March 1576
On Thursday the first day of March the Bill
for a Subsidy and two Fifteenths and Tenths
granted by the Temporalty, was read tertiâ vice
& conclusa communi omnium Procerum assensu.
The Bill also for the Confirmation of a Subsidy granted by the Clergy, was read the second
time & commissa ad ingrossandum.
Nota, That the Subsidy it self granted by the
Clergy is always ingrossed in Latin, and sent up
in Parchment from the Convocation House; but
the Confirmation thereof by the Parliament is
added unto it in English, and passed in the
House as other Bills are; and this only it was
that was Ordered to be ingrossed upon the second reading.
Four Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the last being
the Bill concerning Tithes within the Parish of
Hallifax was read tertia vice & conclusa.
The Bill for Hallifax, and that for taking away of Clergy, were sent from the Lords to the
House of Commons by Sir Richard Read Knight,
and Dr Barkeley.
The Bill for the Confirmation and establishment of the Hospital of Leicester, was read secunda vice & commissa ad ingrossand.
On Friday the second day of March, Four
Bills of no great moment had each of them one
reading; of which the second being the Bill for
the Confirmation of a Subsidy granted by the
Clergy, was read tertiâ vice & conclusa, and sent
to the House of Commons by Doctor Lewes and
Doctor Barkley.
Five Bills were brought up to the House of
Lords from the House of Commons; of which
one was for avoiding of fraudulent Gifts and
Conveyances made by the late Rebels in the
North, and another for Confirmation of Letters
Patents.
Two Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the first being a
Bill concerning an Hospital at Leicester was read
tertiâ vice & conclusa, and sent to the House
of Commons by Doctor Vaughan and Doctor
Barkley.
On Saturday the third day of March, the Bill
that notice may be given to Patrons of Benefices
upon the Vacation of the same in certain Cases,
was read tertiâ vice & conclusa, with certain
amendments added thereunto by the Lords.
Five Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the last being
the Bill for the County Palatine of Durham and
the Isle of Ely, was upon the second reading
committed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Lord Burleigh, Lord Treasurer, the Earl of Northumberland, the Bishop of London and others.
Dominus Thesaurarius in absentia Domini Custodis magni Sigilli continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem Lunæ prox. hora nona.
Nota, That there appeareth no Commission
or other Authority in the Original Journal-Book
of the Upper House, by which the Lord Treasurer supplied the Lord Keepers place; but most
probable it is, that either the Commission it self
is negligently omitted by Anthony Mason Esquire,
at this time Clerk of the same House, or that the
Lord Treasurer did continue it only upon her
Majesties verbal Authority and Command, as it
is very likely the Lord Chief Justice did supply
the Lord Keeper's place on Thursday the 5th day
of June in the first Session of this very Parliament
in Anno 14 Reginæ Eliz. And it is certain that
Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great
Seal growing at this time (after which he did
not long live) both Aged and Sickly, gave occasion to her Majesty, by reason of his weakness,
to Authorize others more frequently to supply
his place, than it is otherwise likely she would
have done. Vide Consimil. Mar. 4. in An. 1
Eliz.
On Monday the 5th day of March, to which
day the Parliament had been on Saturday last
continued, seven Bills of no great moment had
each of them one reading; of which the last being the Bill touching the Lord Viscount Bindon
and Henry Howard his Son, was read secundâ vice
& commissa ad ingrossandum.
Seven Bills were brought up to the Lords from
the House of Commons; of which one was for
the assurance of certain Lands to Sir John Rivers
Knight, and another for the perpetual maintenance of Rochester-Bridge.
Dominus Thesaurarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem Crastinum horâ nonâ.
On Tuesday the 6th day of March, Four Bills
of no great moment had each of them one reading; of which the first being the Bill for setting
the poor on work, and for avoiding of Idleness,
was read the second time; but no mention made
that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees, because it had been formerly sent from the House of Commons.
The Bill for the true Tanning and Currying
of Leather, was sent up to the Lords from the
House of Commons.
Two Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the first being
the Bill touching Viscount Bindon and Henry
Howard his Son, was read tertiâ vice.
Three Bills were brought up to the Lords
from the House of Commons; of which the first
was for the repairing of Chepstow-Bridge, and the
third was the Bill for Reformation of the
Jeofails.
Two Bills finally had each of them one reading; of which the second being the Bill whereby
certain Authority was given to the Justices of
the Queens Majesties Parks, Forests and Chases,
was read secundâ vice & commissa ad ingrossandum.
Dominus Thesaurarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem prox. hora nona.
On Wednesday the 7th day of March, Three
Bills of no great moment had each of them one
reading; of which the third being the Bill for
the restitution in Blood of John Lord Stourton,
his Brother and Sisters, was read tertiâ vice &
conclusa, and sent to the House of Commons by
Dr Yale, and Dr Barkley.
Four other Bills also had each of them one
reading; of which the third being the Bill whereby certain Authority was given to the Justices of
the Queens Parks, Forests and Chases, was read
tertiâ vice & conclusa, and sent to the House of
Commons by Doctor Yale and Mr Powle Clerk
of the Crown.
Five Bills were sent up to the Lords from the
House of Commons; of the which one was for
the Confirmation of Letters Patents with certain Amendments; and another for avoiding
of fraudulent Gifts by the late Rebels in the
North.
The Bill lastly for the Trial of Nisi prius in
the County of Middlesex was read secunda vice;
but no mention is made that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed, or referred to Committees,
because it had been formerly sent from the House
of Commons.
Dominus Thesaurarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem Crastinum horâ nonâ.
On Thursday the 8th day of March, Four Bills
were brought up to the Lords from the House of
Commons; of which the first being the Bill for
maintenance of the Colleges in the Universities
of Winchester and Eaton, and the second against
buying and selling of Rooms and Places in Colleges and Schools, were each of them read primâ vice.
Three Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the first being
the Bill for setting the poor on work and for the
avoiding of Idleness, was read tertia vice & conclusa; with a Proviso added by the Lords, and
certain Amendments, and sent to the House of
Commons by Dr Vaughan and Dr Yale.
Dominus Thesaurarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in horam Secundam post meridiem.
About which hour the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal Assembling, Ten Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading; of which
the third being the Bill for the Toleration of certain Cloths in Com. Wilts. Somers. and Dors.; the
fifth for Reformation of Disorders in common
Informers; the sixth for the payment of Tythes in
the Town of Reading in like sort as it is in the
City of London; the seventh touching Benefices
Impropriate; the eighth for reformation of Abuses in Goldsmiths; and the last being the Bill for
the reformation of Jeofailes, were each of them
read the second time: but no mention is made
that they were either referred to Committees or
Ordered to be ingrossed, because they had been
formerly sent from the House of Commons.
Four Bills were sent up to the Lords from the
House of Commons; of which one was for the
making of certain Denizens, and another for
avoiding fraudulent Gifts and Conveyances made
by the late Rebels in the North.
On Friday the 9th of March, Six Bills of no
great moment had each of them one reading;
of which the fifth being the Bill for the repairing and amending of Highways and Bridges near
unto Oxford, and the sixth and last being the Bill
that the Plaintiff shall be sworn upon his Bill as
the Defendant is sworn upon his Answer, was
read secundâ vice; but no mention is made that
they were either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees, because they had been sent
from the House of Commons.
Two Bills were brought up to the Lords from
the House of Commons; of which the first being the Bill for the Hospital at Leicester, was returned conclusa.
Four Bills of no great moment lastly, had each
of them one reading; of which the first being
the Bill for the payment of Tythes in the Town
of Reading, as in the City of London; and the
last for repairing of the Gaol of St Edmonds-Bury,
and of Brandon-Bride in Com. Suff. were each of
them read tertiâ vice & conclusa.
On Saturday the 10th day of March, Six Bills
were brought up to the Lords from the House of
Commons; of which the first was the Bill for
setting the Poor on work, and for avoiding of
Idleness, and another was for a Confirmation of
a Subsidy granted by the Clergy.
Nine Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the first being
the Bill touching the Hospital of St Crosse near
Winchester, was read tertiâ vice & conclusa, and
sent to the House of Commons by Doctor Barkley and Mr Powle Clerk of the Crown; and another being a Bill for the Restitution in Blood of
Sir Henry Norris Knight, Lord Norris of Ricot,
was read secunda vice; but no mention is made
that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees, because it had been formerly sent from the House of Commons.
About which hour the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal Assembling, Six Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading; of which
the first being the Bill for Explanation of the Statute against the defeating of Dilapidations, and
against Leases to be made of Spiritual Promotions; and the second for remedy against the Plaintiff for false Complaint, were each of them read
Secundâ vice, but no mention is made whether
they were Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to
Committees, because they had been sent from
the House of Commons.
Three Bills were brought up to the Lords
from the House of Commons, of which the second being the Bill for Confirmation of an Arbitrement to be made by certain Persons, between
Richard Hudleston Esquire, and Dame Elizabeth
Weynman his Wife on the one part, and Francis
Weynman Gent. on the other part, was read primâ vice.
Three Bills also of no great moment had each
of them one reading; of which the first being
the Bill for reformation of abuses in Goldsmiths,
was read secundâ vice & commissa ad ingrossand.;
and the second being the Bill for preservation of
Feasants and Partridges, was read tertia vice &
conclusa, and sent to the House of Commons by
Doctor Lewes and Mr Vaughan.
On Monday the 12th day of March, Four Bills
of no great moment had each of them one reading; of which the first being the Bill for Confirmation of an Arbitrement to be made by certain Persons, between Richard Hudleston Esquire
and Dame Elizabeth Weynman on the one part,
and Francis Weynman Gent. on the other part,
was read secundâ vice; but no mention is made
that it was Ordered to be ingrossed or referred
to Committees, because it had been sent from the
House of Commons on Saturday the 10th of this
instant March foregoing.
The Bill also for restitution in Blood of Anthony Mayney was read primâ & secundâ vice,
which as it should seem was in honour of the
said Anthony Mayney.
Six Bills were brought up to the Lords from
the House of Commons; of which one was for
the maintenance of Colleges in the Universities
of Winchester and Eaton, and another for the
repairing and amending of Bridges and Highways near unto the City of Oxford.
Dominus Custos magni Sigilli continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in horam secundam post
meridiem.
Nota, That here the Lord Keeper continueth
again the Parliament, which had been performed
by the Lord Treasurer from Saturday the third
day of this instant. March foregoing, until this
present Monday the 12th day of the same; but
whether the one or the other were by her Majesties Commission under the Great Seal, or by
any other Authority, appeareth not in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House; but
seemeth to have been omitted through the negligence of Anthony Mason Esquire, at this time
Clerk of the same.
About which foresaid hour in the Afternoon
the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Assembling,
Six Bills of no great moment had each of them
one reading; of which the second being the Bill
to take away Clergy from Offenders in Rape or
Burglary, and an Order for the delivery of Clerks
Convict without Purgation, with certain amendments and a Proviso, was read tertiâ vice & conclusa: As also the Bill for restitution in Blood of
Anthony Mayney Esquire.
An Act to redress Disorders in common Informers was sent to the Lords from the House of
Commons.
The Bill lastly for Toleration of certain Clothiers in the Counties of Wilts, Somerset and Gloucester, was read tertiâ vice & conclusa.
Dominus Thesaurarius continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in diem Crastinum horâ octavâ.
Vide touching the continuance of the Parliament
by the Lord Treasurer on Saturday the third day
of this instant March foregoing.
On Tuesday the 13th day of March, Eight Bills
of no great moment had each of them one reading; of which the second being the Bill for annexing of Gate-side to the Town of New-Castle,
and the seventh being for the Confirmation of an
Arbitrement to be made by certain Persons between Richard Hudleston Esquire and Dame Elizabeth his Wife on the one part, and Francis
Weynman Gentleman on the other part, with a
Proviso and certain Amendments, were each of
them read tertiâ vice & conclusæ, and sent to the
House of Commons by her Majesties Attorney
General, Mr Barkley and Mr Powle.
The Bill for Restitution in Blood of Anthony
Mayney Esquire, with a Proviso added by the
House of Commons, was sent from thence to
the Lords.
The Bill lastly for reformation of Jeofailes was
read tertiâ vice & conclusa, & commissa Magistro
Vaughan & Magistro Powle in Domum Communem deferend.
Dominus Custos magni Sigilli Continuavit præsens Parliamentum usq; in horam secundam post
meridiem. Vide concerning this continuance of
the Parliament by the Lord Keeper on Monday
the 12th day of this instant March foregoing.
About which hour in the Afternoon the Lords
Spiritual and Temporal Assembling, two Bills
were brought up to the Lords from the House of
Commons; of which the first was the Bill for
the restitution in Blood of John Lord Stourton,
with a new Proviso added by the said House.
After which three other Bills also were brought
up to the Lords from the House of Commons;
of which the first was concerning Offices found
in Counties Palatines, and the last for reformation of Jeofailes.
On Wednesday the 14th day of March, the Bill
for reformation of excess in Apparel was read secundâ vice, but no mention of committing or
ingrossing because it had been sent from the
Lords.
About which hour the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal Assembling, two Bills were sent up to
the Lords from the House of Commons; of
which the second being the Bill for the Queens
Majesties most gracious general and free Pardon,
was returned conclus.
This day also in the Afternoon the Queens
Majesty with divers Lords Spiritual and Temporal were present in the Upper House; of which
the Knights, Citizens, Burgesses and Barons of
the House of Commons having notice, repaired
thither with Robert Bell their Speaker, who carried up with him the Bill of one Subsidy, and
two Fifteenths and Tenths, and was placed at
the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the said Upper House.
But both this manner of his coming up, or
what was else spoken or done this Afternoon in
the said House, is wholly omitted in the Journal-Book of the same (through the great negligence of Anthony Mason Esquire, at this time
Clerk thereof) and therefore the repairing up of
the said Speaker, with the residue of the Members of the House of Commons, is Collected out
of the Original Journal-Book of the same House,
and the Substance of the said Speakers Speech,
with the Lord Keepers Answer at large, are both
supplied out of a Copy of the said Lord Keepers
Speech which I had by me.
The Speaker standing close to the Rail or Bar
in the lower end of the Upper House, as is aforesaid, and after his humble Reverence made, delivered his Oration to her Majesty to the effect
following.
First, He spoke touching sundry kinds of Government which had been in this Kingdom, and
so drew his Discourse to the present time. Then
he made a large enumeration of her Majesties
many Vertues, and of the many benefits which,
the Kingdom received by her Gracious Government. After which he proceeded humbly to Petition her Majesty to make the Kingdom further
happy in her Marriage, that so they might hope
for a continuing Succession of those benefits in
her Posterity. To which having added a compendious relation of such Acts as had passed the
House of Commons, he concluded with the Presentation of the Bill of Subsidy in their names
unto her Majesty. After which the Lord Keeper
by her Majesties Commandment Answered as
followeth, viz.
Mr Speaker, The Queens Majesty our most
Dread and Gracious Soveraign Lady, hath heard
and doth very well understand your Oration,
full of good will and matter. The sum thereof
may be reduced into five parts, whereof the first
containeth a Discourse of sundry kinds of Government from the beginning until this time.
The second the Commendations of her Majesties
Vertues, and of her great and gracious Government from the beginning with a remembrance of
her Highness bountiful benefits. The third concerneth the humble and earnest Petition moving
her Majesty to Marry. The fourth is a Declaration of Laws past in the Lower House, with an
humble Suit for her Highness Royal Assent to be
given unto the same. The fifth and last concerning a Presentation of a Subsidy granted in
this Session.
As concerning the first, which containeth the
Discourse of sundry kinds of Government, I see
not that this time and place doth require any
Answer to be given unto it other than this, that
you, Mr Speaker, are much to be Commended
for your diligent Collecting, and also for the apt
comparing of the last part of the same.
And as to the second which concerneth the
Commendations of her Majesties great Vertue
and good Government, with the remembrance
of the manifold benefits that you have received
at her Majesties Hand, her Highness hath Commanded me to say unto you, that she wisheth
of God with all her Heart, that all those Royal
Vertues and principal parts, together with the
great gifts of gracious Government that you
make mention of, were so perfectly planted in
her as best might serve to the maintenance of
Gods Glory, from whom her Majesty confesseth
all goodness to proceed, and best also might
serve for the good Governance of you her good,
loving and obedient Subjects; and withal prayeth you with her and for her to give God hearty
thanks for those Vertues and Graces that it hath
pleased him to bless her withal, and also to pray
for the continuance of them with such increase,
as shall best like his Divine Majesty. And besides
this I may and dare certainly affirm unto you by
her Majesties own Mouth, that if the Vertues of
all the Princes in Europe were united within her
Highness Breast, she should gladly imploy the
same to the best of her Power about the good
Governance of you, that be so good and loving
unto her; so great is her Highness good will and
inward affection toward you. Again true it is,
that these your loving and reverend conceivings
of the Vertuous and Gracious Government of
your Soveraign, is taking by her Majesty in very
thankful part, as a special and peculiar property
pertaining to faithful and loving Subjects; neither
will her Highness admit of any occasion that
may move you to conceive otherwise than you
have: neither do I think that any man can devise
any more ready or any more strong perswasion
to move a Princely nature to be such towards
her Subjects as they can with, than by such good,
reverend and loving conception and conceiving
remembred by you. To conclude, as touching
this point, I am to affirm unto you from her Majesty, that she taketh your Proceedings in the Parliament both in the midst and also in the ending
so graciously and in so thankful part, that if
both parts and nature did concur in me abundantly to make me Eloquent (as neither of them
do) yet I am sure I were not able to set forth
this point according to her Highness desire, or
to the worthiness of it. And for the more manifest Declaration of this and of the great good
liking her Majesty hath conceived of you that
be of this Parliament, her Highness meaneth not
to determine the same, but to Prorogue it until
the next Winter. And as both Cognizance and
Recognizance of benefits her Majesties Pleasure
is, that I should declare unto you, that there is
none of these benefits received by you, but she
wisheth them trebble in number, and quadruple
in greatness and goodness. And further, her
Highness thinketh that the faithful recognizing
of benefits received is one of the greatest satisfactions that a Subject can make to his Soveraign
for them. And as to the third, which concerneth your humble earnest Petition, it proceedeth
from your inward affections and benevolent
minds founded and grounded upon the great
good opinion that you have conceived of your
Majesties most gracious Government over you,
according to the Declaration made by you, a
matter greatly moving her Majesty the rather to
allow of your Petition.
The second note importeth yet more than
this; for therein she conceiveth that this great
good opinion of this blessed Government is not
conceived by you, as it appeareth by your own
Declarations, upon any sudden ground or cause,
but hath grown upon the consideration of her
Highness Governance during the Reign of seventeen Years now past: whereby it is evident that
this is a setled and constant opinion of yours,
and therefore much the more moving her Majesty to give a Gracious Ear unto this your Petition.
And yet the third note exceedeth the other
two former; for in this note she conceiveth the
abundance of your inward affection grounded
upon her good Governance of you to be so great,
that it doth not only content you to have her
Majesty Reign and govern over you, but also
you do desire that some proceeding from her Majesties Body might by a perpetual Succession
Reign over your Posterity also; a matter greatly
to move her Majesty (she faith) to incline to
this your Suit. Besides her Highness is not unmindful of all the benefits that will grow to the
Realm by such Marriage; neither doth she forget any perils that are like to grow for want
thereof. All which matters considered, her Majesty willed me to say, that albeit of her own
natural disposition she is not disposed or inclined
to Marriage, neither could she ever Marry were
she a private Person; yet for your sakes and the
benefit of the Realm, she is contented to dispose
and incline her self to the Satisfaction of your
humble Petition, so that all things convenient
may concur that be meet for such a Marriage;
whereof there be very many, some touching the
state of her most Royal Person, some touching
the Person of him whom God shall join, some
touching the state of the whole Realm: these
things concurring and considered, her Majesty
hath Assented (as is before remembred.) And
thus much touching this matter.
As to the fourth part which concerneth a Declaration of the Laws passed in the Session whereunto you do pray that her Majesty would give
her Royal Assent, her Majesty hath Commended
your travel and pains taken in devising of these
Laws, your Considerations and Carefulness in
debating and consulting, and your Judgments
and Determinations in concluding and passing
of the same, and meaneth to give her Royal
Assent to so many of them as her Majesty shall
think meet and convenient to pass at this time.
But here I am to remember you, that this is not
all that her Highness requireth in this point; for
she is desirous that the great travels, pains and
great charges imployed about the making of
these Laws should not be lost, neither her Majesties Royal Assent granted in vain, which must
needs come to pass except you look better to the
Execution of Laws than heretofore you have
done; for as I have before this time seen, Laws
without Execution, be nothing else but Pen, Ink
and Parchment, a Countenance of things, and
nothing in Deed, a cause without an effect, and
serve as much to the good Governance of the
Common-Weal, as the Rudder of a Ship doth
serve to the good Governance of it without a
Governour; and so serve to as good purpose to
direct mens actions, as Torches do to direct mens
goings in the dark, when their Lights be put out.
Were it not great folly, trow ye, yea, and meer
madness for a man to provide apt and handsome
tools and instruments to reform and prune his
Trees withal, and then to lay them up in fair
Boxes and Bags without use of them? and is it
not as strange trow ye to make Laws to reform
mens manners, and to prune away the ill branches
and members of the Common-Weal, and then to
lay up those Laws in fair Books and Boxes without Execution of them? Surely there is a small
difference betwixt these Causes; nay it were
much better to have no new Laws made at all,
than to have Laws not Executed: for the former doth but leave us in the state we were in
before the making of the new Laws; but not to
execute them is to breed a contempt of Laws
and Law-makers and of all Magistrates, which is
the Mother and Nurse of Disobedience; and
what she breedeth and bringeth forth, I leave to
you to judge.
Now this offence of not executing of Laws
growing so great, it resteth to see in whole default this is, and who ought to have the burthen
of it. First, certain it is, that her Majesty leaveth nothing undone meet for her to do for the
Execution of Laws; for first she maketh choice
of Persons of most Credit and best understanding throughout the whole Realm, to whom for
the great Trust and Fidelity that she reposeth in
them, she giveth Authority by Commission to
execute a great part of those Laws, who also by
Oath be bound to perform the same. Besides, the
most special and needful Laws her Highness causeth to be Proclaimed and published unto her
People; as over this also (left men should be
forgetful of their Duties) she causeth a number
of her Justices to be called into publick place, and
there to be exhorted and admonished in her Majesties name to see the Execution of her Laws;
and what can here be more devised for her Majesty to do? Surely in my opinion nothing.
Then falleth it out necessarily and consequently, that the burthen of all these Enormities, Absurdities and mischiefs that do grow in the Common-Wealth for not Executing of Laws, must
light upon those persons that have Authority
from her Majesty to Execute them and do it not:
which is a burthen over-heavy for any to bear,
being justly charged. For the avoiding of this
therefore methinks men being thus remembred
ought to seek with all diligence and endeavour
to satisfie for their negligence, and uncarefulness
past; which if they shall forget to do, her Majesty shall be then driven, clean contrary to her
most Gracious Nature and Inclination, to appoint and assign private men, for profit and gain
sake, to see her penal Laws to be Executed. The
course which hitherto her Majesty hath taken
hath been, to have her Laws Executed by men
of Credit and Estimation for the love of Justice,
uprightly and indifferently; but if they shall refuse so to do, forgetting their duty to God, Soveraign and Countrey, then of necessity rather
than the Laws should be unexecuted, her Majesty
shall be driven I say to commit the Execution of
them to those who in respect of profit and gain,
will see them Executed with all extremity. And
what a burthen that will bring to the CommonWeal I leave it to your consideration. But it is
to be hoped, that if the respects before remembred will not move you to see better to your
Charge, yet the fear of this great inconveniency
should constrain men that be in Commission to
look to the better Execution of Laws. And thus
much touching the fourth part.
Now as to the fifth and last which concerneth
the grant of a Subsidy, her Majesty hath Commanded me to say unto you, that that grant is a
manifest Declaration by Deeds of that which before was declared by words: for how could such
a Grant be made, and in such manner granted,
and by such persons, but that of necessity it must
proceed from the benevolent minds and hearty
affections of such loving Subjects as are before
remembred? True it is, that her Majesty in these
your doings hath noted three things especially
and principally, every of them tending much to
the setting forth of your benevolence. The first,
who it is that granted; the second, the manner
of granting; the third, what it was that is
granted. As to the first, her Majesty cannot
forget, how this Grant proceeded from the
earnest affections and hearty good wills of her
loving and obedient Subjects. Wherefore her
Majesty maketh greater account thereof than Ten
Subsidies, and so she Commanded me to say unto you. Again, her Majesty remembreth very
well, that this Grant was made not by Subjects
that never did the like before, but by Subjects
that have been and continued to be ready from
time to time to contribute towards the necessary
charges and defence of the Realm; which doth
greatly commend and set forth she faith this great
benevolence of yours. And as to the second,
which is the manner of granting, her Highness
noteth two things especially; the one is universality of consent; and can there be a more universal consent than when all agreeing and none
denying as this was? Nay her Highness knoweth
that before her time these manner of Grants passed not but with a great perswasion and many
difficulties; whereas this was frankly offered
without any perswasion or difficulty at all. The
other is the readiness of granting. It is written
of Benevolence, Bis dat qui citò dat, which her
Majesty faith may be justly applied to these your
Proceedings. And to the third, which is the
thing granted, she taketh it to be as liberal as any
heretofore hath been granted; and therefore
hath Commanded me to yield unto you her most
hearty condign thanks, and withal to let you
understand, that her Majesty is as willing and
desirous to give you this whole Subsidy again as
you have been willing to grant it, if the necessity of the Realm and your Surety would suffer
it. And thus much touching the granting of the
Subsidy.
Now as to the due and true Execution of the
same I am to exhort and also to admonish you,
and yet it may be probably said, that Persons
that have thus bountifully and readily made this
Grant, wherein and whereby the benevolent
minds and hearty affections that have been so manifestly declared in granting, that to these persons neither admonishments nor exhortations are
due for the true executing of that Grant, no more
than a Spur is to a Horse, that runneth as swiftly
as he can. Albeit this Argument in reason carrieth probability and likelyhood with it; yet former experience hath taught that these Grants
have not been so duly and truly executed as they
have been benevolently granted.
After the Lord Keepers Speech was ended, the
Queens Majesty did doubtless give her Royal
Assent to such Acts as passed at this Session; but
neither the foresaid Speech, nor the passing of
the said Acts, is at all mentioned in the Original
Journal-Book of the Upper House.
Her Majesties Royal Assent being given to the
said Bills. Now follows the Adjournment of this
present Session, together with the several Prorogations thereupon, out of the Original Journal
Book of the same.
Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominæ Reginæ Adjournavit præsens Parliamentum
usq; in diem prox. hora secunda post meridiem.
On Thursday the 15th day of March in the
Afternoon, the Queens Majesty came her self into the Upper House, where were also present the
Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, the Lord
Burleigh, Lord Treasurer and divers other Lords
both Spiritual and Temporal; but the only occasion of her Majesties coming seemeth to have
been for the Prorogation of the Parliament, which
otherwise must have been done by vertue of her
Majesties Commission, or Letters Patents under
the Great Seal. And it is the more remarkable
because I conceive it is the only President during
all the said Queens Reign, in which she came to
the Upper House in Person to Prorogue a Session; the Entrance whereof in the Original
Journal-Book of the same House is as followeth.
Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominæ Reginæ Prorogavit præsens Parliamentum usq;
in diem quintum Novembris prox. futurum.
After which followed divers other Prorogations, until the Assembling of the last Session of
this present Parliament in Anno 23 Reginæ Eliz.
All which are inserted in the Original JournalBook it self de Anno 18 &Reginæ ejusdem in the
end thereof.