Acts and Monuments Volume 2 Part 2, Book 12 · Admonition
¶Admonition to the Reader concerning the examples aboue mentioned.
IT hath bene a long perswasion gendred in the heades of many men these many yeares, that to ground a mans fayth vpō Gods word alone, and not vponupon the See and Churche of Rome, following all the ordinaunces and constitutions of the same; was damnable heresie, and to persecute such men to death, was hygh seruice done to God. Whereupon hath risen so great persecutions, slaughters, and murders, with such effusion of Christē bloud through all partes of Christendome, by the space of these 70. yeares, as hath not before bene seene. And of these men Chryst himselfe doth full well warne vsus long before, true prophesiyng of such times to come, when they that flea his Ministers and seruantes, shuld thinke themselues to do good seruice vntounto God. Ioh. 16. Now, what wicked seruice, and howe detestable before God this is, which they falsly perswade themselues to be godly,Iohn. 16. what more euident demonstrations can we require, then these so many, so manifest, & so terrible examples of Gods wrath pouring down from heauen vponupon these persecuters, whereof part we hauehave already set forth:3. Argumentes agaynst the Papistes. Gods worde. Bloud of Martyrs. Gods punishment. The plagues of God, set against pretensed antiquitye. for to comprehend all (which in number are infinite) it is vnpossible. Wherfore, although there be manye whiche will neyther heare, see, nor vnderstand, what is for theyr profite, yet let al moderate & wel disposed natures take warning in time. And if the playne word of God will not suffice thē, nor the bloud of so many martirs wil moue thē to embrace the truth and forsake errour, yet let the desperate deathes & horrible punishments of their own papistes perswade thē, how perillous is the end of this dānable doctrine of papistry. For if these papistes which make so much of their painted antiquitie, do thinke theyr proceedings to be so Catholick, & seruice so acceptable to God, let thē ioyn this withal, & tel vsus, how commeth then theyr procedings to be so accursed of God, & their end so miserably plagued, as by these examples aboue specified, is here notoriously to be seene? Agayne, if the doctrine of them be such heresie, whom they hauehave hetherto persecuted for heretickes vntounto death, howe then is almighty God become a mayntayner of heretickes, who hath reuenged theyr bloud so greeuously vppon theyr enemyes and persecuters?
The putting out of the French kinges eyes, which promised before with his eyes to see one of Gods true seruauntes burned who seeth not with his eyes to be the stroke of Gods hand vponupon him? Then his sonne Frances after him,Henry .2. the French king and king Fraūces his sonne stricken, the one in the eyes, the other with an impostume in the eare. not regarding his fathers stripe, would needes yet proceed in burning the same man: and did not the same God whiche put out his fathers eyes, geue hym suche a blow on the eare, that it cost him his life if the platform of Steuen Gardiner had bene a thing so necessary for the church and so gratefull vntounto God, why then did it not prosper with him nor he with it: but both he and his platforme lay in the dust, and none left behinde him to build vponupon it? After the tyme of Steuen Gardiner, and at the Councell of Trent,Stephen Gardiner. what conspiracies and pollicies were deuised? what practises and traynes were layde through the secret confederacy of princes and prelates, for the vtter subuersion of the Gospell and all Gospellers, which if God had seen to hauehave bene for his glory, why then came they to none effect? yea, how or by whome were they disclosed and foreprised but by the Lord himself, which would not hauehave them come forward?
The vehement zeale of Queene Mary, whiche was like to hauehave set vp the Pope here agayne in England for euer,Queene Mary. if it had so much plesed the Lord God as it pleased her self: or if it had bene so godly as it was bloudy, no doubt but Gods blessing woulde hauehave gone withall. But when was the Realme of England more barren of all Gods blessinges? what Prince euer raigned here more shorter time, or lesse to his owne hartes ease then didde Queene Mary?
Constable of Fraunce.The Constable of Fraunce when he conuented with GOD, that if he had victory at S Quintines, he would set vponupon Geneua, thought (no doubt) that he had made a great good bargaine with God: Much like to Iulian the Emperour, who going against the Persians, made his vow that if he spedde well, he would offer the bloud of Christians. But what did God? came not both theyr vowes to like effect?
The examples of such as reuolted from the Gospell to Papistry, be not many: but as fewe as they were, scarse can any be found which began to turne to the Pope, but the Lord began to turne from them,King of Nauar. Henry Smith. D. Shaxton. The end of Gardiner. Iohn de Roma. Twyford. Bayliffe of Crowland. Suffragan of Douer. D. Dunning. D. Geffray. Berrye. Poacher Archbishop. Crescentius Cardinall. Rockwood. Latomus. Guarlacus. Eckius. Thornton. Pattyer. Longe. Bomelius all professours of Popery. and to leaue them to theyr ghostly enemy: As we hauehave heard of the king of Nauarre in Fraunce, of Hēry Smith and Doctor Shaxton in England, with other in other Countries moe, of whom some dyed in great sorow of conscience, some in miserable doubt of their saluation, some stricken by Gods hand, some driuen to hang or drowne themselues.
The stincking death of Steuen Gardiner, of Iohn de Roma, of Twyford, of the Bayliffe of Crowland: The suddeyne death of the Suffragane of Douer, of Doctour Dunning, of Doctour Geffray, of Berry the Promoter: The miserable and wretched end of Poncher Archbishop of Towers, of Cardinall Crescentius, Castellanus: The desparate disease of Rockewood, of Latomus, of Guarlacus: The earthly ending of Henry Beauforde Cardinall of Winchester, of Eckius, of Thornton called Dicke of Douer: The wilfull and selfe murder of Pauyer, of Richard Long, of Bomelius, besides infinite other: The dreadfull taking awaye and murren of so many persecutyng Byshoppes, so many bloudye Promoters, and malicious Aduersaryes, in suche a shorte tyme together with Queene Marye, and that wythout anye mans hand, but onelyonly by the secret working of Gods iust iudgement.
To adde to these also the stincking death of Edmund Boner, commonly named the bloudy Bishop of London: who not many yeares agoe, in the time and reigne of Queene Elizabeth, after he had long feasted and banquetted in Durance at the Marshalsea, as he wretchedly dyed in his blinde Popery, so as stinckingly, and as blindely at midnight was he brought out & buried in the outside of all the Citty, amonges theeues and murderers, a place right conuenient for such a murderer: with confusion and derision both of men and children, who trampling vponupon his graue, well declared how he was hated both of God & man. What els be all these (I say) but playne visible argumentes, testimonies, and demonstrations euen from heauē agaynst the pope, his murdering Religion, and his bloudy doctrine? For who can deny their doings not to be good, whose end is so euill. If Christ bid vsus to know mē by their fruits, & especially seing by the end all thinges are to be tryed, howe can the profession of that doctrine please God, which endeth so vngodly? Esaias chap. 50. prophesying of the ende of Gods enemyes, whiche woulde needes walke in the lighte of theyr owne setting vppe, and not in the light of the Lordes kindling,Esay. 50. threatneth to them this finall malediction: In doloribus (sayth he) dormietis i. In sorow shall you sleepe. Let vsus now take a suruey of all those persecuters, whiche of late hauehave so troubled the earth (and almost hauehave burned vppe the world with fagots and fire, for mainetenaunce of the Popes Religion) and see what the end hath bene of them that are nowe gone, and whither their Religion hath brought them, but either to destruction, or desparation, or confusion & shame of life. So many great Doctors and Bishops hauehave cried out of late so mightely agaynst priestes marriage, and hauehave they not, by Gods iust iudgement working theyr confusion, bene detected themselues and taken the most part of them in sinnefull adultery,Page 199. & shamefull fornication? Cardinall Ioannes Cremensis the Popes Legate here in England, after he had set a law that Priestes shoulde hauehave no wiues, was he not the nexte daye after, being taken with hys whores, driuen out of Londō with confusion and shame enough, so that afterward he durst not shew his face here any more? Besides the two Bishops in the late counsell of Trent, most shamefully taken in adultery, mentioned before. Also besides innumerable other like forreigne storyes,A secrete note of Papiste… which hauehave beene great cryers out of Priestes maryage, and themselues after taken in open adultery. which I let passe, to come now to our owne domesticall examples. I could wel name halfe a score at least of famous Doctors, and some Byshops, with theyr great maysters of Popery, who in standing earnestly agaynst the mariage of Priestes, hauehave afterward bene taken in such dishonest factes themselues, that not onelyonly they hauehave caried the publicke shame of adulterous lecherers, but some of them the markes also of burning fornication with them in theyr bodyes to theyr graues. Whose names although I suffer here to be suppressed, yet the examples of them may suffice to admonishe all men that bee wise,Comparison betweene the ende of Popishe persecutours & the Gospellers. and which will auoyde the wrath of Gods terrible vengeance, to beware of Popery.
And thus hauing hitherto recited so manye shamefull lyues and desperate endes of so many popish Persecutours stricken by Gods hand: nowe let vsus consider agayne on the contrarye syde the blessed endes geuen of almighty God vntounto them, which hauehave stoode so manfully in the defence of Christes Gospel, and the reformation of his religion, and let the Papists themselues here be iudges. First what a peaceable and heauenly ende made the worthy seruaunt and singular Organe of God M. Luther?
To speake likewise of the famous Iohn Duke of Saxonie and prince Elector, of the good Palsgraue, of Phillip Melancthon, of Pomeranus, Vrbanus Rhegius, Berengarius, of Vlricus Zuinglius, Oecolampadius, Pellicanus, Capito, Munsterius, Ioannes Caluinus, Petrus Martyr, Martin Bucer, Paulus Phagius, Ioan. Musculus, Bibliander, Gesnerus, Hofman, Augustinus,The godly ende of the Gospellers to be noted. Marloratus, Lewes of Bourbon Prince of Condy, and his godly wife before him, with many mo, which were knowne to be learned mē, and chiefe standerds of the Gospel side against the Pope, and yet no man able to bring forth any one example eyther of these, or of any other true Gospeller, that eyther killed himselfe, or shewed forth any signification or appearaunce of despayre, but full of hope and constant in faythe, and replenished with the fruite of righteousnesse in Christ Iesu, so yealded they theyr lyues in quiet peace vntounto the Lord.
From these Forrayners, let vsus come now to the Martyrs of England, and marke likewise the ende both of them, and semblably of all other of the same profession. And first to beginne with the blessed and heauenly departure of King Edward the vi. that first put downe the Masse in England,The blessed end of King Edward .6. The patient end of the Duke of Somerset the kings vncle. and also of the lyke godly end of his good Vncle the Duke of Sommerset, which dyed before him, with an infinite number of other priuate persons besides of the like religion, in whose finall departing, no suche blemishe is to bee noted like to the desperate examples of them aboue recited: Let vsus now enter the consideration of the blessed Martyrs, who although they suffered in their bodyes, yet reioyced they in theyr spirites, and albeit they were persecuted of men, yet were they comforted of the Lorde wyth suche inwarde ioy and peace of conscience, that some writing to theyr friendes, professed they were neuer so merrye before in all theyr lyues, some leapt for ioye, some for tryumphe woulde put on theyr Scarfes, some theyr wedding garment goyng to the fire,The quiet and ioyfull end of the Martyrs. other kissed the stake, some embraced the Fagottes, some clapte theyr handes, some song Psalmes, vniuersally they all forgaue, and prayed for ther enemies, no murmuring, no repining was euer heard amongest them, so that moste truely might bee verified in them, whiche their persecuters were wonte to sing in theyre Hymnes.
Caeduntur gladijs more bidentium,
Non murmur resonat, nec querimonia:
Sed corde tacito mens bene conscia,
Conseruat pacientiam. &c.
Briefly, so great was theyr patience, or rather so great was Gods spirite in them, that some of them in the flaming fire, moued no more, then the Stake whereunto they were tyed. In fine, in them most aptly agreed the speciall tokens whiche most certaynly follow the true children of God: that is, outward persecution, and inward comfort in the holy Ghost.Two speciall notes of the …iue Church of Christ. Outward affliction peace of conscience▪ 2. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 1. In the world (sayth Christ our Sauiour) ye shall hauehave affliction, but in me yee shall hauehave peace. &c.
And likewise the wordes of S. Paule be playne. Whosoeuer (sayth he) studyeth to liue godly in Christe, shall suffer persecution &c.
But then what followeth with this persecution? the sayde Apostle agayne thus declareth, saying: As the passions of Christ abound in vsus: so aboundeth also our consolation by Christe. &c. According as by the examples of these godly martyrs right perfectly we may perceaue. For as theyr bodyes outwardly lacked no persecutions by the handes of the wicked: so amongest so many hundreds of them that stood and dyed in this religion, what one man can be brought forth, which eyther hath bene founde to hauehave killed himselfe, or to hauehave dyed otherwise then the true seruaunt of GOD, in quiet peace and much comforte of conscience?
Whiche being so, what greater proofe can we hauehave to iustifie theyr cause and doctrine agaynst the persecuting Churche of Rome, then to behold the endes of them both: First,The wretched end of Papistes geue testimony agaynst their owne doctrine. Admonition to persecutours which yet remayne aliue. The end and death of Edmund Boner. of the Protestantes, how quietly they tooke theyr deathe, and chearefully rested in the Lord: and contrariwise to marke these persecuters what a wrerched end commonly they doe all come vntounto.
Experience whereof we hauehave sufficient, in the examples aaboue declared: and also of late in Boner, who albeit he dyed in his bed vnrepentaunt, yet was it so prouided by God, that as he had bene a persecuter of the light, and a childe of darkenes, so his carkase was tumbled into the earthe in obscure darcknes at midnight, contrary to the order of all other Christians: and as he had bene a murderer, so was hee layd amongest theeues & murtherers, a place by Gods iudgement rightly appoynted for him.
And albeit some peraduenture that hauehave bene notable persecutors in tyme past, doe yet remayne aliue, who being in the same cause as the other were, hauehave not yet felte the weyght of Gods mighty hand, yet let not them thinke that because the iudgement of God hath lighted sooner vponupon other, therefore it will neuer light vponupon them: or because God of his mercy hath graunted them space to repent, let not them therefore of Gods lenitye build to themselues an opinion of indemnity. The bloud of Abel cryed long, yet it wrought at length. The soules of the Saynctes slayne vnderunder the aultar, were not reuenged at the first. Apoc. 6. but read forth the chapter, & see what folowed in the end. Bloud especially of Christes seruauntes, is a perillous matter, and cryeth sore in the eares of God, and will not be stilled with the lawes of men.
Wherfore let such bloud guilty homicides beware, if not by my coūsell, at lest by the examples of theyr felowes. And though Princes and Magistrates,God maketh the persecutors of his people commonly to be their owne persecutours. vnderunder whose permission they are suffered, do spare theyr liues, let them not thinke therefore (as some of them shame not to say) that man hath no power to hurt them, and so thinke to escape vnpunished, because they be not punished by man, but rather let them feare so much the more. For oftentimes suche as hauehave bene persecutours and tormentours to Gods children, God thinketh them not worthy to suffer by mā, but either reserueth them to his owne iudgement, or els maketh them to be theyr owne persecutors, and theyr owne hands most commonly hangmen to theyr owne bodyes.
Saul murderer of himselfe.So Saul after he had persecuted Dauid, it was vnneedfull for Dauid to pursue him agayne, for he was reuenged of him, more then he desired.
It was needlesse to cause Achitophell to be hanged, for hee himselfe was the stifeler or strangler of his owne life.Achitophel murderer of himselfe Iudas murderer of himselfe. Senacherib murdered of his owne sonnes. Herode and Antiochus murdered by lyce. Pilate murderer of himselfe. Nero murderer of himselfe.
Neither for the Apostles to pursue Iudas that betrayed their Mayster, for he himselfe was his owne hangman, & no man els, that his body brust, and his guts brast out.
Senacharib, had he not for his Persecutors his own sonnes, and cost Ezechias nothing to be reuenged of him for his tiranny.
Antiochus and Herode, although the Children of GOD whom they so cruelly persecuted, layd no hand vponupon them, yet they escaped not vnpunished of Gods hand, who sent Lyce and Wormes to be theyr Tormentours, whiche consumed and eate them vp.
Pilate, after he had crucified Christ our Sauiour, within few yeares after was he not driuen to hang himselfe?
Nero, after his cruell murders and persecutions stirred vp agaynst the Christians, when he shoulde hauehave bene taken by the Romaynes, God thought him not so worthy to be punished by the handes of them, but so disposed the matter, that Nero hym selfe when he could finde no frend nor enemy to kill him, made his owne handes to be his owne cutthroat.
Dioclesianus, with Maximinian his fellowe Emperour, whi… were the Authours of the tenth and laste Persecution agaynst … Christians,Dioclesianus and Maximinianus Emperours deposed them selues. being in the middest of theyr furious tyranny ag…nst the name of Christ, needed no mans helpe to bridle them an… …lucke them backe: for God of his secret iudgement put such … in the mouthes of these Tyrauntes, that they themselues … …heyr owne accorde deposed and dispossessed themselues of theyr …periall function, and liued as priuate persons all theyr liues afte… ▪ And notwithstanding that Maximinian after that, sought to … his Imperiall state agayne, yet by Maxentius hys Sonne hee was resisted and shortlye after slayne.
Maximinus eaten vp with lyce.What should I here speake of the cruell Emperour Maximinus, who when he had set forth his Proclamation engrauen in Brasse, for the vtter abolishing of Christ and his Religion, was not punished by man, but had Lice & Vermin gushing out of his entrals, to be his tormentors, with such a rotting stinch layd vponupon his body, that no phisitions could abide to come neare, and were caused to be slayne for the same. pag. 82.
Maxentius and king Pharao both drowned in their owne harnesse. Achaz. Achab. Iesabell. Manasses. Ioachim. Sedechias punished of God for the…r persecutions.Maxentius the sonne of Maximinian, and Pharao the king of Egypt, as they were both like enemies agaynst God and his people, so dranke they both of one cup, not perishing by any mans hand but both in like maner after were drowned with their harnes in the water.
Furthermore, and briefely in this matter to conclude, if the Kynges among the Iewes, which were bloudy and wicked, were not spared, as Achaz, Achab, Iesabell, Manasses, Ioachim, Sedechias, with many other but hadde at length, although it were long, the hyre of theyr iniquity: let not these bloudy Catholickes then thinke, which hauehave bene Persecutors of Christes Sayntes, that they being in the same cause as the other were aboue recited, shall escape the same iudgement, which the longer it is deferred, the sorer many times it striketh vnles by due repentaunce it be preuented in time: which I pray God it may.
The murdering mother church with her bloudy children admonished. Esay 1.Innumerable examples moe to the same effecte and purpose might be inferred, whereof plentifull store we hauehave in all places, and in al ages of men to be collected. But these hitherto for this present maye suffice, whiche I thought here to notify vntounto these our bloudy children of the murdering mother church of Rome, of whom it may well be sayd: Manus vestrae plen… sunt sanguine. &c. Your handes be full of bloud. &c. Esay. Chapter. 1. to the intent that they by the examples of their other fellowes before mentioned, may be admonished to followe the Prophetes counsell, which followeth and biddeth: Lauamini. mundi estote. &c. Be you washed, and make your selues cleane &c. Esay. 1. and not to presume to farre vppon their owne securitie,Esay. 1. nor thinke themselues the further of from Gods hand, because mans hand forbeareth them.
I know and graunt, that man hath no further power vppon any, then God from aboue doth geue.What the lawes of this Realme could say agaynst the persecutours in Queene Ma…les tyme. And what the lawes of this Realme could make agaynst them, as agaynst open murderers, I will not here discusse, nor open that I could say (because they shall not say that we desire their bloud to be spilled but rather to be spared:) but yet this I say, and wishe them well to vnderstand, that the sparing of their liues which hauehave bene murderers of so many, is not for want of power in magistrates, nor lack of anye iust lawe agaynst them, whereby they might iustly hauehave bene condemned, if it had so pleased the Magistrates to proceed (as they might) agaynst them: but because almighty God peraduenture of so secret purpose hauing some thinge to doe wyth these persecuters, hath spared them hitherto,The nature of the Church is not to persecute with bloud. In that the persecutours of the Church be suffered of the Church to liue it is to their confusion. not that they shuld escape vnpunished, but that peraduenture …he will take his owne cause in his owne hand, eyther by death to take them away (as he did by Boner, and by al Promoters in a manner of Queene Maryes time) or els to make them to persecute themselues with their own handes, or will stirre vp their conscience to be theyr owne confusion, in such sort as the Church shall hauehave no neede to lay handes vponupon them.
Wherfore with this short admonition to close vp the matter as I hauehave exhibited in these histories the terrible endes of so many persecuters plagued by Gods hand: so would I wish all suche whome Gods lenitie suffereth yet to liue, this wisely to ponder with themselues, that as their cruell persecution hurteth not the sayntes of God, whome they hauehave put to death: so the pacience of Christs church suffering thē to liue, doth not profite thē, but rather heapeth the great iudgment of God vpō thē in the day of wrath, vnlesse they repent in tyme, which I pray God they may.
And nowe to reenter agayne to the time and story of Queene Elizabeth where we left before.
In whose aduauncement and this her princely gouernance, it cannot sufficiently be expressed, what felicitie and blessed happines this Realme hath receaued in receauing her at the Lordes almighty and gracious hād, for as there hauehave bene diuers kinges and rulers ouer this Realme, & I hauehave read of some, yet I coulde neuer finde in Englishe Chronicle the like that may be written of this our noble & worthy Queene, whose comming in not onelyonly was so calme, so ioyfull, and so peaceable, without shedding of any bloud, but also her reigne hetherto (raygning nowe 24. yeares and more, hath bene so quiet, that yet (the Lord hauehave all the glory) to this present day, her sword is a Uirgine, spotted and polluted wt no drop of bloude. In speaking whereof I take not vponupon me the part here of ye morall or of the diuine Philosopher, to iudge of thinges done but onelyonly keep me within the compasse of an historiographer, declaring what hath bene before, and comparyng thinges done, with thinges now present, the like wherof as I sayde, is not to be found lightly in Chronicles before. And this as I speake truely, so I would to be taken without flattery, to be left to our posteritie, ad sempiternam clementiae illius memoriam. In commendation of whiche her clemēcy I might also here adde how mildly her grace after she was aduaunced to her kingdome, dyd forgeue ye foresayd sir Henry Benifield, without molestation, Syr Henry Bonifield forgiuen.suffering him to enioy goodes, lyfe, landes and libertie. But I let this passe.
Thus hast thou, gentle Reader, simply, but truely described vntounto thee the tyme, first of the sorrowfull aduersitie of this our most soueraigne Queene that now is: also the miraculous protection of God, so graciously preseruing her in so many strayghtes and distresses, which I though… here briefly to notifie, the rather for that the wondrous workes of the Lord ought not to be suppressed, and yt also her maiesty, and we likewise her poore subiectes, hauyng thereby a present matter alwayes before our eyes, bee admonished bothe how muche we are bounde to his diuine Maiestie, and also to render thankes to him condignely for the same.
Now remayneth likewise in prosecuting the order of this, as of other histories before, to notify and discourse of thinges memorable especially in the Church, such as happened in the time of this her Maiesties quiete and ioyfull gouernment. Nouember. 18.And first here I let passe by the way the death of Cardinall Poole, Doctor Weston.which was the next day after ye death of Queene Mary, ye death also of Christopherson B. of Chichest. Hoptō B. of Norwich, omitting also to speak of Doct. Weston, who being chiefe disputer against Cranmer, Ridley, & Latimer, as is before declared, first fell in displeasure with the Cardinall & other Byshops, because he was vnwilling to parte from his Deanerie and house of Westminster vntounto the Monkes, whom in deede he fauoured not, although in other things a maynteiner of the Churche of Rome. Then being remoued from thence, was made Deane of Windsor, where he being apprehended in aduoutry, was by the same Cardinall put from all his spirituall liuinges. Wherefore he appealed to Rome, & flying out of the Realme, was taken by the waye, & clapt in the Tower of London, where he remayned vntill this time that Queene Elizabeth was proclaimed. At whiche time being deliuered, he fell sicke and dyed.
Also I let passe the Coronation of this our moste noble and Christian Princesse, & the order of the same, which was the xv. day of Ianuary. Anno. 1559. To passe ouer also the tryumphant passage and honourable enterteinement of the sayd our most dread Souereigne, through the city of London, with such celebrity, prayers, wishes, welcomminges, cryes, tender wordes, Pageantes, Enterludes, declamations and verses set vp, as the like hath not commonly beene seene, arguing and declaring a wonderfull earnest affection of louinge hartes towarde theyr Soueraigne. Item, to pretermit in silence the letters gratulatory, sent to her Maiestie from diuers and sondry forreigne places, as from Zuricke, Geneua, Basill, Berne, Wittemberge, Argentine, Frankeforde. &c. These I saye with many other thinges to let passe, we will nowe (God willing) beginne with the disceptation or conference betwene the Popishe Bishops, and the learned men exiled in Germany, had at Westminster. After that first we hauehave inserted a certayne Oration of a worthy Gentleman called M. Iohn Hales, sent and deliuered to the sayd queene Elizabeth in the beginning of her reigne, the copy wherof is this.