(Here follows the Codicil, which was afterwards annexed by the Queen to her Will.)

MARYE THE QUENE.

This Codicell made by me Marye by the Grace of God Quene of Engl^d &c., & lawful wyfe to the most noble and vertuous Prynce Philippe, by the same grace of God, Kynge of the said Realmes and Domynions of Englond, &c., the twenty-eighth day of October, in the yere of our Lord God 1558, and in the 5^th yere of the reign of my said most dere Lord and husbande, and in the Sixth yere of the reigne of me the said Quene. The which Codicell I will and ordeyne shall be added and annexed unto my last Will and Testament heretofore by me made and declared. And my mynd and will ys, that the said Codicell shall be accepted, taken and receyved as a part and parcell of my said last will and testament, and as tho’ it were incorporate with the same to all entents and purposes, in manner and forme followynge.

Fyrste, whereas I the said Quene have with the good contentment and pleasure of my said most dere belov’d Lorde and husbande the Kyng’s Majesty devis’d & made my said last will and testament, beryng date the 30^th day of Marche last past, and by the same, for that as I then thowght myself to be with childe did devise and dispose the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme of Englond and the Crowne of Ireland, with my title to France and all the dependances thereof, and all other honours, Castells, Fortresses, Prerogatives and hereditaments, of what nature, kynde or qualitie soever they be, belongyng to this crowne, unto the heires, Issewe and frewte of my body begotten, & the government, order, and rewle of the said heire and Issewe I recommended unto my said most dere Lord and husband duryng the mynoryte of the said heire, accordynge to the lawes of this Realme in that case provided.

Forasmuch as God hath hitherto sent me no frewte nor heire of my bodie, yt ys onlye in his most devyne providence whether I shall have onny or noo, Therefore both for the discharge of my conscyence and dewtie towards God and this Realme, and for the better satisfaction of all good people, and to thentent my said last will and Testament (the which I trust, is agreeable to God’s law and to the laws of this Realme) may be dewly performed, and my dettes (pryncipally those I owe to many of my good subjects, and the which they most lovyngly lent unto me) trewly and justly answered and payed, I have thought it good, fealynge myself presently sicke and week in bodye (and yet of hole and perfytt remembrance, our Lord be thanked) to adde this unto my said testament and last will, viz. Yf yt shall please Almighty God to call me to his mercye owte of this transytory lyfe without issewe and heire of my bodye lawfully begotten, Then I most instantly desire et per viscera misericordiæ Dei, requyre my next heire & Successour, by the Laws and Statutes of this Realme, not only to permytt and suffer theexecutors of my said Testament and last will and the Survivours of them to performe the same, and to appoynte unto them such porcyon of treasure & other thynges as shall be suffycient for the execution of my said testament and last will, and to ayd them in the performance of the same, but also yf such assurance and conveyance as the Law requyreth for the State of the londs which I have devysed and appoynted to the howses of Religion, and to the Savoye, and to the Hospitall I would have erected, be not suffycyent and good in Lawe by my said Will, then I most hertily also requyre both for God’s sake, and for the honour and love my said heyre and Successour bereth unto me, that my said heyre and Successour will supplye the Imperfection of my said will and testament therein, & accomplyshe and fynishe the same accordynge to my trew mynde and intente, for the dooyng whereof my said heire and Successour shall, I dowte not, be rewarded of God, and avoyde thereby his severe justice pronounced and executed ag^t all such as be violaters and brekers of wills and testaments, and be the better assisted with his specyall grace and favour in the mynistracyon of ther Regall function and office, And the more honored of the world and loved of ther subjects, whose natural zeale and love (as a most precious jewell unto every Prynce) I leve and bequeathe unto my said heire and Successour for a specyall Legacye and bequeste, the which I most humbly beseech our Lord, the same may enjoye and possesse (as I trust they shall) chefely to the advancement of God’s glorye & honor, and to the good quyetnesse and Government of this Realme, the which two thynges I most tender. And albeit my said most Dere Lord and Husband shall for defawte of heyre of my bodye have no further government, order and rewle within this Realme and the domynions thereunto belongynge, but the same doth and must remayne, descend, and goo unto my next heyre and Successour, accordyng to the Lawes and Statuts of this Realme, yet I most humbly beseech his Majesty, in recompence of the great love and humble dewtye that I have allwayes born and am bounden to bere unto his Majesty, and for the great zeale and care the which his Highness hath always sens our marriage professed and shew’d unto this Realme, and the Subjects of the same, and for the ancyente amyte sake that hath always ben betwene our most Noble Progenitours and betwene this my Realme and the Low Countries, whereof his Majesty is now the enheritour, And finally, as God shall reward hym, and I praye (I hope among the elect servants of God) that yt may please his Majesty to shew hymself as a Father in his care, as a Brother or member of this Realme in his love and favour, and as a most assured and undowted frend in his powre and strengthe to my said heire and Successour, and to this my Country and the Subjects of the same, the which I trust his Highnesse shall have just cause to thynke well bestowed, for that I dowte not, but they will answer yt unto his Majesty with the like benevolence and good will, the which I most hertily requyre them to doo, bothe for my sake, and for the honour and suerty of this Realme. And In witnesse that I have cawsed this Codicell to be made, and that my will & entent ys, that the same shall be annexed and added unto my said former testament & last will, the which my full mynde and will ys shall stonde and remayne in perfytte force and effect, to all intents and purposes, and this Codicell to be accepted taken and declared only as a part and parcell of my said testament and last Will, I have sign’d this Codicell with my Signe Manuell, and have also cawsed my privy Signet to be put thereunto, the day and yere fyrste in this Codicell above written. These beying called to be my wytnesses as well to my said testament and last will as to this Codicell whose names followeth.

[She wrote her name here in smaller letters and not so well as to the bottom of her will.—H.]

Marye the Quene

“The copy from which the Harleian transcript is taken was made from the original will at the beginning of the last century, by the Rev. George Harbin, Chaplain to Lord Weymouth, a very zealous and diligent searcher into historical records, whose papers are now with the above copy in the hands of Sir Alexander Malet, Bart. Great pains have been taken to trace what has become of the Will itself, but without success. It is to be regretted that the copy is not quite complete, and that Harbin has modernised the orthography in many instances. Such as it is, it is printed verbatim from his autograph.”

A PRAYER OF THE LADY MARY TO THE LORD JESU; AGAINST THE ASSAULTS OF VICES.

Most benign Lord Jesu! Behold me wretched beggar, and most vile sinner, prostrate here before the feet of thy mercy. Behold the wounds, sores, griefs and vices of my soul, (which alas! I have brought into the same by sin) that they may be healed. Most Merciful Lord Jesu! Have pity upon mine infirmities, captivity and infelicity: by means whereof my miserable soul is pressed down to earthly things, and divided into sundry desires.

Most loving Jesu! I beseech thee for thy great love’s sake, which caused thee to deliver thy soul into the hands of sinners, to be bound and crucified; and which also did force thee to remain three hours upon the cross, more than the nails either of thy hands or feet had power to do. For thy charity I humbly desire thee to loose the yoke of my captivity, and to deliver me from all my vices, concupiscence, and evil inclinations, to defend me from all the assaults of mine enemies, and in time of temptation to help me. Moreover, quench and pluck up by the roots in me all private love, all inordinate motions, passions and affections, all provokings, readiness and inclination to pride, wrath, envy and vainglory, with such other like. For it is in thy power only to deliver me from these things. Sweet Jesu! Fulfil me with thy grace, and most perfect charity. Make me to continue in goodness, that I may eschew all occasion of sin, strongly overcome temptation, subdue the flesh to the Spirit, persecute and banish sin, and obey thy inspiration; escape the deceits and frauds of the Devil, never consent to any sin, nor nourish anything that should displease thee. But cause me most fervently to thirst for thy honour, laud and glory, most faithfully to prefer the same, and to give and submit myself wholly to thy will. My Lord God, give me grace to cleave to thee only with a clean and pure heart, that I may be unite and knit to thee without separation by a most chaste and fervent love. Amen.

A MEDITATION TOUCHING ADVERSITY, MADE BY MY LADY MARY’S GRACE, 1549.

This natural life of ours is but a pilgrimage from this wandring world, and exile from our own country: that is to say, a way from all misery to thee (Lord) which art our whole felicity. And lest the pleasantness and commodity of this life should withdraw us from the going to the right and speedy way to thee, thou dost stir and provoke us forward, and as yet ward prick us with thornes, to the intent we should covet a quiet rest, and end of our journey. Therefore sickness, weepings, sorrow, mourning, and in conclusion all adversities be unto us as spurs; with the which we being dull horses, or rather very asses, are forced not to remain long in this transitory way. Wherefore Lord, give us grace to forget this wayfaring journey, and to remember our proper and true country. And if thou do add a weight of adversity, add thereunto strength, that we shall not be overcome with that burden: but having our minds continually erected and lift up to thee, we may be able strongly to bear it. Lord! all things be thine; therefore do with all things without any exception as shall seem convenient to thine unsearchable wisdom. And give us grace never to will but as thou wilt. So be it.

A PRAYER TO BE READ AT THE HOUR OF DEATH.

O Lord Jesu! which art the health of all men living, and the everlasting life of them which die in faith, I, wretched sinner give and submit myself wholly unto thy most blessed will. And I being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed unto thy mercy, willingly now I leave this frail and wicked flesh, in hope of the resurrection; which in better wise shall restore it to me again. I beseech thee most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, that thou wilt by thy grace make strong my soul against all temptations; and that thou wilt cover and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against all the assaults of the Devil. I see and knowledge that there is in myself no help of salvation, but all my confidence, hope and trust is in thy most merciful goodness. I have no merits nor good works which I may allege before thee. Of sins and evil works (alas), I see a great heap; but through thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whom thou wilt not impute their sins; but take and accept me for righteous and just, and to be an inheritor of everlasting life.

Thou merciful Lord, wert born for my sake. Thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake. Thou didst preach and teach, thou didst pray and fast for my sake. Thou didst all good works and deeds for my sake. Thou sufferedst most grievous pains and torments for my sake. And finally, Thou gavest thy most precious body to die, and thy blood to be shed on the cross for my sake.

Now, most merciful Saviour, let all these things profit me which thou freely hast given me, that hast given thyself for me. Let thy blood cleanse and wash away the spots and foulness of my sins. Let Thy righteousness hide and cover my unrighteousness. Let the merits of thy passion and blood be the satisfaction for my sins.

Give me, Lord, thy grace, that my faith, and salvation in thy blood waver not in me, but ever be firm and constant; that the hope of thy mercy and life everlasting never decay in me; that charity wax not cold in me.

Finally, that the weakness of my flesh be not overcome by the fear of death. Grant me merciful Father, that when Death has shut up the eyes of my body, yet that the eyes of my soul may still behold and look upon thee; that when death hath taken away the use of my tongue and speech, yet that my heart may cry and say unto Thee In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum; that is, O Lord, into thy hands I give and commit my soul. Domine Jesu accipe spiritum meum. Lord Jesu, receive my soul unto thee. Amen.[731]