On the South side was appointed by the citie a noyse of singing children, & one child richely attyred as a Poet, which gaue the quenes maiestie her farewel in ye name of the hole citie, by these wordes.
As at thine entraunce first, O prince of high renowne,
Thou wast presented with tonges & heartes for thy fayre,
So now sith thou must nedes depart out of this towne
This citie sendeth thee firme hope and earnest praier.,
For all men hope in thee, that all vertues shall reygne,
For all men hope that thou, none errour will support,
For all men hope that thou will trueth restore agayne,
And mend that is amisse, to all good mennes comfort.
And for this hope they pray, thou mayst continue long,
Our Quene amongst vs here, all uice for to supplant,
And for this hope they pray ye God may make the strong
As by his grace puissant, so in his trueth constant.
Farewell O worthy Quene, and as our hope is sure,
That into errours place, thou will now trueth restore,
So trust we ye thou will our soueraigne Quene endure,
And louing Lady stand, from hencefurth euermore.
While these wordes were in saieng, and certeins wishes therein repeted for maintenaunce of truthe and rooting out of errour she now and then helde vp her handes to heauen warde and willed the people to say. Amen.
UUhen the child had ended, she sayd, be ye well assured, I will stande your good quene. At which saieng her grace departed forth through temple barre towarde UUestminster with no less shooting and crieng of the people, then she entered the citie with a noyse of ordinance which the towre shot of at her graces entraunce first into towre streat.
The childes saieng was also in latin verses written in a table which was hanged up there.
O Regina potens, quum primam vrbem ingredereris
Dona tibi, linguas fidaque corda dedit
Discedenti etiam tibi nunc duo munera mittit.
Omina plena spei, votaque plena precum.
Quippe tuis spes est, in te quod prouida virtus
Rexerit, errori nec locus vllus erit.
Quippe tuis spes est, quod tu verum omne reduces
Solatura bonas, dum mala tollis, opes.
Hac spe freti orant, diuina vt gratia fortem,
Et veræ fidei te velit esse basin.
Iam Regina vale, et sicut nos spes tenet vna,
Quod vero inducto, perditus error erit.
Sic quoque speramus quod eris Regina benigna
Nobis per regni tempora longa tui.
Thus the Queenes hyghnesse passed through the citie, whiche without anye forreyne persone, of it selfe beautifyed it selfe, and receiued her grace at all places as hath been before mencioned, with most tender obedience and loue, due to so gracious a quene and soueraigne ladie. And her grace likewise of her syde in all her graces passage shewed her selfe generalye an ymage of a woorthie Ladie and Gouernour, but priuately these especiall poyntes were noted in her grace, as signes of a most prince lyke courage, whereby her louing subiectes maye ground a sure hope for the rest of her gracious doinges herafter.
Certain notes of the quenes maiesties great mercie, clemencie, and wisdome vsed in this passage.About the nether ende of Cornehill towarde Cheape, one of the knightes about her grace had espyed an auncient citizen, which wepte, and turned his head backe, and therwith said this gentleman, yonder is an Alderman (for so he tearmed hym) which wepeth & turneth his face backeward. Now may it be interpreted that he so doth, for sorowe, or for gladnes. The quenes maiestie hearde him, and said, I warrant you it is for gladnes. A gracious interpretation of a noble courage, which wold turne the doutefull to the best. And yet it was well known that as her grace did confirme thesame, the parties cheare was moued for very pure gladnes for the sight of her maiesties person, at ye beholding wherof, he tooke such comfort that with teares he expressed thesame.
In Cheapeside her grace smyled, and being therof demaunded the cause, answered, for that she had heard one say, Remember old king Henry theight. A naturall child, which at the verie remembraunce of her fathers name toke so great a ioy, ye all men may well thinke, that as she reioysed at his name whom this realme doth holde of so woorthie memorie, so in her doinges she will resemble thesame.
When the cities charge withoute parcialitie, and onely the citie was mencioned vnto her grace, she sayd it shoulde not be forgotten. Which saying might moue al natural Englishmen hertely to shew due obedience and entiernes to their, so good a Queene which will in no point forget anie parcell of duetie louingly shewed vnto her.
The answere which her grace made vnto maister Recorder of London, as the hearers know it to be true, and with melting heartes herd the same: so may the reader therof conceiue what kinde of stomacke and courage pronounced thesame.
What more famous thing doe we reade in auncient histories fo olde time, then that mightye princes haue gentlie receiued presentes offered them by base and low personages. If that be to be wondered at (as it is passingly) let me se any writer that in any one princes life is able to recount so manie presidentes of this vertue, as her grace shewed in ye one passage through the citie. How many nosegaies did her grace receiue at poore womens handes & how ofttimess staied she her chariot, when she saw any simple body offer to speake to her grace. A branch of Rosemarie giuen to her grace with a supplication by a poore woman about fleetebridge, was sene in her chariot till her grace came to westminster, not without the meruaillous wondring of such as knew the presenter and noted the Queenes most gracious receiuing and keping the same.
What hope the poore and nedie may looke for at her graces hande, she as in all her iourney continuallie, so her harkening to the poore children of Christes hospitall with eyes cast vp into heauen did fullie declare, as that neither the welthier estate could stande without consideracion had to the pouertie, neither the pouertie be dewlie considered, vnles they were remembred as commended to vs by goddes owne mouth.
As at her first enterance she as it were declared, her selfe prepared to passe through a citie that most entierlie loued her, so she at her last departing, as it were bownd her selfe by promes to continue good ladie and gouernor vnto that citie which by outward declaracion did open their loue, to their so louing and noble prince in such wise, as she herselfe wonderyd therat.
But because princes be set in their seate by gods appointing and therfore they must first and chieflie tender the glory of him, from whom their glorie issueth, it is to be noted in her grace, that forsomuch as god hath so wonderfullie placed her in the seate of gouernment ouer this realme, she in all doinges doth shew her selfe most mindfull of his goodnes and mercie shewed vnto her, & amongest all other two principall sygnes thereof were noted in this passage. First in the Towre, where her grace before she entred her chariot, lifted vp her eyes to heauen and sayd.
O Lord, almighty and euerlasting God, I geue thee most heartie thankes that thou hast been so mercifull vnto me as to spare me to beholde this ioyfull daye. And I acknowledge that thou hast dealt as wonderfully & as mercifully with me, as thou didst wyth thy true and faithfull seruant Daniel thy prophete whom thou deliueredst out of the denne from the crueltie of the gredy and rageing Lyons: euen so was I ouerwhelmed, and only by thee deliuered. To thee therfore only be thankes, honor, & prayse, for ever. Amen.
The second was the receiuing of ye Bible at the little conduit in cheape. For when her grace had learned that the bible in Englishe should there be offered, she thanked the citie therefore, promysed the reading therof most diligentlie, and incontinent commaunded, that it should be brought. At the receit wherof, how reuerently did she with both her handes take it, kiss it, & lay it vpon her brest to the great comfort of the lookers on. God will vndoubtedly preserue so worthy a prince, which at hys honor so reuerently taketh her beginning. For this saying is true, and written in the boke of Truth. He that first seketh the kingdome of God, shall haue all other thinges cast vnto him.
Now therfore all English hertes, and her naturall people must nedes praise Gods mercie which hath sent them so woorthie a prince, and pray for her graces long continuance amongest vs.
-- Transcribed by Jennie Butler, 2000
