m; he might carry her highness away out of the realm; or he might
bring up her children in foreign courts and in foreign habits. Let her
marry, therefore, one of her own subjects.

The Speaker was so prolix, so tedious, so confused, the queen
said--his sentences were so long drawn and so little to the
purpose--that she sate down before he had half-finished. When he came
to the words "Marry a subject," she could remain silent no longer.

Replies to addresses of the House of Commons were usually read by the
chancellor; but, careless of forms, she again started to her feet, and
spoke:--[173]

[Footnote 173: Renard is the only authority for
this speech, which he heard from the queen.
Translated by him into French, and retranslated by
myself into English, it has, doubtless, suffered
much in the process.]

"For your desire to see us married we thank you; your desire to
dictate to us the consort whom we shall choose we consider somewhat
superfluous; the English parliament has not been wont to use such
language to their sovereigns, and where private persons in such cases
follow their private tastes, sovereigns may reasonably challenge an
equal liberty. If you, our Commons, force upon us a husband whom we
dislike, it may occasion the inconvenience of our death;[174] if we
marry where we do not love, we shall be in our grave in three months,
and the heir of whom you speak will not have been brought into being.
We have heard much from you of the incommodities which may attend our
marriage; we have not heard from you of the commodities thereof--one
of which is of some weight with us, the commodity, namely, of our
private inclination. We have not forgotten our coronation oath. We
shall marry as God shall direct our choice, to his honour and to our
country's good."

[Footnote 174: "Ce seroit procurer l'inconvenient
de sa mort."]

She would hear no reply. The Speaker was led out, and as he left the
room Arundel whispered to Gardiner that he had lost his office; the
queen had usurped it. At the same moment the {p.076} queen herself
turned to the chancellor--"I have to thank you, my lord, for this
business," she said.

The chancellor swore in tears that he was innocent; the Commons had
drawn their petition themselves; for himself it was true he was well
inclined towards Courtenay; he had known him