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A DECLARATION

OF THE

QUENES MAIESTIE, ELIZABETH,

BY THE GRACE OF GOD,

QUENE OF ENGLAND, FRAUNCE, AND IRELANDE,

DEFENDOR OF THE FAYTH, &c.

Conteyning the causes which haue constrayued her to arme certeine of her sub-
iectes, for defence both of her owne estate, and of the moste Christian Kyng,
Charles the Nynth, her good brother, and his subiectes. Septemb. 1562.
Imprinted at London, in Powles Churchyarde, by Rycharde fugge and lobu
Cawood, printers to the Quenes Maiestie.
In Quarto, containing thirteen pages, black letter.
Cum Priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis.

This political Queen, Elisabeth, having discovered, that great endeavours were carrying on by the Papists to restore their religion by force of arms, under a pretence of the Queen of Scotland's title to the crown of England; and that the duke of Guise was to assist her rebellious subjects, with a French army, to execute their treason; and that the duke of Guise, with the Cardinal of Lorrain, had engaged the King of Navarre, or Anthony of Bourbon, to their support; with a promise to guarantee to the said king the crowu of England, if he would assist in dethroning Elisabeth; she resolved to support the French Huguenots, in opposition to the Guises, and procured for them a favourable edict, called, the Edict of January.

The duke of Guise, penetrating into the Queen's intentions, concerted and assisted in the execrable massacre of Vassy; which at once deprived the Queen Regent of Fraunce, and her son the King, of their liberty, and obliged the Huguenots, or French protestants, to desire succours from Queen Elisabeth; promising to put her in possession of Havre de Grace,' till she had Calais restored to the Crown of England.

The Queen, glad of this opportunity to declare against the Guises, agrees to furnish them with an hundred-thousand crowns, and six-thousand foot; and then published the following declaration, or manifesto, viz.

A

LTHOUGH the myserable and afflicted estate of the realine of Fraunce is to be lamented of all Chrystien Princes and nacions, and requyrethe som good remedie, not only for preseruation of the Kyng there, with the Quene his mother, and the subiectes of that realme frou danger and ruyne; but also for the staye of the reste of Christendome in peace, and to be free from the lyke cyuyle warre,

into the whiche, as it appeareth by these straunge dealinges in the sayde realme, it is meant the same shall fall; yet there is no prince, that hath more iuste cause to haue regarde herunto, nor that hath more indifferently and earnestly intended the recouery of quietnesse and accorde therin, than the Quenes maicstie of this realme of Englande, both by her owne gracious disposition, and by aduyse of her councell. For, as the matter is nowe playnly discouered to the worlde, and as her maiestie hath proued the same sufficientlye by her owne late experience, she is not only touched, as other princes ought to be, with great compassion and commiseration for the vnnaturall abusyng of the French Kyng, her good brother, by certen of his subiectes, the daunger of his person and his bloud, the lamentable and barbarous destruction, hauocke, and spoyle of so manye Chrystien innocent people beyonde all measure but her maiestie also euidently seeth before her eycs, that, yf some good remedye be not, by Gods goodnesse, prouided in season, the very fyre, that is nowe kindeled and dispersed there, is purposelye ment and intended to be conueyed and blowen ouer to inflame this her crowne and her realme. Whiche greate peryll, although it be so playnly sene to all wyse and prouident men, both at home and abrode, that they can not mislyke her care and prouidence to remedye the same in tyme; yet hath her maiestie thought not vnmeete to notifie some parte of her dealynges herin, so as it shall well appeare howe sincerely her maicstie hath both hytherto proceaded with her neyghbours, and how playnly and vprightly she is determined to continue.

:

Fyrst, It hath ben well sene to the worlde, howe well disposed her maiestie was, cuen at the beginning of her raigne*, to the restitucion of peace to Christendome, that, for loue therof, was contented to forbeare for certein yeres the restitucion† of a portion of her auncient dominion, when all other parties to the same peace, with whom, and by whose alliaunce her crowne susteyned losse, were immediately restored to the most parte of their owne in possession: aud yet it can not be forgotten, within howe short a space, or rather no space after, and by whom, and vpon howe greate, cuidente, and iuste causes (aswell by meanes of force and armes first taken, as by other open attemptes agaynst her maiestie) she was constrained to prepare like armes of defence only, euen for her whole crowne and kingdome, and ioyntly therwith for the safetie of her next neyghbours from a playne tirrannye. And also howe sincerely her maiestie proceaded therin !, firste, by sundry requestes and meanes made to forbeare theyr attemptes; next, by open declaration of her intent to be onely for defence of her selfe, and by the whole handelyng of the matter; and, lastly, by the euent and issue of the cause all the worlde hath clerely vnderstande.

After which daungerous troubles pacified the quene of Scottes, at her returne to her countreye, felyng the greate commoditie herof folowyng, both to her selfe and her realme, and vnderstanding the sincere dealyng of the Quenes maiestie in all her former actions, dyd by diuers meanes geue signification to her maiestie, of a greate desire to

1 Apryl, 1550. The peace made at Casteau, in Cambresy. Callayse, which was to be restored to the Queue of Englande. 20 Apryll, 1560.

The Towne of

* The Scots.

enter with her into a strayghter kynde of amitie: Wherunto her maiestie, being of her owne nature much enclined, redely accorded. And howe farre and prosperously they both proceded therin by many and sundry mutuall offices of frendshippe, aswel the good wyl shewed by her maiestie to the Quene of Scottes vncles, the Guyses, and to all her frendes and ministers passyng and repassyng through this her realme; as also the accorde of the enteruiew intended betwixt them both, this last sommer, hath well declared.

But, in the middest of these her maicsties quiet and peacyble determinations, she hath ben, to her great griefe, vtterly disapoynted; and constrayned, for her owne interest, to attende and intermedle in the pacification of these great troubles in Fraunce neare to her realme, the same beyng styrred vp by suche, as both were her laste nianifest great enemies, and haue also (they know howe) continued the cause of mistrust tyl this day, by manifest argumentes of iniustice, which her maiestic is contented to conceale, for the great affection that she beareth to the Scottysshe Quene. Fyrste, her maicstie at the beginning, doubting, by the encrease of these Frenche troubles, that not onely that realme should fall into daunger of ruyne + by diuision, as it nowe is; but also that the reste of Christendome, and specially her owne realme, both for the nearenesse thereto, and for the respectes of them which were the principall aucthours and parties in these troubles, shoulde be also disturbed and brought to daunger; vsed all the meanes that might be, by messages, by solicitations, by aduyse, yea, by a special ambassade of a person of good credite, to haue some mediation made betwixt these parties beyng at controuersie. But suche was the policie and violence of the one partie in hastye proceadyng, euen at the firste, as no mediation coulde be harde of, or allowed. And yet coulde not her maiestie discontinue her good intent, but, scyng the cruelties encrease, the bloudsheddyng and murders continue; yea, which was most peryllous, the yonge Kyng, and the Quene his mother, being sodeynlye assayled, and founde without force, were directed and drawen altogether, by the verye aucthours of the troubles, to suffer theyr name and aucthoritic to be abused, euen to the kyllynge of the Kynges owne vnarmed innocente people, the spoylyng of his ryche townes, the breakyng of his best aduysed edictes, the persecutyng of his owne bloud and his nobilitie, the destroying of his faithfull approued || seruauntes, with many suche other heapes of mischiefes; and all these for no other cause, but for the particular appetites of some, and to breake with violence the ordinaunces§ of the realme, specyallye those which were lately deuysed by the long and great councell of the realme, both for quietnesse in matters of religion, and for the reliefe of the Kynges estate diuers wayes ¶.

And, finally, her Maiestie vnderstandyng very certeinly of an open destruction and subuertion there, put already in vre, and lyke

• 1562.

#29 Aprill, 1562,
Protestant.
Of the great
The Edict of 17 Jan. 1562.

+1 March, 1562. The slaughter of Vassy. Syr Henry Sidney, Lord President in Wales. Parliament at Orleans, in Jan. 1560.

The slaughters at Vassy, Paris, Sens, Tholose, Blois, Tours, Angers, and other places, by credible estimation reporied out of Fraunce, to the number of an hundred thousand persons, between the 1st of March and the 20th of August last.

wyse intended against all states and persons professyng the gospell abroade, her Maiestie thought it very nedefull to thynke of some other meanes of more efficacie to induce the aucthours of those troubles to geue care to some reasonable mocions of accorde, and not to aduenture the ruyne of a realme for theyr particuler appetites; and therefore determined to sende a solempne ambassade of a certeine numbre of personages of her councell, being of great aucthoritie, experience, and indifferencie, to repayre into Fraunce, to assay howe some staye myght be reasonably deuysed for these extremities, by preseruyng of both partes indifferently, to the seruice of the kyng theyr soueraigne, according to theyr estates of byrth and callyng.

But thys maner of proceadyng also could no wyse be lyked nor allowed, neither coulde answere be hadde hereunto from the good yonge kyng, nor the timerous quene his good mother, without the onely direction of that part, which both began and continued the troubles from the begynnyng.

And whylest her Maiestie was thus well occupyed, meanyng principallye the weale and honour of the Kyng, her good brother; and, secondly, well towardes both the parties beyng at deuision, without the preiudice of eyther; a playne contrary course and proceadyng was vsed agaynst her Maiestie, by the whiche was made manifest what was further ment and intended by them that had so often tymes refused to heare her Maiestie speake for mediation and accorde. All het Maiesties subiectes aad marchauntes, aswell of her cities of London and Excester, as of other porte townes in the west partes of the realme, beyng at that very tymet in diuers partes of the countrey of Bryttayne, resortyng thyther onely for trade of marchaundizes, and ready to returne to theyr owne portes, were in the same tyme‡ apprehended, spoyled, miserably imprisoned; yea, such, as sought to defend themselues, cruelly kylled, theyr shyppes taken, theyr goodes and marchaundize seased, and nothyng sayde nor deuysed to charge them, but onely furiouslye callyng them al Hugenotz: a word, though very strange and folyshe to many of the honest marchauntes and poore maryners, yet fully sufficient to declare from whence these commaundementes came, and what their intent is to prosecute, when theyr tyme shall serue them. Neither were these spoyles small or few, but in value and numbre greate and many; neither done by private furye, but by publique officers, who were also mainteined by gouernours of the countreys; yea, none of her Maiesties subiectes were there spared, that coulde be taken, though some escaped with great hazarde. Well; herof complaint was made [, where it ought to be, but therin hath ben as small regard had, as was before for robbyng of her Maiesties owne messengers with her letters from her embassadour, and yet the fact vnpunyshed, without any satisfaction for the same: wherin her Maiestie surely noteth and pitieth the lacke, rather of aucthoritie, then of good wyll, in the Kyng, or the Quene his mother, or the Kyng of Nauarre his lieuetenaunt; but seethe manifestly, by this, and by al other proceadinges, in what harde tearmes the estate of the yong kynge is set, 20 Aug. 1562.

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26 July, 1562.

+ 30 July.

19 Aug. 1562.

that can neither be permitted to prescrue his own people and seruauntes, his owne lawes and ordinaunces, neither to aunswere to other princes and people, in fourme of iustice, that which he ought to do.

Vpon these, and other former daungerous enterprises agaynste her Maiestie and her crowne, may it well appeare, to all persons of indiffer ent judgement, howe these violent proceadynges in Fraunce, conducted at this tyme by the Duke of Guyse and his adherentes, do touch the Quenes Maiestie much nearer for her state and realme, then anye other prince of Christendome. Wherfore, seyng the aucthoritie of the King and the Quene his mother, with theyr quiet good councellours, can not at this tyme haue place to direct theyr affayres, neyther towardes theyr owne people, nor towardes theyr neyghbours; neither can any mediation, sought by her Maiestie, for concorde, be allowed; but, contrarywise, the tender persons of the king, and the quene his mother, be manifestlye abused, and daungerouslye caried about, for the particuler pleasures onely of a fewe persons, and specially those of Guyse, to waste the kinges countreys, to sacke and spoyle his ryche and greate townes, to kyll and murder the multitude of his good and true subiectes: And, seyng also the quarrell manifestly publyshed, and prosecuted, both by wrytyng and otherwyse, by them, is to subuert the whole profession of true religion through Christendome by force, without mercy, and thereby to stirre vp a ciuile blouddy lamentable warre in all Christendome. Lastly, seyng they, whiche be the aucthours and mainteyners of all these diuisions, are well knowen to the worlde to be the same that, when tyme serued them, bent theyr whole endeuours to offende and diminishe the crowne and dignitie of this realme of Englande†; and of late tyme, for the exaltation of theyr particuler house, deuysed vniustly to assayle the whole crowne of Englande ‡ by sundrye wayes; though, by Gods goodnes, theyr practises and counsels turned, for that tyme, to theyr owne confusion, as, by the same goodnes, they shall at all tymes hereafter.

Howe may her Maiestic, without note of manifest vnkyndnes to her deare yonge brother and confederat; of vnmercifulnes to her next neighbours, his subiectes; of vncarefulnes to the common quiet of Christendome; and, lastly, whiche is nearest to her selfe, of mere negligence to the suertie of her owne estate, her countrey, and people, suffer these fewe troublesome men, firste, to destroye and shedde the bloud of a number of Chrystien people, whose bloud, by nearnesse of place to her maiesties realme, may be stopped, or some wyse saued: Nexte, to surprise and take such townes and hauens, whereby theyr former long intended and many fest practises agaynst the crowne of this realme may be most easyly for them, and daungerously for this realme, put in vre and execution. Wherfore, for these reasonable, evident, vrgent, and necessary considerations, and not without the lamentable and continuall request of the Frenche kynges subiects, her maiesties nexte neyghbours, crying to her maiestie onelye for defence of themselues, their portes, and townes, from tiranny and subuertion, duryng this theyr kynges minoritie,

• Protestant and Evangelical.

+ By denying the restitution of Calice. + From 1560, there were French armies sent by way of Scotlandë, and other deuyses, to clayme the crowns of Englande, &c.

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