“May it please your Highness to be advertised that this great lady, upon whose person ye have commanded mine attendance, is and hath been in quiet state for the health of her body this month or six weeks, and of her mind declareth nothing outwardly by word or deed that I can come to the knowledge of, but all tending to the hope she saith she hath of your clemency and mercy towards her.  Marry, against my lords of your most honourable Council I have heard her speak, words that declare that she hath conceived great unkindness in them, if her meaning go with her words, whereof God only is judge.”

His task grew daily more complicated, and the next letter is a key to the situation:—­

“My humble duty remembered unto your honourable Lordships, these shall be to advertise the same, that this present 21st day of October, my lady Elizabeth’s Grace commanded me to prepare things necessary for her to write unto your lordships, whereupon I took occasion to declare onto her Grace that the express words of your honourable Letters, dated at Hampton Court, the 15th of September, did trot bear that the Queen’s Majesty was pleased that her Grace, upon any occasion from time to time moving, and as often as it pleased her, might write unto you.  And therefore I prayed her Grace to stay her determination therein until I might signify this my doubt unto your lordships, and receive your full and plain determination therein for my discharge; which my suit she took in so ill part that her Grace of displeasure therein did utter, with more words of reproach of this my service, about her by the Queen’s commandment than ever I heard her speak afore:  too long to write.  At afternoon her Grace sent for me by Mrs. Pomeyow, and then in a more quieter sort, required me to write unto your honours, and thereby to desire the same to be means for her unto the Queen’s Highness to grant that Drs. Wendy, Owen, and Huick, or two of them, may be licensed with convenient speed to repair hither, for to minister unto her physic, bringing of their own choice one expert surgeon to let her Grace’s blood, if the said doctors or two of them shall think it so good, upon the view of her suit upon their coming . . . .  Most heartily desiring your honours to return with the same your absolute opinions to the first matter which shall be done accordingly, with our Lord’s leave and help, to understand your pleasures and commandments aright, which this great lady saith may have good meaning in me, but it lacketh knowledge, experience, and all other accidents in such a service requisite, which I must needs confess.  The help only hereof resteth in God and the Queen’s Majesty, with your honourable advice; from whence to receive the discharge of this my service, without offence to the Queen’s Majesty or you my good lords, were the joyfullest tidings that ever came to me, as our Lord Almighty knoweth, to whom no secrets be hidden.”

The physicians were sent to Woodstock, and Elizabeth was “let blood,” Sir Henry testifying that “by her own commandment” he saw it done “by the bleeding of her army); and some hours later he saw her foot “stricken and bled, since which time, thanks be to God, as far as I see or hear she doeth reasonably well as that case requireth.”