WHereas thou haste of late showed thy selfe ( most faithful Gilbard ) to be a true subiecte to Mary quene of England , not only by wordes , but by deedes , and for the farther triall of thy true heart towardes her did offer thy bodye to be slayne in her quarell , and offered vp thy selfe into the handes of the ragged beare most rancke , with whome is nether mer cy , pitie , nor compassion , but his in dignation present death . Thy promis ( Gilbarde ) is faythfull . Thy heart is true . Thy loue is feruente towardes her grace . And wheras you did promis me faythfullye ( when I last visited thee in prison ) to be torne with wild horses , thou wouldest not denye Marye oure Quene , & to that whiche thou tofore dyd saye , no denial shal be found in thee , so styll do thou continue in the same mynde , haue a respect of thy conscience . Feare not to saye the truth , if thou dye , thou shalt die in the ryght , pugna propatria , fighte for thy countrey ( sayeth the Philoso pher ) . For as it shal be to thi great honour and prayse in this world & in heauen to dye in her graces quarel , & in the defence of thy coū trey , so wold it be to the vtter destruction , both of thy body & soule to do the contrarye . But ( o thou true Gilbard ) stande stiflye in her cause , & do thou according to thy last promis made me ( as I do not doubt but thou wilt ) then wil god kepe thee and preserue thee . If thou shuld dye , thou shalt die inno cent , so shal you be assured to possesse the euerlastyng kyngdom of heauen . If you fortune to lyue , then shal it be also accompted praise to thee . And fully perswade with thy selfe , that her grace wil consider thy faythful & true heart ( as she hath iuste occasion ) . For who could haue bene more faythfuller then thou haste bene ? What man coulde haue showed him selfe bolder in her graces cause , then thou hast showed ? Or who dyd so valiantlye in the proclamation tyme , when Iane was published quene ( vnworthy as she was ) & more to blame , I may say to thee , are some of the consenters therunto . Ther were thousandes more then thy selfe , yet durst they not ( suche is the fragility & weakenes of the flesh ) once moue their lippes to speake that , whiche thou did speake . Thou offerest thy selfe amongst the multitude of people to fight agaynste them all in her quarel , and for her honour dyd not feare to runne vpon the poynt of the swordes . O faythful subiect , O true hearte to Mary our Quene , I can not but wryte of the conding prayse that thou deseruest for thys thy boldnes . I may compare thee to Sidrack , Misack , and Abdenago , whych rather then they wold forsake their mayster , were contented to suffer the tormentes in the hoate burnyng ouen . And as young Daniel when he was broughte before such a ruler ( as that false Duke of Northumberland ) rather then to denye his Lord , would suffer the paynes of imprysonment , and to be cast in the denne of lions . Euen so ( faythful Gilbard ) rather then thou wouldeste consente to their false & trayterouse proclamation for Iane , when thou dyd heare it , hauyng a cleare conscience , wold not consent to the same most traiterous fact . And so litle regarded thy life , boldly stode in thy mistres cause , and offered thy bodye to be inprisoned , & to suffer death , then to denye our vertuouse Mary to be quene . And therfore trust to it , ( my faythful Gilbard ) as the god of Sidrack , Misack , & Abdenago saued them from al hurt in the hoat burnyng ouen , that not so muche as one heare of their heade was peryshed . So shall the same God saue thee out of the handes of the cruell beare , and gyue hym no power of thy lyfe . Agayne as God preserued Daniel when he was cast in the denne amongest the lions at the commaundement of the king Nabuchodonosor . And when he was in the middeste of them , the lions playd with him ( which was admirable ) . So do thou trust to , albeit thou art now in the denne amongest deuourers ( I meane vnder the power of the beare & the raged staf ) yet the god of Daniel shall safely delyuer thee out of all their handes , & thee rather , if thou dost stil continue stedfast and hold on Mary our quene , and forsake thy mayster , no more then Daniel & the brethren did their God and mayster . Dispayre not , but lyue in hope to se a good day , & the soner wil it come , it we continue in praier . For my part , faithful Gylbard , I wyl neuer sease day nor nyght from praying for our good Mary that her grace mighte once obteyne the crowne , & that it wold please him of his omnipotente power to strengten & helpe her grace , Mary thy Quene & mine , so saye I to the death , & to conquere that beare . So here I shall desire thee also to offer vp to the almighty lord , god ly contemplations , that she maye ouercome her enemies .

For as the inhabitours of the great city of Niniue continued in prayer , & clothed them selues in sackecloth , caste duste vpon their heades , repented , & bewailed their manifold sinnes and offences , at what tyme as the Prophete Ionas had preached to them the destruction of their citye , knew that it was time to do all the same , els destruction wold folow . So shulde we now not cease praying to God to send vs quietnes , & that the lady Mary might enioye the kingdom .

For we haue had manye Prophetes & true preachers whiche did declare vnto vs , that oure kinge shal be taken awaye from vs , & a tirant shal reygne , the Gospel shal be plucked awaye , the right heyre shal be dispossessed , & al for our vnthanckfulnes , & thinkest thou not ( Gilbard ) the world is now come ? Yea truely . And what shal folow yf we repente not in tymes . The same God wil take from vs the vertuouse Lady Mary oure lawfull quene , & send such a cruel Pharao as the ragged beare , to rule vs , which shal pul & pol vs , spoyle vs , & vtterly destroy vs , & bringe vs in great calamities and miseries . And this god wil send vs , & all for our iniquities . For yf vnto oure quene Mary any euell shuld happen , let vs fully perswade with our selues , that it is not for her small sinnes only , but for our euel liuinges . And this litle troubles ( whiche be greuous to hir grace ) doth chaunse to her for thy sinnes and myne , let vs so thinke . For truely ( faythful Gilbard ) god is displeased with vs many wayes . And here I dar be bold to say , that her grace is more sorowful for the death of king Edwarde her brother , then she is glad that she is quene . For her parte ( good vertuouse lady ) she would haue bene as glad of her brothers life , as the ragged beare is glad of his death . Agamenon the heathen king was neuer more vnquieted with his highe estate , when he lamented for that he was king ouer so manye people , as her grace is nowe troubled to rule & gouerne so manye euell persons . Plato was neuer gladder , when he was exiled from the kinges courte , because his mind was more addict therby and geuen to the study of Philosophie , as she wold be , if she might once be exiled from the company of such traitours , wherby she might be more quieter , and possesse this her kingdome peasablye . Euen so I dare aduouche , that her grace was farre quieter , & better contented with her olde estate , then now she is quene ( yf it had pleased God ) But now praised be almighti god because he hath so prouided vs a right & lawful ayre , & so vertuous a princesse , to possesse this imperial crowne of England , & so are we all bounde highlye to thanke him therfore . Trustyng that the same god wil shortlye exalt her grace , & set her in her perfect dignitie , and plucke downe that Iane , I can not nominate hir quene , for the I know no other quenes , but the good lady Mary her grace , whome God prosper . I heare say ( faithful Gilbard ) that the true subiect sir Edmond peckhame is gone with al his power & treasure to assist her grace . Ex fructu scimus quid sit arbor , By the frute we may knowe what the tree is . So by his frutes , that is , by al his doinges we may knowe , what he is , howe true & faythful hath he shewed him selfe to be at all times to Henry th eight of famous memory . What man deserued more commendation then he ? He neuer rob bed his grace , when he had all the rule of his treasure , he vsed not to bye siluer for foure shillinges an once & made the kinge paye fiue shillinges fowre pence ( as other false traitours did ) but loke what he payd , the king payde no more . He was euer true & faithful by reporte aswell of all other as of hys owne seruauntes . And now for the ful triall of his true hearte , howe hath he showed him selfe to her grace , left house landes & al , and gone to help her . Truly we haue to few such faithful men . I heare also , that ther is come more to helpe her grace , the Erle of Darbey , the Erle of Oxford , the Erle of Bath , & diuerse other nobles , whiche I can not rehearse nominatly . The God of hostes , the God of Abraham prosper them , kepe them , & geue them power to withstand al their enemies , & the moost mighty lord take part with them ( as I do not mistrust ) for the right sake . I hear no other newes , but that here is con tinually great preparation , & many cartes appoynted to cary harnes & artilery , God send them euell to spede . The good Erle of Arun del , and the Erle of Shrosburye be here stil , but as I am informed , the Erle of Arundel will not consent to none of their doynges . O God I most hertelye desire thee , heare my prayer , kepe & preserue the good Erle of Arundel from the tiranny of that deuouryng beare . For as thou hast from the beginning en dued him with al truth , so doth he stil continue stedfast in that same , like a worthy noble , preserue him I be seche thee ( o my god ) & geue hym grace still to stande stedfaste . The Erle of Shrosbury beareth hym selfe equal god kepe him , & send al those that wold the ladye Mary to be quene long life & pleasure , and they which wold not , I wyshe them the paynes of Satan in hell . I haue ( faithfull Gilbard ) scattered abroad thre of the bokes more , and two also haue I sent into the ragged beares campe , kepe that close which thou hast : the world is daungerous the great deuell Dudley ruleth , Duke I shuld haue sayde , wel let that passe , seing it is oute , but I truste he shal not longe . I haue proued if I could get a. M. of them in printed in some straunge letter & so a nomber of them to be disparsed abroade . Forasmuch ( Gilbard ) as I perceaue that thou art straytly kept , & not suffred to haue liberty I shal brieuely visite the with my letters from time to time . And here Gilbard I exhort the to continue in prayer , & to take in good parte this yoke , layd vpon thy shoulders & beare this crosse patiently . For aduersity is a good thinge , & shall make thee to know god the better . For I trust in the lord to liue to se the day her grace to mary such one , as knoweth what aduersity meaneth , so shal we haue both a merciful quene & king to their subiects . And wold to god that I might liue ( if it so pleased her grace ) to haue an other vertuouse Edward : & God make her grace frutful , & send her frute to inherite the kingdom after her . I promised you to salut your frend Robert in your name , accordingly I haue done , desired hym to pray with you for our quene Mary , that it wold please the lorde to giue her the crowne , which she oughte to haue of right . And thus to breuiate my long processe I end , desiring the ( my constant Gilbard ) not to beholde the gorgiousnes of my letters , which be void of al , but to weygh in an equal payre of ballans the good wil of the writer , who beareth the no worse wil , then to his owne soule , prayinge God to strengthen the , & geue thee grace , to abide faythfull tow̄ardes oure most excellent true & onlye quene Mary , so shalt thou be assured to haue god thy faithful frend againe , & at the last thou shalt inherit his kingdom : to the which kingdome bringe both you & me , and vs all .