and that forreigne Princes enemies vnto England did cast their eies vpon the Queene of Scotland as the most certaine Heire of England thought it would bee a better way to establish quietnesse and to containe the Queene of Scotland within bounds that shee were maried to the Duke of Norfolke the greatest and most honourable man of England and a man in the loue of the people and bred vp in the Religion of the Protestants rather than to a forreigne Prince who might bring both the Kingdomes into danger by her meanes and also come so to inherit both the Kingdomes which they heartily wished might be consolidated in a Prince of the English Nation if the King of Scotland should happen to die whom they also purposed to bring into England that hee being the true heire of England being brought vp amongst the English might be better loued of the English men And thus all the scruples about the succession might be taken away Queene ELIZABETH should haue no cause to feare the Duke and the Queene of Scotland when she had the King in her hands Moreouer that the Duke should attempt nothing against him but loue him more dearely They determined to espouse Margaret the Dukes onely and little daughter vnto him to bee maried together when they came to riper yeeres Amongst these were the Earles of Arundell Northumberland Westmerland Sussex Pembrooke and Southampton and very many Barons yea and Leicester himselfe whether in pollicie and to worke the Dukes destruction it is vncertaine yet all these thought it good to acquaint the Queene with the matter and to leaue the decision thereof to her pleasure and that she should prescribe the conditions for the full securitie and safetie of her owne person Religion and the Realme But now take the matter briefly if you please from the very beginning out of the written confession of the Duke which I haue seene and the memorials of the Bishop of Rosse who was the greatest dealer in this businesse When the Commissioners met at Yorke the last yeere Lidington and the Bishop of Rosse to winne his fauour talked with the Duke of a mariage to bee made bebetweene him and the Queene of Scotland and so did Murrey himselfe with the Duke at Hampton Court who in priuate talke with the Duke and also with many others fained that he wished nothing more than that matters in Scotland being set in good order the Queene of Scotland his dearest sister might be restored vnto her former dignitie and estate so that onely she would sincerely and vnfainedly receiue into her former fauour and grace her subiects and that all the remembrances of all offences might be quite forgotten Yet he feared if she maried a husband out of her owne choice from France Spaine or Austria that shee would reuenge the iniuries she had receiued change the Religion receiued in Scotland and procure great danger vnto Englâ—â—d To preuent these things he promised to bestow all his labour that where shee who had first maried a boy then a rash and heady young man and lastly too a mad-braine those were his very words might now bee maried to the Duke a man of discretion which thing might turne vnto the tranquillitie of both the Realmes the securitie of both the Princes and especially to the establishing of Religion since he such was his respect vnto the Queene of England might more prosperously containe Scotland in the amitie of the English and might with the more ease draw the Queene of Scotland vnto the true Religion which he professed With these same things Murrey also secretly acquainted the Queene of Scotland by Robert Meluin and offered his labour very officiously toward the effecting thereof But the Duke answered that he could determine nothing about the mariage before that shee did cleere her selfe of the crimes obiected against her yet Rosse as diligently as hee could ceased not to draw him to it being vnwilling A few daies after Nicholas Throgmorton met the Duke in the Court at Westminister vnto whom he profesled and offered his seruice very kindly and signified that Leicester would talke with the Duke about the mariage betweene him and the Queene of Scotland which Throgmorton said seemed strange to him since Leicester himselfe sued for the same mariage not long since But he willed the Duke in friendship if it were so that he should giue the honour of that mariage vnto Leicester who had beene before time a suiter therein But if hee stood stifly in it to denie and refuse it because that the Scots did charge her with very many hainous crimes But yet said Throgmorton I wish from my heart that shee were maried vnto you as well for the good of Religion as also that shee may not depend of any other but on our Queene Yet this I forewarne you if you doe any thing in this matter let Leicester guide you by aduice for you of yourselfe shall hardly get the Queenes consent A day or two after Leicester moued the matter to the Duke who answered iust euen as Throgmorton sorewarned him and when hee came to speake of the crimes Leicester extenuated the same and called Richard Candish witnesse whose seruice though suspected he commended vnto the Duke Then Leicester told Pembrooke of the matter and the Duke told Arundell and they together with Throgmorton in their letters commended vnto the Queene of Scotland the Duke as a fit husband which Murrey had done also before The Duke also wrote and signified his loue and offered his seruice in very louing words From that time he imparted vnto them all the letters he wrote vnto her or receiued from her and they talked oftentimes with Rosse about the manner of concluding it And by Richard Candish they propounded in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred threescore and eight vnto the Queene of Scotland these Articles written with Leicesters hand viz. That she attempt nothing to the hurt of the Queene of England and her children in the succession of the Kingdome of England Shee should make a league defensiue and offensiue betweene the two Realmes Shee should establish the Religion of the Protestants in Scotland Shee should receiue into her fauour the Scots which were now her aduersaries She should reuoke the assignation of the Kingdome of England made vnto the Duke of Anjeou She should marie some English Nobleman namely the Noble Prince Thomas Duke of Norfolke If she gaue her consent vnto these Articles they promised to procure the Queene of Englands assent and that she should bee shortly restored vnto her Realme and also bee confirmed in the succession of England She readily admitted them all but onely that she could say nothing vnto the league before the French King was certified thereof Shee protested that there was no assignation made vnto the Duke of Anjeou yet she would procure him to make a release and renuntiation if they stood vpon it And willed them aboue all things to get the consent of
doe there would bee more danger in him than was in his mother since hee was borne to the certaine hope of both the Kingdomes he might get many moe fautors and now the Scots being bred vp in their warres at home and in the Low-Countries were more exercised and skilfull in marshall affaires Hereupon they thought good to wring Lennox out of the Kings fauour by one meanes or other or else to driue him out of Scotland and that without delay since it was bruted abroad that hee had sent for one Balfure out of France who had gotten I know not what hand-writing of Mourtons wherein it was hoped that Mourton might bee conuinced of the murder of the Kings father and also that he had obtained the Captainship of the Castle of Dunbritton for no other purpose but either to let in forraine forces into Britaine or else to carry ouer from thence the King of Scotland into France It was reported also that he perswaded the King to resigne his Crowne vp to his mother as if shee had beene depriued vniustly and by a most impious example or president by her subiects accepting assurance to take it from her by a lawfull resignation whereby hee should most strongly confirme his Kingdome to him and extinguishing the factions thereby bee acknowledged of all men for a lawfull King Hereupon Robert Bowes Treasurer for the Garrison at Barwicke was sent into Scotland who should challenge and charge Lennox with those things before the King and his Councellors and admonish them to beware of their imminent euils As soone as hee was admitted to speake he required to haue Lennox remoued from the Councell which the Councellors vtterly denied as a thing strange and neuer heard of that a Kings Councellor should bee put out of his place and his cause not heard or not knowne They doubted also whether the Queene did expresly command him so to doe and required him to shew his instructions to maintaine his credit He denied to shew them but onely to the King and vnto one or two more whereupon hee was vnheard forth with called home and tooke leaue of the King who thought of no such matter complaining that the wholsome admonishments of his Lady the Queene who deserued well at their hands were reiected Immediatly vpon this was sent from Scotland Alexander Hume to excuse these things and to learne what these imminent euils were but hee was not admitted vnto the Queene but was sent to Burleigh who with a briefe and discreet speech shewed him That the Queene thought not good to admit him to her speech not that shee did neglect him whom she had tried to be sound in Religion and a man carefull for the good of his Prince Countrie and the tranquillitie of both the Realmes but out of a iust griefe that her Maiestie and the credit of her Embassadour was so contemptuously vsed who had kept himselfe within the compasse and bounds of his Embassade and had beene commanded to shew his commission which was a thing neuer heard of Hee cast all the fault vpon the new Councellors and excused the King who wanted experience through his young yeeres and wished that hee would giue eare vnto the wholsome and profitable aduices of the Queene who bare a true motherly minde vnto him and not to make lesse account of her than he did of his French Cousin and a subiect to the French King matched with a French woman and a Papist in Religion and who perhaps doth seeke the Hamiltons being at this time banished to be designed second person to the King And said Let the King remember that there is no affection more vehement than Ambition and let the Scots remember what broiles the French men had made in Scotland if the Queene by her prudence and power had not preuented them So Hume was sent backe into Scotland and all these things were done of purpose to put the King in feare and to make him beleeue that Lennox had vndertaken dangerous plots and deuices against the King and the Realme Yet for all this shortly after Mourton who was wholly for England was accused of treason by the Earle of Arran and cast into prison Anno 1581. HEreupon in the beginning of Ianuarie Sir Thomas Randolph generall Post-master was sent into Scotland with instructions to conserue the Religion and amitie with the English men and to labour all hee could that no violence should bee offered vnto Mourton to remoue Lennox away out of Scotland and to comfort the Noblemen of the English faction Hee made diligent and earnest intreatie for Mourton alleaging his merits towards the King the honour of Queene ELIZABETH if shee so well deseruing should haue a repulse and the enuie of his accusers The King answered That hee could not out of his Princely dutie but bring to triall a man appeached of treason and that he acknowledged by experience the Queenes good will and that hee would not commit any thing that might iustly displease her by any meanes After Randolph was admitted to speake in the assembly of the Estates recounting the benefits of Queene ELIZABETH towards Scotland and the King himselfe to wit How she had deliuered the Realme from the French men with the bloud of English men defended their Religion and King and yet neuer thought to conuay him away as it was falsly reported or to obtaine an Acre of Scottish ground when yet shee had opportunitie and meanes to conquer Scotland the King being in his Cradle his mother prisoner in England and the Noblemen at dissention But on the other side shee hath bestowed all her care to preserue in safetie the King and his Realme who was tied vnto her with the most strait bonds of bloud vicinitie and Religion whose loue she found most sincere towards her as she had done all the Regents successiuely before that Aubigney Earle of Lennox came into Scotland Since that time hee hath ruled the King as a Ward hath auerted his minde from the friendship of the English men vnto the French men who haue not hitherto so much as acknowledged him for King hath put out of their offices the most faithfull subiects of the King and hath put in others not so faithfull and hath by his letters which he shewed dealt with forraine Princes about the inuading of England He hath moued the King to hate and abhorre the Ministers of Gods word as if they were railers and turbulent people and hath had no care of the administration of iustice betweene the borderers All which things Queene ELIZABETH could not but take in very euill part when she saw a Prince of such vertue and her neerest Cousin alienated and drawne forcibly away by these bad deuices Yet nothing was then effected either to helpe Mourâ—on or against Lennox who most men thought was falsly charged with the crimes and also that the letters which were shewed were counterfeit Therefore Randolph attempted another politike way He vnto the aduersaries of Lennox and vnto the friends of
the Queene of England lest some hurt did come vnto her and the Duke for want thereof which shee had experimented in the mariage with DARLY without her consent Yet they thought best to trie first the mindes of more Noblemen of whom most gaue their consent with this clause So that the Queene was not against it Neither did the Kings of France and Spaine dislike it onely they feared Murrey lest hee that had first broached the matter and promised to further it all that hee could should first hinder it Yet they agreed on this that Lidington who was then expected should bee the first to trie the minde of Queene ELIZABETH In the meane time the Duke imparted to the Lord Lumley whatsoeuer had beene done in this businesse and with much adoe obtained of Leicester to aske the aduice of some other friends Yet a while after he opened the matter by the consent of Pembrooke vnto Cecill also About which time Leonard Dacres deuised and compassed to steale secretly away the Queene of Scotland out of prison at Whinfield where shee was kept by the Earle of Shrewsburie Northumberland being priuie vnto this deuice signified it vnto the Duke who forbade them to doe it for hee feared they would haue deliuered her to be maried vnto the King of Spaine and hoped to obtaine the consent of Queene ELIZABETH â—re it was long But the rumor of this mariage came more plainly to the Queenes eare by the Ladies and women of the Court who smell out cunningly and quickly these loue matters Which when the Duke vnderstood to be true he dealt very earnestly with Leicester both by Throgmorton and by Pembrooke to open the matter speedily vnto the Queene he made delaies and lingred as it were to stay for a fit time to speake But Cecill willed the Duke who was now full of care to open all the matter to the Queene himselfe whereby all scruple might bee speedily taken away from the Queene and from himselfe also Leicester was against it and promised to open the matter to the Queene in the progresse But in the time that hee put it off with smooth words from one day vnto another the Queene being at Farneham set the Duke at her table and bitingly willed him to take â—eed on what Pillow hee laid his head Then at Titchfield Leicester was somewhat sicke or else fained so to bee and vnto the Queene that came to see him and cheered him comfortably and perceiuing his spirit and bloud to bee drawne inward for feare with sighs and asking pardon of his fault hee opened the whole matter from the beginning At which time the Queene called the Duke vnto her in a gallery and chid him very much that without her priuitie he had sued vnto â—he Queene of Scotland in the way of mariage and commanded him vpon his allegeance to cease from further medling therein He promised so to doe willingly and gladly and doubted not to say as though hee cared not a whit for her that his reuenues in England were little lesse than those of the Kingdome of Scotland at this time lamentably impouerished by the warres and also when hee was in his Tennis-court at Norwich he seemed to himselfe to bee equall after a sort vnto many Kings But from that time he began to bee more deiected in minde and when hee saw the Queene to looke and speake to him more sternely and Leicester in a manner estranged and most of the Noblemen to steale away out of his companie scarce saluting or speaking to him hasted vnto London without taking any leaue and went in to Pembrooke who bade him be of good cheere and comforted him very much And on that same very day Queene ELIZABETH reiected with shew of displeasure the Scottish Embassador intreating her very much to deliuer the Queene captiue and bade that she should behaue her selfe quietly lest shortly shee saw them on whom she chiefly relied to hop headlesse And now when the rumor of the mariage was hotter euery day than other and the French Embassador exceedingly vrged her deliuerie more by the perswasion of some English men than by the commandement of the French King as it was after knowne new suspicions from euery place were laid hold on and Cecill who applied all his care for the good of the Republike and Religion was very diligent to finde the depth of the matter and therefore wrote vnto Sussex Lord President of the North who was a familiar friend and neere allied in bloud vnto the Duke to certifie the Queene what he knew of the Dukes mariage But his answer is vnknowne vnto mee And where it had beene obserued that the Duke had many secret conferences with Murrey Regent of Scotland at Hampton Court George Cary sonne to the Lord Hunsdon was sent secretly vnto Murrey to learne of him if the Duke had imparted vnto him any thing about this mariage The Duke in the meane while terrified with a false rumor spread that there was a commotion raised in the North and being certified by Leicester that he should bee put in prison went out of the way into Norfolke whiles his friends in the Court who had promised so much might auert turne aside the storme that hung ouer his head he himselfe might mitigate the Queenes displeasure by his humble letters But there were men set about him to marke and note all his actions When he found no comfort among his friends and Heydon Cornwallis and other worshipfull Gentlemen of those parts perswaded him if he were guiltie of any offence toward the Queene to flie vnto her mercie he wauered and was tormented with diuersitie of cares In this while was the Court in quandarie suspitious and fearefull that he would breake out into rebellion and they say it was determined to kill the Queene of Scotland presently if he did so But hee out of his inbred good nature and out of his conscience that hee had not offended against any Law made treason for that act of marying the Kings sisters or brothers or aunts children without the Kings knowledge made treason by Henry the eighth was repealed by King Edward the sixt and also for feare lest the Queene of Scotland out of suspicion should be vsed more hardly and extremely hee sent letters vnto his friends in the Court and told them that hee stept aside vnto his house that in time and by his absence he might procure a remedy against malicious rumours which are at all times entertained with open eares in the Court and asked pardon most humbly for his offence and forthwith tooke his iourney toward the Court. As he returned at Saint Albans Owen a gentleman belonging to the Earle of Arundell sent secretly by Throgmorton and Lumley who were committed willed him to take all the fault vpon himselfe and not to lay it vpon Leicester and others lest he should make his friends his enemies There Edward Fitz-Gerard brother vnto the Earle of Kildare Lieutenant of the Pensioners met and
serious consultation among the Councell of England and most of them were content that shee should bee deliuered vpon these conditions To wit 1 That she and her sonne should promise to practise nothing hurtfull to Queene ELIZABETH and the Realme of England 2 That she should voluntarily confesse that whatsoeuer was done by Francis the second the French King her husband against Queene ELIZABETH was done against her will and that shee should vtterly disallow the same as vniust by confirming the treatie of Edenburgh 3 That shee should condemne all the practises euer since that time and ingenuously renounce them 4 She should binde her selfe not to practise any thing directly or indirectly against the gouernment of the Realme of England in Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill affaires but by all manner of meanes oppose her selfe and resist such practisers as publike enemies 5 That shee shall challenge or claime no right vnto her selfe in the Kingdome of England during the life of Queene ELIZABETH and that afterward shee will submit her right of succession vnto the Estates of England 6 And to the end shee may not hereafter vse any cauill and say That she condescended to these conditions being a prisoner and by coaction shee her selfe should not onely sweare vnto them but also procure the Estates of Scotland to confirme them by publike authoritie 7 The King himselfe also should ratifie them by oath and by writing 8 And that hostages should be giuen As for the consociation with her sonne in the administration of affaires it was thought fit that the Queene of England should not interpose her selfe but this they referred to the King of Scotland himselfe and the Estates of Scotland But if they were ioined together that they should talke about the league with them iointly if not by themselues These things were consulted of but with no successe For the Scots of the English faction vtterly reiected them crying amaine that many Scots deadly enemies to the English Nation were called out of France by the counsell of the Queene of Scotland And that Holt an English Iesuit was sent secretly into Scotland to take order for the inuading of England The French Embassadours which went into Scotland not obtaining that they came for departed whereupon the Noblemen that had surprized the King grew haughtie in minde as also for that Lennox died at that time which putting them into securitie the King contrary to their expectation disdaining to be vnder the gouernment of three Earles recouered his libertie went to the Castle of Saint Andrewes and with good words willed many of the surprizers to depart from the Court to auoid any stirre and promised them pardon if they would aske it within a certaine time which thing Gowry onely did and called Arran backe to the Court but they were so farre off from doing of that as they secretly practised to take him suddenly againe Hereupon they were commanded to depart out of the Realme by a day appointed Marre Glamis the Commendators of Dryburg and Paslet and others went into Ireland Boyd Zester-Weim Locheluin went into the Low-Countries and Dunfermellin went into France Angus was confined into Angus onely Gowry hauing a new plot in his head tarried after the time prefixed to his owne destruction And then the King to shew himselfe a Prince began to exercise his Regall authoritie And whereas these Conspirators in an assembly called by their owne priuate authoritie had enacted and recorded That this surprize of the King was iust he on the contrary part declared in a great assembly of the Estates that the same was traiterous Although the Ministers as if they were the supreme Iudges in the Realme in a Synod called by their owne authoritie pronounced the same to bee iust and iudged all them that did not approue and allow the same worthy to be excommunicate Anno 1584. IN the beginning of the Spring some of the Scots returned out of Ireland vpon a pact made betweene them and Gowry who had conspired anew with diuers to take the King againe professing that they set before their eies nothing else but the glory of God the truth of Religion the securitie of the King and Realme and the amitie with England against them who by sinister meanes as they gaue out abused the King not yet come vnto sufficient age But the King hearing hereof sent Colonell Stewart to apprehend Gowry who lay at the Hauen of Dondee as if hee had beene going out of the land who after hee had defended himselfe an houre or two in his house was taken and carried away vnto prison In the meane time the other Conspirators tooke Sterling by sudden surprize and the Castle was yeelded vnto them yet by and by they leaue them both because the King displaied his banners as ready to fight not so many met as Gowry had promised and their hope of English helpe failed them and so for feare Marre Glamis and Angus who was come to them and others fled into England humbly beseeching the Queene to releeue their necessities and to intreat the King for them Forasmuch as they had lost all their goods and the Kings fauour for shewing their loue to her and England vnto whom shee thought good to shew some fauour that they might bee opposed against the contrary faction in Scotland and the rather for that the Ministers bruted that the King was vpon the point to fall from his Religion vpon no other ground though they fained other matters but for that hee vpon a fiâ—all loue inclined to his mother and receiued into his especiall fauour and grace those whom he knew to bee most addicted vnto his mother In the meane time Gowry was arraigned before his Peeres at Sterling vpon these points That he intended and began a new conspiracie against the King whom he had also kept prisoner in his house beforetime That he conferred by night with the seruants of Angus to seize vpon Perth and Sterling That he had resisted the Kings authoritie at Dondee had conceiued a conspiracie against the life of the King and his mother Lastly that he had asked counsell of Maclena the Witch and being found guiltie by his Peeres he was in the euening beheaded but his seruants sowing the head vnto the body buried it incontinently About the same time were some practises in England but with no successe in the behalfe of the Q of Scotland of which the chiefest was Francis Throgmorton eldest sonne to Iohn Throgmorton Iustice of Chester who fell into suspicion out of his letters vnto the Queene of Scotland which were intercepted As sonne as hee was taken and began to confesse some things Thomas Lord Paget and Charles Arundel a Courtier fled out of the land into France who with other Papists lamenting their estate among themselues complained that the Queene by the wicked and craftie dealings of Leicester and Walsingham was estranged from them That they were abused with contumelies and reproaches That strange kinds of subtiltie were inuen ted against them
was cut off at two blowes The Deane saying aloud So let the enemies of Queene ELIZABETH perish the Earle of Kent saying the same and the multititude sighing and grieuing thereat Her bodie was embawmed and was after buried like a Prince in the Cathedrall Church of Peterburgh And her funerals were kept most magnificently at Paris at the charges of the Guises who performed all the best offices of kindred for their Cousin both aliue and dead to their great commendation In this lamentable manner ended her life MARIE Queene of Scotland the great grand-daughter of Henry the seuenth by his eldest daughter in the XLVI yeere of her age and the XVIII yeere of her captiuitie A woman most constant in her Religion adorned with a wonderfull pietie toward God wisdome aboue her sex and was also very faire and beautifull And is to be accounted one of those Princes whose felicitie was changed into aduersitie In her infancie shee was with strife desired for wife by King Henry the eighth of England for his sonne Edward and by Henry the second King of France for Francis the Dolphin At the age of fiue yeeres she was carried into France and at the age of fifteene yeeres married vnto the Dolphin Shee flourished and was Queene of France one yeere and foure moneths Her husband being dead she returned into Scotland and was maried againe vnto Henry Stuart Lord Darley and had by him IAMES the first Monarch of Great Britaine Tossed and turmoiled by Murrey her bastard brother and other her vngrate and ambitious subiects deposed from her Kingdome and driuen to flie into England and circumuented and entrapped as men speaking indifferently thinke by sundry English-men carefull of the conseruation of their Religion and of the safetie of Queene ELIZABETH and thrust forward by others desiring much to restore the Roman Religion and oppressed by the testimonies of her Secretaries who were absent and as it seemed corrupted with rewards Neere to the graue an Epitaph in the Latine tongue was affixed and forthwith taken away MARIA SCOTORVM REGINA REGIS FILIA REGIS GALLORVM VIDVA REGINAE ANGLIAE AGNATA ET HAERES PROXIMA VIRTVTIBVS REGIIS ET ANIMO REGIO ORNATA IVRE REGIO FRVSTRA SAEPIVS IMPLORATO BARBARA ET TYRANNICA CRVDELITATE ORNAMENTVM NOSTRI SECVLI ET LVMEN VERE REGIVM EXTINGVITVR EODEMQVE NEFARIO IVDICIO ET MARIA SCOTORVM REGINA MORTE NATVRALI ET OMNES SVPERSTITES REGES PLEBEII FACTI MORTE GIVILI MVLCTANTVR NOVVM ET INAVDITVM TVMVLI GENVS IN QVO CVM VIVIS MORTVI INCLVDVNTVR HIC EXTAT CVM SACRIS ENIM DIVAE MARIAE CINERIBVS OMNIVM REGVM ATQVE PRINCIPVM VIOLATAM ATQVE PROSTRATAM MAIESTATEM HIC IACERE SCITO ET QVIA TACITVM REGALE SATIS SVPERQVE REGES SVI OFFICII MONET PLVRA NON ADDO VIATOR Which may be Englished thus MARY Queene of Scotland daughter of a King widow of the King of France kinswoman and next heire to the Queene of England adorned with Royall Vertues and a princely spirit hauing often but in vaine implored the right of a Prince the ornament of our age and the true princely light is extinguished by a barbarous and tyrannical crueltie And by the same wicked iudgement both MARY Queen of Scotland is punished with a naturall death and all Kings liuing are made common persons and punished and made liable vnto a ciuill death A strange and vnheard kinde of grant is here extant in which the liuing are included with the dead for with the ashes of this blessed MARY know thou that the Maiestie of all Kings and Princes lye here depressed and violated and because the Regall secret doth sufficiently admonish Kings of their dutie O Traueller I say no more Out of this lamentable fortune of so great a Prince the disposition of the diuine prouidence most euidently appeared as some wise men haue obserued For those things which the Queenes ELIZABETH and MARY chiefly wished and studied to procure by this meanes came to passe Queene MARY which also shee said at her death desired nothing more earnestly than that the diuided Kingdomes of England and Scotland might be vnited in the person of her deare sonne And the other wished for nothing more than that the Religion by her established in England might be kept and conserued with the safetie and securitie of the people And that almightie God did heare their praiers England to her vnexpected felicitie doth now see and with great ioy acknowledge As soone as word was brought to Queene ELIZABETH that the Queene of Scotland was put to death shee not thinking thereof she heard it with great indignation shee looked heauily and could not speake a word and readie to swound for sorrow in so much that she put on mourning apparell and grieued exceedingly and lamented very much Shee caused her Counsellors being reproued and forbidden her presence to be examined and commanded Dauison to be brought into the Star-Chamber And as soone as her dolour would permit her she in great haste wrote this letter following vnto the King of Scotland with her owne hand and sent it by Mr. Robert Cary one of the Lord of Hunsdons sonnes Deare brother I would to God you did know but not feele with what incomparable griefe my minde is tormented and vexed by reason of the lamentable euent which hath befallen contrary to my minde and will which you shall vnderstand fully by my Cousin for as much as I cannot abide and endure to set it downe by writing I beseech you that as God and many others can beare witnesse vnto my innocencie in this matter so I desire you to beleeue that if I had commanded it I would neuer haue denied the same I am not of that base minde that for any terrour I should feare to doe that which is iust or to deny it being done I doe not so degenerate from my Ancestors nor am I of such an ignoble minde But as it is not the part of a Prince to couer and cloake the sense of his minde with words so will I neuer dissemble nor glose mine actions but I will performe that they shall come to light and appeare to the world in their colours I would haue you be assuredly perswaded that as I know that this was done vpon desert so if I had imagined it I would not haue put it ouer vpon any other neither yet wil I impute that to my selfe which I did not so much as thinke He who shall deliuer you these Letters shall acquaint and impart other things vnto you As for me I would haue you to beleeue that there is none other who loueth you better and beareth better affection to you or that will haue a more friendly care of you and your affaires If any one suggesteth or putteth other things into your head I would haue you to think that he beareth more good will and affection to others than to you God Almightie keepe you in health and preserue you alwaies In the meane time that Mr. Cary
sent the Earle of Bedford with a Font of massie gold for a gift and commanded expresly that neither hee nor any English men that accompanied him should vouchsafe to call Darly by the name of King That Ceremonie being finished the Earle of Bedford dealt with the Queene of Scotland about other things contained in his commission that is to wit That the domesticall contentions betweene her and her husband might bee compounded for some malicious sworne enemies to them both had craftily broken asunder that most pleasant societie of life and loue betweene them and the treatie of Edenburgh ratified This last thing she vtterly denied alleadging that in the treatie was much matter that might impeach and derogate from her owne and her childrens right vnto the Crowne of England Yet shee promised to send Commissioners into England who should talke about the confirmation thereof changing some words namely that shee should forbeare to vse the title and armes of England whilest Queene Elizabeth liued and her children As though it were meant in the treatie that shee should forbeare to vse them for euer And also should declare vnto her how iniuriously shee was vsed by their villanous deuices that abused the simplicitie and credulitie of her husband more than was to bee suffered And now she being sickly and weake in her letters commended her young sonne vnto the fidelitie and protection of Queene Elizabeth in which letters though she knew I vse the words of the letters that she is the vndoubted rightfull heire of England after Queene Elizabeth and that many imagine and deuise sundry things against that right shee promised that shee would not vrge any more any declaration of her right but that shee will helpe assist and cleaue vnto her alwaies with all her power against all persons Anno 1567. BVt before those Commissioners came from the Queene of Scotland and a moneth or two after the Prince was Christened the King her husband in the one and twentieth yeere of his age in the dead time of the night by a hatefull and abominable villanie which all good men doe detest was strangled in his bed and cast into a garden and the house blowne vp with Gun-powder A rumour forthwith was diuulged in all Brittaine and the fault laid vpon Mourton Murrey and their confederates And they insulting vpon the weaknesse of her sex laid it from themselues vpon the Queene What George Buchanan hath written hereof as well in his Historie as in a Pamphlet called the Detection is knowne to all men by those printed bookes But since hee carried away with partiall affection and with the gifts of Murrey wrote in that manner those bookes were condemned of falshood by the Estates of the Realme of Scotland vnto whom more credit is to bee giuen And he himselfe lamented and bewailed vnto the King whose Schoolemaster hee was reprouing himselfe oftentimes as I haue heard that he had written so spightfully against the well-deseruing Queene And at his death wished that he might haue liued so long vntill hee might wipe out with a recantation or with his bloud the spots and staines hee had falsly laid on her But that as hee said would be to no purpose since he should seeme to doat for old age Let it bee lawfull for me that the other part may also bee heard in few words to lay open all the matter as much as I can vnderstand without any hate or loue as well out of the writings of other men which were set forth at that time but suppressed in fauour of Murrey and vpon hatred vnto the Queene Captiue in England as also out of the letters of Embassadors and of men of good credit In the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and eight at the mariage of Francis the Dolphin and of MARIE Queene of Scotland Iames the Queenes Bastard-brother commonly called the Prior of Saint Andrewes disdaining that Religious appellation sued for a more honourable title which when she by the aduice of the Guises her Vncles would not grant he returned into Scotland much offended and began to make broiles vnder a goodly pretence of the reformation of Religion and assuring the libertie of Scotland and effected it so farre that Religion was changed in an assembly of the Confederates without the Queenes priuitie And the French men were remoued out of Scotland by the helpe of the English men they had brought in Francis the King of France being deceased he poasted into France vnto his sister and laying from himselfe whatsoeuer had beene done in Scotland against her profit or credit calling God to witnesse solemnly promised to doe all the kind offices which a sister could expect at the hands of a brother And conceiuing also a hope that she being bred vp from her tender yeeres in the delights of France would not returne into Scotland dealt with the Guises that some one of the Scottish Nobilitie might be named Regent of Scotland and as with his finger shewed himselfe as the fittest man But when he was sent backe into Scotland with no other authoritie but onely with Letters Patents wherein the Queene gaue authoritie to assemble the Nobilitie and to aduise and conferre about the good of the common wealth hee being deiected and â—ustrate of his hope returning thorow England in a rage and furie put into their heads that if they desired or had a care of the preseruation of Religion in Scotland the tranquillitie of England and securitie of Queene Elizabeth they should hinder the returne of the Queene of Scotland into Scotland by one meanes or other Yet shee arriued safe in Scotland passing by the English Fleet in a thicke mist and vsing her brother with all courtesie commended the gouernment of all the affaires into his hands Yet these things did not cut off the branches of his ambition which daily sprang out both in words and deeds For neither could he containe himselfe but that oftentimes amongst his friends he would lament that the warlike Scottish Nation no lesse than that of the English men was subiected to the gouernment of a woman and out of the doctrine of Knox whom hee accounted as a Patriarke hee would often discourse that Kingdomes were due vnto vertue not vnto kindred That women were to bee excluded from the succession of Kingdomes and that their rule was monstrous Hee dealt also with the Queene by his friends that she would substitute some out of the familie of the Stewarts who if she died without issue should succeed one after another in the Kingdome and not to haue any regard whether they were legitimate or illegitimate hoping that he should be one of them being a Kings sonne although illegitimate But the Queene when she out of her wisdome weighed that such a substitution was a thing contrary to the Lawes of the Land and would be a wrong vnto the right heires a most pernicious example and perillous also for the substitutes themselues yea and a barre vnto her to keepe
Warwicke called together with an oath of secresie lest they should preiudice either partie And when Murrey was called home and Boyde as it was commonly reported plotted to steale away the Queene of Scotland out of prison the matter was put off vnto another time Queene ELIZABETH from her heart hating the insolencie of the Scots in depriuing of their Queene Murrey a little before his departure had craftily proposed vnto Norfolke the mariage with the Queene of Scotland and also secretly by Meluin to the Queene a hope to be restored into her Kingdome as wee shall declare anon and at the same time to draw the loue of Queene ELIZABETH from the Queene of Scotland he had spread rumors that she had transposed her right vnto England vnto the Duke of Anjeou and that the transcription was confirmed at Rome and shewed also letters whether true or forged I will not say which the Queene of Scotland had written vnto her friends in which shee both charged Queene ELIZABETH as though shee had not vsed her according to her promise and bragged of hope of aid from some other persons This put Queene ELIZABETH in great feare yet could not shee coniecture from whence this new hope should arise the ciuil warre increasing so in France that the Bishop of Rhedon was sent vnto her by the King to request her not to intermeddle with the affaires in France and the Duke of Alba who was come the last yeere into the Netherlands to profligate the Protestants Religion had very troublesome businesse come vpon him But as it came to light afterward Robert Ridolphus a Florentine who had liued long at London as a Merchant Factor was suborned by Pope Pius Quintus who durst not send a Nuntio openly to stirre secretly the Papists in England against Queene ELIZABETH which hee did both diligently and secretly A small suspition was also growne out of the secret conferences at Yorke betweene Lidington the Bishop of Rosse and Norfolke whom they besought to ioine his aduice and care to helpe the most distressed Queene offering vnto him also her in mariage which hee as a thing full of danger reiected with a modest answer yet he promised not to abandon the distressed Queene in as much as was lawfull for an honourable man to doe sauing his allegeance to his Queene and Countrie Ligon the seruant of Norfolke a great Papist much increased the suspition by his often going to Bolton the Lord Scroopes Castle where the Queene of Scotland was kept by Francis Knolls vnder the pretence of visiting Scroopes wife who was sister vnto Norfolke Although no certaintie was of this yet for more surety the Queene of Scotland was conueied from Bolton where all the bordering neighbours were Papists farther into the Realme vnto Tutburie and deliuered vnto the custodie of George Earle of Shrewsburie Anno 1569. NOw Murrey who had made himselfe a secure way to returne into Scotland by the hope made to the Queene of Scotland of her restitution and to Norfolke and to others in England for shee had repressed the Scots that lay in wait to kill him and charged them not to impeach his returne As soone as hee came vnto Edenburgh he called the Noblemen friends to the Queene vnder the colour to consult with them about her restitution And when Hamilton Duke of Chasteauleroy appointed Lieutenant by the Queene and Herris perswaded by the letters of the Queene too much credulous came thither first Murrey fearing some traps circumuented them and staying for no moe put them in prison and forthwith annoied and vexed the friends of the Queene with fire and sword Hereupon were rumours spread in all places of England against Murrey namely that hee had made a pact with Queene ELIZABETH that the young King of Scotland should bee deliuered vnto Queene ELIZABETH to be brought vp in England That the Castles of Edenburgh and Sterling should bee furnished with Garrisons of English men That Dunbritton should be wonne for the benefit of the English That Murrey should bee proclaimed successor vnto the Realme of Scotland if the King died without issue and should hold the Kingdome of Queene ELIZABETH by fealtie and homage These reports increased and with a certaine probabilitie did so possesse mens mindes thorow all Britanie that Queene ELIZABETH thought good for the conseruation of her owne credit and for the good of Murrey to wipe away these blots Therefore in a writing printed she declared in the word of a Prince that these reports were most vntrue and deuised by them who enuied the tranquillitie of both the Kingdomes and that there had beene no pact either by word or writing betweene her or her Agents and Murrey since hee came last into England that she knew of but that the Earle of Lennox Grandfather of the young King had requested that the King if hee could not bee safe in Scotland from the plots of wicked men might be sent into England Moreouer she affirmed that whatsoeuer is said of the paction betweene Murrey and the Earle of Hertford namely that they would giue mutuall helpe the one to the other to get the Crownes of both the Kingdomes to be vtterly false and vntrue Lastly that she was not the cause why the transaction betweene the Queene of Scotland and her little sonne was not concluded and that shee will labour all that shee may that it may bee effected And indeed she did her best endeuour though shee was tossed on the one side with feare out of the inueterate emulation which doth neuer die betweene women Princesses and on the other side with compassion remembring oftentimes the frailâ—ie of mankinde The Queene of Scotland kindled more this compassion and minished the feare with her often and louing letters in which she solemnely promised both for the courtesie which shee had found at her hands and also for the neere bloud of kindred which was betweene them that shee would attempt nothing against her and that shee would not bee beholding to any other Prince for her restitution but onely vnto her Insomuch that Queene ELIZABETH dealt earnestly with Murrey by Wood his Secretarie and with other Scots about the restoring of her vnto her former dignitie and estate and if that could not bee granted then that shee might bee ioined with her sonne and if that could not be granted neither yet that shee might liue a priuate life at home among her friends freely securely and honourably But shee could not stirre or moue Murrey who had all the gouernment in his hand to yeeld a iot About the same time a still rumor went vp and downe amongst men of the better sort that the Duke of Norfolke would marrie the Queene of Scotland which was a thing well taken of many but in sundry manners according as men wished For the Papists hereby hoped to haue some good for their religion and others hoped some profit would arise thereby vnto the Common-wealth But many men who saw the Queene was not minded to marrie
bee sent ouer into Ireland if reciprocally the Irish men be tied with the same condition not to passe ouer into Scotland For the more firme assurance of these things they consented to giue hostages whomsoeuer the Queene of England would name except the Duke of Chasteauleroy the Earle of Huntley Argile and Atholl Moreouer they consented that the Queene of Scotland should bee excluded from all her right of succession in England if she attempted any thing against the right of the Queene of England so that the Queene of England might againe bâ—e tied in some equall penaltie also if shee attempted any thing against the Queene of Scotland Concerning the Castles of Hume and Fast Castle they requested that they may bee restored vnto the Lord Hume the true Lord and proprietarie of them and that the English men would detaine them no longer from him And that to deliuer Fortresses in Galloway or Cantire vnto forrainers was no other thing than to giue a new occasion of warre When they could not agree vpon these Articles and the Commissioners came not from the Regent of Scotland and in the meane time it was reported and bruted that aid was earnestly requested by her friends of the Pope the King of France and the Duke of Alba for the deliuerance and freeing of the Queene of Scotland and the English rebels as Westmerland the Countesse of Northumberland and the rest were conueied secretly out of Scotland nothing came of this Treatie but yet The Bishop of Rosse sent the Articles of this treatie vnto the Pope and the Kings of France and Spaine and insinuated vnto them that the Queene of Scotland must of necessitie yeeld vnto them vnlesse they holpe her both with aduice and other aid very shortly which he did most importunately request at their hands but in vaine for all they were earnestly busied with other matters Anno 1571. A Little before this time Ridolphus the Florentine before named who had vsed much merchandize and trafficke at London fifteene yeeres sent very secretly the Letters of the Pope vnto the Queene of Scotland in the which hee promised his care and studie to the vtmost of his goods and labour to aduance the Catholike Religion and her and required her to shew fauour and giue credit vnto Ridolphus in all things and also that hee may vnderstand by him who now determined to returne into Italy by what meanes he may doe any good and giue any releefe vnto the Catholike Religion and remedy vnto the common mischiefes in England and Scotland Ridolphus also in his owne priuate letters requested the Queene to impart these things vnto the Duke of Norfolke and her friends and that she would commend him vnto them But she delaied her answer though the Kings of France and Spaine and the Duke of Alba wrote to the same effect vntill she saw vnto what end the treatie already begunne would come For there was come as from the King of Scotland to talke of the Scottish affaires the Earle of Mourton Petcarne Abbot of Dunfermelling and Iames Mac-Gill who vnto Queene ELIZABETH commanding them to lay downe euidently the causes of their depriuing the Queene of Scotland and to proue them to be iust shewed a tedious and long instruction or memoriall wherein with a most insolent libertie and bitternesse of speech they endeuoured to proue the people of Scotland to be superiour and aboue their Kings by the ancient priuileges of the Kingdome of Scotland by old forgotten and also late examples collected from all places yea and by the authoritie of Caluin they also endeuoured to proue that the popular Magistrates are appointed and made to moderate and keepe in order the excesse and vnrulinesse of Kings and that it is lawfull for them to put the Kings that bee euill and wickeâ— into prison and also to depriue them of their Kingdomes But they spake much of their lenitie vsed toward their depriued Queene because they suffered her to set her sonne in her place and to appoint gouernours vnto him That it proceeded out of the mercie of the people and not for her innocencie that they suffered her to liue and many other things which turbulent wits doe malapertly deuise and inuent against the royall Maiestie of Kings This memoriall Queene ELIZABETH read but not without indignation and as a libell written in the slander and reproach of Kings condemned it though she said nothing but vnto the Commissioners she answered that as yet shee did not see a iust cause of their abusing and vexing the Queene in that manner and therefore her will was that they should take some speedy course for the quenching the diuision and discord in Scotland Hereupon at the house of Bacon Keeper of the great seale it was proposed vnto the Bishop of Rosse the Bishop of Galloway and the Lord Leuingston Commissioners for the Queene of Scotland That for to giue securitie vnto the Kingdome and Queene of England and vnto the Noblemen that tooke the Kings part the Duke of Chasteauleroy the Earles of Huntley and Argile the Lords Hume and Herris and another Lord should be giuen for hostages and the Castles of Dunbritton and Hume deliuered vnto the hands of the English men for three yeeres They answered it was not to be doubted but the Queene of Scotland who of her free will committed her selfe to the protection of the Queene of England would also most willingly giue her satisfaction in all things which might conueniently bee done but to deliuer such great men and such Fortresses was no other thing but to spoile and depriue the distressed Queene of the succour and strength of all her most faithfull friends and of most strong places But they offered two Earles of whom one should be one of the three named and two Lords to be hostages for two yeeres but that the Holds and Castles by the league could not bee deliuered vnto the English men except others in like manner were deliuered vnto the French men But said Bacon all the Realme of Scotland the Prince the Noblemen and Castles are not all sufficient to giue securitie vnto the Queene and the most flourishing Realme of England and therefore the Queene of Scotland was not to be let goe vpon any securitie the Scots could propose Hereupon they immediatly gathered and said openly that now at length they plainly vnderstood that the English were resolued fully to keepe the Queene prisoner for euer in England and withall to breake off the Treatie since they exacted so earnestly such securitie as Scotland could not by any meanes performe yet the other Councellors of England protested that they earnestly desired the deliuerance of the Queene of Scotland so that sufficient securitie were giuen And to that purpose they also talked with Mourton and his associates hereof and of deliuering the King into England who in plaine termes answered that they had no commission to treat or deale either to receiue home the Queene into Scotland or to deliuer the King into England
But the Commissioners of the Queene of Scotland reiected this speech as a friuolous excuse For certainly they that had authoritie to depriue the Queene had also authoritie enough to restore and set her at libertie neither needed they to looke for any authoritie from the rest of the Conspirators since that their wicked fact had made them equalls facinus quos inquinat aequat As for the Prince he could not being but fiue yeeres old giue them authoritie and as for the Regent he had committed all the matter to Queene ELIZABETH and to her pleasure Therefore they besought the Commissioners of England that these men might bee compelled to consult thereof or else the matter ended and compounded vpon equall conditions without these men But Queene ELIZABETH when shee saw nothing could bee done to giue her selfe the King and the Realme securitie except both the factions agreed together Shee thought it fitting that the Estates of Scotland which were shortly to assemble did elect and choose out men who should endeuour to make a composition Hereupon Rosse and his associates openly complained that many of the Queene of Englands Councellors did abuse the prudence of the Queene of England and the patience of the Queene of Scotland and to haue deluded forraine Princes with their subtill policies and brought the Scots in a vaine hope to their great hurt And indeed the Queene of Scotland stomacking and complaining of the same and wearie of these delaies called away the Bishop of Galloway and Leuingston and commanded Rosse whom the Queene of England had commanded to depart from London to stay at London by the right of an Embassador which made a suspicion to grow and appointed her friends in Scotland to take armes and not trust any longer vnto the truces which had beene hurtfull vnto them For in the time whâ—n these things were done in England they had sustained great losses many had beene put to execution more slaine and Dunbritton the strongest Fort in Scotland taken and Iames Hamilton Archbishop of Saint Andrewes brother to the Duke of Chasteauleroy as priuie to the murder of the King not so much as arraigned or tried was hanged by the accusation of a Priest who affirmed that he had heard it in confession by one of the Regicides When now the captiue Queene had no hope left and was in great griefe and all her seruants but ten and a Priest to say Masse were sent away and all her hope to obtaine her libertie was gone shee could not refraine but did open that which she had long concealed in her minde Shee therefore sent secretly vnto the Duke of Norfolke a long Commentarie of her purposes which she had written before time and certaine loue-letters in a priuate Character knowne to them two and other letters to be carried to the Pope and the King of Spaine by Ridolphus whom she commended as one very carefull of her good and her very friend Higford the Dukes Secretarie who wrote out this Commentarie and letters in an vsuall hand and letter was commanded to burne it but hee hid it vnder the Matt in the Dukes chamber and that of purpose as it seemed This Ridolph once to the Duke himselfe and more times by Barker reasoned thus That hee had obserued that there were many Noblemen and Commons in England that desired an Innouation and those were of three sorts Some that had bin in credit in the time of Queene Maries reigne now were not accounted of Others that were addicted to the Popish Religion and grudged inwardly that they might not vse it freely And others that were not content with their estate and hoped for better These were ready but wanted some Nobleman to bee their Captaine or Leader and forraine aid There could not be a fitter man for Captaine and more noble than the Duke who had the loue of the Realme And hee had great reason to reuenge the wrongs done vnto him by his long detention in prison and now to his reproach not called vnto the Parlament in which he had a place and voice as the chiefest Nobleman and Earle Marshall of England And to perswade him the more effectually he shewed him a roll of the Noblemen who had vowed to spend their liues and goods for him if he would attempt it As for forraine aid he assured him that the Pope so that the Romish Religion might bee aduanced would defray all the charges of the warre who had already laid in banke a great summe of money the last yeere when the Bull was published of the which money Ridolph himselfe had distributed a great part among the English fugitiues Hee promised that the King of Spaine irritated by the iniuries of the English men would send to helpe them foure thousand horse and six thousand foot which might bee sent ouer and landed at Harwich a Port in Essex whereabouts the Duke had many tenants and Gentlemen holding of him most fitly and without suspicion in the beginning of Summer when the Duke of Medina Caeli was to come with a good Nauie into the Low-Countries Lastly he concluded that such a moderation might be vsed that all suspicion of treason in the Duke might be taken away and prouision made for the safetie of the Queene of England if onely shee would embrace or tolerate the Romish Religion and consent to the mariage of the Queene of Scotland with the Duke The Duke gaue eare to these things as likely but yet refused to subscribe vnto the letters of credit as they call them which Ridolph being ready to depart shewed vnto him Neither would he heare the aduice of Rosse which hee had long studied and put into his head by Barker namely that the Duke with a selected companie of Noblemen to take the Queene suddenly and to disturbe the Parlament and by this meanes the mariage with the Queene of Scotland might bee finished and the Romish Religion set in better state in England without any great stirre and without any forraine aid Which might easily be done hauing so many Noblemen ready and prompt to enter into this action as could not bee assembled againe in one place without suspicion And iust cause there was for that the Duke was kept long in prison against the Lawes of the Realme and not admitted into the Parlament and also for that more rigorous Lawes were deuised against the Papists And to doe this hee brought in the example of Castrutio in Italy and others who by sudden actions had prosperously effected great matters and how fiue Noblemen in Scotland very lately had disturbed the Parlament wherein Murrey was to bee attainted and gotten the Queene into their hands This aduice the Duke who was out of his inbred good nature farre from any villanie detested and disliked as pernicious and dangerous But about the same time Henry Percy offered his seruice vnto Rosse for to deliuer the Queene of Scotland out of prison so that Grange and Carre of Ferniherst would receiue her at the borders of
citing the authoritie of Bracton the most learned Lawyer of our Land that he neuer made such reckoning of Northumberland and Westmerland that hee would put his life into their hands he relied he said and trusted so much vnto his innocencie that hee had neuer so much as a thought to flie Gerard the Queenes Atturney said It is most apparant that he did purposely intend to marrie the Queene of Scotland to worke the Queenes destruction It is also apparant that he did aduisedly consult of inuading the Realme by the letters vnto the Pope the King of Spaine and the Duke of Alba. All his dealings with Ridolph are now well knowne by the secret Ciphers and Charactericall notes hidden vnder the tiles of Howard house also by the letters which hee commanded to bee burned found in the Matts in the entrie of the chamber and all these things may bee proued out of the examinations of them who were not terrified with torments nor attainted of treason To these matters the Duke said Of the consultations of the Pope and the King of Spaine I was neither author nor fautor yea I alwaies disliked them Let them bee punished that committed the fault and let them not charge mee to excuse themselues Furthermore Gerard accused the Duke that hee talked with Ridolph of the landing of ten thousand Souldiers out of Flanders at Harwich a Hauen in Essex and this out of the examination of Barker And also that letters were written and sent by Ridolph vnto the King of Spaine and the Duke of Alba vnto which although the Duke did not subscribe yet that hee sent by the counsell of Rosse Barker his Secretarie vnto the Spanish Embassadour who should assure them that they were his very letters The Duke said My memorie faileth me neither can it call to minde such intricate varietie of matters You Lawyers haue your briefe notes I am put to answer ex tempore This is also improbable that I should deale with the Pope vnto whose Religion I was alwaies an aduersarie I had rather be pulled in peeces by horses than reuolt from the Religion I professe The situation of Harwich doth easily confute all this accusation Who seeth not how hard a matter it is to bring an armie thorow that Countrie which is all enclosed and most troublesome with narrow waies If I had imagined to make warre against my Prince I should doubtlesse haue furnished my selfe with Armour but in these whole ten yeeres I haue not bought any more than eight Corslets and no Gun-powder at all I would neuer haue committed such letters vnto Barkers fidelitie but rather vnto Banister whom I esteemed aboue many Barkers Now were brought forth the letters of the Bishop of Rosse sent out of prison vnto the Queene of Scotland and intercepted out of which the former things were confirmed The Duke required to see the letters for he seemed to doubt that they were counterfeit But the Lord Steward said Doubt not they bee written with Rosses owne hand Another short letter written with Oker by the Duke commanding his man to burne a bundle of letters hidden in a certaine place and to lay the fault vpon Rosse who might easily auoid the Law by the priuilege of an Embassadour was also shewed To these letters the Duke said I being certified that it was diuulged amongst the common people that I had accused many I answered in that short letter and when I saw all places to be narrowly searched I commanded that bundle to be burned that I might keepe many men from trouble Bromley the Queenes Sollicitor shewed the letters of Ridolph wherein hee signified that the Duke of Alba approued their purpose and also the Popes letters vnto the Duke dated the tenth day of May. Then Wilbraham made an cloquent speech of the credit of the testimonies of the Bishop of Rosse and of the Dukes seruants Vnto which the Duke said I haue not the skill to refell so polished and ornate a speech yet the Orator as skilfull as be is for all that left out what the force of feare is which oftentimes quaileth and dauntoth a good courage and againe he commended and vrged Bracton against the credit of forraine witnesses Catlin chiefe Iustice made answer In such causes as these the testimonies of forrainers are allowable and that it was in the will of the Peeres to giue credit or disallow such testimonies Now they were come to proue that the Duke had releeued the Rebels after they were fled which appeared out of the letters of the Countesse of Northumberland in which she gaue thanks to the Duke for the money secretly sent vnto her and her husband As concerning the last obiection about the releeuing the Scots enemies to the Queene was proued out of the Dukes letters to Banister out of the confession of Banister and the money deliuered vnto Browne of Shrewsburie Here the Duke asked the Iudges Whether the subiects of another Prince confederate with the Queene may bee accounted enemies to the Queene Catlin answered they might and that the Queene of England may make warre with some Duke of France and yet at the same time be in amitie with the King of France When now it drew toward night the Lord Steward asked the Duke what hee had more to say for himselfe He answered I put my trust in the equitie of the Lawes The Lord Steward commanded the Lieutenant of the Tower to take the Duke aside and then silence being made he turned vnto the Peeres and said You haue heard how Thomas Duke of Norfolke hath beene indited of high treason who hath pleaded not guiltie and put himselfe vnto God and to you therefore it is your part to consider among you whether he be guiltie or no and to declare your opinion according to your conscience and vpon your honour and withall he bade them to goe aside and to consult one with another After a little time they returned vnto their places Then the Steward beginning at the lowest said My Lord De La-ware is Thomas Duke of Norfolke guiltie of the crimes of high treason whereof he is indited or not guiltie He rising vp laying his hand on his breast said Guiltie In like manner were each one asked in their order Then was the Duke brought againe to the Barre vnto whom the Lord Steward spake in this manner Thomas Duke of Norfolke thou hast beene indited of sundry high treasons and put thy selfe to bee tried by God and thy Peeres who haue found thee guiltie hast thou any thing to say why iudgement should not be given against thee Hee answered The will of God who will iudge betweene mee and my false accusers be done All men now keeping silence the edge of the Axe was turned towards him Then Barham for the Queene requested the Lord Steward to giue iudgement which he weeping did in these formall words Forasmuch as thou Thomas Duke of Norfolke hast beene indited of high treason and hast pleaded not guiltie and hast put thy selfe
to come from Huntingdon for his euill deserts towards me Therefore I earnestly request thee by the most neere alliance of bloud that is betweene vs that thou wouldest seriously haue regard to the safetie of my sonne and not to intermeddle any more with the affaires of Scotland without the priuitie of me or the French King and that thou wouldst account them who by force keepe my sonne in prison and compell him to doe what they list none other but Traitors Moreouer I heartily request thee by the Crosse and Passion of Christ our Redeemer That I being vpon honest and reasonable conditions restored to libertie may somewhat recomfort my languishing body for the small time of my life that in some place out of England after this long-lasting and loath some inprisonment In so doing thou shalt for euer binde mee and my friends and especially my sonne vnto thee Which I will neuer cease with importunate request to demand at thy hands vntill thou doest yeeld and consent thereunto My body diseased and subiect to infirmitie compelleth mee to be so earnest I pray thee therefore cause me to bee vsed with more humanitie otherwise I cannot endure it I tell thee in plaine termes And poast mee not ouer to be vsed at the pleasure of any other but at thy disposition Whatsoeuer good or euill things happen vnto me hereafter I will attribute and ascribe them onely to thy selfe Shew mee this fauour that I may vnderstand thy pleasure from thy selfe by a letter be it neuer so short or by the French Embassadour I cannot bee satisfied in those things which Shrewsburie doth signifie vnto mee forasmuch as they may euery day be altered When I very lately wrote vnto thy Councellors thou didst command that I should acquaint thee onely with my affaires but it was not iust to giue them so great authoritie to afflict and vex me yet I cannot but feare that many of them that be my deadly aduersaries haue procured this lest the rest after they shall haue heard my most iust complaint should oppose themselues as well in respect of thy honour as of their dutie to thee Now resteth my most instant and importunate suit that I thinking onely of the life to come may haue some reuerend Catholike Priest to direct me in my Religion for the saluation of my soule This last office is not to be denied vnto poore wretches of the basest and meanest estate Thou doest permit vnto the Embassadours of forraine Princes the exercise of their Religion and I voluntarily permitted it to my subiects that were of a contrarie Religion If this be denied vnto mee I hope I shall bee excused before God But I feare mine aduersaries shall not escape without punishment Assuredly it will be a president vnto other Princes of Christendome to shew the like seueritie against their subiects that be in Religion contrarie vnto them if this seueritie be vsed towards me a free and absolute Princesse and thy neerest Cousin for so I am and will be so to thee whiles I liue in spite of mine aduersaries let them stomacke it neuer so much I desire not to haue my familie increased but I request to haue onely two maids which are necessary and needfull to me in this my weaknesse and sicknesse of body And let not my aduersaries fulfill their cruell mindes altogether against me inbarring me of so small a courtesie Whereas I am secretly accused by Shrewsburie that I haue priuily and without thy knowledge practised to transferre my right in Scotland vnto my sonne contrary to my promise made vnto Beale I desire thee not to giue credit vnto the suggestions of Beale I promised nothing but vnder certaine conditions to which I am not bound except they bee performed by thee From that time hitherto I haue receiued no answer and there is not a word spoken of them but yet the practises in Scotland to destroy me and my sonne haue not ceased That long-lasting silence I cannot interpret to bee any other thing but a plaine repulse and deniall and so I signified by my letters to thee and to thy Councellors those things which the French King and his mother imparted vnto me I also sincerely imparted vnto thee and asked thy aduice in them but I heard not a word from thee againe I neuer had so much as a thought to submit my selfe vnto thy Councell about mine affaires and my Countrey before I knew what it should be for it might seeme a meere folly so to doe How my aduersaries in Scotland doe triumph ouer me and my imprisoned sonne thou art not ignorant I attempted nothing there that may bee hurtfull vnto thee but onely to procure a firme peace in that Kingdome which is more to bee respected by mee than by thy Councellours forasmuch as I haue more interest therein than they I earnestly and from my heart desired to bestow and confirme vnto my sonne the title of a King and therewithall to burie in the earth all discords and dissentions Is not this to pull the Diadem from my sonnes head But indeed mine aduersaries would not haue it confirmed vnto my familie This is the thing they enuie when their conscience beareth witnesse against them and being guiltie of euill they feare mischife will befall them Let not these and other mine aduersaries so blinde thine eies and in thy life and sight procure the death of thy next kindred and bring to confusion both the Crownes for to that intent doe they inuent mischiefe against mee against my sonne and perhaps thy selfe also Can it bee any good or honour vnto thee that I and my sonne should bee secluded by their meanes and practises and wee two betweene our selues so long Remember thy inbred lenitie binde thy selfe vnto thy selfe and being as thou art a Princesse by thy placabilitie mollifie thy minde and abandon all displeasure and hatred towards mee a Princesse thy neerest Cousin and one that loueth thee most deerely that all our affaires being louingly compounded betweene vs I may depart out of this life and the sobs and sighs of my distressed soule may not penetrate vnto God vnto whose heauenly Maiestie I offer my continuall praiers that my iust complaints and dolorous lamentations may now at the last finde way vnto thee From Sheffield the eighth day of Nouember 1582. Vostre tresdesoleé plus proche parente affectioneé seure MARIE R. Anno 1583. WIth these letters Queene ELIZABETH was wonderfully moued and disquieted and sent vnto the Queene of Scotland Robert Beale one of the Clerkes of the Councell a man rude and vnciuill who should in sharpe words expostulate with her for her letters of complaint and also iointly with the Earle of Shrewsburie to talke about her deliuerance forasmuch as she had of late in other letters requested Queene ELIZABETH that shee might after this time vpon securitie to bee giuen to Queene ELIZABETH enioy her libertie and bee ioined with her sonne in the gouernment of Scotland About this matter was a
vnto which he was forced to yeeld forasmuch as they triumphed ouer his innocencie he repeateth the vnfortunate deaths of his Ancestors that is to say of his great grandfather who was condemned and neuer called to triall of his grandfather who was beheaded for trifling matters and of his Father who as he affirmed was circumuented by his enemies and who neuer carried any euill minde toward his Prince or Countrey But that he lest he should runne into the same hard fortune his father had forsooke his country that he might spend his time in the seruice of God and in the works tending to the saluation of his soule but not his loyalty and fidelity toward his Prince Before these letters were deliuered he went into Sussex and being ready to take ship in an obscure creeke was taken and apprehended by the treachery of his seruants and discouery of the master of the ship and committed vnto the Tower of London At that time there was prisoner in the same place Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland a man of a liuely spirit and couâ—age brother of Thomas beheaded at Yorke suspected to be priuy vnto the plot of Throgmorton the Lord Paget and the Guises for the inuading of England and deliuering of the Queene of Scotland vnto whom alwaies he had borne a great loue and affection In the moneth of Iune he was found dead in his bed shot thorow with three bullets about the left pappe the doores being bolted on the inside The Crowners quests according to the custome taken out of the next neighbours and sworne by the Crowner viewing the body considering the place hauing found the pistoll with the gunpowder in the chamber his man who bought the Pistall and the seller thereof being examined gaue their verdict that the Earle did murther himselfe The third day after the Noblemen of the Realme came in great number and met in the Starre chamber where Thomas Bromly Lord Chauncellor of England succinctly declared that the Earle had plotted and deuised treason against his Queene and Countrey which being now to come vnto light and to be discouered vpon the guiltinesse of his conscience had murdered himselfe But that the multitude and common people who alwaies conster things to the worst might be satisfied he commanded the Kings Atturney and the Kings Counsell at law to deliuer and explaine at large the causes why the Earle was kept and detained in prison and the manner of his death Hereupon Popham the Queenes Atturney Generall beginning at the rebellion in the North sheweth out of the Records That he was arraigaed for this Rebellion and for purposing to deliuer the Queene of Scotland did then acknowledge his fault and submitted himselfe vnto the mercy of the Queene and that he was fined at fiue thousand marks as I haue said before and that the Queene such was her clemency tooke not a penny but remitted the same and that after the execution of his brother for the same fault she confirmed him in the honour of Earle of Northumberland That he neuerthelesse entred into new practises to deliuer the Queene of Scotland to conquer England and to kill the Queene and to destroy Religion That Mendoza the Spanish Embassador had signified vnto Throgmorton that Charles Paget vnder the name of Mope had talked with him of these things secretly in Suffex That the Lord Paget had insinuated the same things almost vnto Throgmorton and that the same things were euident and apparant by the papers of Câ—â—eycton the Scottish Iesuite and that Charles Paget had told these things vnto William Shelley when he returned out of France Then Egerton the Queenes Solliciter argued wittâ—ly out of the circumstances and the great care taken of concealing it that the Earle was guilty of and priuy to these things that is to say For that the Earle since that none in England could charge him with these things but the Lord Paget who was very familiar with Throgmorton a few daies after the taking and apprehension of Throgmorton made a ship ready for Paget by Shelley in which he passed ouer into France When Throgmorton began to confesse some things hee departed from London and went out of the way vnto Petworth and signified vnto Shelley whom he had sent for vnto him that he was fallen into great danger of his life and of his estate and requested him to conceale the businesse and to send away them who were acquainted with the departure of the Lord Paget and with the comming of Charles Paget which was done forthwith And he himselfe sent a good way off the man whom hee had vsed about Charles Paget Moreouer the Sollicitor said that he being now in prison dealt oftentimes with Shelley by the Keepers whom he corrupted to know what things and of what nature hee had confessed After that Shelley by a poore woman a secret messenger betweene them had certified him that he could not conceale matters any longer that their condition and estate were not like that he should be put on the racke but that the Earle could not in respect of his place and degree and had written those things which he had confessed the Earle fighed grieuously and sometimes said as Panton who waited on him in his chamber confessed that by the confession of Shelley he was vtterly vndone Then the manner and reason of his death is declared out of the testimony of the Enquest of the Lieutenant of the Tower of some of the Warders and of Panton and thereupon it was gathered that he for feare left his house and family should be vtterly destroied and a blemish and blot imposed thereon had laid his owne violent hands vpon himselfe Truly many honest men as well for that they fauour Nobility as also for that he was holden and reputed a man of very great valour were heartily sorry that such a man came to such a lamentable and wretched death What things the suspecting fugitiues talked in corners of one Balliue one of Hattons men who a little before was made Keeper vnto the Earle I omit as a thing of small credit neither meane I to set downe any thing out of idle reports Anno 1586. IN this yeare Philip Earle of Arundell who had laine now a whole yeare in prison was accused in the Starre Chamber That he had releeued Priests against the lawes that he had had commerce of letters with Allan and Persons the Iesuite enemies of the Queene and that he had derogated in writing from the Iustice of the Land and imagined to depart out of the land without licence Hee proâ—essing his dutie and seruice vnto the Queene and his loue and good will vnto his countrey excused himselfe with great modesty by the loue he had to the Catholike Religion and by his ignorance of the lawes and submitted himselfe vnto the censure and iudgement of the Lords who fined him at tenne thousand pounds and to be imprisoned during the Queenes pleasure In the moneth of Iuly a most pernicious Conspiracie against
Queene ELIZABETH was found out and came to light which I will briefly describe At Easter this yeere Iohn Ballard a Priest of the Seminarie of Rhemes who had visited many Roman Catholikes in England and Scotland returned into France accompanied with Mawd one of Walsinghams spies a most craftie dissembler who had bleared his eyes and talked with Bernardino Mendoza at that time ordinary Embassadour of the King of Spaine in France and with Charles Paget a man exceedingly addicted to the Queene of Scotland about the inuading of England saying that now was a most fit time all the militarie men being absent in the Low Countries and that they could not hope for a fitter time since that the Pope the King of Spaine Guise and Parma were determined to set vpon England by that way to turne the warre out of the Low Countries And though Paget held it cleere that it would be in vaine as long as the Queene liued yet Ballard was sent backe into England being sworne to procure aid and helpe vnto the Inuaders and libertie vnto the Queene of Scotland and that with all speed and as soone as he could At Whitsontide following this Ballard apparelled like a souldier and called by a counterfet name Captaine Foscu arriued in England and talked at London about these things with Anthony Babington of Dethick in Derbishire a young man well borne rich of an excellent wit and learned aboue his yeeres who being addicted to the Roman Religion had a little before stollen ouerinto France without any licence and had beene very familiar with Thomas Morgan one that belonged vnto the Queene of Scotland and with the Bishop of Glasco her Embassador which two in extolling continually the heroicall vertues of such a Queene had shewed such certaine hopes of great honours and preferments by her of which the ambitious young man quickly tooke hold they also commended him thinking of no such matter in their letters to the Queene of Scotland For when he was returned into England she curteously saluted him by her letters and from that time Morgan vsed to send ouer and to conuey letters vnto her by his meanes vntill such time as she was put ouer to be kept by Amyas Paulet For then the young man seeing the danger left off With this Babington I say did Ballard deale about this matter He was fully perswaded that the Inuasion of England would come to nothing so long as Queene ELIZABETH liued But when Ballard had insinuated that she should not liue long that Sauage who had taken an oath to kill her was already come into England Babington did not like that so great a matter should be committed onely to Sauage lest hee should faile in his attempt but rather to six stout Gentlemen whereof he would haue Sauage to be one lest he should breake his oath and Babington deuised a new way to haue the land inuaded by strangers of the hauens where they should take land of the aid that should be ioyned to them how to deliuer the Queene of Scotland and to kill the Queene Whiles he studied earnestly about this matter he receiued by a boy vnknowne letters in a character or ziffre samiliar betweene the Queene of Scotland and him which mildly accused him for his long silence and bade him to send with speed a packet of letters sent from Morgan and deliuered by the Secretary of the French Embassador which thing he did and withall by the same messenger wrote letters vnto her wherein he excused his silence for that he was depriued of meanes and opportunity to send from the time that she was put into the custody of Amyas Paulet a Puritane a meere Leycestrian and a professed enemie of the Catholike faith for so he called him He opened vnto her what he had conferred with Ballard and told her that six Gentlemen were selected to execute the tragicall murder and that he with a hundred other would deliuer her at the same time Hee besought her that rewards might be propounded and giuen vnto the heroicall actors in this businesse or to their posterity if they failed or died in the action Vnto these letters answer was made the 27. of Iuly the forward care of Babington toward the Catholike Religion and her selfe is commended but he was aduised to proceed in the businesse warily and that an Association might bee made amongst them as though they feared the Puritans and that no stir should be made before they were certaine and assured of forraine helpe and forces that some tumult might be raised also in Ireland whilest a blow or wound might be giuen in these parts Arundell and his brethren and Northumberland might be drawne into their side Westmorland Pager and some others secretly called home And the way also of deliuering her is prescribed either by ouerthrowing a Cart in the gate or by burning the stables or by intercepting her selfe when she rode vp and downe in the fields for her recreation betweene Chartley and Stafford Lastly Babington is commanded to giue his word and promise for the rewards vnto the six Gentlemen and the others He had already gotten vnto himselfe some Gentlemen who were earnest Roman Catholikes among the which the chiefest were Edward Windsore brother to the Lord Windsore a milde young man Thomas Salisbury of a worshipfull family in Denbighshire Charles Tilney of an ancient worshipfull house the only hope of his family and one of the Gentlemen pensioners to the Queene whom Ballard had lately reconciled vnto the Roman Church both of them very proper men Chidiocke Tichburne of Hamshire Edward Abington whose father was Cofferer to the Queene Robert Gage out of Surrey Iohn Trauerse and Iohn Charnock of Lancashire Iohn Iones whose father had beene Taylor vnto Queene Mary the aforenamed Sauage Barnwell of a worshipfull family in Ireland and Henry Dun a Clarke in the office of the first fruits and tenths into this society Pooly also insinuated himselfe a man perfectly instructed in the affaires of the Queene of Scotland a notable and cunning dissembler who is thought to haue discouered all their purposes and counsells vnto Walsingham day by day and to haue vrged these young men ready enough to doe euill headlong by suggesting and putting worse things into their heads though Naâ—â—s Secretary to the Queene of Scotland had secretly aduised them to take heed of him Vnto these men Babington communicated the matter but not all things vnto euery one hee sheweth his letters and those of the Queene of Scotland vnto Ballard Tichburne and Dun he moueth Tilney and Tichburne to dispatch the Queene At the first they deny to contaminate and â—mbrue their hands in their Princes bloud Ballard and Babington tels them that it is lawfull to kill Princes who be excommunicated and if one offend it is to be done for the good of the Catholike Religion Herewith they with much adoe perswaded doe consent Abington Barnwell Charnock and Sauage readily and voluntarily sweare to doe it Salisburie could not be perswaded
a turbulent spirit and nature casting out threats and terrors of the bloud that was ere long to bee shed in England On the next day the other seuen were drawne vnto the same place but vsed with more mercy by the Queenes commandement who hated the former cruelty for euery one of them hung till they were quite dead before they were cut downe and bowelled Salisbury the first was very penitent and aduised the Catholikes not to attempt the restitution of Religion by force or armes and the same did Dun who was the next Iones protesting that he had disswaded Salisbury from this enterprise and that he vtterly condemned and disliked the haughty and rash spirit of Babington and the purpose of inuasion Charnock and Trauerse fixed wholly to their praiers commended themselues to God and the Saints Gage extolling the bountifull liberality of the Queene toward his father and detesting his owne treacherous ingratitude toward a Princesse so well deseruing Hierom Bellamy who had hidden Babington after he was proclaimed traitor whose brother priuy to the same offence had strangled himselfe in prison ashamed and silent was the last of this company These men being executed Nauus the Frenchman and Curlus the Scot who were Secretaries to the Queene of Scotland being examined about the letters copies of letters and little notes and Ciphers found in the Queenes closet of their owne will acknowledged by their subscriptions that the handwritings were their owne endited by her in French taken by Nauus and turned into English by Curlus Neither did they deny that she receiued letters from Babington and that they wrote backe by her commandement in such a sense as is aforesaid Yet this is certaine out of letters that when Curlus did at this time aske Walsingham for what he promised that Walsingham did reproue him as one forgetfull of an extraordinary grace as that he had not confessed any thing but that hee could not deny when Nauus charged him therewithall to his face The Counsellors of England could not agree what should be done with the Queene of Scotland some thought good that no seuerity was to be vsed against her but to be kept very close as well for that she was not the beginner of this plot but onely made acquainted with it and also for that she was sickly and not like to liue long Others for the securitie of Religion would haue her dispatched out of the way and that by the course of Law Leycester had rather haue it done by poyson and secretly sent a Diuine to Walsingham to shew him that this was lawfull but Walsingham protested that he was so farre from allowing that any violence should be vsed that long agoe hee crossed and broke the aduice of Morton who had perswaded to send her into Scotland that she might be killed in the very borders of both the kingdomes They were moreouer of different opinions by what law or Act they should proceed against her whether out of that of the XXV yeare of Edward the third in which he is a traitor who deuiseth to kill the King or the Queene or moueth warre in the Kingdome or doth adhere vnto his enemies Or whether by that Law or Act of the XXVII yeare oâ— Queene ELIZABETH which is set downe before At length their opinion preuailed who would haue it by this latter law as made for this purpose and therefore to be accommodated thereunto therefore out of that law enacted the former yeare that enquiry might be made and sentence pronounced against them who raised rebellion inuaded the kingdome or attempted to hurt the Queene many of the Priuie Counsell and Noblemen of England were chosen Commissioners by letters Patents which was this after the Lawyers forme and stile ELIZABETH by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queene Defender of the faith c. To the most Reuerend Father in Christ Iohn Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitane of all England and one of our Priuy Counsell And to our beloued and trusty Thomas Bromley Knight Chauncellor of England and another of our Priuie Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Burghley Lord Treasurer of England another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our most deare cousin William Marquesse of Winchester one of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Edward Earle of Oxford great Chamberlaine of England another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin George Earle of Shrewsbury Earle Marshall of England another of our Priuy Counsell and to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Kent another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Darby another of our Priuy Counsell And to our most deare cousin William Earle of Worcester another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Edward Earle of Rutland another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our most deare cousin Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Master of our Ordnance another of our Priuy Counsell and to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Pembrooke another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Robert Earle of Leicester Master of our horse another of our Priuy Counsell And to our most deare cousin Henry Earle of Lincolne another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our most deare cousin Antony Vicount Montague another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Charles Lord Howard our great Admirall of England another of our Priuy Counsell And to our welbeloued and faithfull Henry Lord Hunsdon our Lord Chamberlaine another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty Henry Lord of Aburgeuenny another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Zouch another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Morley another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Cobham Lord Warden of our fiue Ports another of our Priuy Counsell And also to our welbeloued and trusty Edward Lord Stafford another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to oâ—r welbeloued and trusty Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord Lumley another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord Sturton another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty William Lord Sandes another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Henry Lord Wentworth another of the Lords of the Parlament To our welbeloued and trusty Lewis Lord Mordant another of the Lords of the Parlament And to our welbeloued and trusty Iohn Lord St. Iohn of Bletso another of the Lords of the Parlament And also to our welbeloued and trusty Thomas Lord Buckhurst another of our Priuy Counsell And
that may be hurt and dammage to my most deare sister vnwitting to mee let them bee punished for their inconsiderate boldnesse I certainly know if they were here present they would in this cause acquite mee of this fault And if I had my papers here I could answer vnto these things in particular Amongst those things the Treasurer obiected that she had determined to send her sonne into Spaine and to assigne ouer vnto the Spaniard the right that shee challenged in the Kingdome of England Vnto whom shee answered That she had no Realme that she could giue away but yet it was lawfull to giue away her owne things at her will and pleasure When the Alphabets of Cyphers conueyed vnto Babington the Lord Lodouick and to the Lord of Fernihurst were obiected vnto her out of the testimonie of Curlus shee denied not but that she had set downe more and among the rest that for the Lord Lodouick at such time as shee commended him and another vnto the dignitie of a Cardinall and as shee hoped without offence forasmuch that it was no lesse lawfull for her to haue commerce of letters and treat of her affaires with men of her Religion as it was for the Queene with the professors of the other Religion Then they pressed her thicker with the agreeing testimonies of Nauus and Curlus repeated againe and shee also repeated her former answers or else repulsed them with precise denials protesting againe that shee neither knew Babington nor Ballard Among these speeches when the Treasurer put in his verdict saying that she knew well Morgan who secretly sent Parry to kill the Queene and had giuen him an annuall pension she replied she knew that Morgan had lost for her cause all that he had and therefore she was bound in honour to releeue him and that shee was not bound to reuenge an iniurie done by a well deseruing friend vnto the Queene but yet that shee had terrified him from making any such attempts But yet pensions said shee were giuen out of England vnto Patricke Grey and to the Scots that were mine enemies as likewise to my sonne The Treasurer answered At such time as the reuenues of the Kingdome of Scotland were much diminished and impaired by the negligence of the Viceroyes the Queene gaue some liberalitie vnto the King your sonne her most neere allied Cousin Afterward was shewed the contents of the Letters vnto Inglefield and to the Lord Paget and vnto Bernardino de Mendoza concerning forraine aid And when to those shee had made answer These things touch not nor concerne the death of the Queene if so be that strangers desired and laboured to deliuer her it was not to be obiected against her and that she had sundry times signified vnto the Queene that she would seeke for her libertie The matter was adiourned vnto the next day On the next day she repeated againe her former protestation and requested that it might be recorded and a copie thereof deliuered vnto her lamenting that the most reasonable conditions which she had propounded oftentimes vnto the Queene were alwaies reiected yea when she promised to giue her sonne and the sonne of the Duke of Guise for hostages that the Queene or the kingdome of England should take no harme by her That she saw long ere now that all waies of libertie were stopped but now that shee is most basely vsed to haue her honour and estimation called into question before Petifoggers and Lawyers who draw euery circumstance into consequences by their quiddities and trickes since that anointed and consecrated Princes are not subiect nor vnder the same lawes that priuate men are Moreouer when they haue authoritie and commission giuen them of examining Things tending to the hurt of the Queens Person yet notwithstanding the cause is so handled and letters wrested that the Religion which she professeth and the immunitie and maiestie of forraine Princes and the priuate commerces betweene Princes are called into question and she below her Royall dignitie is brought to the barre as it were to be arraigned and to no other purpose but that she may be wholly excluded from the fauour of the Queene and from her right in the Succession when she appeared voluntarily to confute all obiections lest shee might seeme to haue beene slacke in the defence of her honour and credit Shee also called to their memorie how ELIZABETH her selfe had beene drawne into question for the conspiracie of Wyat when yet she was most innocent Religiously affirming that although she wished the good and welfare of Catholikes yet she would not haue it to be done by the death and bloud of any one That she had rather play the part of Hester than of Iudith make intercession vnto God for the people rather than to take away the life of the meanest of the people And then appealing vnto the Maiestie of God and vnto the Princes that were allied vnto her and repeating againe her protestation she requested that there might be another assembly about this matter and that shee might haue a Lawyer assigned vnto her and that since she was a Prince that they would giue credit to the word of a Prince for it was extreme folly to stand vnto their iudgement whom she most plainly saw to be armed with fore-iudgements against her Vnto these speeches the Treasurer said Since that I beare a twofold person the one of a Delegate or Commissioner and the other of a Counsellor First take of me a few things as from a Commissioner Your Protestation is recorded and the copie thereof shall be deliuered vnto you Wee haue authoritie giuen vs vnder the Queenes owne hand and the great Seale of England from the which there is no appellation neither come we with a fore-iudgement but to iudge according to the rule and square of Iustice The Lawyers aime at no other thing but that the truth may appeare how farre forth you haue offended against the Queens person We haue ful power giuen vs to heare and examine the matter yea in your absence yet we desire to haue you present lest we should seeme to diminish your honour or credit neither haue we thought to object vnto you any thing but that you haue done or attempted against the Queenes person The letters are read for no other purpose but to lay open the practise against the Queene and other things pertaining thereunto and are so mingled with other things that they cannot be separated And therefore the whole letters and not parcels taken out of sundrie places of them are read for as much as circumstances doe giue credit vnto the things of which you dealt with Babington Shee interrupting him said That the circumstances might be proued but not the deed that her integritie depended not vpon the credit and memory of her Secretaries though shee knew them honest but yet if they haue confessed something out of feare of the racke hope of reward and of impunitie it is not to be admitted and receiued out
viua voce voluntarily without hope or reward the sentence against the Queene of Scotland was pronounced and confirmed with the seales and subscriptions of the Commissioners and recorded in these words By their assent consent and accord they doe pronounce giue and say their Sentence and Iudgement at the day and place last rehearsed that after the end of the aforesaid Session of Parliament specified in the aforesaid Commission viz. after the aforesaid first day of Iune in the 27. yeere aforesaid and before the date of thesaid Commission diuers things were imagined and compassed within this Realme of England by Anthony Babington and others with the priuitie of the said MARIE pretending title vnto the Crowne of this Realme of England tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royall person of our said Ladie the Queene And to wit that after the aforesaid first day of Iune in the seuen and twentieth yeere abouesaid and before the date of the aforesaid Commission the said MARIE pretending title vnto the Crowne of this Realme of England compassed and imagined within this Realme of England diuers things tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royall person of our Lady the Queen against the forme of the Statute specified in the aforesaid Commission Of this Sentence which depended wholly on the credit of the Secretaries neither were they brought face to face according to the first Statute of the 13. yeere of Queene ELIZABETH her selfe was very much speech and different amongst men some iudging them vnworthy of credit and others againe thought them worthy to be beleeued I haue seene the Apologie of Nauus written vnto King Iames in the yeere 1605. in the which hee doth laboriously excuse himselfe in protesting that hee was neither the Author nor perswader nor first discouerer of that plot or deuice neither that hee failed at all in his dutie through negligence or incircumspection but rather that he stoutly did impugne the heads of the accusations against his Ladie this day Which thing yet doth not appeare by the publike records But the same day it was declared by the Commissioners and by the Iudges of the Realme That that Sentence did derogate nothing from IAMES King of Scotland in his right or honour but him to be in the same place estate and right as if that Sentence had not beene giuen at all In a short time after there was a Parlament holden at Westminster in the which the Estates of the Kingdome who had approued and confirmed by their voices the sentence pronounced against the Queene of Scotland by one consent and accord deliuered by the Chancellor vnto the Queene a supplication in which they most earnestly besought her that for the conseruation of the true Religon the tranquillitie of the Realme safetie of the Queene the good estate of them and of their posteritie the sentence giuen against MARY Queene of Scotland according to the Law might be published They fetcht their reasons from the dangers hanging ouer the heads of their Religion her Royall Person and Realme by her who nursed vp in the Religion of the Papists and sworne one of the Holy League to root out the Religion of the Protestants had challenged long the Realme as due to her and had thought it a most iust thing to oppugne a woman excommunicate and meritorious to depriue her of her life She had subucrted and ouerthrowne the flourishing families of the Realme and laid fewell vnto all plots contriued and tumults in England To spareher was no other thing but to vndoe the people who will take it in euill part if she be suffered to escape without punishment and will not beleeue themselues freed from the oath of the Association except she were put to death Lastly they called to her remembrance what fearefull examples of Gods punishment there were against King Saul for that he killed not Agag and vpon Achab for that he killed not Benadad Thus said the States of Parlament The Queene with a maiesticall countenance and voice answered vnto this effect The benefits of Almightie God are so great and so many toward me that I doe not only acknowledge them most humbly but doe admire them as miracles forasmuch as I cannot expresse them in words Although there be no mortall man more beholding to the Maiestie of God than I my selfe so oft times deliuered from dangers not without miracle yet I am not indebted more than for this only thing which I account as a miracle that is to say That as I receiued and tooke vpon me the gouernment of the Realme with the full consent and good will of all so I see perfectly the same if not your greater loue and good will toward me after that XXVIII yeeres be expired and if I should faile therein now and that it did not continue still I might perchance be perceiued to breathe but surely not to liue But now although attempts be made against my life neuerthelesse nothing troubleth me more than that she who is of the same sex of the same stocke and linage and also of my bloud and kindred hath beene accessarie to the same And I am so farre off from being malicious toward her as that when some plots against me came to light I wrote vnto her that if she would confesse them in her priuate letters vnto me they should be wrapped vp in silence Neither did I write thus with this minde to ensnare her for that whatsoeuer she could confesse was knowne to me Yet neuerthelesse though things are come to this passe that they are if she would truly repent and that none would vndertake her cause against mee and that hereupon my life only and not the safetie of all the people did depend I would not haue you thinke I faine I would truly most willingly forgiue her yea if England by my death might flourish more and haue a better Prince I would most readily lay downe my life for I doe desire not to liue but for the good of the people and not of my selfe Neither is there any cause hauing liued in that manner as I haue why I should desire to liue or feare to die I am not ignorant of all kinde of lifes for I haue obeyed and I haue gouerned I haue had good neighbours and also euill I haue found treacherie where I trusted I haue euill bestowed benefits and I haue beene euill reported of when I haue done well When I call these things past to minde see and behold the things present and expect future things I thinke them most happie who die soone against such euils as these I put on a manly minde that whatsoeuer befall vnto me death may not take and finde me vnprouided As concerning these treasons I will not so preiudicate my selfe or the lawes of my Kingdome that I doe not thinke but that she the author and contriuer of this treason is a subiect and liable by the ancient lawes although this new law had neuer beene made the which
it vnto Burleigh Burleigh vnto the rest of the Counsellors who all gaue their consent to the quicke dispatch of the execution and euery one vowed to stand to it and to sticke one to another and sent Beale with the Mandate and Letters The third day after when I perceiued that her minde wauered hearing her tell a dreame of the death of the Queen of Scotland I asked if she had changed her minde she said no but said shee another way might haue beene inuented and withall asked if any answer were comefrom Powlet And when I had shewed his letters wherein in plaine termes be refused to take vpon him that which was neither honourable nor iust she chasing said that he and others who had taken the oath of the Association were periured and forsworne men as they who had promised many things but would performe nothing But I shewed her how vniust and infamous this would be and into what danger shee brought Powlet and Drury For if shee approued and allowed the fact shee should draw to her selfe both danger and dishonour with the note of iniustice but if shee disauowed and disallowed the fact shee ouerthrew vtterly those well deseruing men and their posteritie And afterwardshee on the same day the Queene of Scotland was put to death slightly checked mee that the execution was not done What griefe and anger soeuer Queen ELIZABETH conceiued or made shew of for the death of the Queen of Scotland I am sure the King of Scotland her only son tooke it wonderfull heauily who with the most admirable pietie that could bee in a sonne reuerenced his most deare mother and mourned and lamented for her exceedingly For he did not thinke that Queene ELIZABETH in regard of the mutuall loue that was betweene them and the league of stricter friendship lately made betweene them neglecting the so many intercessions of Princes would haue deliuered his mother a Prince of equall estate and her neerest cousin of the Royal bloud into the hands of a base hangman He suffered not Mr. Robert Cary sonne to the Lord Hunsdon who was sent from England to excuse the Queene by laying the fault vpon her Counsellors and Dauison to come into Scotland and hardly would heare him by another man and with much suit receiued the letters he brought Called his Ambassadour out of England and threatned reuenge And some there were that perswaded him that other Princes of Christendome would not let such an iniury done vnto the Maiestie and Royall name of a King goe vnpunished The Estates of Scotland who were assembled in great number professed that they were most readie to reuenge the death of his mother and to defend his right to the Crowne of England yea and to spend their liues and goods in the quarrell and that they could not disgest the iniurie done not onely vnto the King but also vnto the whole Nation of the Scots Some there were who perswaded the King to require aid of ships and of a Nauie of the King of Denmarke vnto whose daughter he began then to sue for mariage Some who were addicted to the Romane Religion suggested vnto him that hee should rather ioyne with the Kings of Spaine and France and with the Pope and so hee might with case get the possession of England And aboue all things to giue no credit vnto the Protestants of England who now ruled all and closely plotted to destroy him also whispering this in his eares He that hath killed the mother will also kill the children if he can Some there were who secretly aduised him to keepe himselfe as Newter openly and to hold both the Protestants and Romanists in suspence For if that hee shewed himselfe openly for the Protestants the Romanists of Europe will lay all their plots against him and would set vp another prop and stay in England to his great danger Some also there were who aduised him to keepe a firme peace with England and not to put his certaine hope vpon the vncertaine fortune of warre And to be constant in his Religion in the which if hee once wauered he should neither get nor purchase friends nor lessen nor diminish his enemies Thus euery man as their fancie gaue or their profit lead them spake But the King being more prouident and more wittie than his age gaue him vsed no haste which is alwaies blinde but weighed their counsels in his minde considerately and maturely a long time both with himselfe and a very few others But Queene ELIZABETH by laying all the fault on Dauison and the rash credulitie of her Counsellors so to mitigate his griefe and sorrow by little and little lest the comfort giuen out of season might more exasperate him and so stayed vntill his sorrow lessened by length of time would suffer it selfe to be handled But when shee saw the French egge on the King to reuenge she fearing lest he by their policies and vpon a burning heat of reuenge should be drawne away from the Religion of the Protestants and the friendship of the English she laboured with all her power to pacifie his minde exulcerated and in a manner alienated from her by all meanes not vnworthy of a Prince Therefore by her Messengers and Agents and after by the Lord Hunsdon Gouernour of Berwicke she proposeth these weightie and important Reasons most diligently First what a dangerous thing it may be for him to breake into open warre against England for this cause which seemed vnto the Estates of England to be as well necessarie for the safetie of the whole Island as also most iust Then let him consider if he be of abilitie to take such a warre in hand for as much as England was neuer better furnished with Military men and Leaders with forces and riches and Scotland exhausted with intestine warres neuer more weake If he depended vpon forraine aid with what great difficultie and how long it would be ere hee can get it and if he doe obtaine it what successe can hee hope for since that England hauing the Fleets of Holland and Zealand ioyned thereunto hath no cause to feare the most mightie and potent Kings of Europe What hope can he place in the French King or the King of Spaine For as much as his power much increased and augmented by the accession and addition of England may crosse or empeach their designes and purposes for that his Religion may be so opposed vnto their profession that they cannot helpe and aid him but with their owne losse and detriment Neither can the French King see with a contented minde the King of Scotland to be augmented with the Kingdome of England for feare lest hee should with warre prosecute the ancient right of the English-men in France or else giue helpe or succour vnto the Guises his Cousins who at this time gape after the Realme of France But the King of Spaine without all doubt will doe all things to serue his ambitious humour for as much as he vaunteth himselfe to be the first Catholike Prince of the bloud Royall of England and the stocke of Lancaster though vntruly In respect of which some Iesuites and others also endeuoured to aduance him whilest the Queene of Scotland was yet liuing vnto the Crowne of England as a man most fit to restore the Roman authority in England the mother and the sonne being not respected nor regarded Moreouer they perswaded him that shee determined in her last Will and Testament to bequeath the Kingdome of England vnto this King of Spaine if her sonne continued in the Religion of the Protestants What may be the meaning of these things and whereunto they may tend and what aid and helpe can be hoped for from the King of Spaine the King may thereby see and perceiue And withall if he shall reuolt and fall from his Religion in the which he hath beene brought vp with what great ignominie he may precipitate and cast head-long his soule into eternall damnation and the whole Iland of Britaine into danger and destruction Moreouer he is to consider and be aduised lest the Estates of England who haue giuen sentence against his mother doe not exclude him altogether from the right of Succession by a new sentence whose loue by yeelding and giuing place vnto necessitie and restraining the passionate motions of his minde he may easily winne and purchase vnto him for as much as that which is done cannot be vndone And at his time he may possesse and enioy quietly the most flourishing Kingdome of England In the meane time he may enioy securitie and may seeme with all men indifferent men that haue vnderstanding and consideration of things to haue receiued no blemish in his honour for as much as when time was he omitted no part of a most pious and vertuous sonne toward his mother And let him assuredly perswade himselfe that the Queene of England would account and vse him most louingly and affectionately as if shee were his owne mother These things shee caused to be beaten into the head of the King of Scotland and that he should not doubt but that his mother was put to death without her knowledge and to confirme him in that opinion shee determined to send vnto him the sentence giuen against Dauison in the Starre-chamber vnder the hands of all the Commissioners and also vnder the Great Seale of England And also another instrument to please him the more signed with the hands of all the Iudges of England wherein they confirmed that the sentence giuen against his mother was no hurt vnto his right in Succession nor could be any preiudice vnto the same And thus an end of this History FINIS 1 2 3 4 5 6