THE true copy OF A LETTER FROM THE QVEENES majesty, TO THE Lord Maior of London, and his brethren: containing a most gracious acceptation of the great ioy which her Subiectes took vpon the apprehension of diuers persons, detected of a most wicked conspiracy, red openly in a great assembly of the Commons in the Guildhall of that city, the 22. day of August. 1586. Before the reading whereof, master james Dalton, one of the counsellors of that city, in the absence of the Recorder, made this speech hereafter following.  
¶ Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, Printer to the queens most excellent majesty. 1586   

  

BY THE queen.  
❧ To our right trusty and well-beloved, the Lord Maior of our city of London, and his brethren the Aldermen of the same.  
RIght trusty and well-beloved, wee greet you well. Being given to understand how greatly our good and most loving Subiects of that city did rejoice at the apprehension of certain devilish and wicked minded subiects of ours, that through the great and singular goodness of God haue been detected, to haue most wickedly and unnaturally conspired, not onely the taking away of our own life, but also to haue stirred up( as much as in them lay) a general rebellion throughout our whole realm: we could not but by our own letters witness unto you the great and singular contentment we received vpon the knowledge thereof, assuring you, that we did not so much rejoice at the escape of the intended attempt against our own person, as to see the great ioy our most loving Subiects took at the apprehension of the contrivers thereof, which, to make their love more apparent, they haue( as we are to our great comfort informed) omitted no outward show, that by any external act might witness to the world the inward love and dutiful affection they be are toward vs. And as we haue as great cause with all thankfulness to aclowledge Gods great goodness toward us, through the infinite blessings he layeth vpon us, as many as ever Prince had, yea rather, as ever Creature had: yet do we not for any worldly blessing received from his divine majesty, so greatly aclowledge the same, as in that it hath pleased him to incline the heartes of our Subiects even from the first beginning of our reign, to carry as great love towards us, as ever Subiects carried toward Prince, which ought to move us( as it doth in very deed) to seek with all care, and by all good means that appertain to a Christian Prince, the conservation of so loving and dutifully affencted Subiects: assuring you that we desire no longer to live, then while we may in the whole course of our government carry ourself in such sort, as may not onely nourish and continue their love and good will towards us, but also increase the same. Wee think meet, that these our letters should be communicated in some general assembly to our most loving Subiects the Commoners of that city. given under our Signet at our castle of Windsor, the 18. day of August 1586. in the 28. year of our reign.   

RIght worshipful, my good countrymen & Citizens of this most noble city of London. Since the late bruit and report of a most wicked and traitorous conspiracy, not onely to take away the life of our most gracious sovereign,( whom God grant long to live & reign over us) but also to stir up a general rebellion throughout the whole realm: the great and universal ioy of you all of this city, vpon the apprehension of diuers of that most wicked conspiracy alate declared and testified, by many outward acts & shows, hath wrought in the queens most excellent majesty such a gracious contentment, that it hath moved her Highnes, by her letters signed with her own hand, to signify unto my L. Maior of this city and his brethren, her most Noble & Princely acceptation thereof, and that in such sort, as thereby may appear, that her Highnes hath not more, no not so much reioyced at the most happy escape of the wicked mischief intended against her own person, as at the joy which her loving Subiectes, and namely you of this city of London took at the apprehension of the practisers of that intended Treason.  
By occasion whereof, her Highnes brought to a thankful Remembrance, and acknowledging of Gods infinite blessings bestowed on hir, comparable with any Prince or creature in the world, no worldly thing more or like accounteth of, then of the hearty love of her loving & faithful subiects many ways and many times before now, but especially by this our great joy in this sort, at this time, and vpon this occasion shewed.  
And that her exceeding great love and acceptation of our rejoicing may the more appear unto you, it hath pleased her Highnes in the same letters to declare, that she desireth not longer to live among us, then she shal maintain, continue, nourish and increase the love and good will of her Subiects toward her. And this her Highnes hath willed to be made known unto you all, with this, that shee will not fail with all care, and by all good means that appertain to a Christian prince, to seek the conservation of you all so loving and dutifully affencted Subiects.  
This her majesties pleasure in part now declared, and more to be made known to you by her own letters, which you shall hear read, my Lord Maior and his brethren haue required me to declare unto you all, that they do hearty rejoice and thank God for the happy day of the good acceptation of this your great ioy, and my L. himself hath willed me to give you all hearty thankes in his name, for that in the time of his service your dutiful behaviours haue gotten to the city so Noble and worthy a testimony of duty and loyalty, of so Noble and worthy a queen.  
Now forasmuch as Gods blessings wonderfully abound, and one joy comes vpon another, let us not be unthankful to God, but aclowledge his goodness, and attribute the same( as in deed we ought) to the sincere Religion of almighty God, most godly established by the queens most excellent majesty, which hath taught us to know God aright, our duty to our sovereign, and to love our country, and hath made us dutiful and obedient Subiects, rejoicing at all good things happening to her majesty, her realm, or to any in her Noble service, the true effects of a true and good Religion: Whereas the contemners thereof, and immoderate affectors of the Romish religion and superstitions, being void of the true knowledge of God, haue declined from God, their allegiance to their Prince, their love to their country, and haue become inventors of mischiefs, bruters and spreaders abroad of false and seditious rumors, such as joy at no good thing, but contrariwise rejoice at every evil success, the badges and marks of their profession, who haue before this, in this realm and in other her Highnes dominions, stirred up rebellion, foreign invasion, and many times practised the very death and destruction of the queen herself, the ruin and subversion of the whole realm, the proper effects of their Romish religion.  
We haue beholded all these things, and seen in our dayes the ruin and mischiefs invented against others, fall vpon the inventors themselves: and haue known the wicked and violent hands of diuers of them, deuilishly to kill and murder themselves, when most traitorously they would, and most happily they could not, slea the lords annoynted.  
As we haue known all these things, so God be thanked, that by a better Religion, having been better taught, we haue been no partakers of their wicked devises, but haue put to our helping hands as occasion hath served, and ever ready to overthrow the authors and devisers thereof.  
And I haue no doubt, but we of this Noble city, who hitherto haue been always ready dutifully and faithfully to serve her majesty vpon all occasions,( her Highnes now so graciously accepting onely of our rejoicing at the apprehension of her enemies, even the least part of the duty of a good subject to so good a queen) will be ready every one with all that we can make, and with the uttermost adventure of all our lives, speedily to be revenged vpon all such as shall villainously and traitorously attempt or put in ure any mischief to her Noble person, and in the mean time will haue a better eye & ear to all suspicious & miscontented persons, to their sayings and doings, to their false bruits and reports, to the places and corners of their haunt and resort, to their harborers, companions, aiders and maintainers.  
God uphold and continue his Religion among us, and increase our zeal therein, which hath made us so loving and loyal, and so beloved and acceptable Subiectes to so worthy a Prince, and roote out that wicked and Romish religion, that hath made so many disloyal and traitorous Subiectes: to whom is both odious and irksome, the long life & prosperous reign of our most noble queen Elizabeth. God confound all such traytors, and preserve her Highnesse long to live and reign over vs.