"It is nothing else," returned the Queen, "but it was necessary to find some other disguise for the measures which had led to this position; but I shall not fare the worse for that. Do not spare me."
In reply Sir Amyas insisted that it was not for religion, and that no one had yet been punished for religion. Further he declared that he knew nothing of what the lords had done, but that they had found the facts so clear and evident that it was reported that they had given sentence, but he did not know of it. Nothing was certain. And he again urged the Queen to confess.
To this Mary rejoined as before, and added that she knew well that she had been already condemned by her judges before the trial. All that they did here," continued she, "was merely for form's sake, to give a colouring of truth to the proceedings, and to gain their ends, in which I am not bound to acquiesce, and I care nothing for what they have done; it is very easy for brigands and robbers, when they are the strongest, to overcome by force those who pass their way. My enemies keep me in prison, and it is very easy for them to dispose of me as they will. They have strength on their side, while I am weak and alone. I would that every one knew how I am treated and how my affairs are managed."
"You would be very sorry if every one knew," retorted Sir Amyas, "but a matter of this kind cannot be kept quiet or concealed. No sentence or judgment had been delivered before the coming of the lords here."
The Queen remarked that she wished all Christian princes and foreigners could witness how she had been treated, not for her own sake, but for the confusion of her enemies, and for the sake of those of the Catholic Church; for her enemies had not ceased to persecute the poor Catholics, under the pretext that they were traitors because they would not recognise the Queen of England as supreme head of the Church. "For myself," continued she, "as I have already declared before many, I recognise no other head of the Church than the Pope, to whose rule it was confided by the consent of the whole Church duly assembled."
Sir Amyas said that the Queen did not take the title of supreme head of the Church. "God forbid," added he, "that there should be any other supreme head than Jesus Christ. I recognise no other."
"It is on this point alone that the exclusion of Catholics is founded," replied Mary, "and it is a well-known fact that, following the example of Henry the Eighth, this title was given to your mistress. As you may believe, the Calvinists, who are the most reformed, do not approve of this, but those who follow the Queen's religion, who are Lutherans and the inventors of that sect, consider guilty of high treason all those who deny her prerogatives. Not only have those been judged to be guilty who do not recognise the Queen's title, or who deny it by words or by acts, but they have been forced to declare their opinion on their conscience, and on their reply have been condemned to death. If the Queen of England may not wish to accept the title, she at least knows well that it is given to her, and the person who does not give it is looked upon as guilty."
Sir Amyas, shaking his head ironically, once more protested that his mistress did not accept such a title, nor was it given to her. He allowed, however, that the Puritans and others acknowledged her as "head and governor under God of things ecclesiastical and temporal in England, as it was reasonable she should be, but not as supreme head of the Church."
"It all comes to the same thing," returned the Queen, "whatever colour you may give it, and for the rest, I care nothing for your sentences; go, proceed as you like. I know at your age you would not assert such things unless you were backed by others."[45]
"Sir Amyas pretended that this was not so, and reassured the Queen as well as he was able," says Bourgoing, "and on his departure we formed the opinion from certain conjectures, that he was going to write Her Majesty's replies to the Court." We find him accordingly writing to Walsingham as follows:—