William Cecil, afterwards

Lord Burleigh

May 10, 1559

nothing annoys them more than that I should speak to her. I took my leave, saying that she was not the Queen Elizabeth that I knew and that I was very dissatisfied with what I had heard, and if she did what she said she would be ruined. This was Tuesday evening, and on the next day there was no sermon at the palace, as she was unwell; and truly I do not think her health is good. The treasurer of the household (although he is a favorite with the queen) is not at all discreet, nor is he a good Catholic, as I have said, but still he behaves better than the others.

Cecil is very clever but a mischievous man and a heretic, and governs the queen in spite of the treasurer, for they are not at all good friends and I have done what I can to make them worse.

The news here is that parliament closed day before yesterday, Monday, and the queen having confirmed what had been adopted, which I wrote to your Majesty, she now remains governess of the Anglican church. The bishops and others who are considered Catholics are as firm as on the first day, and the bishop of Ely has honored himself in the sight of God and the world, for the Catholics did not hold him in high esteem, and the heretics tried to gain him over by presents, but he determined to remain a good Catholic and an honest man. It is a great pity to see what is going on here. From Easter they will begin to say all the service everywhere in English, and they have already commenced to do so in the queen's chapel. They tell me that everything is worse even than in the time of King Edward. . .

In short, what can be said here to your Majesty is only that this country after thirty years of a government such as your Majesty knows, has fallen into the hands of a woman who is a daughter of the devil, and the greatest scoundrels and heretics in the land. She is losing the regard of the people and the nobles, and in future will lose it still more, now that they have brought the question of religion to an end.

The action taken, with her approval, by Elizabeth's first parliament consisted principally of a new Act of

Supremacy and a new Act of Uniformity, the most important sections of which follow.

To the intent that all usurped and foreign power and 215. Extracts authority, spiritual and temporal, may forever be clearly extin- from the Act of Supremacy guished, and never be used or obeyed within this realm, or any other your Majesty's dominions or countries, may it please your Highness that it may be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate, spiritual or temporal, shall at any time after the last day of this session of parliament, use, enjoy, or exercise any manner of power, jurisdiction, superiority, authority, preeminence, or privilege, spiritual or ecclesiastical, within this realm or within any other your Majesty's dominions or countries that now be, or hereafter shall be, but from thenceforth the same shall be clearly abolished out of this realm, and all other your Highness' dominions forever; any statute, ordinance, custom, constitutions, or any other matter or cause whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

And may it likewise please your Highness, that it may be The headship established and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that such of the church in England jurisdictions, privileges, superiorities, and preeminences, spiritual or ecclesiastical power or authority, which have heretofore been, or may lawfully be exercised or used for the visitation of the ecclesiastical state and persons, and for reformation, order, and correction of the same, and of all manner of errors, heresies, schisms, abuses, offenses, contempts, and enormities, shall forever, by authority of this present parliament, be united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. . . .

And for the better observation and maintenance of this act, may it please your Highness that it may be further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every archbishop, bishop, and all and every other ecclesiastical person, and other ecclesiastical officer and minister, of what estate, dignity, preeminence, or degree soever he or they be or shall be, and all and every temporal judge, justice, mayor, and other lay or temporal officer and minister, and every other person having your Highness' fee or wages, within this realm, or any your

The oath of supremacy

Any teaching in support of the powers of the pope in

punished by

confiscation of goods

Highness' dominions, shall make, take, and receive a corporal oath upon the evangelist, before such person or persons as shall please your Highness, your heirs or successors under the great seal of England to assign and name to accept and to take the same, according to the tenor and effect hereafter following, that is to say:

"I, A. B., do utterly testify and declare in my conscience, that the queen's Highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, and of all other her Highness' dominions and countries, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes, as temporal, and that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate has, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, preeminence, or authority ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities, and authorities, and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear faith and true allegiance to the queen's Highness, her heirs and lawful successors, and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions, preeminences, privileges, and authorities granted or belonging to the queen's Highness, her heirs or successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. So help me God, and by the contents of this book." . . .

And for the more sure observation of this act, and the utter extinguishment of all foreign and usurped power and authority, may it please your Highness, that it may be further enacted England to be by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or persons dwelling or inhabiting within this your realm, or in any other your Highness' realms or dominions, of what estate, dignity, or degree soever he or they be, after the end of thirty days next after the determination of this session of this present parliament, shall by writing, printing, teaching, preaching, express words, deed, or act, advisedly, maliciously, and directly affirm, hold, stand with, set forth, maintain, or defend the authority, preeminence, power, or jurisdiction, spiritual or ecclesiastical, of any foreign prince, prelate, person, state, or potentate whatsoever, heretofore claimed, used, or usurped within this realm, or any dominion or country being within or under the power, dominion, or obeisance of your Highness, or shall advisedly,

maliciously, and directly put in use or execute anything for the extolling, advancement, setting forth, maintenance, or defense of any such pretended or usurped jurisdiction, power, preeminence, or authority, or any part thereof; that then every such person or persons so doing and offending, their abettors, aiders, procurers, and counselors, being therefore lawfully convicted and attainted, according to the due order and course of the common laws of this realm, for his or their first offense shall forfeit and lose unto your Highness, your heirs and successors, all his and their goods and chattels, as well real as personal. . . .

offense of the

same kind to

be punished

And if any such offender or offenders, at any time after the A third said second conviction and attainder, do the third time commit and do the said offenses, or any of them, in manner or form aforesaid, and be thereof duly convicted and attainted, as treason as is aforesaid; that then every such offense or offenses shall be deemed and adjudged high treason, and that the offender and offenders therein, being thereof lawfully convicted and attainted, according to the laws of this realm, shall suffer pains of death, and other penalties, forfeitures, and losses, as in cases of high treason by the laws of this realm.

Act of

Uniformity

Where at the death of our late sovereign lord King Ed- 216. Extracts ward VI there remained one uniform order of common service from the and prayer, and of the administration of sacraments, rites, and ceremonies in the church of England, which was set forth in one book, entitled: The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England; authorized by act of parliament holden in the fifth and sixth years of our said late sovereign lord King Edward VI, entitled: An Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments; the which was repealed and taken away by act of parliament in the first year of the reign of our late sovereign lady Queen Mary, to the great decay of the due honor of God, and discomfort to the professors of the truth of Christ's religion :

Be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the said statute of repeal, and everything therein

The use of the contained, only concerning the said book, and the service, prayer book of administration of sacraments, rites, and ceremonies contained

Edward VI reintroduced

Clergymen

must use the prayer book

in their

services

All persons

to church

or appointed in or by the said book, shall be void and of none effect, from and after the feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming; and that the said book, with the order of service, and of the administration of sacraments, rites, and ceremonies, with the alterations and additions therein added and appointed by this statute, shall stand and be, from and after the said feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist, in full force and effect, according to the tenor and effect of this statute; anything in the aforesaid statute of repeal to the contrary notwithstanding.

And further be it enacted by the queen's Highness, with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that all and singular ministers in any cathedral or parish church, or other place within this realm of England, Wales, and the marches of the same, or other the queen's dominions, shall, from and after the feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, be bound to say and use the Matins, Evensong, celebration of the Lord's Supper and administration of the sacraments, in all their common and open prayer.

And that from and after the said feast of the Nativity of St. bound to go John Baptist next coming, all and every person and persons inhabiting within this realm, or any other the queen's Majesty's dominions, shall diligently and faithfully, having no lawful or reasonable excuse to be absent, endeavor themselves to resort to their parish church or chapel accustomed, or upon reasonable let thereof, to some usual place where common prayer and such service of God shall be used in such time of let, upon every Sunday and other days ordained and used to be kept as holy days, and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of the common prayer, preachings, or other service of God there to be used and ministered; upon pain of punishment by the censures of the church, and also upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit for every such offense twelve pence, to be levied by the churchwardens of the parish where such offense shall be done, to the use of the