greatest personages aforesaid, surceasse by any pretēce to vexe and molest any of our soueraigne Lady Queene Iane her subiectes from their true faith and allegaunce due vnto her grace: assuryng you that if you will for respect show your selfe quyet and obedient (as you ought) you shall finde vs all and seuerall ready to do you any seruice that we with duety may, and bee glad with your quietnes to preserue the common state of this Realme: Wherein you may be otherwise greuous vnto vs, to your selfe, and to them. And thus we byd you most hartly well to fare, frō the Tower of London, this ix. of Iuly. 1553.

Your Ladyshyps frendes shewyng
your selfe an obedient subiect,

All these aforesayd except only þ^e Northumberland & Syr Iohn Gates, afterward were, either by especiall fauor or speciall or generall pardō discharged.

After this aunswer receaued, and the myndes of the Lordes perceaued, Ladye Mary speedeth her selfe secretely away farre of from the City,MarginaliaLady Mary keepeth her self from the Citie of London. hoping chiefly vpon the good will of the Commons, and yet (perchaunce) not destitute all together of the secrete aduertisements of some of the Nobles. When the Counsell heard of her sodaine departure, and perceiued her stoutnes, and that all came not to passe as they supposed: they gathe-

red speedely a power of men together , appointed an army, and first assigned that the Duke of Suffolke should take that enterprise in hand, and so haue the leading of the band. But afterward altering their mindes, they thought it best to send forth the MarginaliaThe Duke of Northumberlād sent forth against lady Mary.Duke of Northumberland, with certaine other Lordes and Gentlemen, and that the Duke of Suffolke should keepe the Tower: where the Lord Gilford and the Lady Iane the same tyme were lodged.

In the which expedition the Garde also, albeit they were much vnwylling at the fyrst thereunto, yet notwithstanding through the vehemēt perswasions of the Lord Treasurer, Maister Chomley, and other, they were induced to assist the Duke, and to set forwarde with hym.  

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One instance where Foxe did obtain new information was concerning the Duke of Suffolk's holding the Tower and the reluctance of Northumberland's soldiers to take the field against Mary (see textual variant 3). Probably this came to Foxe from an oral source.

These thinges thus agreed vpon, & the Duke now being set forwarde after the best aray out of London, hauing notwithstanding hys times prescribed and his iourneyes appointed by þ^e Coūsel, to þ^e entent he would not seeme to do any thing, but vpon warrant, Mary in the meane while, tossed with much trauell vp & down, to worke the surest way for her best aduauntage, withdrew her selfe into the quarters of Norfolke and Suffolke, MarginaliaPolicie of the Lady Mary.where she vnderstood the Dukes name to be had in much hatred, for the seruice that had bene done ther of late vnder king Edward in subduing the Rebels: and there gathering to her such ayde of the Commons on euery side as she might, kepeth her selfe cloase for a space within MarginaliaThe Lady Mary taketh Fremingham castle.Fremingham Castle. To whom first of all resorted the Suffolke men: who being alwayes forward in promoting the proceedinges of the Gospel, promised her their ayde & help,MarginaliaThe Suffolke men gather to the Lady Maryes side. so that she would not attēpt the alteration of the religion which her brother kyng Edward had before established by lawes and orders publickely enacted and receaued by the consent of the whole realme in that behalfe.

To make the matter short, vnto this condition she eftsoones agreed, with such promise made vnto them,MarginaliaThe Lady Mary promiseth faythfully that she would not alter religion. that no innouation shoud be made of religion, as that no man woulde or coulde then haue mysdoubted her. Which promise, if shee afterward had as constantly kept, as they did willingly preserue her with theyr bodies and weapons, she had done a deede both woorthy her bloud, and had also made her raygne more stable to her selfe through firmer  

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The word 'former' was 'firmer' in 1563 (p. 902) and 1570 (p. 1568). The word was changed in 1576 (p. 1337); undoubtedly this was a typographical error. It is worth noting as one of a number of errors arising from careless typesetting in the 1576 edition which were perpetuated in subsequent editions.

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Thus Mary being garded with the power of the Gospellers, did vanquish the Duke, and all those that came against her. In consideration whereof, it was (me thinkes) an heauy word that she aunswered to the Suffolke men afterwardes, which dyd make supplication vnto her Grace to performe her promise: MarginaliaQ. Maryes answere to the Suffolke men, and one Maister Dobbe punished.For so much (sayth she) as you being but members, desire to rule your heade, you shall one day well perceiue that members must obey theyr head, and not looke to beare rule ouer þ^e same. And not onely that, but also to cause the more terror vnto other, a certaine Gentleman named Maister Dobbe, dwelling about Wyndam syde, for the same cause, that is, for aduertising her by humble request, of her promise, was punished, being three sundry times set on the pillery to be a gasing stocke vnto all men. Diuers other deliuered her bookes and supplications made out of the scripture, to exhort her to cōtinue in the true doctrine then stablished, and for theyr good willes were sent to prison. But such is the condition of mās nature (as here you see) that we are for the most part more ready alway to seeke friendship when we stand in neede of helpe, then readye to requite a benefite once past and receiued. Howe be it agaynst all this, one shoote anker we haue, MarginaliaPerfect fidelitie shut out of the doores, yet is to bee found in heauen.which may be a sure comfort to all miserable creatures, that equitie and fidelitie are euer perfecte and certainly found wyth the Lord aboue, though þ^e same being shut out of þ^e doores