displeasant as pleasant. And if He find in your most noble heart such an
obedience unto his will, that your Grace, without murmuration and
over-much heaviness, do accept all adversities, not less thanking Him
than when all things succeed after your Grace's will and pleasure, then
I suppose your Grace did never thing more acceptable unto Him since your
first governance of this your realm. And moreover, your Grace shall give
unto Him occasion to multiply and increase his graces and benefits unto
your Highness, as He did unto his most faithful servant Job; unto whom,
after his great calamities and heaviness, for his obedient heart and
willing acceptation of God's scourge and rod, addidit Dominus cuncta
duplicia. And if it be true that is openly reported of the Queen's
Grace, if men had a right estimation of things, they should not esteem
any part of your Grace's honour to be touched thereby; but her honour to
be clean disparaged. And I am in such perplexity, that my mind is clean
amazed; for I never had better opinion in woman than I had in her; which
maketh me to think that she should not be culpable. And again, I think
your Highness would not have gone so far, except she had been surely
culpable.

[Sidenote: Of the queen's guilt, he knows not what to believe.]

[Sidenote: He will pray that she may be found innocent.]

[Sidenote: But if she be guilty, let her be punished with all extremity,
for the dishonour which she has brought upon the gospel.]

[Sidenote: He trusts that the king will still continue to favour the
gospel, however, as before.]

"Now I think that your Grace best knoweth that, next unto your Grace, I
was most bound unto her of all creatures living. Wherefore, I most
humbly beseech your Grace to suffer me in that which both God's law,
nature, and also her kindness bindeth me unto: that is, that I may with
your Grace's favour wish and pray for her that she may declare herself
inculpable and innocent. And if she be found culpable, considering your
Grace's goodness to her, and from what condition your Grace of your only
mere goodness took her, and set the crown upon her head, I repute him
not your Grace's faithful servant and subject, nor true unto the realm,
that would not desire the offence without mercy to be punished, to the
example of all other. And as I loved her not a little for the love
which I judged her to bear towards God and his gospel; so if she be
proved culpable, there is not one that loveth