"The circumstances may be proved," returned Mary, "but never the fact itself. My innocence does not depend on the reputation, or on the memory, of my secretaries, although I hold them to be honest and sincere. It is possible for letters to be sent to other persons than those to whom they were written, and several things have been inserted in those letters which I did not dictate. If my papers had not been taken from me, and if I had a secretary, I could better refute the accusations brought against me."
"You will be accused of nothing previous to 19th June," continued Burleigh, "and your papers would be of no use to you. Your secretaries and the chief of the conspiracy himself (who were never put to the torture) have affirmed that you sent certain letters to Babington; and although you deny this, it is for the Commissioners to judge whether they should place more faith in an affirmation or in a denial.
"But to return to the present question. You have formed many plans for your deliverance. If they have not succeeded, that is your own fault and not the fault of my mistress, for the Scotch lords have refused to place their King under guardians again. At the very moment that the last treaty for your freedom was concluded, Parry, one of your own servants, was secretly sent by Morgan to assassinate the Queen."
Mary exclaimed, "You are indeed my enemy."
"Yes," replied Burleigh, "I am the enemy of the enemies of Queen Elizabeth."
Letters from Mary to Charles Paget referring to the projected invasion were now read, and one from Cardinal Allen to the Queen, in which he addressed her as his sovereign, and informed her that the matter was recommended to the Duke of Parma.
While this was going on Mary examined the faces of her judges, and questioned Paulet (who was seated behind her) regarding the names of those she did not know, carefully noting "who spoke much and who spoke little or kept silence."
As soon as the reading was finished Burleigh accused the Queen of having proposed to send her son to Spain, and of transmitting to Philip the Second her "pretended rights" to the Crown of England.
"I have no kingdom to confer," replied she, "but I have a legal right in giving what belongs to me, and on this point I have to answer to no one, be it who it may."[40]
Later on Mary was again reproached by the lawyers with having relations with the King of Spain.