Marginalia1558.Whereupon preparation was made accordyngly, and all thynges ready in expectation of her commyng. MarginaliaLady Elizabeth not suffred to come to the Lord of Tames house.But through the procurement either of Maister Benifield, or by the doing of Winchester her mortal enemy, letters came ouer night to the contrary: whereby her iourney was stopped.

Thus this worthy Lady oppressed with continuall sorrow, could not be permitted to haue recourse to any frendes she had, but still in the handes of her enemies was left desolate and vtterly destitute of all that might refreshe a doulefull hart, fraught full of terrour and thraldome. Whereupon no maruell, if she hearyng vpon a tyme out of her Garden at Woodstocke a certaine milkemayd singyng pleasauntly, MarginaliaLady Elizabeth wisheth her selfe to be a milke mayde.wished her selfe to be a milkemayde as she was, saying that her case was better and lyfe more meryer then was hers, in that state as she was.

MarginaliaLady Elizabeth remoued from Woodstocke to Hampton CourtNow after these thynges thus declared, to proceede further there where we left before, Syr Henry Benifield and his souldiours, with the Lord of Tame, and Syr Rafe Chamberlayne gardyng, and waytyng vppon her, the first night from Woodstocke she came to Ricotte. In which iourney such a mighty winde did blow, that her seruaunts were fayne to hold downe her clothes about her: In so much that her hoode was twise or thrise blowen from her head. Wherupon she desirous to returne to a certaine Gentlemans house there neare, could not be suffered by Syr Henry Benifield so to do, but was constrained vnder an hedge to trimme her head aswell as she could.

After this, the next night they iourneyed to Maister Dormers, and so to Colbroke, where she lay all that night at the George: and by the way commyng to Colbroke, certaine of her graces Gentlemen and Yeomen met her, to the number of three score, much to all their comfortes, whiche had not sene her grace of long season before notwithstandyng they were commaunded in the Queenes name immediatly to depart the Towne, to both their and her graces no litle heauynesse, who could not be suffered once to speake with them. So that night all her men were taken from her, sauyng her Gentleman Vsher, three Gentlewomen, two Gromes, and one of her Wardrope, the souldiours watchyng and wardyng rounde about the house, and she close shut vp within her prison.

The next day followyng, her grace entred Hamptoncourt on the backeside, into the Princes lodgyng, the doores beyng shut to her, and she garded with souldiours, as before, lay there a fortnight at the least, or euer any had recourse vnto her. At length came the MarginaliaL. William Haward gentle and fauorable to Lady Elizabeth.Lord William Haward, who maruelous honorably vsed her grace. Whereat she tooke much cōfort, and requested him to be a meane that she might speake with some of the Counsell. To whom (not long after) came the Byshop of Winchester, the Lord of Arundell, the Lord of Shrewsbury, and Secretary Peter, who with great humilitie humbled them selues to her grace. She agayne likewise salutyng them, sayd: My Lordes (quoth she) I am glad to see you: for me thinke I haue bene kept a great while from you desolately alone. Wherefore I would desire you to be a meane to the Kyng and Queenes Maiesties, that I may be deliuered from prison, wherein I haue bene kept a long space, as to you my Lordes, it is not vnknowen.

MarginaliaLady Elizabeth requested by Winchester to submit her selfe to the Queenes mercy.When she had spoken, Steuen Gardiner the Byshop of Winchester kneeled downe, & requested that she would submit her selfe to the Queenes grace, and in so doyng he had no doubt but that her Maiestie would be good vnto her: she makyng aunswere that rather then she would so do, she would lye in prison all the dayes of her life, addyng that she craued no mercy at her Maiesties hand, but rather desired the law, if euer she did offend her Maiestie in thought, word, or deede: MarginaliaLady Elizabeth standeth to be tryed by the lawe.And besides this, in yeldyng (quoth she) I should speake agaynst my selfe, and confesse my selfe to be an offender, which neuer was towardes her Maiestie: by occasion wherof the Kyng and the Queene might euer hereafter cōceiue of me an ill opinion: And therfore I say my Lordes, it were better for me to lye in prison for the truth, then to be abroad and suspected of my Prince. And so they departed, promising to declare her message to the Queene.

MarginaliaTalke againe betwene Winchester and Lady Elizabeth.On the next day, the Bishop of Winchester came againe vnto her grace, & kneelyng downe declared that the Queene marueiled that she would so stoutly vse her selfe, not confessing to haue offended:MarginaliaLady Elizabeth denyeth to confesse any fault done to the Queene. so that it should seeme the Queenes Maiestie wrongfully to haue imprisoned her grace.

Nay quoth the Lady Elizabeth, it please her to punish me as she thinketh good.

Well quoth Gardiner, her Maiestie willeth me to tell you, that you must tell an other tale ere that you be set at libertie.

Her grace aunswered, that she had as liefe be in prison with honesty & truth, as to be abroad suspected of her Maiestie: and this that I haue sayd, I will (sayd she) stand vn-

to, for I will neuer bely my selfe.

Winchester agayne kneeled down, and sayd: Then your grace hath the vauntage of me and other þ^e Lords for your long and wrong imprisonment.

What vauntage I haue (quoth she) you know takyng God to recorde I seeke no vauntage at your hands, for your so dealyng with me: but God forgeue you and me also. With that the rest kneeled desiryng her grace that all might bee forgotten, and so departed, she beyng fast locked vppe agayne.

MarginaliaLady Elizabeth sent for to the Queene.A seuenight after the Queene sent for her grace at. x. of the clocke in the night, to speake with her: for shee had not seene her in two yeares before. Yet for all that she was amased at the so sodayn sendyng for, thinkyng it had ben worse for her then afterwardes it proued, and desired her gentlemē and Gentlewomen to pray for her, for that shee shoulde not tell whether euer she should see them agayne or no.

At whiche tyme Syr Henry Benifield with Mistres Clarencius comming in, her grace was brought into the garden vnto a stayres foote that went into the Queenes lodgyng, her graces Gentlewomen waityng vpon her, her Gentleman Vsher and her Gromes going before with torches: where her Gentlemen and Gentlewomen being commaunded to stay all sauyng one woman, MarginaliaLady Elizabeth brought to the Queenes bed chamber.Mistres Clarencius conducted her to the Queenes bed chamber, where her Maiesty was.

At the sight of whom her grace kneeled downe and desired God to preserue her Maiesty, not mistrustyng but that she should trye her selfe as true a subiect towards her Maiesty, as euer dyd any, and desired her Maiestye euen so to iudge of her: and sayd that shee shoulde not finde her to the contrary, what soeuer report otherwise had gone of her.

MarginaliaTalke betwene the Queene and Lady Elizabeth.To whom the Queene aunswered: you wil not confesse your offence, but stand stoutly to your truth: I pray God it may so fall out.

If it doth not, quoth the Lady Elizabeth, I request neyther fauour nor pardon at your Maiesties hands. Well, sayd the Queene you stifly stil perseuere in your truth Belike you wil not confesse but that you haue bene wrongfully punished.

I must not say so (if it please your Maiesty) to you.

Why, then (sayd the Queene) belike you will to other.

No, if it please your Maiesty (quoth she) I haue borne the burden, and must beare it. I humbly besech your Maiesty to haue a good opiniō of me, and to thinke me to be your true subiect, not onely from the beginnyng hetherto, but for euer, as long as life lasteth: MarginaliaSmall comfort at the Queenes hand toward her Sister.and so they departed with very few comfortable wordes of the Queene, in Englishe: but what she sayd in Spanishe, God knoweth. It is thought that Kyng PhilipMarginaliaKing Phillip thought to be a frend to Lady Elizabeth.was there behynde a cloth, and not sene, & that he shewed hym selfe a very frend in that matter. &c.

MarginaliaLady Elizabeth by Gods prouidence set at libertye.Thus her grace departyng, went to her lodgyng againe, & MarginaliaSyr Henry Benifield discharged.the seuenight after was released of Syr Henry Benifield her Gailor (as she termed hym) and his souldiours, and so her grace beyng set at libertie from imprisonment, went into the countrey, and hadde appointed to goe with her Syr Thomas Pope, one of Queene Maries Counsellours, & one of her Gentlemen Vshers, M. Gage, and thus straitly was shee looked to al Queene Maries tyme. And this is the discourse of her highnes imprisonment.

Then there came to Lamheyre, M. Ierningham, and M. Norris Gentleman Vsher, Queene Maries men, who tooke away frō her grace Mistres AshleyMarginaliaMistres Ashley sent to the Fleete. to þ^e Fleete Marginalia3 Gentlewomen of Lady Elizabethes sent to the Tower.and. iij. other of her Gentlewomen to the Tower: Whiche thynge was no little trouble to her grace saying that shee thought they would fetch all away at the ende: But God be praysed, shortly after was fetched away Gardiner,MarginaliaNote the wonderfull working of the Lordes prouidence in sauing of Lady Elizabeth. through the mercifull prouidence of the Lordes goodnes, by occasion of whose opportune deceasse (as is partly touched in thys story before, pag. 1678.) the life of this excellent Princesse, the wealth of all England, was preserued. For this is credible to bee supposed, þ^t the sayd wicked Gardiner of Winchester had long labored his wits, and to this onely most, principall marke bent all his deuises, to bryng, this our happy & deare soueraigne out of the way, as both by his words and doynges before notified, may sufficiently appeare.

MarginaliaLady Elizabeth deliuered by the death of Steuen Gardiner.But such was þ^e gratious & fauorable prouidence of þ^e lord, to þ^e preseruatiō not onely of her Royall Maiesty, but also the miserable and wofull state of this whole Iland and poore subiectes of the same, wherby the proud platformes & peuish practises of this wretched Achitophel preuailed not but contrariwise both he, and all the snares and trappes of hys pernicious counsell layd agaynst an other, were turned to a net to catch hym selfe, accordyng to the Prouerbe: Malum consilium consultori pessimum.  

Latin/Greek Translations     Close

Varro, Res Rusticae, 3. 2. 1.

Foxe text Latin

Malum consilium consultori pessimum

Foxe text translation

Not translated.

Translation (Wade 2004)

Bad advice is very bad for a counsellor

Actual text of Varro, Res Rusticae, 3. 2. 1

candidati tabella dimidiata aedificemus nobis? Opinor, inquam, non solum, quod dicitur, malum consilium consultori est pessimum, sed etiam bonum consilium,
qui consulit et qui consulitur, bonum habendum.

[cf. A. Otto, 1890, p. 90]

MarginaliaHow the Lord here beganne to worke for Lady Elizabeth.After the death of this Gardiner, followed the death also and droppyng away of other her enemies, wherby by little and little her ieopardy decreased, feare diminished, hope of comfort