ch she had mmissioners rt passages here was a the English charge she with cares y declining advised by rd, or upon en offence

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ove of any my hopes pot to reject papers and duced, and journment, She again r that she son. ctions from f of them, took her at presence to her for Mary was oners then er, then to otheringay

ther ceremony the_court_pronounced sentence against Mary, daughter of James V., commonly called Queen of Scotland; "for that since the conclusion of the session of parliament, viz., since the 1st day of June, in the twenty-seventh year of her majesty's reign, and before the date of the commission, divers matters have been compassed and imagined within this realm of England by Anthony Babington and others, with the privity of the said Mary, pretending a title to the crown of this realm of England, tending to the hurt, death, and destruction of the royal person of our lady the queen: and also for that the aforesaid Mary, pretending a title to the crown, hath herself compassed and imagined within this realm divers matters tending to the hurt, death, and destruction of the royal person of our sovereign lady the queen, contrary to the form of the statute in the commission aforesaid specified."

Mary clearly foresaw that the departure of the commissioners from Fotheringay would be followed by the arrival of the executioner; and she told Sir Amyas Pawlet that history made mention how the realm of England was used to shed royal blood. But though Elizabeth had procured a sentence, she paused at the prospect of the block, being resolved, as was usual with her, to make the weight of blood seem to fall upon others. And there were others, including the highest names in the kingdom, and among the representatives of the people, who seemed quite ready to take the burden upon their own consciences. On the 29th of October, four days after the passing of the sentence, the parliament assembled, and on the 12th of November both houses, addressing the queen, implored her to give orders for the immediate execution of the Queen of Scots. Mr. Serjeant Puckering, the speaker, in the name of the commons, pointed out the very dangerous consequences of sparing any longer the life of that wicked woman. He then quoted examples from the Bible of rulers who had incurred the vengeance of the

Burghley Papers.- Hardwick Papers. - Camden. Howell, State Trials.-Jebb, Life of Mary.-Original letters cited by Chalmers, Ellis. Raumer, and Wright.

Almighty by showing mercy to their enemies, a who had saved King Agag, and Ahab, who ha served Benhadad. The speaker ended by sayin they relied upon her princely resolution, and tha accounted the execution as a thing that would b God most acceptable. Elizabeth commenced he by expressing gratitude for the special care whic vidence had taken of her, and by asserting th nature was so devoid of malice, that even now, al she had been convicted of treason, if she thought would repent, and her emissaries not pursue their -or, that if they were two milk-maids, with pail their arms, and it was merely a question which in her own life without endangering the religion and of her people,-she would most willingly pardon offences. She then pathetically declared that if, own death, the kingdom might be bettered, she willingly die, having nothing worth living for. No reproached the house for their frequently standing upon form than matter,-more upon the words th sense of the law; complaining that the late act of ment about treasons (which had been devised in h closet) had brought her into a great strait, by of her to give directions for her kinswoman's death, was to her a most grievous and irksome burden. then, changing her tone to keep up the panic-alar the cry for blood, she said that she would tell secret; that she lately saw it written that an oa taken within a few days by certain persons either her or to be hanged themselves, and thereupon s pressed her mindfulness of their own oath of asso for the security of her person. She ended her lo course by saying "that she thought it requisit earnest prayer, to beseech the Divine Majesty so minate her understanding, and to inspire her wit grace, that she might see clearly to do and det that which should serve to the establishment church, preservation of their estates, and the pro of the commonwealth under her charge; where she knew delays are dangerous, they should, w

had preying that that they d be unto her reply hich Prothat her although ght Mary eir designs pails upon involved nd welfare on all her if, by her she would Next she ding more s than the

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convenience, have her resolution." When a few days had passed, she sent a message to the lords and commons, earnestly charging them to consider whether some other means might not be suggested. The two houses deliberated and conferred with one another, and then unanimously replied that no other sound and assured means could be devised for the safety of the realm, religion, and her majesty's person. But Elizabeth had not yet done acting. In reply to this address she said that she had had a fearful struggle with herself-that she had entertained a greedy desire and hungry will that their consultations might have had another issue-that she must complain, though not of them, unto them; for that she perceived by their advice, prayers, and desires, that only her injurer's bane must be her security. But, in the meanwhile, whispers had been spread abroad by those who knew Elizabeth's character, and these rumours she met by declaring, that if any persons were so wicked as to suppose that she prolonged this time only to make a show of clemency, they did her so great a wrong as they could hardly recompense-that she, in referring the subject of Mary's execution to parliament, had earnestly desired that every one should act in that matter according to his conscience, and that, if her ministers had not signified as much to them, they had not done their duty towards her. She said that she had just cause to complain that she, who had pardoned so many rebels, and winked at so many treasons, should now be obliged to take the life of such a person. Many opprobrious books and pamphlets had accused her of being a tyrant, which was, indeed, news to her; but what would they now say if a maiden queen should spill the blood of her own kinswoman? Yet it were a foolish course to cherish a sword to cut her own throat; and she was infinitely beholden to them who sought to preserve her life. Then she reverted to a

round-about, oracular style, saying, "If I should say I

will not do what you require, it might, peradventure, be saying more than I mean; and if I should say I will do it, it might, perhaps, breed greater peril than those from which you would protect me." She then gave a few

CABINET HISTORY OF ENGLAND. [A.D. 1

comfortable words to the members before they ret to their counties, and dismissed them.*

In Londo A few days after, on the 6th of December, she the sentence of death to be proclaimed in various London and in other places, which was done i state, and with infinite rejoicings. house was illuminated, the bells were rung from steeple, bonfires were lit in every street, and ther great singing of psalms in all parts of the city. Buckhurst and Mr. Robert Beale, accompanied by troop, were sent to Fotheringay Castle to annou doom to the captive, and to tell her in Elizabeth what especial favour had been shown to her in h by the appointment of many distinguished noblen the whole of the privy council to be her judges, of obliging her to appear before the common courts. Buckhurst and Beale were instructed to if possible, a confession of guilt from Mary, who calculated, would lose heart and courage at th prospect of death. But Elizabeth had formed a estimate of the strength of her rival's character. whatever may have been her former errors or gu fered and died like a heroine and a martyr. She the message, not merely with firmness but with c ness, saying, that she was a-weary of this world a that her troubles were about to end. The two mes were accompanied by a Protestant bishop and according to their notion, to direct her conscie administer spiritual comfort in this extremity,-ac to her notion, to persecute her with their heret tolerance in her last moments. She wholly rejecte assistance, but begged in the blessed name of Ch she might be attended by her own almoner, who the castle, though long since separated from her. hurst and the Protestant priests brutally told h do what she might, she could hardly die a saint Catholic eyes, seeing that she had been fairly con for attempting to murder their queen. Once more

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with the name of her Saviour in her mouth, denied that she had ever devised, counselled, or commanded the death of Queen Elizabeth. When left to herself and her Catholic chaplain, she wrote a letter to the Pope and another to the Archbishop of Glasgow, in which she called upon her relatives of the House of Guise, who had been accused equally with herself, to vindicate her character. A few days after her gaolers, Sir Amyas Pawlet and Sir Drew Drury, informed her that, as she had refused to make any submission or confession, and as she was now dead in law, she had no right to the insignia of royalty which hitherto had been left to her in her prison. Mary replied that she was an anointed queen,-that, in spite of Elizabeth, her council, and her heretical judges, she would still die a queen. While Pawlet's servants took down her canopy of state, and disrobed her of the regal ornaments, the starch puritan himself sat down with his hat on in her presence, and otherwise insulted her. Mary then wrote her last letter to her rival, telling her that her mind was free from malice and resentment,-that she thanked God that he was now pleased to put an end to her troublesome pilgrimage, that the only favours she would ask were that she might not be privately put to death, and that her servants and others might be allowed to witness her end,*-that her faithful attendants might have liberty to leave England without disturbance, and quietly enjoy the small legacies she had bequeathed them, and that her body might be conveyed for interment to France. These things she besought her to grant in the name of Christ, by their near relationship, by the me"Fearing," says Mary, as I do, the secret tyranny of some persons, I beg you not to permit the sentence to be executed upon me without your knowledge; not from fear of the torment, which I am very ready to suffer, but on account of the reports which, in the absence of witnesses above suspicion, might be spread respecting my death, as I know has been done in the case of others of different condition. To avoid which I desire that my servants shall be spectators and witnesses of my death, in the faith of my Saviour and in obedience to His church."