She assures you, she does not desire to live to distrust her faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear. She hares always so behaved herself that, under God, she has placed her chiefest strength and safe guard in the loyal hearts and good will of her subjects, and therefore she is come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for her recreation and distort, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all, to lay down her life for her God and for her kingdom and for her people, her honour, and her blood, even in the dust. She knows she has the body of a weak and feeble woman, but she has the heart and stomach of a king. Should any prince of Europe dare to invade the borders of her realm, she herself will take up arms; she herself will be the general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. She shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of her God, of her kingdom and of her people.

Adaptation from the speech of Queen Elizabeth to her army encampment at Tilbury, 1855.