A TRUE REPORT Of the most gracious and merciful message of her most excellent Majesty, sent by the right honourable Sir Christopher Hatton Knight, Vizchamberlaine, & one of her highness most honourable privy Counsel, to the place where THOMAS appletree should have suffered for his most Traitorlike action: With such other discourse as it pleased him to use upon the matter at the same time: wherein nothing is added, but his only speech verbatim, as my weak memory would serve me to do it.  
CHARITAS   printer's or publisher's device 
Printed at London, by Henry Bynneman. Anno. M.D.LXXIX. julij. XXIIII.   

MAster Carie,  
Her most excellent majesty is pleased to send me to deliver her commandment to you touching this man now here presently to die. 
The people doubted of a pardon at his first speech.  And first, I think it not out of purpose, to notify his offence to these good people, whereby he is not only worthy this punishment: but in judgement of foreign nations, and by censure of foreign laws, should be delivered to the tormentors, to endure such torture, as the quality of his offence in so high a case by good policy should condignly deserve.  

The people marvelous attentive to hear.  And to speak of this fact, such it was, and so fearful, as my heart quaketh, and my eyes can not refrain tears to repeat it again amongst you. (God for his mercy's sake shield, and defend her most excellent Majesty, that most mightily hath digested the notable danger.) And so I will tell you of this tragedy in course as it fell out.  
It liked her highness in respect of the great heat, 
The cause is declared why her Majesty took the water  to take the air of the water, where in grave and weighty negotiation she passed the time in discourse with the French Ambassador by the space of an hour or two. In her return it pleased her to take diverse pauses, and the rather, by cause she earnestly red a Book, wherein it seemed for recreations sake she took some delight. By means whereof (even as it pleased God with his holy hand, as it were, to direct her safety) she commanded the Bargemen to slack their labour, 
Only gods providence in saving her Majesty from the shot.  and slowly to pass on, where if they had hasted but two strokes more, they had brought her royal person into the shot itself.  
These words were scarcely spoken out by her Majesty, but his caitiff most unhappily (I must say most devilishly) discharged his Arquebuse, strongly charged with bullet, into the Barge where her Majesty was. (God that hath defended her, God that hath defended her, thou most mighty God ever vouchsafe to keep her.) With this blow the second man to the bails of the Barge, within six foot of her royal person, 
A strange and a horrible terror never hard nor seen the like in Englad before.  was stricken down from his feat, and wounded through both his arms, which her majesty beheld, & kingly handled this cause, as even strait I will tell you.  
My Lords of her majesties counsel dispersed abroad in their affairs, 
The sudden great fear of the Lords of the Caunsell at the hearing of these terrible news.  hearing of this most perilous accident, returned to Court, with such speed as the weight of such a cause might move them to do, and there with fearful and loving applausure toward her Majesty, did most holily thank our God for his singular help in the preservation of our most dear and righteous Sovereign.  
That done according, with their loves, and duties of service to God, her majesty & this whole estate: after deliberate, and most grave consultation of the cause, they all most humbly on their knees besought the Queen that this slave might suffer, not this death, 
The Counsel most desirous to punish this fact.  but ten thousand deaths (if so it were possible in nature to do) for his so rash & fearful offence. Such, in deed, might the offence have been, which God for his mercy's sake hath most favourably forbidden, that it might have roughte up to heaven, and should most miserably not only have plagued this her own land, 
It was strange to see the people staring in M. Vizchamberlains face, some weeping, at the speaking of these words  but all the true servants of God dispersed through Christendom: our Religion, & true faith in jesus Christ, which we enjoy with unspeakable comfort of free conscience, might hereby have suffered confusion, and persecution of blood, and vengeance amongst us. Our peace, and secure estates, increased with exceeding wealths, and nourished with most sweet quietness of life by this her most happy government, and reign of twenty years, might hereby have been turned to bloody wars, the fruits whereof is burning and spoiling of houses and goods, ravishing and destroying of our wives and children. And what vengeance soever the world can bring forth, 
Here they left all both hands and eyes to heaven, saying God bless her Majesty god bless her majesty. etc.  the same should have fallen on us, I say on us, than the most miserable men in the world. And therefore hear me I pray you. Let us acknowledge before God with all humble thankfulness these unspeakable benefits, which we have enjoyed, and still shall do, while God upholdeth her blessed life, and state amongst us. The loss, and lack of whom, 
Here the people with tears showed themselves most sorrowful of these tragical speeches.  can not but bring on us all these calamities, and ten thousand more, which I can not for see. If then by these, and all other benefits, which you possess, feel, and taste of, you find how inestimable, and precious a jewel this our dear Sovereign is for us, and amongst us, what plague, torment, or punishment, could suffice you for revenge on him, that by any means should deprive you of such heavenly, and worldly felicities, as daily by her holy hand are ministered amongst you? But I will meddle no further with these matters. I know you thank god for them, and with true and faithful obedient hearts will ever serve her most excellent Majesty, whom he hath made his minister to distribute all these blessings into yours bosoms.  
And now, if it please you, you may with marvel hear the message I come of. 
This sudden strange pardon amazed the people.  I bring mercy to this man, the gracious pardon of our most dear Sovereign, who with her merciful eye, 
The greatness of h●r Maiest●● mercy s●●med such, as the people between joys and sorrows were amazed.  beholding the clearness of this man's heart, free from evil thought, and consequently from prepension of any malicious fact against her person, vouchsafeth to pull him from the Gallows. A notable action of compassion proceeding from a heavenly mind, and so far different from the common nature of man, forced into a fearful jealousy of loss of life, as hath never been read nor heard of.  
If casually a man suffer hurt in the fields by an arrow shot by chance at roving marks, 
A true description of man's frail nature in seeking revenge, confirmed with examples.  how revengefully the party offended will follow his process of felony, I have often seen, and the la doth well allow it. If in the Court the meanest serving man strike his fellow with his fist so that he bleed, he is to lose the same hand. Many other examples may be given you, both touching the casualty in this man's fact, and touching the place, and presence, wherein it chanced to be done. 
Here he noteth the heavenly disposition of her Majesty, far different from the nature of man, in pardoning so great an offence against law and nature.   
But our Queen looketh neither on her prerogative, on the power of her laws, nor on the peril of her person, but with the nobility of her heart, the danger only done to herself, doth as you hear, freely pardon it. And in the sacred word of her kingly estate I protest it unto you, she hath firmly avowed that she had rather have suffered the wounds the Bargeman now hath, ten fold, 
See the exceeding love of a priace toward her subjects, in excusing all accidents without any suspicion of all meaning.  than the meanest of us all, or of any subjects, should suffer the slander of so tyrannous or traitorous a fact, yea, or of the prepension, or forethought of so horrible a treason toward her, though it were in fact never executed.  
Wherein to all our singular comforts, it pleased her with most princely affection & earnestness, graciously to affirm, that never Prince had better, nor more kind true Subjects. God for his mercy direct us, ever to be so, 
Here all the people shouted out Amen, Amen.  and with our due gratefulness to sacrifice at her kingly feet our blood and lives for her service sake, when occasion shall call us thereto.  

M. Carie was master to this lewd man appletree, and Knight Martial for that day appointed.  One other thing I found her Majesty troubled with, that is, the sorrow this noble young Gentleman, M. Henry Carie, hath suffered in continual grief of his heart for the offence of his man, who through the vain jealousy of some evil disposed persons, hath likewise borne some slander of the cause. But it sufficeth to clear him, that no intent of malice, nor forethought of this fact, is found in the party himself. 
M. carries commendation.  His conversation beside with exceeding faith and diligence in her highness service, will ever deliver him, as a most acceptable Gentleman free from this and all other evil in the sight of her Majesty and all the world: I shall not need therefore to speak of him, for his cause needeth none excuse.  

He reciteth the Queen's virtues, and most worthily commendeth her rare courage in such a pilous chance.  Here may you behold the rare goodness of our great and gracious Mistress, full of Religion & piety, justice and mercy, Temperance and magnanimity (and that I cannot but tell you) of the most constant and noble courage that ever lived: the proof whereof (the cause hard, wherat I was present) I leave to your judgements.  
Her Majesty taking prospect out of the bales of her Barge, 
Behold her princely stoutness nothing dismayed at this sudden terror, but with such care to this poor wounded man and with such countenance to the Ambassador, that she seemed a mother to the one and a Queen to the other.  at the very instant did see the man strooken, and beheld his fall, and heard, as it were, his deadly scritche, whom she immediately commanded to be taken up, and then beholding him all imbrued with blood, commanded his wounds to be lapped up with a scarf of her own, and so with her most constant and amiable countenance, continued her entertainment of the Ambassador, as though there had been no such matter. afterwards the man began to faint, her highness then commanded a cloak to be put on his body, with other such necessary reliefs as were there presently to be had, without alteration of countenance.  
Behold this kingly heart, and courage of rare magnanimity, seeing, as it were, the present death of the next to her, 
Her highness magnanimity mingled with mercy, the one most comfortable to her subjects, and the other most terrible to her foes.  neither feared her ownelyfe, nor was dismayed with this treasonable chance. An action more than marvelous in her sex. Hereof how much we may rejoice, I want wit to tell you. But in one word, her highness, that with her singular wisdom and policy hath preserved her Empire these twenty years in most joyful peace, with this courage and magnanimity will (no doubt) as mightily defend us in the most cruel wars. God therefore ever bliss her, and let us with our hands stretched up to heaven, and our eyes fixed on the seat of God, pray for her long life, and most prosperous reign over us. THOMAS appletree receive thy life from her most excellent Majesty, 
An earnest exhortation to pray.  and pray unto God upon thy knees for her all thy days to come. etc.  

Here M. Viz chamberlain kneeled on his knees, with all the people praising God for her majesties safe delivery.  And so the people being moved to prayer for his majesties most happy escape, and for the blessing of God to lengthen her days for many and many years, he fell down on his knees with great devotion amongst them, and so departed with exceeding joy to the people, and a thousand blessings on himself.