Whereas we were giuen to vnder­stand verie credibly, (though to our great griefe,) that diuers things were, and of late time had beene compassed, imagined and resolute­ly intended, tending directly to the hurt and destruction of our Royal person, and to the subuersion of the Estate of our Realme, by forrein inuasions, & rebellions at home, aswell by the Queene of Scottes, remaining in our Realme vnder our Protection, as by many diuers other wicked persons with her priuitie, who had freely confessed the same, and had th [...]reupon receiued open triall, Iudgement and Execution according to the lawes for their desertes: And though, in verie trueth we were greatly and deepely grieued in our minde, to thinke or imagine that any such vnnatural & monstrous Acts should be either deuised, or willingly asseted vnto against vs, by her being a Princesse borne, and of our sere and blood, and one also whose life & honor we had many times before saued and preserued: Yet were we so directly drawne to thinke all the same to be true, by the sight and vnderstanding of such proofes, as were manifestly produced a­fore vs, vpon matters that had as wel proceeded from her selfe, as from the conspirators themselues, who voluntarilie and freelie without any coertion had confessed their conspirations, both ioynt­ly with her, and directed by her, against our Person and our Realme, and therfore also we saw great reason, to thinke the same ouer daungerous, to be suffered to passe onwarde to take their full effecte. Wherefore, we were by sundrie Lordes of our Nobilitie, and others our louing subiectes, earnestly mooued and counselled, to take vndelaied order, for the inquisition and examination of all these dan­gerous enterprises, and conspiracies by sundrie waies directly auowed to be by the sayde Queene of Scottes, against vs and our Realme certainely intended, and also to vse all present meanes with expedition, to withstand, or rather to preuent the same. And for that we were verie vnwilling to pro­ceede against her, considering her birth and Estate, by such vsuall sort as by the common lawes of the Realme, we might haue lawfullie done, which was, by inditement and arrainment by ordinarie Iuries: therefore, in respect both of our owne honour, and of her person, we yeelded, by good aduise giuen to vs, to proceede in the most honourable sort that coulde be deuised within our Realme to the examination hereof, according to a late Acte of Parliament made the xxiii. day of Nouember, in the xxvii. yeere of our Reigne. Whereupon by our Commission vnder our great Seale of Englande, bearing Date at our Castle of Windsor in our Countie of Barkshire, the sixt day of October nowe last past, we did for that purpose, according to the saide Statute, assigne, name, and appoynt all the Lordes and others of our Priuie counsaile, and so many other Earles and Barons Lordes of Par­liament, of the greatest degree and most ancient of the Nobilitie of this our Realme, as with the [Page] [...] Lordes and others of our priuie counsell, made vp the nomber of fourtie and two, adding also thereto a further nomber, according to the tenour of the foresaide Acte of Parliament, of certaine of the chiefest and other principall Iudges of the Courtes of Recorde at Westminster, amounting in the whole to the number of fourtie and seuen, to examine all things compassed and imagined, ten­ding to the hurt of our Royall person, as well by the saide Queene of Scottes, by the name of Ma­rie, the daughter and heire of Iames the fifth, late King of Scottes, commonly called the Queene of Scottes & Dowager of France, as by any other by her priuitie, & all the circumstances thereof, and thereupon, according to the tenor of y^e said Act of Parliament, to giue sentence or iudgement, as vpon good proofe the matter vnto them should appeare, as by the same Commission more fullie appeareth.

And where afterwards the more part of the sayd Counsellers, Lords and Iudges in our said Com­mission named, that is to say, the number of xxxvi. did in the presence & hearing of the sayde Queene of Scots, where she remained at our Castle of [...]oderinghaie, at diuers dayes and times in publique place, very exactly, vprightly, and with great deliberation, examine all the matters & offences, where­of she was charged and accused, tending to the dangers afore rehearsed and mentioned in our sayde Commission, and all the circumstances thereof, & heard also at large in all fauourable maner, what the same Queene did, or could say for her excuse and defence in that behalfe: whereupon afterwards on the xxv. day of October nowe last past, all the sayd Counsaile, Lords, and Iudges that had heard and examined the same cause in the saide Queenes presence, as afore is mentioned, with one assent and consent, after good deliberation, did giue their sentence and iudgement in this sort following:

That after the first day of Iune, in the seuen & twentieth yeere of our reigne, and before the date of our said Commission, diuers things were compassed and imagined within this Realme of England, by Anthonie Babington and others, with the priuitie of the saide Mary, pretending title to the Crowne of this Realme of England, tending to the hurt, death and destruction of our Royall person:

And likewise, that after the same first day of Iune, and before the date of our saide Commission, the saide Mary, pretending title to the same Crowne, had compassed and imagined within the same Realme, diuers things tending to the hurt, death and destruction of our royall person, contrary to the fourme of the said Statute: which sentence and iudgement, the same Lords and Commissioners haue with one full consent caused to be put in writing, and duely engrossed, with the whole proces of their proceedings thereto belonging, and haue subscribed the same with their handes, as by a record thereof shewed to vs, more fully and largely doth appeare.

And whereas also, sithence the same sentence and Iudgement so giuen & recorded, the Lordes and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, haue also at sundrie times in open Parliament, heard and considered the principall euidences, proofes, and circumstances, whereupon the same sen­tence and Iudgement was grounded, and haue by their publique assent in Parliament affirmed the same to be a iust, lawfull and true sentence, and so haue allowed and approued the same in wri­ting presented vnto vs: and haue also notified to vs, howe deepely they did foresee the great and ma­ny imminent dangers, which otherwise might and woulde growe to our person, and to the whole Realme, if this sentence were not fully executed: and consequently therefore, they did by their most humble and earnest petitions in that behalfe, of one Accord, hauing accesse vnto vs (vpon their sun­drie requestes) most instantly vpon their knees, pray, beseeche, and with many reasons of great force and importance, moue and presse vs, that the said sentence and Iudgement so iustly and duely giuen, and by them approued, as is aforesaid, might (according to the expresse tenor of the said Act of Parlia­ment by our Proclamation vnder our great Seale be declared and published, and the same also finally executed.

But after such most earnest request, so made to vs from all the said Lordes and Commons in Par­liament, they perceiuing by our owne speeches & answeres, howe deepely we were grieued to heare of these horrible and vnnatural attempts and actions of that Queene, whose many former offences, manifestly and daungerously committed against vs, our Crowne and Realme, we had ouerpassed [Page]with our ouer great clemencie, contrary to the many aduices and requestes of our Subiects, aswell in Parliament as otherwise: and therefore they also, vnderstanding from our selfe, howe desirous we were to haue some other meanes deuised by them in their seueral places of Parliament, to with­stand these mischiefes intended both against our selfe, and the publique quiet state of our Realme, & suretie of our good subiects, then by execution of the foresayde sentence, as was required: they did after their sundry consultations apart, and conferences ioyntly with one accorde, in the names of all the Lordes of Parliament, euen by the particular votes of them all assembled, and also of the Com­mons with one vniuersal assent, representing the State of all our Realme, at their seueral times of accesse vnto vs, alledge, declare, & protest, that vpon their long, many, & aduised consultations & con­ferences by our commandement, and for our satisfaction in that behalfe had, they coulde not by any meanes finde or deuise, howe the suertie of our Royall person, and the preseruation of themselues and their posteritie, with the good state of the Realme, might be prouided for and continued, without the publication and due execution of the sayd sentence.

Whereupon, being not onely moued to our griefe, but also ouercome with the earnest re­questes, declarations, and important reasons of all our sayde Subiects, the Nobles and Com­mons of our Realme, whose iudgement, knowledge, and naturall care of vs, and the whole Realme, wee knowe doeth farre surmount all others being not so interessed therein, and so iust­ly to bee esteemed: and perceyuing also the sayde sentence to haue bene honourably, lawfully and iustly giuen, agreeable to Iustice and to the Lawes of our Realme: we did yeelde, and doe according to the sayde Statute by this our Proclamation vnder our great Seale of Englande, de­clare, notifie, and publish to all our louing Subiects, and other persons whatsoeuer, that the sayde sentence and Iudgement is giuen in maner aforesayde, to the intent, that they and euery of them, by this our Proclamation may haue ful vnderstanding & knowledge thereof. We do also wil you, that you doe returne this our Proclamation into our Court of Chauncerie, as speedily as you may conue­niently, with the place & time of the proclayming thereof thereupon indorsed, whereof fayle you not.

In witnesse whereof, we haue caused this our Proclamation to bee made Patent, and sealed with the great Seale of England. At our Manor of Richmont the iiii. day of December, the xxix. yeere of our Reigne, and in the yeere of our Lord God, 1586.

God saue the Queene.