Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/533

I54] THE BOND OF ASSOCIATION. 517 powers, bodies, lives, and goods, we will serve and obey our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth, against all states, digni- ties, and earthly powers whatsoever, and will with our joint and particular force during our lives withstand, pursue, and offend, as well by force of arms as by all other means of revenge, all manner of persons of what- soever estate they be, and their abettors, that shall at- tempt any act, or counsel or consent to anything that shall tend to the harm of her Majesty's person ; and will never desist from all manner of forcible pursuit of such persons, to the utter extermination of them, their counsellors, aiders, and abettors. ' If any such wicked attempt shall be taken in hand, or procured, whereby any that have, may, or shall pre- tend title to this crown by the untimely death of her Majesty, may thus wickedly obtain what they seek that the same may be avenged, we do not only bind ourselves both jointly and severally never to allow, accept, or favour any such pretended successor, by whom or for whom any such detestable act shall be attempted or committed, as unworthy of all government in any Christian realm or state ; but do also further vow and protest in the presence of the Eternal God, to prosecute such person or persons to death with our joint and par- ticular force, and to act the utmost revenge upon them that by any means we or any of us can devise and do for their utter overthrow and extirpation. ' We confirm the contents hereof by our oaths, cor- porally taken upon the Holy Evangelists, with this ex- press condition, that no one of us shall for any respect