Elizabeth now, though still shrinking from the final step of signing the warrant, caused the sentence to be publicly proclaimed by sound of trumpet throughout the kingdom,—a measure welcomed with fanatic joy by the people, and regarded by Walsingham as an encouraging sign of the final realisation of his wishes.
When this news reached Mary she remarked that she would never have thought her good sister would proceed in so inhuman a manner towards her. The publicity now given to the sentence was, however, a consolation to Mary. Fear of death in itself seemed to have been unknown to her brave spirit, but as we know, she dreaded above all things private assassination, and the false rumours that she suspected would be spread regarding her if she should die without witnesses to attest her fidelity to her faith and royal dignity.
In the previous September she wrote to the Duke of Guise, "I expect poison or some other secret death"; and it is certain that her fears were well founded.
Paulet at length received the reply to the requests which Mary had begged Lord Buckhurst to present to Elizabeth. On 15th December he thus relates his interview with Mary touching this matter:—
"Having signified to the Queen that I had received the order to give back her money, and that I begged her to authorise one of her attendants to receive it, she sent me word that as I had taken it from her myself, she thought it only right that I should return it to her with my own hand; upon which I went to her, accompanied by Sir Drew Drury and Mr. Darrell.[70] I found her ill in bed, suffering from one of her legs. I gave her a memorandum of the money I had received from her and of that which I had spent for her.... She asked me what reply had been made to her other requests; I told her her papers would soon be returned, and that her attendants would be free to return to Scotland or to France according to their own choice.
"'Yes,' returned she, 'but I cannot say if they will have leave to retire with what I shall give them.' I answered her that she could not doubt of this. 'I refer to my furniture,' continued the Queen; 'as I have the intention of sending a bed to my son, it is for this that I requested leave to make my will.' She questioned me as to whether I had had an answer. I said no, but that it was unnecessary, as it depended on her own wish. She asked me what reply had been sent about her chaplain. I told her that they had the intention of soon sending him to her. Such was the interview. After remitting to her the money, Sir Drue Drury and I took our leave of her." Farther on in the letter Paulet adds: "I have sent two of my servants to go and fetch the priest, who is detained at Mr. Thomas Gresley's, and I expect them both this evening, or at latest, to-morrow morning. This lady continues to show her perverse and obstinate character. She shows no sign of repentance, and no submission. She does not acknowledge her fault, does not ask for forgiveness, and shows no sign of wishing to live. It is to be feared that she will die as she has lived, and I pray God that this ignorant papist priest be not admitted to her presence for her further punishment, and also because he will strengthen her in her opposition to Her Majesty, and in all her errors in matters of religion, instead of bringing her to a better mind."[71]
On the 18th December Paulet wrote on the same subject to Burleigh:[72] "Mr. Secretary Walsingham had authorised me to send for this Queen's priest, and to let him visit her. He arrived here on the 17th,[73] so that if the execution of this Queen is deferred it may be repented of, as much from the political point of view as from that of religion, if he shall have stayed with her so long."
We must now return to the 15th December, as upon that day began the curious series of facts connected with Queen Mary's letter to her cousin.
After her interview with Lord Buckhurst and Beale, Mary had discussed this question of correspondence. I here use Bourgoing's words:—