"The authors of such books," retorted Burleigh, "also declare that the Queen has forfeited the royal prerogative." When Burleigh ceased speaking, Walsingham, who keenly felt the Queen's accusation, rose, and bowing his head addressed her, assuring her that she had been misinformed as to his sentiments.
"I protest," said he, "that my soul is free from all malice. God is my witness that, as a private person, I have done nothing unworthy of an honest man, and as Secretary of State, nothing unbefitting my duty. You have been told that I wish you ill, that I have often said things to your disadvantage, that I have confessed myself to be your enemy, nay, even that I planned that the death of yourself and your son should happen on the same day; but I assure you that I bear ill-will to no one, I have attempted no one's death. I protest that I am a man of conscience and a faithful servant to my mistress. I confess," continued Walsingham, "that I am ever vigilant regarding all concerning the safety of my Queen and country; I have closely watched all conspiracies against either. As for Ballard, if he had offered me his assistance I could not have refused it, and should probably have rewarded him. If I had any secret dealings with him, why did he not declare them in order to save his life?"
The Queen, impressed by his denial, assured Walsingham that she paid no attention to what she had heard against him, and had not believed it, adding that she implored him to give no more credit to those who calumniated her, than she gave to those who accused himself. "If you were not received in Scotland as you merited," continued Mary, "it was no fault of mine; I do not think that you wish to revenge yourself upon me, who knew nothing of it." She then declared that some of the ciphers were hers. "There had been others older and some more recent," she said, "but this is nothing, for people can use the same cipher on occasions, according to the correspondence they have in different places, and for this reason it is possible that Morgan, who formerly served me, may have used my ciphers, in consequence of the connections which he has with the other princes."
At the name of Morgan, Burleigh, with his usual vehemence, reproached the Queen. "You know well, madame," said he, "that Morgan professes to be your servant, and you have pensioned him, although you are well aware that he plotted the death of the Queen along with Parry, for which crime he is still a prisoner in France, having been pursued and accused by Lord Derby, in the name of Her Majesty."
"You know well," replied Mary, turning towards the audience, "that I have not joined in this undertaking, nor suborned any one." At this appeal several gentlemen present declared loudly that she was entirely innocent of such a crime. "You see by this," continued Mary, "the evil will of some of your Queen's councillors towards me. If any one has undertaken anything against the person of the Queen, it is not I. For long people have conspired against her, of which you have had many proofs. I am grieved that Morgan should have mixed himself up with such matters, but I cannot answer for his actions. I cannot do less than aid him in his necessities in recognition of his services, which I shall never forget, in the same way that I aid others who have assisted me."
As Burleigh still insisted that Morgan was Mary's pensioner, she again denied it, adding that she had desired money to be given to him from time to time for his use; "but," continued she, "has not England pensioned Patrick Gray and other Scotsmen, my enemies, and even my son himself?" "It is true," replied Burleigh, "that, through the negligence of its Regent, the revenues of Scotland are so diminished that the Queen in her goodness has made some gifts to your son, the King of Scotland, who is her own relation." After this avowal Burleigh let the matter drop, and fresh discussions regarding the confessions of Nau and Curle now arose.
Mary's judges maintained that the Queen's secretaries had confessed that their mistress had received "certain letters," and that she had replied to them, that they had done everything by her command, that they had written nothing without communicating it to her, as was her custom, as she allowed nothing to be produced without her knowledge. Thus Mary's "direction" of the conspiracy was proved, they declared, and it was "by her command that the secretaries wrote in her cabinet, where the despatches were made up, and that this was done generally in her presence; that after writing them they read them to her, that the despatches were closed and sealed in her cabinet, and that they had often tried to deter her from such enterprises."
Keenly aware of the injustice of this second-hand manner of producing evidence, the Queen protested. "Why," said she, "are not Nau and Curle examined in my presence? they at any rate are still alive. If my enemies were assured that they would confirm their pretended avowals, they would be here without doubt. If they have written, be it what it may, concerning the enterprise, they have done it of themselves, and did not communicate it to me, and on this point I disavow them. Nau, as a servant of the King of France, may have undertaken things not according to my wishes; he had undertakings that I did not know of. He confessed publicly that he belonged to the King of France, that he did not depend on me, and would only do for me what he thought good. He often complained of me because I could not consent to many of his projects, and would not authorise them. I know well that Nau had many peculiarities, likings, and intentions, that I cannot mention in public, but which I much regret, for he does me great injustice. For my part, I do not wish to accuse my secretaries, but I see plainly that what they have said is from fear of torture and death. Under promise of their lives, and in order to save themselves, they have excused themselves at my expense, fancying that I could thereby more easily save myself; at the same time, not knowing where I was, and not suspecting the manner in which I am treated. For more than twelve months Nau has not written in his own cabinet; he has hid himself from every one, and has written his despatches in his own private room, for his own convenience and to be more at his ease, as he said, as Sir Amyas and all the household can attest.
"As to Curle, if he has done anything suspicious, he has been compelled to do it by Nau, whom he feared much to displease, and to avoid whom he fled. And yet," added the Queen, "I do not think either the one or the other would have forgotten himself so far. As I was ill during most of the time, I could not attend to business, and generally I did not know what they were doing, but trusted to Nau."