so soone as the auctors of these newe troubles had made some shewe of the purposed effects of their bad mindes toward your Highnesse , it pleased your Maiestie in writing to impart vnto mee that opinion which iustly your selfe had conceiued of their entents , which was , that notwithstanding whatsoeuer their pretences , your selfe were not ignoraunt how they practised against your person and Crowne , also that they sought to grow mightie by your decay and detriment , as men that purposed the totall ruine and vtter subuertion of your estate . These my Lord , were the very effect of the wordes of your Letters wherewith your Maiestie vouchsafed to honor me , as acknowledging the vnion of my hap with yours , expressely adding , that they endeuoured my ouerthrowe together with yours . Myne , I say , my Lorde , the which , depending vpon you as it doth , thei can hardly compasse without yours . In respect hereof it pleased your Maiestie also to commaunde your Gouernors , general Liutenants , Baylifes , Stewardes , and all other your Officers to withstande them as Rebelles and perturbers of the Common quiet . Your Maiesties declarations also were herevpon sent vnto all your Courts of Parliament , and in the same ratefied , whereby they were pronounced Traytors , whereof haue ensued sundrie solemne decrees , and vpon the sayd decrees diuers executions of great importaunce in many partes of this Realme , which remaine as presidents as well of their rebellion and conspiracie against your estate , as also of that iudgement which your Maiestie , your Counsaile , & your Courtes of Parliament had assessed of their purposes .

All this notwithstanding , it pleased your Maiestie according to your naturall clemencie , to thinke good by gentle meanes to reduce them to their dueties , and therevpon vouchsafing to honor me with your Letters , you therein commaunded me with pacience to suffer all , whereby your selfe might haue the better leysure to enter into consideration of them and their purposes , to the ende to giue to your Subiects to vnderstande how farre the very causes of their deuises did differ from their published pretences : alleadging that although your selfe were not ignoraunt thereof , yet that it was requisite to open the same to your people , whom vnder the fayned shewe of Religion , they sought to withdraw from their dueties . Your Maiestie my Lord , are to call to mind with what pacience at your commaundement I haue hetherto borne and obeyed : notwithstanding , according to your wisedome and equitie you are not ignoraunt by how iust occasions I haue alwaies bene prouoked and my pacience mooued , especially seeing my selfe chalenged as partie by your Maiesties enemies , who openly haue declared that they sought only my ouerthrowe , so that although I plainly found my self to be the scope of their attempts and enterprises , yet in respect of that reuerence which euermore I haue endeuoured to shewe to your commaundements I durst not once stirre against them , no notwithstanding I dayly beheld them marching before my face , yea almost within my reach , in Armes against your Maiestie , in stomacke against my selfe , euermore attempting against either some Townes within my gouernment , either some of my houses , or els against my owne person , and yet occasion so fitly seruing I might neither doe your Maiestie any seruice requisite , or my selfe bee reuenged according as reason & nature did require . Your onely will my Lord , haue I accepted for reason , and your commaundement for lawe : My nature and duetie haue I strained and forced , yea almost my reputation and credite vnder your precepts , and that the rather my Lord in respect that your Maiestie still honoring mee with your Letters , did in the same promise to be as mindfull of my interest as of your owne : as also that you would not graunt or condiscend vnto any thing that might bee preiudiciall to your Edict of peace , which you purposed to be irreuocable , yea and that in and according to the same you would protect and defend all your Subiects indifferently : all which promises your Maiesty haue from time to time reiterated in all your Letters , which beeing of your owne handwriting I do reserue , as also you haue promised the same to the Lords of Cleruant and Chassincourt , with other my agents resiant about your person , as also haue the Queene your Mother as well by word of mouth as by Letters .

When therefore my Lord I heard it reported that your Maiestie had on the suddeine concluded peace with those that haue rebelled against your seruice , vpon condition : that your edict be broken : your loyall subiectes banished : the conspirators armed : yea armed with your forces and authoritie against your most obedient and faithfull subiectes : euen against my selfe , who haue that honour to bee of your Maiesties blood , and allyed vnto you , who euer since I supposed my selfe to haue any place in your good fauour and liking , could neuer bee found to haue departed therefro , except by too much pacience , sufferance , and duetifull obedience : when this I say came to my knowledge , I leaue it to your Maiesties consideration to thinke in what perplexitie I might remayne , either wherein I might repose any further hope , except in dispayre .

In that declaration which on my behalfe was exhibited vnto your Maiesty , I haue motioned the most equall and reasonable conditions that might bee deuised for the furtherance of common & generall quiet , for your securitie , & for the reliefe of al your subiects ▪ Viz. If their quarell bee for Religion , ( howbeit , notwithstanding whatsoeuer Buckler they make of the same , yet it is the farthest from their thoughts ) I haue referred my selfe to a free Counsayle : If for assurances ( which certeinly they haue no reason to demaund ) I haue offered to resigne my gouernement , together with what soeuer my Fortresses or houldes , vpon condition that them selues will doe the like , and that to the end no way to prolong the staye of quietnesse throughout this Realme : If it bee my selfe that they shoote at , either if vnder pretence and colour of mee they pretend to trouble the whole land , to the ende your Maiestie may no longer be troubled thereabout , I haue craued that this quarell might be decided betweene them and mee , yea for the cutting off of common calamities euen betweene their persons and myne . To be briefe , I haue beyond all shew of reason , and contrary to all naturall sence , yeelding to whatsoeuer your Maiesties commaundements proceeded farther then duetie could binde , and , notwithstanding the inequalitie of our degrees and callings , haue stooped and become equall with my inferiors , to the end with my blood to redeeme so many mischifes . Yea I haue abased my selfe to those parsons whome your Maiestie haue pronounced Rebelles .

If therefore my mishappe bee such ( which I wil not yet beleeue ) that your Maiestie haue proceeded so farre , as notwithstanding all these my conclusions and submissions , to conclude such a treatie , and thereby to infringe your Edictes , and to arme your Rebelles against your estate , against your blood , yea and against your parson , I can not but hartely lament and bewaile your Maiesties condition , especially seeing your highnesse through contempt of my faithful seruice , forced to vtter subuersion of your estate , togither with the consideration of the calamities of your realme , the end whereof we are in vaine to looke or hope for , except in the totall ruyne of the same : For that all the world doth knowe by twentie yeres proofe and more , that their pretence is a vaine attempt , and their building a manifest subuersion .

In the meane tyme I will comfort my selfe in my innocencie , integritie and affection to your Maiestie and your estate : also in that it hath not beene long of me , that with my owne perill I haue not preuented this shipwarcke : but aboue all , I will ground my consolation vpon the Lord God , the protector of my sinceritie and loyaltie , who in this necessitie will not forsake mee , but rather will encrease my courage & multiply my meanes against all my ennemies , who are yours .

And my Lord , I beseech hym to enspire you with good counsayle , and in all your affayres to assist you with his strength . Also that he wil vouchsafe me his grace during lyfe , to yeeld vnto you my bounden seruice as I desire : also to preserue your Maiestie .