MAster Carie , Hir most excellent maiestie is pleased to sende me to deliuer hir commandement to you touching this man now here presently to die . And first , I thinke it not out of purpose , to notifie his offence to these good people , wherby he is not only worthie this punishment : but in iudgement of forraine nations , and by censure offorraine lawes , should bee deliuered to the tormentors , to endure such torture , as the qualitie of his offence in so high a case by good pollicie should condignlie deserue .

And to speake of this fact , suche it was , and so feareful , as my heart quaketh , and my eyes can not refraine teares to repeate it againe amongst you . ( God for his mercies sake shielde , and defende hir most excellent Maiestie , that most mightily hath digested the notable daunger . ) And so I wil tell you of this tragedie in course as it fel out .

It liked hir highnesse in respecte of the great heate , to take the ayre of the water , wher in graue and waightie negociation she passed the time in discourse with the French Embassadour by the space of an houre or two . In hir returne it pleased hir to take diuerse pauses , and the rather , by cause she earnestly redde a Booke , wherin it seemed for recreations sake she toke some delighte . By meanes whereof ( euen as it pleased God with his holy hande , as it were , to direct hir safetie ) she commaunded the Bargemen to slacke their labour , and slowly to passe on , where if they had hasted but two stroakes more , they had brought hir royall person into the shotte it selfe .

These wordes were scarcely spoken out by hir Maiestie , but this caitiue most vnhappilie ( I must say most diuellishly ) discharged his Arquebuse , strongly charged with bullet , into the Barge where hir Maiestie was . ( God that hath defended hir , God that hath defended hir , thou most mightie God euer vouchsafe to keepe hir . ) With this blow the second man to the bayles of the Barge , within sixe foote of hir royall person , was stricken down from his seate , and wounded through both his armes , which hir maiestie behelde , & kingly handled this cause , as euen straight I wil tel you .

My Lordes of hir Maiesties counsel dispearsed abroade in their affaires , hearing of this moste perilous accidente , returned to Court , with suche speede as the waighte of such a cause might moue them to doe , and there with fearefull and louing applausure toward hir Maiestie , did most holily thanke our God for his singular helpe in the preseruation of our most deare and righteous Soueraigne .

That done according , with their loues , and duties of seruice to God , hir maiestie & this whole estate : after deliberate , and moste graue consulation of the cause , they al most humbly on their knees besought the Queene that this slaue might suffer , not this death , but tenne thousand deaths ( if so it were possible in nature to do ) for his so rash & fearefull offence . Such , in deede , might the offence haue bene , which God for his mercies sake hath moste fauourablye forbidden , that it mighte haue roughte vppe to heauen , and should most miserably not only plagued this hir owne land , but all the true seruauntes of God dispearsed through Christendome , our Religion , & true faith in Iesus Christ , which we enioy with vnspekeable comfort of free conscience , might hereby haue suffered confusion , and persecution of bloude , and vengaunce amongst vs. Our peace , and secure estates encreased with exceeding welthes , and nourished with most sweet quietnesse of life by this hir most happie gouernment , and raigne of twentie yeares , might hereby haue bene turned to blouddie warres , the fruites whereof is burning and spoyling of houses and goods , rauishing and destroying of our wiues and children . And what vengeance soeuer the world can bring forth , the same should haue fallen on vs , I saye on vs , then the most miserable men in the world . And therfore heare me I pray you . Let vs acknowledge before God with all humble thankefulnesse these vnspeakeable benefits , which we haue inioyed , and still shal doe , while God vpholdeth hir blessed life , and state amongst vs. The losse , and lacke of whom , can not but bring on vs all these calamities , and ten thousand moe , which I can not forsee . If then by these , and all other benefits , which you possesse , feele , and tast of , you finde how inestimable , and precious a iewell this our deare Soueraine is for vs , and amongst vs , what plague , torment , or punishment , could suffise you for reuenge on him , that by any means should depriue you of such heauenly , and worldly felicities , as daylye by hir holye hande are ministred amongst you ? But I will meddle no further with these matters . I know you thanke god for them , and with true and faithfull obedient hartes wil euer serue hir most excellent Maiestie , whom he hath made his minister to distribute all these blessings into youre bosomes .

And now , if it please you , you may with maruel heare the message I come of . I bring mercie to this man , the gracious pardon of our most deare Soueraigne , who with hyr mercifull eie , beholding the clearenesse of this mans hart , free from euil thoughte , and consequently from prepension of anye malicious fact against hir person , vouchsafeth to pull him from the Gallows . A notable action of compassion proceding from a heauenly minde , and so farre different from the common nature of man , forced into a fearefull iealousie of losse of life , as hath neuer bin read nor heard of .

If casually a man suffer hurt in the fieldes by an arrowe shotte by chaunce at rouing markes , how reuengefully the partie offended will followe his processe of felonie , I haue oft seene , and the law doth wel allow it . If in the Court the meanest seruing man strike his felow with his fist so that he bleed , he is to loose the same hand . Manye other examples may be giuen you , both touching the casualtie in this mans fact , and touching the place , and presence , wherein it chanced to be done .

But our Queene looketh neither on hyr prerogatiue , on the power of hir lawes , nor on the perill of hir person , but with the nobilitie of hir hearte , the daunger onely done to hir selfe , doth as you heare , freely pardon it .

And in the sacred worde of hir kinglie estate I protest it vnto you , she hath firmely auowed that she had rather haue suffred the wounds the Bargeman now hath , ten folde , than the meanest of vs al , or of any subiects , should suffer the slaunder of so tyrannous or trayterous a facte , yea , or of the prepension , or forethoughte of so horrible a treason towarde hir , though it were in facte neuer executed .

Wherein to all our singular comfortes , it pleased hir with most princelie affection & earnestnesse , graciously to affirme , that neuer Prince had better , nor more kinde true Subiectes . God for his mercie directe vs , euer to be so , and with our due gratefulnesse to sacrifise at hir kinglie feete our bloud and lyues for hir seruice sake , when occasion shal call vs thereto .

One other thing I find hir Maiestie troubled with , that is , the sorow this noble yong Gentleman , M. Henrie Carie hath suffered in continual griefe of his hart for the offence of his man , who through the vaine ielosie of some euill dysposed persons , hath lykewise borne some sclaunder of the cause . But it suffiseth to cleare him , that no intent of malice , nor forethought of this facte , is founde in the partie himselfe . His conuersation besides with exceeding fayth and diligence in hir highnesse seruice , wil euer deliuer him , as a most acceptable Gentleman free from this and all other euil in the sight of hir Maiestie and all the worlde : I shall not need therfore to speake of him , for his cause needeth none excuse .

Here may you beholde the rare goodnes of our greate and gracious Mistresse , full of Religion & pietie , Iustice and mercie , Temperance and magnanimitie ( and that I cannot but tell you ) of the most constant and noble courage that euer liued : the proofe whereof ( the cause hard , wherat I was present ) I leaue to your iudgements .

Hir Maiestie taking prospecte out of the bales of hir Barge , at the very instant did see the man stroken , and behelde his fall , and heard , as it were , his deadly scritche , whom she immediately commaunded to bee taken vppe , and then beholding him all embrued with bloud , commaunded his woundes to be lapped vp with a scarffe of hir owne , and so with hir most constant and amiable countenance , continued hir entertainment of the Embassadour , as though there had bene no such matter . Afterwardes the man began to fainte , hir highnesse then commaunded a cloke to be put on his body , with other such necessarie reliefes as were there presentely to be had , without alteration of countenance .

Beholde this kinglie heart , and courage of rare magnanimitie , seing , as it were , the present death of the next to hir , neyther feared hir owne lyfe , nor was dismayed with this treasonable chaunce . An action more than maruellous in hir sexe . Hereof how much we may reioyce , I want wit to tell you . But in one worde , hir highnesse , that with hir singular wisdome and policy hath preserued hir Empire these twentie yeares in most ioyfull peace , with this courage and magnanimitie will ( no doubt ) as mightily defend vs in the most cruell warres . God therefore euer blisse hir , and let vs with oure handes stretched vp to heauen , and oure eyes fixed on the seate of God , pray for hir long lyfe , and moste prosperous raigne ouer vs. THOMAS APPELTREE receyue thy lyfe from hir most excellent Maiestie , and praye vnto God vpon thy knees for hir all thy dayes to come . &c.

And so the people being moued to prayer for hir Maiesties moste happie escape , and for the blessing of God to lengthen hir dayes for many and many yeares , he fell downe on his knees with greate deuotion amongst them , and so departed with exceding ioy to the people , and a thousand blessings on himselfe .