speciallye assigned and appointed in that behalf as openly in the saide Common house, and that after long deliberacion and graue consultacion thereupon had, the matter in the end being publickly put to the Question in the same house, they did all conclude and agree with one full consent, (not one gainesayinge) that they coulde not fynd or deuise any possible meanes to prouide for the safetye of the common weale and state of the Realme and the preseruacion of her maiesties most Royall person, but by such course of proceading as ys conteyned in their saide peticion, And that therefore the saide Comons in the saide lower house did humblie desire their lordshipps to appoint somme of the saide lordes to ioyne with theire Speaker and somme of the lower house to delyuer theire saide aunswer to her maiestye, and moste instauntlye to beseeche her highnes to proceade according to their former peticion. Whereupon the lordes understanding the opynions and resolucions of the saide commons to be in all thinges consonant and agreable with their lordshipps determinacions aforesaid, dyd nominate and appoincte theis lordes following for delyuering of their saide aunswere to her maiestye, videlicet . . . [the same committee as last appointed, with the addition of Lord Buckhurst].
Afterwardes the fyve and twentith day of Nouember the lorde Chauncellor declared to the whole house, that on thursdaye the foure and twentith of Nouember the lordes laste before named, and the speaker of the lower house, with certeine of the same house, had accesse to her maiestye at Richmonde, And that he the saide lorde Chauncellor for the lordes of the higher house and the Speaker for the Commons did declare unto her highnes their Aunswere as is aforesaide And dyd further in moste humble and instaunt manner beseech and move her highnes That she woulde be pleased for the preseruacion and saffety not only of her moste Royall person but of the whole estate of the Realme to graunte and take order that effectuall proceadinge might be spedilie had according to their saide peticion, And that thereupon her maiestie in moste princelye and gracious manner dyd thanckfullie accept those their consultacions and labors protesting neuerthelesse that yt was an exceading greif unto her to perceive that by theire aduises prayers and desires there did fall out this sorrowfull accident, that onlie her Iniurors bane must be her lives suertye, And that her earnest desire was rather to haue founde by their consultacions somme other meanes for her owne safetye ioyned with theire assuraunce, and that therefore touching their peticion the matter being of soe greate waight and ymportance her highnes thoughte good to take yet somme further deliberacion before she would make direct aunswere unto them willing them for the tyme to content them selues and to take it in good parte.[1]
- ↑ The account of this reply in the Lords' Journal (ii. 125) has been redacted. In the manuscript journal the following entry is crossed out in its favour: '…[…the effecte whereof was] that her highnes would not denye their suite becawse her maiestie would not discontent them. And to grant it in that tyme for many greate cawses her maiestie thought it not convenient to assent so openlie. And so as yt pleased her maiestie to terme it she made for that tyme an aunswer aunswerles.' The italicized words were inserted above the line. (MS. Lords' Journals, vi. 22.) The closing passage of the speech is also given here from a manuscript, once in D'Ewes's possession (Harleian MS. 158, fo. 160), which contains a fuller report of the speech even than that in Camden's Annals (ed. 1625, pp. 469-71; ed. 1688, pp. 366-8): '…
