in Paris One cannot declare with what applause of all the people with what congratulation of all the neighbour Princes with what Magnificence this mariage was solemnized By this her mariage her husband obtained not onely the Title of King of Scotland in the right of his wife but also another more rich and great which was of the most contented Prince the earth then beheld for that hee was ioyned in mariage with a Princesse who besides many other great vertues composed her selfe wholly to please and to giue content vnto her husband and therein vsed not the ordinary care of a Princesse but more trauell and sollicitude than doe the women of meane condition and qualitie maried vnto great Princes as also appeared after his death which befell not long after by her immeasurable mourning not being able to finde any consolation for her sorrow in that place where shee had lost that which shee had loued better than her selfe so much that the amitie of her kinsfolks and allies could not retaine her nor the sorrow and regret of all France could not call her backe nor the sweetnesse of that Court which inuited her could not stay her but that shee would depart from thence After this on the seuenteenth day of Nouember the same yeere deceased Mary of England at which time the Parlament was holden at Westminster being certified of her death with a vniuersall consent in regard of her most certaine right vnto the Crowne of England of the which none could doubt both the Prelates and Nobles with the Commons agreed to haue the Lady ELIZABETH proclaimed Queene which was done with the generall applause and consent of them and all the people Queene ELIZABETH being established and hauing taken order for things at home and domesticall affaires applied her minde next to settle her affaires abroad For which end it was thought fit to send Embassadors vnto Princes to signifie vnto them the death of Queene MARY and her succession vnto the kingdome Vnto Ferdinand the Emperor was sent Thomas Challenor with letterâ— wherein the Queene vnder her owne hand certified him that her sister Queene MARY was dead and that she by the goodnesse of God was succeeded as her rightfull heire and with the generall consent of her subiects in the gouernment of the Realme and that she desired nothing more than that the ancient League and amitie betweene the families of England and Austria might not only be conserued but also increased Vnto the King of Spaine being in his Low counâ—ries was sent the Lord Cobham with instructions to the same purpose King Philip vnderstanding the decease of Queene MARIE his wife fearing lest England Scotland and Ireland should be adioyned vnto France by mâ—anes of the Queene of Scotland her Title dâ—lt seriously with Queene ELIZABETH by the Conde of Feria whom he had sent before to visit his sicke wife and the then Lady ELIZABETH also about his mariage with her promising to procure a dispensation for the same This motion troubled her much for to reiect the most mightie King of Europe hauing deserued well of her and suing to her for mariage vpon his owne motion This thing no lesse disquieted the French King who was also fearefull that England and Spaine should bee conioyned againe iâ— one by mariage therefore â—ee did all that was possible to be done at Rome by the Bishop of Angulesme that no such dispensation should be granted but yet very secretly lest he should prouoke the Englishmen against him but she put him off with a modest and shamefast answer And when hee saw that he could not obtaine his suit for himselfe and had also giuen it quite ouer being agreed with the French King to marry his daughter yet that the kingdome of England might be retained in his family still he moued the Emperour Ferdinand to commend one of his sonnes to be a suiter vnto Queene ELIZABETH which motion he willingly entertained and for that purpose sent vnto her very louing letters and by Gaspar Preynerus free Baron in Stibing diligently followed and prosecuted the same the King of Spaine himselfe also to bring it the sooner to passe and to further it most courteously offering and promising vnto Queene ELIZABETH his singular loue kindnesse and affection THE LIFE DEATH AND VARIABLE fortunes of the most gracious Queene MARIE STEVVARD Queene of Scotland Anno 1559. THe French King Henrie the second for the benefit of his sonne the Dolphin King and MARIE Queene of Scots casting his eies vpon England did not withdraw his French Souldiers out of Scotland as hee had promised but sent secretly more daily into Scotland and dealt vehemently with the Pope to pronounce Queene Elizabeth an Heretike and illegitimate which the Emperor and the King of Spaine most diligently but couertly sought to hinder yet had the Guises drawne the French King into such a sweet hope of adioyning England vnto the Crowne of France by the title of their Niece the Queene of Scots that hee openly claimed the same in the right of his sonne and daughter in law And commanded them when hee could not obtaine his purpose at Rome to vse this title in all their Letters patents FRANCIS and MARIE by the grace of God of Scotland England and Ireland King and Queene and caused the armes of England together with the armes of Scotland to be painted in the walls buildings and in the houshold stuffe and also to be put into the Heralds coats The English Ambassador in vaine complained that herein great wrong was done vnto Queene Elizabeth with whom he had made lately a league and had not done this to Queene MARIE of England who had proclaimed warre against him But Henries sudden death which happened shortly after made an end of his attempts But Francis the second who succeeded him and MARIE Queene of Scots his wife by the counsell of the Guises who were then of great authoritie in France bore themselues openly as Kings of England and Ireland neither did they abstaine from claiming the armes but set them out more and more And vnto Nicholas Throgmorton the Lieger Embassador a man both wise and stout it was first answered That it was lawfull for the Queene of Scots to beare them with some little difference to shew the nearenesse of her bloud vnto the royall line of England Hee stifly denied it saying that by the Law of Armes none who was not begot of the certaine Heire might beare the armes of any familie Afterward they said they bore the armes for no other cause than to cause the Queene of England to abstaine from bearing the armes of France Yet at length he obtained at the intercession of Mont Morancy who loued not the Guises that they left off the armes of England and Ireland altogether But yet from this title and vsurpation of armes which Henrie made the young Queene of Scots to take on her moued thereto by the Guises proceeded all the euils which came so thicke vpon her afterward as from
Scotland and of Rosse with the Commentarie hee was astonied but beholding the Commentarie with the letters which he thought had beene burned hee brake out into these words I am betraied and vndone by my seruants because I knew not how to distrust which is the sinew of wisdome But hee besought the Commissioners very humbly to speake vnto the Queene in his behalfe promising that hee would hide nothing that hee knew and solemnly protesting that hee approued nothing which might haue beene wrong vnto the Queene or detriment vnto the Realme yea that hee vtterly condemned the purposes and plots to surprize the Queene and the Tower of London and to set free the Queene of Scotland and that hee neuer had a thought to bring in any forraine forces but onely to suppresse the Scots that rebelled against the Queene The same day being examined of fiftie Articles more or lesse he concealed nothing Then all the course of the businesse was laid downe and declared in the Star-chamber a great assembly of Noblemen the Maior and Aldermen of London being present and afterwards to all the Citizens in the Guild-hall by William Fleetwood the Recorder But when the Bishop of Rosse was accused by the confession of euery one of them and by the Duke himselfe also as the contriuer of the businesse a serious consultation was had what was to be done with him that was an Embassadour For he whiles he thought it lawful for him as such kinde of men vse to doe to aduance the affaires of his Prince by any manner of meanes and not to be brought in question of law vpon the inuiolable priuilege of Embassadours in a strange Court had done many things long since turbulently in kindling a commotion and hauing nightly conferences with the Earle of Southampton and others and now againe with the English fâ—gitiues in the Low-Countries the Duke of Alba the King of Spaine and the Pope about the inuasion of England Therefore the cause was put to Dauid Lewis Valentine Dale William Aubrey and Henry Iones Doctors of the Ciuill Law 1 First whether an Embassadour that raiseth or procureth rebellion against a Prince vnto whom he is Embassadour may enioy the priuileges of an Embassadour and not be subiect to punishment as an enemie They answered Such an Embassadour by the law of Nations and ciuill Law of the Romans hath lost all the priuileges of an Embassadour and was subiect to punishment 2 Secondly whether an Agent of a Prince who is depriued by publike authoritie and in whose place another is crowned may enioy the priuilege of an Embassadour They answered If such a Prince be lawfully depriued his Agent cannot challenge the priuilege of an Embassadour since none but they which haue the rights of an absolute Prince can appoint Embassadours 3 Thirdly whether a Prince who shall come into the Kingdome of another Prince and bee kept in prison may haue his Agent and whether he be to be accounted an Embassadour They answered If such a Prince who shall come into the Kingdome of another Prince and bee kept in prison hath not lost his principalitie hee may haue an Agent but whether that Procurator may be reputed an Embassadour that dependeth on the authoritie of his Commission or delegation 4 Fourthly whether if any such Prince doe denounce tell to such an Agent and Prince being in prison That this Procurator shall bee accounted no longer for an Embassadour whether this Procurator by the Law may challenge the priuileges of an Embassadour They answered The Prince may forbid the Embassadour that he doe not come into the Realme and command him to depart out of the Realme if hee doe not containe himselfe within the bounds prescribed vnto an Embassadour yet in the meane time hee may vse and enioy the priuileges of an Embassadour according to the authoritie giuen him by his Commission After these answers of the learned Lawyers Rosse being brought backe out of the Isle of Ely was sharply rebuked and told by the Councellors that hee was no more to be acknowledged for an Embassadour but as a plotter of treasons to be seuerely punished He answered That he is the Embassadour of an absolute Queene vniustly depriued That hee had dealt diligently according to his place and dutie for the libertie of his Prince and the good of both the Kingdomes That he came into England with a sufficient authoritie which hee shewed with the most ample authoritie of an Embassadour and that the sacred rights and priuileges of Embassadours are not to bee violated by any meanes Burghley told him in discreet words that neither the priuileges of Embassage nor letters of publike credit did protect Embassadours who offend against the publike Maiestie of the Prince but that they are subiect to punishment otherwise it might bee lawfull for wicked minded Embassadours to attempt any thing against the liues of Princes Hee on the other side stood still in it that the rights and priuileges of Embassadours were neuer violated by the course of Law but that I may vse his owne words by the way of fact and bitingly willed them not to vse him with more rigour than was vsed to the English Embassadour Throgmorton in France and to Tamworth and Randolph in Scotland who had raised sedition and openly maintained it and had not any other punishment but onely were commanded to depart within a time appointed When they vrged him with the testimonies of English men he with faire words requested them not to doe so since it was a long receiued custome which was growne to a Law as hee said That the testimonie of a Scot against an English man and of an English man against a Scot was not to bee receiued After much altercation whether this was to bee allowed but onely betweene the Borderers of both the Kingdomes and that also in matters of the borders and then whether the English Embassadors had raised and fostered rebellions Rosse was committed to the Tower of London where he was kept very close and answered in briefe to all the interrogatories with that caution and warinesse that his answers could hurt no body Hee excused the Queene of Scotland that she being a prisoner and in her best time and age could not but seeke all the meanes she could of libertie since Queene ELIZABETH excluded her from all accesse vnto her put her out of all hope of her libertie and openly maintained her aduersaries He excused the Duke that he had dealt nothing in the mariage with the Queene of Scotland but with the consent of most of the Queenes Councell neither that he could leaue her though hee had promised so to doe vnder his hand for that there had passed a mutuall repromission of future mariage betweene them before that time Lastly he excused himselfe that he being an Embassador could not without a great offence depart from his dutie and abandon his foueraigne Princesse in her affliction and aduersitie and that hee propounded the taking of Queene ELIZABETH for
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
thrust her into prison at Lochleuyn vnder the custodie of the mother of Murrey who had beene the Concubine of Iames the fift who most malapertly insulted ouer the calamitie of the imprisoned Queene boasting that shee her selfe was the lawfull wife of Iames the fift and that her sonne Murrey was his lawfull issue As soone as Queene Elizabeth vnderstood these things in her minde detesting this barbarous insolencie of Subiects whom she called oftentimes Traitors Rebels vnthankfull and cruell fellowes against a Princesse her sister and neighbour She sent Nicholas Throgmorton into Scotland to expostulate with the conspirators for this insolencie vsed against their Queene and to take some course how to restore her into her former libertie and for the seuere punishment of the murderers of the King and that the young King might be sent into England that order might bee taken for his securitie and not sent into France And what I shall hereafter declare during his abode in Scotland take yee vpon the credit of his letters which is approued He found the most part in Scotland incensed against the Queene who in plaine termes denied accesse vnto her both to him and also to Villeroy and Crocus the French Embassadors Yet could not the Conspirators agree among themselues what to doe with her Lidington and a few others would haue her to be restored vpon these conditions That the murderers of the King should bee punished according to Law The Princes safetie prouided for Bothwell diuorced and Religion established Others would haue her to bee banished for euer into France or into England So as the King of France or Queene of England did giue their words that she should resigne the Kingdome and transferre all her authoritie vnto her sonne and certaine Noble men Others were of opinion that shee should be arraigned publikely and condemned vnto perpetuall prison and her sonne crowned King Lastly others would haue her depriued both of her life and Kingdome by a publike execution And this Knox and some Ministers of the Word thundered out of their Pulpits On the other side Throgmorton out of the holy Scriptures brought many places to proue that obedience was to bee yeelded vnto the higher powers that carry the sword And wittily argued that the Queene was not subiect to the iudgement of any but onely of the celestiall Iudge That she could not be arraigned or brought to triall before any Iudge on the earth And that there is no Magistrate had any authoritie in Scotland which is not deriued from the authoritie of the Queene and reuocable at her pleasure They opposed the peculiar Law of the Kingdome among both the parties before the Commissioners at Yorke On the fifth day after the resignation Iames the Queenes young son was anointed and crowned King Iohn Knox making the Sermon The Hamiltons putting in a protestation that it should be no preiudice vnto the Duke of Chasteauleroy in the right of succession against the familie of Lennox But Queene ELIZABETH forbade Throgmorton to be present thereat that shee might not bee thought to allow the vniust abdicaâ—ion of the Queene by the presence of her Embassador On the twentieth day after the resignation Murrey himselfe returned out of France and the third day after he with many of the Conspirators came vnto the Queene against whom hee laid many hainous crimes and perswaded her to turne vnto God by true repentance and to aske mercie of him She shewed her selfe sorrowfull for the sinnes of her former life she confessed some things hee obiected others shee extenuated others shee excused by humane frailtie and the most matters shee vtterly denied Shee required him to take vpon him the gouernment of the affaires for her sonne and required him earnestly to spare her life and her reputation He said it lay not in his power but it was to bee sought for of the States of the Realme yet if shee desired to haue her life and honour saued hee prescribed these things for her to keepe That she should not trouble nor disturbe the tranquillitie of the Realme That she should not steale out of prison nor moue the Queene of England or the King of France to vex Scotland with forraigne or ciuill warre That she should not loue Bothwell any more or deuise to take reuenge on the enemies of Bothwell The Regent being proclaimed bound himselfe by his hand and seale to doe nothing concerning peace or warre the person of the King or his mariage or the libertie of the Queene without the consent of the Conspirators Hee willed Throgmorton by Lidington not to intreat any more for the Queene for that hee and the rest had rather endure all things than that she being freed should keepe Bothwell companie bring her sonne into danger her Countrie into trouble and also proscribe them We know said he what you English men can doe by warre You may waste our borders and we may yours we know assuredly that the French men in regard of our ancient league will not abandon and forsake vs. He denied also Ligneroll the French Embassador to haue accesse vnto the Queene vntill Bothwell was taken and euery day hee vsed the distressed Queene worse and worse whereas shee had deserued well at his hands and contrary to his promise hee had made vnto the King of France Thus much out of the Letters of Throgmorton Shortly after Murrey put to death Iohn Hepborne Paris a French man Daglish and the other seruants of Bothwell who had beene present at the Kings death But they which Murrey little expected at the Gallowes protested before God and the Angels that they vnderstood by Bothwell that Murrey and Mourton were the authors of killing the King and cleered the Queene from all suspition as Bothwell himselfe prisoner in Denmarke all his life time and at his death did with many solemne oathes and religious protestations affirme that the Queene was not priuie nor consenting to it And fourteene yeeres after when Mourton was to suffer death hee confessed that Bothwell dealt with him to consent vnto the murder of the King which when he vtterly denied except the Queene did command it vnder her hand To that Bothwell did answer that could not be done but that the deed must bee done without her knowledge This rash precipitate and ouer-hastie abdication or depriuation of the Queene and the ouerthwart stubbornnesse of the Conspirators towards the Embassadors both Queene ELIZABETH and the French King tooke very hainously as a thing tending to the reproach of royall Maiestie and began to fauour the Hamiltons who stood for the Queene Pasquier also Embassador from the French King dealt with the Queene of England that she might be restored by force of armes but shee thought it the better way to forbid the Scots all trafficke in France and England vntill shee was deliuered and so by that meanes the common people might bee disioned from the Noblemen who as it seemed were vnited in the conspiracie against the Queene Anno 1568. IN
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
the Queene to these conditions namely To acknowledge the Religion established in Scotland To submit themselues to the King and also to Mourton as his Regent and to his successors in the gouernment To renounce the authoritie of all others To account them Traitors by authoritie of Parlament that attempted any thing against the Religion the King or Regent That the sentence against the Hamiltons and the Gordons should be repealed c. But these conditions William Kircaldy Lord of Grange the Lord Hume Lidington and the Bishop of Dunkelden and others who thought the Queene of Scotland to be iniuriously vsed would vpon no termes admit but fortified the Castle of Edenburgh of which Grange was Captaine placed therein by Murrey looking for aid from France and the Duke of Alba but Sir William Drury being sent into Scotland with forces out of England to ioine with the Scots the same Castle was yeelded in the three and thirtieth day of the siege and so the Castle and all the prisoners were deliuered vnto the Regent who hanged Kircaldy without mercie spared Hume and others at the request of Queene ELIZABETH Lidington was sent to Lieth where he died not without suspicion of poison And to the end that England might also bee more secure from clandestine attempts at home on the behalfe of the Queene of Scotland Iohn Lesly Bishop of Rosse who very faithfully had serued his Queene yet with the destruction of many men and danger of more was deliuered out of prison and commanded to depart out of England and went into France fearing Southampton whom by his appeaching he had brought in danger and also Henry Howard the Duke of Norfolkes brother to mollifie whose anger hee wrote an Apologie He was scarce departed but his secret Letter-carrier Henry Cokin was taken and by him was Morgan detected who prompt to doe some exploit for the Queene of Scotland and desirous to haue done somewhat forthwith fled away Atsloe the Physitian for the Papists and Goad Doctors of Physicke and Francis Berty because they had secret commerce of letters with her were put certaine moneths in prison And for the same cause Henry Goodyer and Richard Louder were called into question In the meane while Rosse did not pretermit any part or dutie of a most faithfull subiect to the Queene of Scotland towards the Emperour the Pope the French King and the Catholike Princes of Germanie who euery one gaue good words and hopes but yet performed nothing And also the Duke of Alba in whom he put his greatest trust did at this time depart out of the Low-Countries to his great griefe Anno 1574. HEnry the third of that name King of France and his mother did all that they could by secret deuices to get the young King of Scotland into France and to get Mourton out of his office of Regent sending secretly Scots out of the French Guard for this purpose into Scotland which thing the Queene of Scotland desired much being perswaded that if her sonne were in France out of danger that shee and the Papists in England should be dealt withall more mildly For hereupon she thought it would come to passe that the faction in Scotland hitherto countenanced by the authoritie of the Kings name would decay and come to nothing and that the English men would feare him more and more as hee grew vp in yeeres as well from France as out of Scotland And as much did the French men wish the same secretly fearing lest the Regent of Scotland depending wholly on the English should dissolue the ancient league betweene the Scots and the French Yet when the Regent earnestly requested that a league of mutuall defence betweene England and Scotland might bee made hee was not heard perhaps for that he requested withall that an annuall pension might bee assigned vnto him and vnto certaine other Scots But they were heard who with a small suspicion touched the Queene of Scotland the Countesse and Earle also of Shrewsburie as though they had wrought a mariage betweene Charles Vncle vnto the King of Scotland vnto whom the King had lately in the Parlament confirmed the Earledome of Lennox and Elizabeth Candish daughter to the Countesse of Shrewsburie by her former husband without the Queenes knowledge For which cause the mothers of both them and others were kept in prison and all the fault was laid vpon the Queene of Scotland And when sundry suspicions grew of the intent and purpose of this mariage Henry Earle of Huntingdon was made Lord President of the Councell in the North with new and secret instructions concerning this matter Anno 1575. THis yeere died in Scotland the most Noble Lord Iames Hamilton Duke of Chasteauleroy and Earle of Arran who was the Grand-childes sonne of Iames the second King of Scotland by his daughter the Tutor of Queene MARIE of Scotland and Gouernour of the Kingdome and heire designed while she was in her minoritie At such time as he had deliuered her vnto the French men hee was made Duke of Chasteauleroy in France then chiefe of the three Gouernours of Scotland appointed by MARIE in her captiuitie Whose cause while he defended most constantly he being a plaine and well-meaning man was vexed with all manner of politike and craftie deuices by turbulent and vnquiet minded people Anno 1577. DOn Iohn d'Austria had made a perpetuall edict at Gaunt to giue satisfaction to the Estates of the Netherlands for their aggrieuances which the Prince of Orange vtterly condemning opportunely heard that Don Iohn intended to marrie the Queene of Scotland on which he willingly laid hold and forthwith certified Queene ELIZABETH thereof by Famier thereby to withdraw her minde from peace yet she as one ignorant thereof by Daniel Rogers shewed her gladnesse of the perpetuall edict of peace though now she had certaine knowledge that Don Iohn by the perswasion of the Earle of Westmerland and the English fugitiues and forward fauour of the Pope and the Guises had in hope swallowed that mariage and withall the Kingdomes of England and Scotland and had already appointed to surprize the I le of Man in the Irish Sea as a fit place to inuade England out of Ireland and the West borders of Scotland wherein the Queene of Scotland had many assured friends as also in the opposite side of England North-wales Cumberland Lancashire and Cheshire where most of the inhabitants were earnest Papists But indeed Don Iohn as wee haue learned of Perez Secretarie to the King of Spaine before now ambitiously minded when hee had lost the hope of the Kingdome of Tunise had dealt couertly with the Pope about the expulsion of Queene ELIZABETH the marrying of the Queene of Scotland and the conquest of England and vnknowne to Philip had preuailed so farre that the Pope as out of the care of the common good moued Philip to make warre against England and Don Iohn himselfe being to depart into the Low-Countries had prosecuted it earnestly in Spaine and afterwards by
That secret snares were so cunningly laid that whether they would or no they should bee brought within the compasse of treason and that they had no hope of safetie at home And to say the truth very craftie trickes and deuices were deuised and vsed to trie mens minds counterfeit letters vnder the names of the Queene of Scotland and the fugitiues couertly sent and left in the houses of Papists spies dispersed in euery place to hearken after rumours and to take aduantage of words bringers of tales whatsoeuer information they brought were receiued and entertained very many examined vpon suspicion and amongst them Henry Earle of Northumberland and his sonne Philip Earle of Arundel commanded to keepe his house and his wife deliuered vnto the keeping of Thomas Sherley William Howard brother to the Earle and Henry Howard their Vncle brother vnto the Duke of Norfolke oftentimes examined concerning letters from the Queene of Scotland from Charles Paget c. who escaped very narrowly for all his prudence and innocencie The Lord Paget and Charles Arundel being arriued in France were watched and obserued by Edward Stafford the Queenes Lieger Embassador with the French King but yet he could not finde out their purposes and practises Yet dealt he with the French King that they Morgan and other Englishmen plotting against their Prince and Countrey might be remoued out of France He was answered If they practised any thing in France that the King would punish them according to the Law that the King could not take knowledge and doe iustice on them if they bad plotted any thing in England That all Kingdomes are free vnto them that flie thither for succour that it behoueth all Kings euery one to defend and maintaine the liberties of his Kingdome and that Queene Elizabeth not long since had receiued into her kingdome Montgomery the Prince of Condee and other Frenchmen and that at this very time the Embassador of the King of Nauarre practising some plots lieth in England About such time as these things were done Bernardino de Mendoza Embassador for the King of Spaine in England passed in great secrecie into France fretting and fuming as if he had beene driuen violently out of England and the right of an Embassador thereby violated when he himselfe being a man of a violent and turbulent spirit abusing the sacred right of Embassade vnto treason was to be pursued as many were of opinion after the ancient manner of seueritie with fire and sword and commanded to depart out of the Kingdome for he medled and was accessary with the wicked plots of Throgmorton and others to bring in forraine power into England to dispossesse the Queene And when he was mildly reproued of those things he was so farre from wiping the obiections away with a modest answer that he re-charged againe the Queene and her Counsellors with their detention of the money of the Genowayes with the succours giuen vnto the Estates of the Netherlands and vnto the Duke of Aniou and vnto Don Antonio the Portugall and with the piracies and spoiles made by Drake Yet lest the King of Spaine should thinke that the lewd parts of Mendoza were not reuenged but the rights of an Embassador violated William Waad Clerke of the Counsell is sent into Spaine who should plainly informe him how badly he had discharged the office of an Embassador and withall should signifie lest the Queene in sending him away might seeme to renounce the ancient amitie betweene the Kingdomes that all kinde and friendly offices should be done on her part if he sent any other as his Embassador who was desirous and willing to conserue the amitie betweene them conditionally that the same courtesies might be shewne vnto her Embassadour in Spaine But when the King of Spaine would not vouchsafe to admit Waad vnto his speech but referred him to his Counsellors he taking it in euill part without feare spake openly that it was a most vsuall and receiued custome that Embassadors should be admitted to the presence of Princes euen by their enemies and in the time of the hottest warres And that Charles the fifth the Emperour father to the King of Spaine admitted to his presence the Herald who from the French King denounced warre against him and in plaine termes denied to acquaint the Counsellors with his errand And when Idiaques Secretary to the King of Spaine could by no policie get out of him what his message was at last he receiued all the matter from Mendoza lurking secretly in France Then he laying aside his publike person in familiar manner signified vnto Waad that he was very sorry that there were some who cunningly laboured to breake the amitie and to nourish discord betweene the Princes that wrong was done to the Catholike King himselfe not vnto his Embassadors first to Despes and now vnto Mendoza and that there was no cause why he should accuse vnto the King any more Mendoza who was sufficiently disgraced by his ignominious sending out of England or complaine that he was not admitted And that the Catholike King did no more but like for like since Mendoza had beene dismissed without audience and as she had referred Mendoza vnto her Counsellors so the King in like manner put him off vnto the Cardinall Granuellan When Waad answered that there was much difference betweene him who had neuer offended the Catholike King and Mendoza who had offended grieuously against the Queene and had a long time not vouchsafed to come vnto her and had committed things vnfitting an Embassadour Yet he could not be admitted and not being heard he returned home The most of the crimes which he was to obiect against Mendoza were taken out of the confession of Throgmorton Who being readie to be apprehended had secretly sent a deske wherein his secrets lay vnto Mendoza His other desks being narrowly searched there were found two Rolls or Lists in one of the which the names of the Hauens of England which were fit to land Forces in the other the names of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of England who professed the Roman Catholike Religion were written downe As soone as he saw them brought out and shewne to him he cried out often that he neuer saw them before and that they were foisted in to worke his destruction yea euen when he was examined vpon the racke but laid againe vpon the racke he denied not to answer vnto their Interrogatories Being asked of those Rolls or Catalogues and for what purpose they were written he made this historicall narration That he a few yeeres since going vnto the waters at the Spaw did consult and deuise with Ieney and Fra Inglefield how England might be inuaded and the forme of gouernment thereof altered and changed and vpon that reason that he set downe the names of the Hauens and of the Noblemen That Morgan by his letters had signified vnto him out of France that the Catholike Princes had now consulted and determined that England should be inuaded and the
out of common charitie whilest they feared not her but were fearefull of the other bound themselues in a certaine Association with their mutuall oathes subscriptions and seales to persecute with all their forces vnto death them who did attempt any thing against the Queene The Queene of Scotland who quickly vnderstood that a way was made by it to make her away wearie of her long miserie and fearing worse things propounded these things to the Queene and her Counsellors by Nauus her Secretarie If her libertie might be granted and that she might be assured of the sincere minde and loue of Queene ELIZABETH that she would binde her selfe in a most strict league of amitie with the Queene most dutifully honour and obserue her before all other Christian Princes forget all offences past acknowledge her the true and most rightfull Queene of England and that she would not challenge during her life any right vnto the Crowne of England nor practise anything against her directly or indirectly and vtterly to renounce the title and armes of England which she had vsed by the commandement of Francis her husband and also vnto the Bull of the Pope about her deposition and depriuation Yea and also enter into that Association for the securitie of the Queene and into a defensiue league sauing the ancient league betweene France and Scotland yet so that nothing be done in the life of the Queene or after her death which may be hurtfull vnto her her sonne and their heires in succession before they be heard in the Assemblie of the Estates of England For more assurance of these things that she will remaine as an hostage in England and if she may haue leaue to depart out of England that she will giue pledges Moreouer that she will alter nothing in Scotland so that the exercise of her religion be permitted only to her and her familie That she will for euer forget all the wrongs done her in Scotland but yet vnder that condition that the things published to her infamie may be repealed That she will commend vnto the King Counsellors which were desirous to keepe peace with England and would reconcile vnto him as much as lay in her the Noblemen that were fled into England if they would humbly acknowledge their fault and that the Queene gaue her word to giue aid vnto the King against them if at any time they fell or departed from their obedience That she would doe nothing about her sonnes mariage without the priuitie of the Queene and that she would not doe anything without the priuitie of her sonne so she requested that her sonne might be ioyned in this treatie whereby it may be made more strong She doubted not but that the King of France would be contented and binde himselfe by promise together with the Princes of the house of Lorraine for the performance of these agreements She also desired that these things might be answered with speed lest any thing might happen in the meane while to hinder it Lastly she earnestly desired that she might haue the fauour to haue more libertie that therein the loue of the Queene might appeare more euidently to her Out of these things as matters of much honour and dutie Queene ELIZABETH seemed to reioyce and it was then thought she was inclined to deliuer her although there were some in England who setting new feares before her eyes drew her from it But the matter being well followed and in a manner concluded was most of all hindered by the Scots of the contrary faction who exclaimed that Queene ELIZABETH was vtterly vndone if she were deliuered out of prison and both the Realmes would be vndone if she were ioyned with her sonne in the kingdome of Scotland and if the exercise of the Roman Religion were permitted vnto her if it were but in her Court And some of the Scottish Ministers in Scotland out of their Pulpits and in their meetings railed most vilely against their Queene they spoke ill of the King and his Counsellors and being commanded to appeare in person obstinately and contemptuously denied so to doe as if the Pulpits were exempted from the Kings authoritie and that Ecclesiasticall persons were not subiect to the King but to the Presbyterie directly against the lawes made this yeere in the Assemblie of the States in the which the Kings authoritie ouer all persons both Ecclesiasticall and Laicks was confirmed for euer viz. That the King and his Counsellors are competent Iudges in all causes and they who would not obey the same are to be accounted for Traitors The assemblies of Preâ—byteries as also those of Laicks as well generall as particular were prohibited as hauing arrogated without the Kings priuitie boundlesse authoritie and when they list of meeting together and of prescribing lawes vnto the King and vnto all the Realme And also the popular equalitie of Ministers was abrogated and the dignitie and iurisdiction were restored vnto the Bishops whose vocation the Presbyteries had condemned as Antichristian And the slaâ—derous writings against the King his mother and Counsellors were forbidden and by name the Historie of George Buchanan and his Dialogue De iure regni apud Scotos as those which containe many things fit to be corrected and blotted out of memory And also many men blamed Patrick Grey the Scottish Embassador in England as if he won by brâ—bes had babbled out much matter to the hurt of the King and his mother and had hindered that these most equall conditions propounded from the Kings mother and sent by Nauus were not admitted Whereupon shee hauing her patience oftentimes wronged fell into a grieuous sorrow and indignation and so great was her desire of libertie that she gaue her minde and eares as well vnto the treacherous counsell of her enemies as vnto the pernicious deuices of her friends And so much the more for that as she had perswaded her selfe that the Association was made to endanger her life so now she had an inkling that by the policie of some men she was to be taken away from the keeping of the Earle of Shrewsburie who being an vpright man did not fauour their plots and to be committed vnto new Keepers And that it might be done with a better colour and the credit of the Earle of Shrewsburie which was approued and well knowne might not seeme to be suspected for it was not thought good to call in question the reputation of so great a man which yet they had cracked by secret slanders vpon the finding fault of his vnreasonable wife suspicions were laid hold on as if the plot of getting her libertie had beene begun out of certaine Emblemes sent by some vnto her Those were Argus with many eyes lulled asleepe by Mercury playing tunes on his pipe with this little sentence ELOQVIVM TOT LVMINA CLAVSIT Another was Mercury striking off the head of Argus keeping Io. A graft or cyon engrafted in a stocke and bound with bands yet flourishing and written about it PER
VINCVLA CRESCO Another was a Palme tree much laden but rising againe with these words PONDERIBVS VIRTVS INNATA RESISTIT Also an Anagram VERITAS ARMATA out of her name MARIA STEVARTA the letters being transposed which was taken in the worse part Moreouer there were letters shewne as if they had beene intercepted in the which the friends of the Queene complained that all their hope was quite cut off if she was but put into the custodie of the Puritans Vnder this colour she was taken from Shrewsbury and committed to the custody of Amias Paulet and Drewgh Drury and that of purpose as some thinke that being driuen into desperation she might be more apt to take abrupt counsels and more easie to be intrapped For Sbrewsbury in all that fifteene yeeres had so prouidently kept her that there was no place left of plots from her or against her And now also she dealt more earnestly with the Pope and the King of Spaine by Francis Inglefield to hasten that which was begun and that with all expedition whatsoeuer became of her And Leicester who was thought to study how to deceiue the right owner of the succession secretly sent ruffians as many said to murther her But Drury an honest minded and vpright man detested the wickednesse from his heart and suffered them not to haue any accesse vnto her Yet some spies secretly crept in and there were closely sent as well counterfeit as true letters by which her womanish weaknesse might be thrust forward to her destruction as we will say hereafter And to turne quite away the loue of Queene ELIZABETH from her it was whispered in her eares that Allan for the Catholikes Ecclesiasticks of England and Inglefield for the Laicks and the Bishop of Rosse for the Queene of Scotland with common consent and with the consent of the Pope and the King of Spaine had decreed that Queene ELIZABETH was to be deposed from her Crowne and the King of Scotland was to be disinherited of the kingdome of England as manifest and open Heretiques the Queene of Scotland to be maried to some Catholike Nobleman of England he to be chosen King of England by the English Catholikes and the election to bee confirmed by the Pope The lawfull children of this man by the Queene of Scotland to be declared successors in the kingdome And all these things vpon the credit of Hart a Priest But who this Englishman should be Walsingham made diligent inquiry but he found not who he was But the suspicion fell vpon Henry Howard brother to the D. of Norfolke who was of the chiefe Nobility a single man and an earnest Roman Catholike and amongst them of great reputation and account Anno 1585. IN the beginning of this yeare was a Parliament holden at Westminster where the aforenamed Association was confirmed by the common consent of both the houses And it was enacted that foure and twenty or more of the Priuy Counsell and Nobility of the land chosen by the Queenes letters Patents might inquire of them who shall inuade the Realme raise rebellion or attempt to hurt or kill the Queenes person for any whosoeuer or by them whosoeuer who may challenge right vnto the crowne of England But he for whom or by whom they shall attempt shall bee made vtterly vncapable of the Crowne of England and shall be vtterly depriued of all right thereunto and shall be pursued euen vnto death by all the subiects if he shall be iudged and publikely declared by those foure and twenty men to be priuy to such an Inâ—asion rebellion or hurt There were also acts made against Priests and Iesuits to this effect That they should depart out of the Realme within X L. daies That for them who from thenceforth came into the Realme and staied it should be treason That they who knowing them to be such doe reâ—eeue receiue or helpe them should be fellons so they call all capitall offences vnder treason That they who are brought vp in the Seminaries if within six moneths after proclamation made they doe not returne and doe not make submission vnto the Queene before the Bishop or two Iustices of peace shall be guilty of treason But they who shall submit themselues if within ten yeeres they come vnto the Court or neerer it than ten miles their submission shall be void They whosoeuer shall send any money by any manner of meanes vnto the Students in the Seminaries shall incurre a Praemunire that is perpetuall imprisonment and losse of all their goods If any of the Peeres of the land that is to say Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons Lords of the Parliament shall offend against these lawes he shall be tried by his Peeres They who shall know any such Iesuits and others to lie hid in the Realme and shall not discouer them within twelue daies shall be fined at the Queenes pleasure and put into prison If any man be suspected to be a Iesuite or Priest and doe not submit himselfe vnto examination for his contempt he shall be imprisoned vntill he doe submit himselfe He that shall send his children or any others vnto the Seminaries and Colleges of the Roman profession shall lose and forfeit a hundred pounds of English money And they who are sent shall not succeed in their heritages nor enioy the goods that may fall vnto them by any manner of meanes And so shall they also who within a yeare after they returne home from the Seminaries except they doe conforme themselues vnto the Church of England If the keepers of hauens permit others beside Sailers Mariners and Merchants to passe ouer the sea without the Queenes licence or six of her Counsellors shall lose their places and the Masters of the ship who shall carry them oâ—t shall lose and forfeit their ships and goods and be imprisoned a whole yeere With the seuerity of these lawes the Roman Catholikes in England were very much terrified and amongst them Philip Howard Earle of Arundell eldest sonne vnto the Duke of Norfolke insomuch that he determined to depart out of the Land lest he should offend against them This man by the benignitie of the Queene was restored in bloud three yeeres before this time a little after he fell out of the Queenes fauor grace by the secret insimulation of some great Courtiers had secretly reconciled himselfe vnto the Romane religion and vsed a very austere life Hereupon he was once or twice called before the Counsell and cleared himselfe of the obiections laid to his charge but yet he was commanded to keepe his house After six moneths more or lesse he was discharged and came to the Parlament yet the first day when the Sermon was preached he stole couertly out of the company The Parlament being ended as being resolued to depart away out of the Land in his letters written vnto the Queene which yet he commanded to be deliuered after he was gone ouer he made a long and lamentable complaint of the enuie of his mighty aduersaries
cannot obtaine their request at thy hands SAFETIE it selfe cannot saue and preserue this Common-wealth and the Historians will publish to the succeeding age that the most cleere shining daies of England vnder Queene ELIZABETH ended in a loathsome euening or rather into an eternall darke night The posteritie will finde lacke of our prudence who which thing doth accumulate our miserie could see our euils and could not preuent them and will impute the masse of our miseries not so much to the malice of our aduersaries as to the carelesse and slothfull negligence of these times Let not the life of one Scottish woman praeponderate and be of more weight with thee than the vniuersall safetie of England Let there be no stay nor delay vsed in so great a matter for that forbearance and delay procureth danger neither let space and time be giuen vnto these wicked plotters and contriuers of mischiefe who now will seeke their last succour and helpe by bold and audacious aduentures and besides their impunitie will hope for a reward for their mischieuous action He that doth not beware to auoid a danger as much as he can doth tempt God more than trust in God All the dangers whatsoeuer hang ouer our heads from forraine Princes by her death will be taken away neither can they hurt England but by her What will and power soeuer the Pope hath to doe hurt will cease and come to nothing when shee is gone The King of Spaine hath no reason to be angry for that he himselfe for his owne security made away his only son Charles and at this time doth lie in wait to take away the life of Don Antonio the Portugal to serue his owne ambition The French doth religiously obserue and keepe the amitie with England and it also much concerneth his good that by the speedie death of the Scottish Queene the hopes of the Guises who relying and trusting vpon the hoped and future power of their Kinswoman doe now more insolently insult ouer their King The King of Scotland both by naturall affection and in respect of his honour may indeed be grieued or disquieted yet in his wisdome hee will expect rather to haue things long after with securitie than to haue things in ouer-much haste with danger And the nâ—erer hee is to his chiefest hope the futher forraine Princes will hold off from ioyning to helpe him for as much as it is familiar and ordinarie for them by one meanes or other to stop and hinder the increasing power of another Prince at the beginning They set before her eyes also domesticall examples for as much as that which is done by example deserueth the more to be excused How the Kings of England carried themselues toward their Cousins and Competitours for their owne securitie namely Henry the first toward Robert his eldest brother Edward the third or rather his mother toward Edward the second Henry the fourth toward Richard the second Edward the fourth toward Henrie the sixt and his sonne Edward Prince of Wales and toward his owne brother George Duke of Clarence Henry the seueuth toward the Earle of Warwick the young sonne of the Duke of Clarence Henry the eighth toward De la Pole Earle of Suffolke Margaret Countesse of Sarisburie and Courteney Marquesse of Exceter who euery one for smaller matters if the crimcs be compared were put to death and made away Neither did the Courtiers alone buzze these things into the Queens head but also some Preachers very earnestly and many of the CoÌ„mons also out of hope or fear exercised the fantasie of their brains and wits too saucily and malapertly in this Argument Amongst these pensiue thoughts which made the Queene so carefull and doubtfull that she delighted in solitarinesse and sate without any cheere and sometimes without speaking a word and oftentimes sighing would mutter to her selfe Either beare it or strike home and out of some obscure Embleme Kill lest thou be killed shee deliuered to Dauison one of her Secretaries letters signed with her hand that a Mandate should be made vnder the great Seale of England for the putting of her vnto execution which might be readie if any danger were readie to fall and commanded him not to communicate the matter to any man But on the next day she whilest feare did not allow her owne counsell changing her minde commanded Dauison by William Killigrew that the Mandate should not be made vp He forthwith came to the Queene and told her that the Mandate was made and sealed with the great Seale She chafing reproued him for making such haste neuerthelesse he communicated the Mandate and businesse vnto the Queenes Counsellors and perswadeth them who quickly beleeued that which they desired that the Queene commanded that it should be put in execution without delay Beale than whom there was none more euill affected vnto the Queene of Scotland for Religion is sent with one or two executioners and letters in the which authoritie is giuen vnto the Earles of Shrewsburie Kent Darby and Cumberland with others that she should be put to death according to the Lawes vnknowing to the Queene and although at that very time shee had signified vnto Dauison that shee would take another way and course about the Queene of Scotland yet he did not call Beale backe As soone as the Earles came to Fotheringhay they came to her with Amias Poulet and Drewgh Drury in whose custodie she was and signified the cause of their comming reading the Mandate and in few words admonished her to prepare her selfe vnto death for that shee was to die the next day Shee without feare and with a setled minde answered I did not thinke that Queene ELIZABETH my sister would haue consented vnto my death for I am not subiect vnto your Law but since it is otherwise death shall be vnto me most welcome neither is that soule worthy of the heauenly and euerlasting ioyes whose bodie cannot endure one blow of the hangman Shee requested that she might conferre with her Almoner her Confessor and with Meluin her Steward They in plaine termes denied her confessor to come vnto her and the Earles commended the Bishop or Deane of Peterburgh for to comfort her whom when shee had reiected the Earle of Kent being fiery hot in Religion turned vnto her and amongst other words broke out into these Thy life will be the destruction of our Religion as on the other side Thy death will be the life of the same Mention being made of Babington shee constantly and vtterly denied that shee knew of his plots left the reuenge vnto God And being demanded of that which was done by Nauus and Curlus she asked if euer it was heard that the seruants were suborned and admitted as witnesses to the death of their Masters When the Earles were departed shee commanded them to make haste with her supper that shee might set things better in order She supped sparingly and soberly as her manner was In supper time beholding her men
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
of displeasure I will lay it downe in few words laying aside the person of an Embassadour As soone as the Queene my Ladie and Mistresse was crowned you did vsurpe the title and armes of England which you did not take in the reigne of Queene MARIE Iudge you in your discretion if a greater wrong can bee offered vnto a Prince Such iniuries as this priuate men cannot disgest much lesse Princes But said she my husbands father and my husband himselfe would haue it done and commanded it to bee so After their decease when I was at mine owne hand I left off wholly both those armes and the title but yet I know not how it can be any wrong to the Queene if I also a Queene whose Grand-mother was eldest sister vnto Henry the eight doe beare these armes since others farther off than I bore them I am sure Courtney Marquesse of Exceter and the Duchesse of Suffolke Niece vnto Henry the eight by his younger sister did beare the armes of England with borders for a difference by a speciall fauour When these things did not satisfie Queene Elizabeth who was fully perswaded that shee put in delaies still vpon some more hopes since she had not proposed vnto the Estates of Scotland who had once or twice assembled since her husbands death any thing about the confirmation of the treatie She being vpon her way sent for Throgmorton againe vnto Abbeuille where shee courteously asked him how she might satisfie Queene Elizabeth in word or deed he said by ratifying the treatie of Edenburgh as I haue often said vnto whom shee said Now heare and iudge if there bee not most iust reasons which she calleth delaies and vaine excuses The first Article in it of ratifying the treatie of Chasteau Cambresy betweene England and France pertaineth nothing vnto me The second of ratifying the treaty betweene England and Scotland was ratified by my husband and mee neither can it bee ratified againe when my husband is expressedly named in it The Articles 3 4 and 5. are already performed for the preparations for warre are ceased The French Souldiers are called backe out of Scotland and the Fortresse of Aymouth is demolished I haue not borne nor vsed the title nor armes of England since my husbands death It is not in my power to put them out of the houshold stuffe buildings and Letters patents through France as it is not in my power to send into England the Bishop of Valence and Randan who are not my subiects to dispute about the sixth Article And for the last Article I hope my seditious subiects shall not haue cause to complaine of my seueritie But as I perceiue she will preuent me by stopping my returne that they shall not haue triall of my clemencie what remaineth now in this treatie which may be wrong to the Queene Yet that I may giue her satisfaction more abundantly I will write larger Letters of this businesse with mine owne hand though shee doth not vouchsafe to write backe vnto me but by her Secretarie But I pray you my Lord Embassador doe the part of an Embassador that is rather mollifie than exasperate the matter But yet Queen Elizabeth was not satisfied with these letters in whose minde the iniurie for the vsing of the armes and title of England was deeply imprinted and still shee was afraid lest shee should challenge them againe if shee were not bound and tied thereto by the confirmation of the treatie and the religion of an oath In the meane while the Q of Scotland getting a good gale of wind departed from Calice and in a foggie mist passing by the English ships which some thought were sent to Sea to conuey her with honour others to suppresse Pirates and as others said to intercept and take her arriued safe in Scotland For Iames the Bastard very lately returning by England had secretly willed Queene Elizabeth to take her by the way if she had a desire to prouide for Religion and her owne securitie And Lidington being glad that d'Oysell was detained in England perswaded it also Shee being returned into Scotland vsed her subiects with all courtesie changed not their religion though it had beene brought in by tumults and beganne to settle the common wealth by enacting good Lawes But vnto Queene Elizabeth shee sent Lidington with her owne and the letters of the Scottish Nobilitie in the which shee promised all care to make and conserue amitie with her and requested that a certaine forme of peace might bee made betweene England and Scotland and that there was none more certaine than if Queene Elizabeth if shee should haue no issue would declare her by the authoritie of Parliament the next heire to succeed her in the Realme of England This thing seemed strange vnto Queene Elizabeth who looked for the confirmation of the treatie of Edenburgh promised by word and by her hand writing yet she answered As concerning the succession shee hoped the Queene of Scotland would not by violence take her Crowne away from her and her children if she had any shee promised not to derogate any thing of her right vnto the Crowne of England although she had claimed the title and armes of England through the too much hastie ambition of other men for which iniurie it was meet that she made satisfaction By setting downe her successor shee feared lest their friendship should bee rather disseuered than consolidated for that vnto men established in gouernment their successors are alwaies suspected and hated the people such is their inconstancie vpon a dislike of present things doe looke after the rising Sunne and forsake the Sunne setting and the successors designed cannot keepe within the bounds of Iustice and truth their owne hopes and other mens lewd desires Moreouer if she should confirme the succession vnto her shee should thereby cut off the hope of her owne securitie and being aliue hang her winding-sheet before her owne eies yea make her owne funerall feast aliue and see the same After shee had answered these things thus shee did againe sending her letters vnto her by Peter Mewtas mildly will her to confirme the treatie Neither did the other directly denie it but insinuated that shee could not doe it vntill shee had set the affaires of Scotland in good order Anno 1562. MArgaret Countesse of Lynnox Niece to King Henry the eight by his eldest sister was deliuered as prisoner to Richard Sackuill and her husband the Earle of Lennox was assigned vnto the Master of the Rolls in the like manner for that hee had secret intelligence by letters with the Queene of Scots in which custodie both of them were kept a good space Not long after Henry Sidney was sent vnto the Queene of Scots whose message was that the enteruiew which he had desired to haue with Queene Elizabeth might bee put off vnto the next yeere or vntill the French warres were waxen colder At this time it was consulted whether it was for any good purpose that these two
Princesses should come vnto an enteruiew or conference For that the Queene of Scotland required it bred a suspition that she did it for some commoditie or benefit and to espie some aduantage either to strengthen her right in England or else to giue a hope and erect the minds of the Papists in England and her Cousens the Guises in France On the other side others thought hereby a most firme amitie might bee concluded betweene them the league betweene the French and the Scots weakened by little and little and the Queene of Scots wonne by faire words vnto the Religion of the Protestants Others noted that out of such enteruiewes or conferences grew the seeds rather of emulation than of loue when one should hate and repine at the ostentation of the others brauerie wealth and power and for that many times the presence and view is not answerable vnto report and opinion and so of the comelinesse of the body of the beautie of the face and of the gifts of the minde And that one might haue cause and occasion to finde fault with the other Neither did the Queene of Scotland thinke it safe to deliuer her selfe into the hands of Queene Elizabeth with whom she had contended for the right of the Kingdome It made her to stagger and to doubt in the matter and also to which side to incline and sway when shee heard that Queene Elizabeth stood openly for the Protestants in France whilest she considered as shee wrote her selfe that shee came by her father from the English bloud and by her mother from the French that shee was crowned Queene and Dowager of France and the most rightful Heire of England and withall expected the Kingdome thereof That shee was much indebted vnto her Vncles in France which had brought her vp and that shee much desired the loue of Queene Elizabeth Yet she feared such was her piercing vnderstanding lest if shee ioined her selfe with her in a very strict kinde of amitie she might procure the euill will of the French King be abandoned by her Vncles and lose her dowrie out of France by preferring the vncertaine friendship of Queene Elizabeth which to vse her owne words passed not beyond the person before the certaine loue of the French Hereupon the conference which had beene treated of many moneths and the Articles also drawne came to nothing especially when shee by her letters did vtterly refuse to come vnto the enteruiew except she might be designed heire apparant of England by authoritie of Parliament or else bee adopted by Queene Elizabeth to be her daughter to lay a foundation of a most certaine peace and vnion of both the Realmes so often desired If these things were granted she promised to addict her selfe wholly to Queene Elizabeth yea and not to respect and regard her Vncle 's the Guises Also in these lettes shee insinuated that shee vrged these things the more vehemently for that shee had heard that many did secretly deuise to set in another successor and that onely for the cause of Religion though shee did tolerate in Scotland the Religion of the Protestants But when the Cardinall of Lorraine at the same time dealt with the Emperour Ferdinand that shee might marrie with his sonne Charles the Archduke who then sued vnto Q. Elizabeth for mariage Queene Elizabeth threatned her by Thomas Randolph that if shee did consent vnto the Cardinall the mortall enemie of England about that mariage both that the amitie betweene England and Scotland might be dissolued and perhaps she excluded from her hope of the Realme of England and if she would not misse thereof she in friendly manner willed her to choose such a husband in England in whose choice shee might principally giue her selfe content and then giue satisfaction to her owne Subiects and also to the English men in the conseruation of the peace and make the way smoother and plainer vnto her assured succession in England which cannot bee published and made knowne vntill it was certainly knowne whom she would take to her husband Anno 1563. WHen in the heat of the ciuill warres of France the Duke of Guise Vncle vnto the Q. of Scotland was slaine her dowrie out of France was not paid Hamilton D. of Chasteauleroy was depriued of his Duchie and the Scots were displaced from the Captainship of the Guard which things she tooke in very euill part The Cardinall of Lorraine another of her Vncles fearing lest hereupon she leauing the French should cleaue vnto the amitie of England he proposed againe by Crocus the mariage with Charles d' Austria offering to her the Countie of Tyrole for her dowrie Shee acquainted Queene Elizabeth with the matter who by Randolph gaue her those former admonitions about the choosing of a husband as I haue said before and then in plainer termes commended Robert Dudley whose wife being the heire of Robsert was killed a good while since by falling downe a paire of slaires and promised that if shee would marrie him she should be declared by the authoritie of Parliament sister or daughter heire apparant of England if she died without issue As soone as the Queene mother her Vncles heard this by Foixius the French Embassador in England they did so disdaine the mariage with Dudley as altogether vnequall vnworthy to match in a royall stocke and linage as they promised not onely to pay her dowrie but also to restore vnto the Scots all their former liberties and morelarge also if she would persist firmely in the friendâ—hip of France and refuse the mariage offered vnto her and also they suggested and put in her head that Queene Elizabeth did propose this mariage not seriously but colourably as though shee had assigned Dudley for her owne husband And that there was no cause why she should put any trust or confidence in the authoritie of a Parliament since that in England one Parliament may repeale that which another hath enacted Moreouer that the purposes of the English men were no other but by one meanes or other to keepe her alwaies from mariage But yet she referred this matter vnto conference being wonderfully vexed and troubled at home when Murrey cast into prison the Archbishop of Saint Andrewes because he abstained not from saying Masse vnto whom shee hardly got pardon with shedding of teares And the hot spirited Ministers of the Church bolstered by the authoritie of Murrey offered violence without any controlment vnto a Priest who had said Masse in the Court which was permitted by the Law Neither was shee able to represse the tumultuous persons though shee applied all her minde about the good of the common wealth by granting a generall pardon increasing the fees or wages of the Iudges by making wholsome Lawes as making Adulterie to bee death and sitting herself in iudgement thereby to make by Law the highest equall with the lowest Anno 1564. IN this yeere Queene Elizabeth created Robert Dudley Master of her Horse a man in high fauour with
subiects according to the times expressed in their licence The father excused himselfe most modestly in his letters the sonne desired that she would not be against his preferment insinuated that it may be that he may be profitable to his deare Countrie of England and openly professed himselfe a louer and honourer of the Queene of Scotland aboue all others who to giue correspondencie to his loue first made him Knight and afterward Lord Aâ—â—â—â—och Earle of Rosse and Duke of Rothsay and the fift moneth after his comming into Scotland tooke him to her husband with the consent of the most of the Noble men and proclaimed him King Murrey who applied all his wit to his owne priuate ambition and vnder the goodly pretence of Religion had drawne in the Duke of Chasteauleroy an honest minded man vnto his side fretting and others raising tumults and arguing these questions Whether a Papist was to be receiued to be their King Whether the Queene of Scotland might choose her selfe a husband at her owne election Whether the Noblemen of the Land might not by their authoritie appoint her a husband The Queene of England who knew the milde nature of Darly and the plaine and honest minde of the father taking compassion of the young man her Cousin and of the Queene a young woman also who had to deale with most turbulent persons who being aboue this twentie yeeres loosed from the gouernment of Kings could not now endure any Kings tooke it more quietly Neither had she any feare of them when she saw the power of the Queene her aduersarie not increased by that meane match and had the mother of Darly in her hand and foresaw that troubles would arise hereupon in Scotland which began incontinently for many Noblemen of Scotland as Hamilton and Murrey chafing fretting at the mariage this man for that the mariage was made without the consent of the Queene of England the other vpon a spight or priuie malice against the familie of Lennox but both of them vnder the pretext of the conseruation of Religion displaied their banners in manner of warre to disturbe the mariage so that the Queene was of necessitie enforced to leuie forces that the mariâ—â—â— might be celebrated with securitie and then she did so fiercely pursue the rebels by the helpe of the King her husband that she made them flie into England before the bands of English men promised to them could come but the Queene of England did couertly grant a lurking place vnto Murrey who was wholly addicted vnto the English and secretly maintained him with money by Bedford vntill hee returned into Scotland which was the day after the murder of Dauid Rizius The causes which Queene Elizabeth alleadged why shee admitted Murrey and the Scottish rebels into England were for that the Queene of Scotland had receiued Yaxley Standen and Welsh English fugitiues into Scotland and receiued O-Neale a great man of Ireland into her protection had intelligence with the Pope against England and had not done iustice on the theeues on the borders and on Pirates Queene Elizabeth not forgetfull of the Scottish affaires a moneth or two after the mariage sent Tamworth a Gentleman of her priuie Chamber vnto the Queene of Scotland to warne her not to violate the peace and to expostulate with her for her hastie marriage with the natiue subiect of England without her consent and withall to request that Lennox and Darly might be sent backe into England according to the league and that Murrey might be receiued againe into fauour Shee smelling his arrand admitted him not to her presence but in articles deliuered in writing promised in the word of a Prince that neither shee nor her husband would attempt any thing to wrong the Queene of England or her children lawfully begotten or the quiet of the Realme either by receiuing fugitiues or by making league with strangers or by any other meanes yea most willingly that they would make such league with the Queene and Realme of England which might be profitable and honourable for both the Realmes neither that they would innouate any thing in the Religion Lawes and liberties of England if at any time they should possesse the Kingdome of England yet vpon this condition that Queene Elizabeth would fully performe this thing on her part toward her and her husband viz. by Parlament establish the succession of the Crowne of England in her person and her lawfull issue and if that failed in Margaret Countesse of Lennox her husbands mother and her children lawfully begotten As for the other things shee answered That shee had acquainted the Queene with her mariage with Darly as soone as she was fully determined to marie him and had receiued no answer from her That she had satisfied the Queenes demands forasmuch as she had not married a stranger but an English man borne who was the noblest in birth and most worthiest of her in all Britaine that she knew But it seemed strange that she might not keepe with her Darly whom shee had maried or not keepe Lennox in Scotland who was a natiue Earle of Scotland As for Murrey whom she had tried to bee her mortall enemie shee in faire words besought her to leaue her subiects vnto her owne discretion since that she did not intermeddle in the causes of the subiects of England With this answer Tamworth returned not respected as he thought according to his estate and place for to say the truth the malapert fellow had touched the reputation and credit of the Queene of Scotland with I know not what slander and had not vouchsafed to giue her husband the title of King Anno 1566. IN Iune the Queene of Scotland in a happie houre and to the perpetuall felicitie of Britaine was deliuered of her sonne Iames who is now the Monarch of Britaine which shee signified forthwith vnto Queene Elizabeth by Iames Meluin Who although she was grieued at the heart that the honour to bee a mother was borne away before her by her aduersarie yet she sent Henry Killigrew incontinently to congratulate with her for her safe deliuerance and the birth of a sonne And to will her not to fauour any more Shane O-Neale then rebelling in Ireland nor to entertaine Christopher Rokesby fled out of England and to punish certaine theeues vpon the borders Shortly after the estates of the Realme in the Parlament holden at London moued the Queene earnestly to marry and to set downe and nominate her successor but she by no meanes could be drawne to it Yet that it might appeare to the world whom shee thought most rightfull successor shee cast into prison Thornton the Reader â—f the Law at Lincolnes Inne in London at that time of whom the Queene of Scotland had complained that he in his reading had called into question and made a doubt of the right of her succession The time being come for the baptizing of the Prince of Scotland the Queene of England being requested to be Godmother
pittie of Queene ELIZABETH was vnfained or not is not knowne But certaine it is the Councellors of England did enter into a mature deliberation what should be done with her If she should be kept still in England they feared that she which had an alluring eloquence would daily draw to her part many more to fauour the right shee pretended vnto the Crowne of England who would kindle her ambition and leaue nothing vnattempted to purchase the Kingdome for her That forraigne Embassadors would helpe and assist her purposes and that then the Scots would not faile her when they saw such a faire prey Moreouer the fidelitie of keepers was vncertaine and if she should die in England by sicknesse it would giue occasion of slander and the Queene should bee vexed and turmoiled euery day with new molestations If shee should bee sent into France they feared lest her Cosen 's the Guises would againe pursue the right and claime shee made vnto England vpon a conceit and opinion that she could doe much in England with some for Religions sake with others by the probabilitie of the right whereof I speake and with many vpon a mad desire of innouation Besides that the friendship betweene Scotland and England which is very profitable might be broken and the ancient league betweene France and Scotland renewed which might be more dangerous than in former times when Burgundy was tied vnto England in a stricter league than at this present England hauing now no assured friends but the Scots If shee should be sent backe into Scotland they feared lest the English faction should bee put out of authoritie the French faction raised to the gouernment of affaires the young Prince expoled vnto danger the Religion in Scotland changed the French and other forrainers brought in Ireland more vexed and annoied by the Irish Scots and she her selfe brought into danger of her life by her aduersaries at home Hereupon most of them thought best to detaine her as a lawfull prize and not to bee let goe vntill she had satisfied for the challenging the title of England and answered for the death of DARLY her husband who was a natiue Subiect of England for the mother of DARLY the Countesse of Lennox long since blubbered with teares in her owne name and her husbands also had made a grieuous complaint against her and had besought Queene ELIZABETH that shee might bee arraigned for the death of her sonneâ—â— but shee comforting her with courteous words willed her not to lay such a crime vpon so great a Princesse her nearest Cousin wich could not be proued by any certaine euidence That the times were malicious and vniust spight blinde which doth lay crimes vpon innocent persons but that Iustice which is the punisher of offenders was open eied and sitteth by God On the other side the Lord Herris humbly besought the Queene not to beleeue rashly any thing against the truth against the Queene vnheard and that in Scotland Murrey should not precipitate the Parlament to the preiudice of the expulsed Queene and to the destruction of good Subiects Which though shee vrged exceedingly yet Murrey in the Kings name held the Parlament attainted many that stood for the Queene spoiled and destroied their houses and possessions Hereupon the Queene of England being moued with indignation signified by Midlemore vnto the Regent in bitter words That shee could not endure that by a most pernicious example vnto Kings the sacred authoritie of royall Maiestie should be contemned by Subiects and trodden vnder foot at the pleasure of factious people And howsoeuer they had forgotten the dutie and allegeance of Subiects toward their Princesse yet she could not forget any duty or office of good will and pietie towards her sister and neighbour Queene Therefore it was best for him then to come himselfe or else to giue commission vnto fit and apt men for this businesse who should make answer vnto the complaints of the Queene of Scotland against him and his complices and also yeeld iust reasons for their depriuation of her if hee did not that shee would set her at libertie forthwith and restore her to her Kingdome with all the power she could make And withall willed him not to sell away the Queenes apparell and precious ornaments though the Estates had permitted the same Murrey did as she willed him since he had depended vpon no other place but onely vpon England for this course of his fickle gouernment and the Noblemen of the Realme refused to bee sent on that message To Yorke therefore the place appointed for the meeting came hee himselfe and seuen of his dearest and most familiar friends as Commissioners for the King infant namely Iames Earle of Mourton Adam Bishop of Orkeney Robert Commendator of Dunfermellin Patricke Lord Lindsey Iames Mangill Henry Balnaw and Lidington whom Murrey with faire promises enticed to come with him fearing to leaue him at home and George Buchanan one that would sweare it if Murrey spake it accompanied them The same very day came thither Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Thomas Ratcliff Earle of Sussex a little before made President of the North and Sir Ralph Sadleir Knight one of the priuie Councell appointed Commissioners to heare the cause of the depriuation for the Queene of Scotland who tooke it most vnkindly that Queene ELIZABETH would not heare her to speake and yet commanded her Subiects to be heard against her before Commissioners forasmuch as shee being an absolute Prince could not be bound to answer but at pleasure vnto her Subiects accusing her There appeared Iohn Leslie Bishop of Rosse William Lord Leuingston Robert Lord Boyde Gawen Commendator of Kilwiming Iohn Gordon and Iames Cocburne for her When they were met on the seuenth day of October and shewed each one to the other their Letters Patents of their Commission Lidington standing vp and turning to the Scots with a wonderfull bold speech admonished them Forasmuch as it should seeme by the Commission granted to the English men that the Queene of England had no other purpose but that they should defame disgrace and discredit the reputation and good name of their Queene mother to their King and that shee as an vmpire and Iudge should giue sentence that they should consider with themselues discreetly what hate and danger they might draw vpon themselues by accusing her of crimes and bringing her in danger and losse of reputation in this iuridicall and publike forme before English men the professed enemies of the Scottish Nation not onely with the Scots that loued the Queene buâ— also with other Christian Princes and her Cousins in France and what reason they could yeeld for this insolent accusation not without the wrong of the Scottish Kingdome vnto the King when he being riper in yeeres shall thinke this action a reproach and dishonour to himselfe his mother and his Countrie also Therefore he thought it most fit to leaue off the odicus accusation of so great a Princesse except the Queene
body able to discharge the most weightie matters of Estate But this is most certaine that the Earle of Athold Tullibardin and Lidington who were also of their counsell did will her to subscribe vnto the Letters Patents of the resignation that she might auoid death assuredly intended and that this would be no wrong nor barre to the prisoner or her heires forasmuch as prison is a iust feare and a promise made by a prisoner by the opinion of the Lawyers is of no force and vtterly void And that Nicholas Throgmorton did perswade her to the same by a schedule written with his owne hand whom she also requested to signifie vnto the Queene of England that she had subscribed by coaction and against her will Moreouer that Lindsey when he brought the Letters Patents of the Cession to bee subscribed threatned her with death and draue her by force to subscribe vnto it which shee neuer read the teares running downe from her eies And that the Lord of the Castle of Lochleuyn refused to subsigne it as a witnesse because he saw and knew for certaine that shee subscribed against her will Also that resignation and renunciation is most vniust in which nothing is assigned vnto her whereon shee may liue nor libertie granted nor securitie of life promised So that to men of indifferencie such like vniust resignation cannot seeme to preiudice her royall Maiestie which as soone as she was free at libertie openly declared she did it by compulsion making a Declaratorie thereof before many Noblemen of the Realme Neither ought those things which they brag they did by the authoritie of Parlament be any preiudice vnto the Queene for where in the Parlaments of Scotland about an hundred Earles Bishops and Barons haue their voices in this tumultuarie Parlament there were present no more but foure Earles one Bishop onely one or two Abbots and six Barons and of that small number some did put in a protestation that nothing should be done to the wrong of the Queene or her successors because she was a captiue Neither were the Embassadors of England nor France admitted to know of her whether she resigned her Kingdome voluntarily although they made earnest suit sundry times And that it is so vntrue that the vsurping Regent hath iustly administred the Common-wealth it is most apparant that impietie did neuer reigne more and with lesse controlment in throwing downe Churches ruinating worshipfull families and afflicting the miserable commonaltie Therefore they request earnestly that the Queene of England would speedily helpe the Queene her Cousin most vniustly and vilely oppressed with her fauour aduice helpe and assistance Thus much out of the originall copies of the Commissioners written with their owne hands which I haue seene When the English Commissioners had heard these things they required that Murrey should produce and proue more sound causes of this great seueritie vsed against an absolute Queene Forasmuch as whatsoeuer had beene hitherto shewed was not strengthened with witnesse but with letters of small credit and Lidington had insinuated that hee had oftentimes counterfeited the Queenes hand He refused to accuse his sister any further before strangers except the Queene of England did repromise to vndertake the protection of the Infant King and vtterly to relinquish the Queene of Scotland When they by the authoritie of their Commission could not promise it one or two of either part are sent for vnto London vnto whom Queene ELIZABETH declared That shee could not yet cleere the subiects from fault against their Princesse yet that shee would intreat her for them and heare if they had any thing else to say for their excuse Murrey who followed them in plaine termes refused to accuse his sister but vpon the condition he had spoken of at Yorke Then were the Commissioners called backe and put out of Commission the Duke being glad at his heart who had alwaies fauoured the Queene of Scotlands right in the matter of succession and thought that all this doing was nothing but to brand her with the marke of eternall infamie and thereupon to exclude her as an vnworthy person with her little sonne of all her right of succession in England And hee thought hee had thereby escaped two perils for he feared if he had pronounced against her hee should doe against his conscience and vndoe her for euer and if hee spake for her lest hee should incurre the implacable indignation of the Queene and the hate of all them that loued her not for Religions sake But whereas at that time the affaires of Scotland were much troubled by the friends of the expulsed Queene and the presence of Murrey was needfull there he began his accusation before the Queene Bacon Keeper of the great Seale the Duke of Norfolke the Earles of Arundell Sussex and Leicester Clinton Lord Admirall William Cecill and Ralph Sadleir Commissioners appointed by new Letters Patents and produced Articles standing vpon coniectures the testimonies of some men and the decrees made in the Parlament but especially certaine amatorie Epistles and Verses written as he said with the Queenes hand to proue her priuie to the death of her husband and Buchanans booke called the Detection hee gaue them to reade which was of small credit with the greater part of the Commissioners because hee was one of that side and wonne by money to write But as for the Epistles and Verses which wanted names subscriptions and notation of the time since that there bee euery where many forgers which can so cunningly imitate and counterfeit other mens hands that hardly the true can be knowne from the false Queene ELIZABETH gaue small credit though there was womanly priuie hatred which carrieth away that sex farre from the right betweene them and shee was well content that some blot of reproach by this accusation was left and remained on the Queene of Scotland But when her Commissioners heard that shee was contumeliously accused by Murrey they were most ready to answer but shee being secretly instructed by many English Lawyers that it was lawfull so to doe forasmuch as the former authoritie and Commission giuen to the Duke and others was abrogated had already taken away their Commission and shee in plaine termes refused the new English Commissioners of whom one or two shee thought to wish her no good but rather ill except the French and Spanish Embassadors might be added vnto them and she herselfe might be publikely admitted to defend her innocencie before the Queene and Murrey detained and brought to triall whom she affirmed might be proued to bee the contriuer of the murder of DARLY Which things when Norfolke Arundell Sussex Leicester and Clinton thought not to be vniust Queene Elizabeth somewhat angry said openly that the Scottish woman should neuer want an Aduocate as long as Norfolke liued and thought it enough to impart the crimes obiected by Murrey vnto euery one of the priuie Councell and also vnto the Earles of Northumberland Westmerland Shrewsburie Worcester Huntington and
vngratefull vnto his sister the Queene that deserued well at his hands and insulted ouer her womanly weaknesse And these men out of their suspitions and the lewd disposition of many bastards did ghesse and coniecture as though he would not haue spared the sonne hauing already depriued the mother of her Crowne The Queene of Scotland her selfe was very sory that he was taken away by that sudden and violent death before as she said he had purged his sinnes against God his Countrie and Princesse by hearty penitencie But all the English men that fauoured the Duke of Norfolke accused him as farre as they durst for a craftie and false deceiuer The Noblemen of Scotland who stood for the King not admitting the Hamiltons and the rest who had stood for the depriued Queene being to meet for the â—lection of a new Regent required the aduice of Queene ELIZABETH Shee answered shee would not meddle in the creation of a Regent lest shee should seeme to preiudice the Queene of Scotland whose cause was not yet decided and iudged But they chose Matthew Earle of Lenox the Kings Grandfather Regent Queene ELIZABETH being not discontent with it for she knew that hee would bee very louing vnto his young Nephew out of naturall affection and kinde vnto the English men in regard of the benefits he had receiued at their hands And she did not doubt but hee would bee at her becke since shee had his wife in her hands Whiles Queene ELIZABETH shewed fauour thus vnto the Kings side in Scotland the King of Spaine did not abandon the Queene captiue but by the meanes of Hamilton Rector of the Church of Dunbar he sent secretly out of the Low-countries great store of Armour and Gun-powder and seuen great peeces of Ordnance and some money vnto Huntley the Gouernour of the North part of Scotland for the Queene In this while he the Duke of Chasteauleroy and the Earle of Argile Lieutenants of the Queene by a common consent and with the consent also of the Queene sent George Lord Seton Embassador vnto the Duke of Alba who declared his message vnto him in these words That hee was sent out of a Kingdome depriued of publike peace and of a worthy Princesse through the trecherie of disloyall subiects and that the substance of his Embassage consisted on these points That aid may bee giuen vnto them whereby the Queene may bee redeemed out of miserable captiuitie in a forraine land and the Realme deliuered from the oppression of strangers That the Scottish rebels might bee forbidden to trafficke in the dominions of the King of Spaine And that the 10000. Crownes assigned by him to the Queene of Scotland might bee paid The Duke of Alba answered That hee would bee ready and willing to further this her cause vpon all occasions vnto the King of Spaine but that he could not prohibit the trafficke of the Scottish rebels because it was contrarie to the libertie of the Low-Countries and promised that he would disburse the money very shortly for her vse In the meane time the Lord Seton the more to purchase the fauour of the King of Spaine and the Duke of Alba went in disguised apparell vnto the States and drew many of the Scots that serued them vnto a reuolt by faire words good cheere and such like enticements And when he was at the point to bee put to the torture he hardly and with great danger of his life escaped vnto the Duke of Alba who promised to pay ten thousand Souldiers for halfe a yeere but in vaine because hee could not send ouer the Souldiers into Scotland the warres were so hot in the Low-Countries In the meane time the Bishop of Rosse who had followed the businesse of the Queene with good discretion and was committed vnto the custodie of the Bishop of London because he had secretly kindled the rebellion in the North being now deliuered brought to passe that the French King by his Embassadour to wit Montluc dealt very earnestly with Queene Elizabeth about the deliuerance of the Queene of Scotland who complained very much that shee was kept straiter in prison and that also vnder the Earle of Huntingdon her professed enemie and competitor since hee as openly made claime vnto the right of the Kingdome of England as she did The same also was vrged exceedingly by the King of Spaines Embassadour in his Kings name The Queene made answer after shee had rehearsed the craftie purposes and deuices of sundry men for the deliuerie of the Queene of Scotland who as she closely insinuated was priuie to the late rebellion that it would be great inconsideration and dangerous folly to let her goe at libertie who doth aspire so openly by such euill courses vnto the Kingdome of England That of necessitie shee was enforced to keepe her straighter in prison to send away many of her seruants from her whom shee had drawne thither in great number and to ioine the Earle of Huntingdon in whom she did acknowledge no right vnto the Kingdome but some kindred with her vnto the Earle of Shrewsburie whom she had appointed to be her keeper who long since began to suspect and distrust the fidelitie of some of his seruants and had perceiued many of them daily wonne to fauour the Queene of Scotland yet that the Earle of Huntingdon had beene remoued from her a good while since Moreouer she promised that she would omit nothing shee can doe to make an end and a composition betweene the Queene and the Scots and protested that shee will not reuenge the wrongs she hath receiued at her hands But yet shee hoped that the Kings of Spaine and France and the Queene of Scotland also will giue her leaue to make prouision for the tranquillitie both of her selfe and her subiects which nature reason and her honour doe claime at her hands If any of them shall deuise any better and more euident meanes to auoid perill and danger that shee would with a good will heare and embrace the same After these things the priuie Councell of England sate oftentimes and consulted whether it was best that she were sent backe vnto her owne subiects or kept still in England and what courses were best to be taken for the best preseruation of the Kingdome the Queene and Religion About which time Pope Pius Quintus had caused his Bull or Sentence Declaratorie against Queene ELIZABETH the pretensed Queene of England and the Heretikes aduering vnto her I vse the very words thereof wherein also all her subiects were declared to bee absolued from their oath of fidelitie and all other dutie c. And they that afterward obeyed her were ex communicated which was dated the fiue and twentieth day of Februarie in the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred threescore and nine to be fixed on the gates of the Palace of the Bishop of London in the night Hereupon suspitions increased that some dangerous matter was in working And forthwith another rebellion was about
Ballard and taking of him he laieth it vpon Young that cunning hunter out of Romanists and as it were in friendship secretly aduised him to take heed of such fellowes and easily perswadeth the young man to lie all night in his house in London vntill the Queene signed his passeport and he himselfe returned to London that they might talke of such important affaires with more secrecy and lest the fugitiues when he came to France should gather any manner of suspicion out of his often going to and fro thither In the meane time Scudamore one of Walsinghams men was commanded to watch him very diligently and to accompany him in euery place vnder the colour that he might be the safer from the Purscuants Hitherto had Walsingham contriued and wrought the businesse the other Counsellors of the Queene being ignorant thereof and would haue proceeded further and lengthened it but the Queene would not lest as she said in not taking heed of a danger when she might she should seeme more to tempt God than to hope in him Therefore out of the Court from Walsingham a scroll was sent vnto his man to watch Babington with more care This being not sealed was so deliuered that Babington sitting next to him at the Table read it also Hereupon being guiltie in conscience and suspecting that all things were discouered the next night when he Scudamore and one or two more of Walsinghams men had in the Tauerne supped with good cheere he as if he would haue paid the reckoning arose leauing behinde him his sword and cloake and got to Westminster by the darknesse of the night where Gage changed clothes with him who forthwith put on Charnocks clothes and together got closely into S. Iohns wood neere vnto the Citie vnto which place came also Barnwell and Dun. In the meane time they were proclaimed Traitors thorow all England They lurking in woods and by-wayes when they had in vaine requested money of the French Embassador and horses of Tichburne they cut off Babingtons haire and disfigured his face with the greene shels of walnuts but being compelled by famine went to the Bellamies house neere to Harrow on the Hill who were much addicted to the Roman religion there they were hidden and releeued with victualls in the barnes and apparelled in husbandmens apparell and being found after ten daies were brought to London the citizens witnessing their publike ioy with ringing of bels making of bonfires in the streets and singing of Psalmes so much that the citizens receiued great commendations and thankes of the Queene for the same The other conspirators were soone after taken most of them neere vnto the citie Salisbury in Cheshire his horse being thrust thorow with a halbard and Trauerse with him after they had swomme ouer the riuâ—r of Weuer and in Wales was taken Iones who being acquainted with the intended inuasion had also hidden them in his house after he knew they were proclaimed traitors and had moreouer furnished Salisbury in his flight with a horse and his man who was a Priest with a cloke hee lent him Onely Windsore was not found Many daies were spent in the examination oâ— these men who in their confessions appeached one another concealing nothing that was true All this time the Queene of Scotland and her seruants were so narrowly kept and watched by Powlet that these things were kept from her knowledge though publikely knowne in all England As soone as these men were taken Tho. Gorge was sent who in few words should certifie her of these things which hee purposely did vnto her nothing dreaming thereof euen as she had taken horse to goe on hunting neither was she suffered to returne but vnder shew of honour lead about to Gentlemens houses that dwelt thereabouts In the meane time I. Maner Ed. Aston Rich. Bagot and William Waad by commission from the Queene kept Nauus and Curlus her Secretaries and other seruants seuerally that they should haue no communication with themselues nor with the Queene And breaking open the doores of her closet sent all her cabinets and deskes wherein her papers were laid sealed vp with their seales vnto the Court Then Powlet so commanded seazed on all the money lest she should corrupt any body with bribes and gaue his word to restore it The caskets and deskes being searched before Queene ELIZABETH there were found the letters of many strangers the copies also of letters vnto many about 60. kinds of Ciphers and also the letters of many noblemen of England offering their loue and seruice which yet Queene ELIZABETH dissembled in silence but they smelling it out did afterward all they could against her that so they might not seeme to haue fauoured her Now Gifford hauing serued their purpose in this manner was sent into France as a man banished leauing first with the French Embassador in England a paper indented with this charge not to deliuer any letters from the Queene of Scotland or from the fugitiues and came to his hands vnto no other man but him that brought the counterpaine thereof which he secretly sent to Walsingham Being returned into France after some moneths he was cast into prison for his wicked life and suspected of these things died wretchedly confessing most of these things to bee true which were also found to be true out of the papers in the deskes On the XIII day of September seuen of the conspirators were brought to the barre and arraigned and acknowledged themselues guiltie and had iudgement of treason On the next day the other seuen were brought to the barre and pleaded not guilty vnto their enditement and put themselues to bee tried by God and the countrey who were proued guilty by their owne confessions and were likewise condemned Pooly only though he was priuy to all for that he affirmed that he had told some things vnto Walsingham was not at all arraigned On the XX. day of the same moneth the first seuen were on a paire of gallowes set vpon a scaffold in Saint Giles his field where they had vsed to meet hanged and cut downe and their priuities cut off bowelled and quartered as they were euen aliue not without the note of cruelty that is to say Ballard the contriuer of the wickednesse asking pardon of God and the Queene with this condition if he had offended her Babington who without feare beheld the execution of Ballard whiles the other turning their faces away and on their knees were earnest at their praiers ingenuously acknowledged his fault and being let downe from the gallowes sundry times plainly cried out in the Latine tongue Parce mihi Domine Iesu Sauage the rope breaking fell from the gallowes and was strait pulled away and his priuy members cut off and bowelled aliue Barnwell extenuated the fault with the pretext of Religion and conscience Tichburne humbly acknowledging his wickednesse moued all the multitude to compassion and so likewise did Tilney being a very proper man and modest in behauiour Abington being of
a punishment iustly inflicted cannot be thought to be bloudie no more than a medicine prepared and made as it ought fitly for the sicknesse can be accounted violent Howsoeuer the Guises cousins vnto the Scottish Queene take it the Queene hath more occasion and it concernes her more to respect and regard rather the safetie and good of her Nobilitie and people of whose loue shee wholly dependeth than the displeasure of any other whosoeuer and that matters were now come vnto that passe that that old prouerbe of the two Princes Conradino the Sicilian and Charles of Anjou may be vsed and truly said of the two Queenes THE DEATH OF MARIE THE LIFE OF ELIZABETH AND THE LIFE OF MARIE DEATH OF ELIZABETH That the promises of the French King and of the Guises cannot giue assurance of securitie vnto the Queene and the Realme much lesse make amends for her death if she be made away That the French King cannot finde out the secret plots contriued against him at home much lesse against the Queen of England For that treason is closely handled and therefore ineuitable and vnauoidable If the wicked fact be once done what will it doe good to challenge their promise How may the losse for the death of an incomparable Prince be repaired or recompenced and what remedie may be found for the Republike giuing vp the ghost with her in a most lamentable confusion of all things The hand-writings of the Guises who thinke it a meritorious act to dispatch them who are enemies to the Pope and may very easily obtaine and get dispensations for their oath be of small moment or importance or of none at all And what English man is it that will accuse them for killing the Queene ELIZABETH after her death and after that the Queene of Scotland being of the Family of the Guises is enstalled in the Crowne of England What can one recall her backe vnto life thereby But in that the Ambassadors haue called this iudgement rigorous and extraordinarie they haue said it without due consideration for as much as they haue neither seene the processe nor the probations and haue too bitterly taxed the Estates of the Realme of England men of great account chosen for their nobilitie vertue prudence and pietie yea moreouer that they haue absolutely spoken such like words as if they came from the French King very inconsiderately making shew that they would feare with their threats and menaces the Queene and the Estates of the Realme That the English-men are not accustomed to be terrified with threats of the French-men from taking a course and means to establish and settle their securitie for as much as they in the meane time did not shew nor demonstrate any fit or conuenient way or meanes of auerting or putting away the instant and imminent dangers of England But the malitious and spightful enemies of the Queen of Scotland tooke occasions all they could of hastening her death and caused the more to affright Queene ELIZABETH knowing well that in the greatest danger of safetie feare doth exclude all mercie false rumours to be spread in euery place of England daily with fearefull out-cries viz. That the Spanish Eleet were alreadie arriued in the Hauen of Milford that the Scots had inuaded England that the Duke of Guise was landed with a strong armie in Sussex that the Qu. of Scotland was escaped out of prison and had leuied many souldiers that the Northerne men were vp in rebellion that there were other Ruffians who had conspired to kill the Queene and to burne the Citie of London yea and that the Queene was dead and other things of like kinde which either craftie people or men afraid vse to faine in their owne conceits or to increase out of an inbred desire or humour to nourish and vphold rumors and Princes who are vpon curiositie credulous take quickly hold of By such like bugges and formidable arguments the Queenes minde wauering and in great care was by them drawne so farre that shee signed letters by which the mortall sentence of death was commanded to be put in execution and one of the chiefest perswader as the Scots say was Patricke Gray a Scot sent by the King of Scotland to disswade the Queene from putting his mother to death who oftentimes would beat into the Queenes eares that old word Dead men doe not bite But she being by nature slow in her doings began to ballance in her minde whether it were better to take her out of the way or to spare her Not to put her to death these things moued her Her inbred clemencie lest she should seeme to vse crueltie against a woman and she a Princesse and also her kinswoman feare of infamie with the posteritie out of the histories and the dangers hanging thereon as well from the King of Scotland who should then come a step neerer vnto the hope of England as from the Catholike Princes and desperate fellowes who then would aduenture on any thing But if she spared her she fore-saw no lesse dangers at hand That the Noblemen who had giuen sentence against the Queene of Scotland would closely purchase fauour with her and her sonne not without her danger that the rest of her subiects that were very carefull and desirous of her safetie would take it in euill part when they saw themselues to haue lost their labour and thenceforth would neglect her safetie many more would ioyne themselues vnto the profession of the Papists and conceiue greater hope when they saw her conserued as it were by the decree of heauen vnto the hope of the kingdome that the Iesuits and Seminarists when they see her sickly and feare shee will not liue long would bestirre themselues to accelerate the death of Queene ELIZABETH that their Religion may be restored The Courtiers also without any intermission suggested these things and the like Why dost thou spare her that is faultie and iustly condemned who subscribed vnto the Association for thy safetie yet forthwith resolued to vse crueltie against thee being innocent and by thy destruction to tyrannize ouer Religion the Nobilitie and Commons That mercie is a royall vertue but is not to be shewed to them that haue no mercie Let the vaine and idle shew of mercie giue place and yeeld vnto wholesome seueritie Your clemencie hath sufficient cause of commendation in that it hath pardoned her once before to spare her againe is no other thing but to pronounce her not guiltie and to condemne the Estates of the Realme of iniustice to encourage the hearts of her agents to hasten and accelerate the accomplishment of their wicked designes and to dishearten the faithfull Subiects to conserue the Common-wealth Religion the Common-wealth thy owne incolumitie the loue of thy Countrey the oath of Association and the care of the Posteritie with conioyned prayers doe beseech thee that she who ouerthroweth and subuerteth all these seuerall things may with all speed be rid and dispatched out of the way and if they
was in his iourney with these Letters Dauison was brought into the Star-Chamber before the Commissioners appointed viz. Christopher Wray Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench made for that time Lord Keeper of the Priuie Seale the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke the Earles of Worcester Cumberland and Lincolne the Lords Gray and Lumley Iames Croft Knight Controller of the Queenes House Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Gilbert Gerrard Master of the Rolles Edmund Anderson Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas and Roger Manwood Lord Chiefe Baron of the Exchequer Before these Commissioners Popham the Queenes Atturney charged Dauison with contempt against her Maiestie violation of his faith and neglect of his dutie that whereas the Queene out of her inbred clemencie would not haue the Queene of Scotland though condemned to be put vnto death for causes knowne to her selfe and not to be searched and pried into by others could not be brought thereunto neither by the Estates of the Kingdom nor by her Counsellors earnestly vrging her thereunto neuerthelesse had commanded a Mandate to be made for her execution to preuent dangers that might ensue and had committed it vnto the fidelitie and secrecie of Dauison He being her sworne Secretarie forgetting his trust and dutie and in contempt of her Maiestie contrary vnto which the Queene had commanded had imparted it vnto the Counsellors and put it in execution she being vtterly ignorant thereof Dauison with great modestie and quietly yet with a good courage answered That he was sorie that in a most iust cause of the Queene of Scotland and most weightie iudgement against her if euer there was any that he should trouble againe the Commissioners if not with the losse yet at the least with the impairing of his reputation which hee esteemed aboue all other things but he was most aggreeued that he was charged to haue offended most contemptuously against her Maiestie who the more shee had beene bountifull to him and he more bound for her bountie his offence might seeme more hainous If he should acknowledge himselfe guiltie of the crimes obiected he should wrong his credit which was dearer vnto him than his life If he should contest in his owne defence with the Queene he should doe a thing vnworthy of the obedience of a subiect the dutie of a seruant and the fidelitie of a Secretary He protested before God and the Commissioners That wittingly or willingly hee had done nothing in this thing but that which hee was perswaded in his conscience the Queene willed In the which if he had carried himselfe to doe any hurt either by vnskilfulnesse or by negligence he could not choose but be grieuously sorie and vndergoe willingly the censure of the Commissioners As concerning particulars when the Queene reproued him that he had sealed the Mandatum with the great Seale in such great haste he affirmed That shee insinuated but did not expresly bid him to keepe it to himselfe Neither did he thinke that he committed any fault against the trust of silence put on him since he neuer spake word of this matter but vnto the Priuie Counsellors Vnto that he did not call backe the Mandatum after that the Queene had signified vnto him that shee had changed her minde he affirmed That it was agreed that it should be sent forthwith and execution done lest the Common-wealth or the Queene might take some harme Hereupon Egerton the Solicitor began to presse Dauison out of his owne confession reading a peece thereof but he requested him to reade it all and not this peece and that peece but yet hee had rather it should not be read at all for that therein some seccrets not to be vttered were contained and now and then interrupting him he said That as he would not contest with the Queene so he could not endure that his modestie should be any detriment vnto the truth and his integritie Gaudy and Puckering Sergeants at Law reproued him sharply with many words that craftily hee abused the wisdome of the Counsellors and that out of the confession of Burghley the Treasurer vnto whom doubting whether the Queene had assuredly determined of the execution to be done he affirmed it very earnestly as he did also vnto the rest who set their hands vnto the letters of the manner of the execution Dauison with teares in his eyes required the Lawyers not to presse him so vehemently And wished them to remember that he would not contest with the Queene vnto whose conscience and vnto the censure of the Commissioners hee committed himselfe wholly To conclude by the generall censure of them hee was fined at ten thousand pound and imprisonment at the Queenes pleasure Dauison besought the Commissioners to make intercession vnto the Queene for him not for the honourable place of Secretary which he had or his libertie or for the diminishing of the fine imposed but that he might be restored vnto her fauour which yet hee neuer recouered though she oftentimes releeued his wants So Dauison an honest man without policie and not skilfull in affaires of State was brought as most men thought vpon the Stage amongst the Statesmen to play his part a while in this Tragedie and straight had his disguise pulled off and as if he had failed in the last Act thrust from off the stage and kept long in prison but not without the commiseration of mâ—ny Now I haue told what was publikely done against Dauison but how he excused himselfe priuately take briefly out of his credit and his Apologeticall Narration vnto Walsingham He saith after the departure of the French and Scottish Ambassadors the Queene of her owne minde commanded me to shew vnto her the Mandate of the execution of the sentence against the Queene of Scotland And it being shewen shee willingly signed with her hand and commanded it being thus signed to be sealed with the Great Seale of England and iesting said Signifie this thing vnto Walsingham who was sicke yet I feare much that he will die for sorrow thereof Moreouer she said that the causes of the delaying thereof were lest she should seeme to be thought to be drawn thereunto vpon violence or malice when yet she knew that it was very necessarie Moreouer she blamed Powlet and Drury thâ—t they had not freed her of this care and wished that Walsingham would trie their mindes in this matter On the next day when it was sealed with the Great Seale shee commanded by Killegrew that it should not be done and when I had told her it was alreadie done shee reprehended so much haste insinuating that some wise men thought another way might be taken I answered that the course which was most iust was alwaies the best and most safe But fearing shee would lay the fault vpon me as she laid the death of the Duke of Norfolke vpon Burghley I communicated all the matter vnto Hatton protesting that I would not thrust my selfe into so great a businesse he presently imparted