Thus therfore the queenes maiestie passed from the Towre tyll she came to Fanchurche, the people on eche syde ioyoussye beholding the viewe of so gracious a Ladie their quene, and her grace no lesse gladlye notyng and obseruying thesame. Here unto Fanchurch was erected a scaffold richely furnished, wheron stode a noyes of instrumentes, and a child in costly apparel, which was appointed to welcome the quenes maiestie in ye hole cities behalfe. Against which place when her grace came, of her own wille she commaunded the chariot to be staide, & ye the noyes might be appeased till the child had uttered his welcomming oration, which he spake in English meter as here foloweth.
O pereles soueraygne quene, behold what this thy town
Hath the presented with at thy fyrst entraunce her:
Behold with how riche hope she ledeth thee to thy crown
Beholde with what two gyftes she comforteth thy chere.
Ther first is blessing tonges, which many a welcome say
Which pray thou maist do wel, which praise the to ye skie
Which wish to the long lyfe, which blesse this happy day
Which to thy kingdome heapes, all ye in tonges can lye.
The second is true hertes, which loue thee from their roote
Whose sute is tryumphe now, and ruleth all the game.
Which faithfulnes haue wone, & al untruthe driuen out,
Which skip for ioy, when as they heare thy happy name.
Welcome therefore O quene, as much as hert can thinke,
Welcome agayn O quene, as much as song can tell:
Welcome to ioyous tonges, & hertes that wil not shrink;
God she preserve we praye, & withe thee euer well.
At which wordes of ye last line the hole peple gaue a great shout, wishing with one assent as the childe had said. And ye quenes maiestie thanked most hartely both ye citie for this her gentle receiuing at ye first, & also ye peple for confirming ye same. Here was noted in the Quenes maiesties countenance, during ye time that the childe spake, besides a perpetual attentiuenes in her face, a meruelous change in looke, as the childes wordes touched either her person or the peoples tonges and hertes. So that she with reioysing visage did euidently declare that the woordes tooke no lesse place in her mynde, than they were moste heartelye pronounced by the chylde, as from all the heartes of her most heartie citizeins. The same verses wer fastened vp in a table vpon the scaffolde, and the latine therof likewise in latine verses in another table as hereafter enseweth.
Vrbs tua quæ ingressu dederit tibi munera primo,
O Regina parem non habitura, vide.
Ad diadema tuum, to spe quam diuite mittat,
Quæ duo lætitæ det tibi dona, vide.
Munus habes primu, linguas bona multa precates,
Quæ te quum laudant, tum pia vota sonant,
F&oeliglicemque diem hunc dicunt, tibi secula longa
Optant, et quicquid denique lingua potest.
Altera dona feres, vera, et tui amantia corda,
Quorum gens ludum iam regit una tuum:
In quibus est infracta fides, falsumque perosa,
Quæque tuo audito nomine læta salit
Grata venis igitur, quantum cor concipit vllum,
Quantum lingua potest dicere, grata venis.
Cordibus infractis, linguisque per omnia lætis
Grata venis: saluam to velis esse deus.
-- Transcribed by Jennie Butler, 2000
