not however preserve the royal theologian,
now in her thirtieth year, from serious disturbance on account of
certain ill-favored likenesses of her gracious countenance which had
obtained a general circulation among her loving subjects. So provoking
an abuse was thought to justify and require the special exertion of the
royal prerogative for its correction, and Cecil was directed to draw up
an energetic proclamation on the subject.

This curious document sets forth, that "forasmuch as through the natural
desire that all sorts of subjects had to procure the portrait and
likeness of the queen's majesty, great numbers of painters, and some
printers and gravers, had and did daily attempt in divers manners to
make portraitures of her, wherein none hitherto had sufficiently
expressed the natural representation of her majesty's person, favor, or
grace; but had for the most part erred therein, whereof daily complaints
were made amongst her loving subjects,--that for the redress hereof her
majesty had been so importunately sued unto by the lords of her council
and other of her nobility, not only to be content that some special
cunning painter might be permitted by access to her majesty to take the
natural representation of her, whereof she had been always of her own
right disposition very unwilling, but also to prohibit all manner of
other persons to draw, paint, grave, or portrait her personage or visage
for a time, until there were some perfect pattern or example to be
followed:

"Therefore her majesty, being herein as it were overcome with the
continual requests of so many of her nobility and lords, whom she could
not well deny, was pleased that some cunning person should shortly make
a portrait of her person or visage to be participated to others for the
comfort of her loving subjects; and furthermore commanded, that till
this should be finished, all other persons should abstain from making
any representations of her; that afterwards her majesty would be content
that all other painters, printers, or gravers, that should be known men
of understanding, and so therein licensed by the head officers of the
places where they should dwell (as reason it was that every person
should not without consideration attempt the same), might at their
pleasure follow the said pattern or first portraiture. And for that her
majesty perceived a great number of her loving subjects to be much
grieved with the errors and deformities herein committe