A pleasant new nosegay full of many godly and sweet flowers, lately gatheredA pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered

Chri. This is trueth, & nothing more true

Chri. This is trueth, & nothīg more tru

Phil. I believe verily, that what soever the subjects have, are the goods of such a righteous and ⟨image 82⟩godly Prince,¹ as we have now reining among us. Yea if the high powers were very Tyrants, and altogether unmerciful, yet might we deny them no thing at all of our goods if they required them of us,² but deliver them up into their ham des freely, to be used as it shall please them, being persuaded that it is for our since, that God suffereth such Tyrants to reign over us & therefore ought they to be obeyed in all things,³ that fight not with the word of God, nor obscure the divine glory, though they seem to be never so full of tyranny & unmercifulness. But seeing we have such a prince as loveth his faithful subjects no less, than a gentle father doth his natural son, cherisheth them no less, than a nurse doth her child, preserveth them without danger no less than a trusty shepherd seeketh to keep his sheep from the ravening ⟨image 82⟩teth of the wolf, & utterly giveth him self altogether unto us & unto our commodity & profit, what should be the cause, that we might deny any thing to this our Emperor so merciful, so gentle, so bounteous, so prudent, so wise, and so circumspect in all things, that pertain unto our commodity & wealth. To much beastlike are they, that consider not the bounty of so excellent a Prince. Blessed is that land, saith the wise man,⁴ whose king is a man of nobility, & whose Princes eat in due season for strength & not for lust. But woe be unto that Realm, whose King is but a child and whose Princes are early at their Banquets. Thus neighbours have I declared unto you according to my promise your duty toward our most excellent king, & such as he appointeth to be governors under him.