At the Standarde in Cheape which was dressed fayre agaynste the tyme, was placed a noyse of Trumpettes, with banners and other furniture. The Crosse lykewyse was also made fayre and well trymmed. And neare vnto thesame, vppon the porche of Saint Peters church dore, stode the waites of the citie, which did geue a pleasant noyse with theyr instrumentes as the Quenes maiestie did passe by, which on euerie syde cast her countenaunce, and wished well to all her most louing people. Sone after that her grace passed the crosse, she had espyed the pageant erected at the litle conduit in cheape, and incontinent required to know what it might signifye. And it was tolde her grace, that there was placed Tyme. Tyme up she, and Tyme hath brought me hether. And so furth the hole matter was opened to her grace as hereafter shalbe declared in the descripcion of the pageaunt. But in the openyng, when her grace vnderstoode that the Byble in Englishe shoulde be deliuered vnto her by Truth, whiche was therein represented by a childe: she thanked the citie for that gift, and sayd that she would oftentimes reade ouer that booke, commaunding sir John Parrat, one of the knightes which helde up her canapy, to goe before and to receiue the booke. But learning that it should be deliuered vnto her grace downe by a silken lace, she caused him to staye, and so passed forward till she came agaynste thaldermen in the hyghe ende of Chepe tofore the little conduite, where the companies of the citie ended, which beganne at Fanchurch, and stoode alonge the streates one by another enclosed with rayles, hanged with clothes, and themselues well apparelled with many ryche furres and theyr liuery whodes upon theyr shoulders in comely & semely maner, hauing before them sondry persones well apparelled in silkes & chaines of golde, as wyflers and garders of the said companies, beside a numbre of riche hangynges, aswell of Tapistrie, Arras, clothes of golde, silver, veluet, damaske, Sattyn, and other silkes plentifully hanged all the way as the Quenes highnes passed form the Towre through the citie. Out at the windowes & penthouses of euerie house, did hang a number of ryche and costlye banners and streamers tyll her grace came to the vpper ende of Cheape. And there, by appointment, the right worshipfull maister Randolph Cholmley, Recorder of the citie, presented to the Quenes maiestie a purse of crimosin sattin richly wrought with gold, wherin the citie gaue vnto the Quenes maiestie a thousand markes in gold, as maister Recorder did declare brieflye vnto the Quenes maiestie, whose wordes tended to this ende, that the Lord maior, hys brethren, and comminaltie of the citie, to declare their gladnes and good wille towardes the Quenes maiestie, did present her grace with that gold, desyering her grace to continue their good and gracious Quene, and not to esteme the value of the gift, but the mynd of the geuers. The Quenes maiestie with both her handes tooke the purse, and aunswered to him againe merueilous pithilie, and so pithilie that the standers by, as they embraced entierly her gracious aunswer, so they meruailed at ye cowching therof, which was in wordes truely reported these. I thanke my lord maior, his brethren, & you all. And wheras your request is that I should continue your good ladie & quene, be ye ensured, that I wil be as good vnto you, as euer quene was to her people. No wille in me can lacke, neither doe I trust shall ther lacke any power. And perswade your selues, that for the safetie and quietnes of you all, I will not spare, if nede be to spend my blood, God thanke you all. Whiche aunswere of so noble an hearted pryncesse, if it moued a meruaylous showte and reioysing, it is nothyng to be meruayled at, since both the heartines thereof was so woonderfull, and the woordes so ioyntly knytte. When her grace hadde thus aunswered the Recorder, she marched toward the little conduit, where was erected a pageaunt with square proporcion, standynge directlye before the same conduite, with battlementes accordynglye. And in the same pageaunt was aduaunced two hylles or mountaynes of conuenient heyghte. the one of them beyng on the North syde of thesame pageaunt, was made cragged, barreyn, and stonye, in the whiche was erected one tree, artificiallye made, all withered and deadde, with braunches accordinglye. And vnder thesame tree at the foote thereof, sate one in homely and rude apparell crokedlye, and in mournyng maner, hauying ouer hys headde in a table, written in Laten and Englyshe, hys name, whiche was Ruinosa Respublica. A decayed common weale. And vppon thesame withered tree were fixed certayne Tables, wherein were written proper sentences, expressing the causes of the decaye of a common weale. The other hylle on the South syde was made fayre, freshe, grene, and beawtifull, the grounde thereof full of flowres and beawtie, and on thesame was erected also one tree very freshe and fayre, vnder the whiche, stoode vprighte one freshe personage well apparaylled and appoynted, whose name also was written bothe in Englyshe and in Laten, whiche was, Respublica bene instituta. A florishyng common weale. And vppon thesame tree also, were fixed certayne Tables conteyning sentences, which expressed the causes of a flourishing common weale. In the middle betwene the sayde hylles, was made artificiallye one hollowe place or caue, with doore and locke enclosed, oute of the whiche, a lyttle before the Queenes hyghnes commynge thither, issued one personage whose name was Tyme, apparaylled as an olde man with a Sythe in his hande, hauynge wynges artificiallye made, leadinge a personage of lesser stature then himselfe, which was fynely and well apparaylled, all cladde in whyte silke, and directlye ouer her head was set her name and tytle in latin and Englyshe, Temporis filia, the daughter of Tyme. Which two so appoynted, went forwarde, toward the South syde of the pageant. And on her brest was written her propre name, whiche was Veritas. Trueth who helde a booke in her hande vpon which was written, Verbum veritatis, the woorde of trueth. And out of the South syde of the pageaunt was cast a standynge for a chylde which should enterpret thesame pageant. Against whom, when the Quenes maiestie came: he spake unto her grace these woordes. This olde man with the sythe, old father tyme they call, And her his daughter Truth, whiche holdeth yonder boke Whom he out of this rocke hath brought furth to vs all From whence this many yeres she durst not once out loke. The ruthfull wight that sitteth vnder the barren tree, Resembleth to vs the fourme, when common weales decay But when they be in state tryumphant, you may see By him in freshe attyre that sitteth vnder the baye. Now since ye Time again his daughter truth hath brought, We trust O worthy quene, thou wilt this truth embrace. And since thou vnderstands the good estate and nought We trust welth thou wilt plant, and barrennes displace. But for to heale the sore, and cure that is not seene, Which thing ye boke of truth doth reache in writing plain: She doth present to thee thesame, O worthy Queene, For that, that wordes do flye, but wryting doth remayn. When the childe had thus ended his speache, he reached hys boke towardes the Quenes maiestie, which a little before, Trueth had let downe vnto him from the hill, which by maister Parrat was receiued, and deliuered vnto the Quene. But she as soone as she had receiued the booke, kyssed it, and with both her handes held vp thesame, and so laid it vpon her brest, with great thankes to the citie therfore. And so went forward towards Paules churchyarde. The former matter which was rehersed vnto the Queenes maiestie was written in two tables, on either side the pageant eight verses, and in the middest, these in laten. Ille, vides falcem læua qui sustinet vncam,    Tempus is est, cui stat filia vera comes Hanc pater exesa deductam rupe reponit    In lucem, quam non viderat ante diu Qui sedet a læua cultu make tristi inepto    Quem duris crescens cautibus orbis obit Nos monet effigie, qua sit respublica quando    Corruit, at contra quando beata viget. Ille docet iuuenis forma spectandus amictu    Scitus, et æterna laurea fronde virens. The sentences written in latin and englishe vpon both the trees, declaring the causes of both estates, were these. Causes of a ruinous common weale are these. Want of the feare of god. Blindnes of guides Disobedience to rulers. Briberie in maiestrats Rebellion in Subiectes. Vnmercifullnes in rulers. Ciuill disagrement. Vnthankfulnes in Subiectes Flattring of princes. Causes of a flourishing common weale. Feare of god. Obedient Subiectes. A wise prince. Louers of the common weale Learned rulers. Vertue rewarded Obedience to officers. Vice chastened. The mater of this pageant dependeth of them ye went before. For as the first declared her grace to come out of ye house of vnitie, ye second ye she is placed in ye seate of gouernment staied with vertues to the suppression of vice, and therfore in the third the eight blessinges of almighty god might well be applied vnto her: so this fourth now is, to put her grace in remembrance of the state of the common weale, which Time with Truth his doughter doth reuele, which Truth also her grace hath receiued, and therfore cannot but be merciful & careful for the good gouernment therof. -- Transcribed by Jennie Butler, 2000