“My letter to Her Majesty enclosed herein will be, I doubt not, imparted to you; and although it pleaseth you to impute her intended liberality to my servants and soldiers to the report of Stallenge, yet I am persuaded that the same hath proceeded of your favour towards me and mine; wherein you have bound me very much, and indeed I thank you for it as for a singular benefit. I do not remember, and I think I may be bold to deny, that I have at any time left this lady in her passionate speeches. I have said to Stallenge, and it is very true that in former times I have observed this course: to have as little talk with her as I might. Lately, following your direction, I have given her full scope to say what she would; and yet at some times, finding no matter to come from her worthy of notice, I have departed from her, as otherwise she would never have left me; and I am deceived if Lord Buckhurst will not give the same testimony of her tediousness.”
At this crisis the conduct of James VI. surprised many of the friends of Mary. He was indifferent about his mother, because he was shaping his policy to succeed Elizabeth, and to do so he must not quarrel with her. A judicious and well-expressed letter on the subject was sent by Henry III. of France to Courcelles, his Ambassador. It was intended that this letter should be put before James, which doubtless was done, but for the reason stated was not acted upon. It is believed he could have saved his mother's life, but he was a selfish young man, and from all reports indifferent to his mother's circumstances, he never having seen her since he was an infant. The letter from the French King is full of sympathy, with every expression of anxiety for the sad and pitiful condition of the unfortunate Mary. It bears date, St. Germains, 21st November 1586:—
“I have received your letter of 4th October informing me of the conversation which passed between you and the King of Scotland on your expressing to him the sincere affection I bear him, by which he seems to have an earnest desire to correspond with me entirely; but I wish that letter had also informed me that he were better disposed towards the Queen his mother, and that he had the heart and the will to do everything to assist her in her present affliction, considering that the captivity in which she has been unjustly held for eighteen years and more might have induced him to listen to the many proposals which have been made to him for obtaining her liberty, which is naturally most desirable to all men, but more particularly to those who are born sovereigns and to command others, who are more impatient of being thus detained prisoners. He ought also to think that if the Queen of England should follow the advice of those who desire her to imbrue her hands in the blood of his mother, it will be a great stain on his reputation, inasmuch as it will be thought that he has withheld the good offices which he ought to render her with the Queen of England, which might be sufficient to move her if he had employed them as early and as warmly as natural affection commanded. It is much to be feared that in case of the death of his mother there may be hereafter some scheme for acting the same violent part towards him, to render his accession to the throne of England more easily attainable by those who have it in their power to secure it after the Queen of England, and not only to deprive the King of Scotland of the right that he may claim to it, but render doubtful that which he has to the crown of Scotland. I know not in what state the affairs of my sister-in-law (Queen Mary) may be when this reaches you, but I desire you will endeavour to excite the King of Scotland by these remonstrances and any others that can bear on this subject, to take up the defence and protection of his mother; and tell him in my name that this is a thing for which he will be highly praised by all other kings and sovereign princes, and that he may be assured if he fails in this, great blame will attach to him and perhaps great injury ensue to himself.”
In the circumstances this was a noble letter, but on James it was quite lost. He had been repeatedly asked to befriend his mother, but we have no evidence that he ever did so. With him “the love of money was the root of all evil,” for he was constantly in want of money. Elizabeth aided him, and in fact controlled him; but that was no reason for allowing his mother to be murdered when he could have prevented it. King Henry III. of France behaved to Queen Mary as a brother and exerted himself more than anyone else to save her. But what is to be said of her son, on whom this eloquent letter of the King of France was lost!
It is evident from the conduct of Elizabeth that Mary's life could not have been saved except by military force, and nothing should have prevented James from appealing to arms. The kings of France and Spain would have given him the necessary assistance. The more we know of James the less do we feel enthusiasm for him.
On 23rd November 1586 sentence of death was communicated to Queen Mary by Buckhurst, by order of Elizabeth. It does not appear that Mary was surprised by the announcement; it would rather appear that for some time she had been daily in expectation of it. To an ordinary individual the intimation would have been overwhelming, it would have crushed him to the earth. Mary, however, was made of sterner stuff. She had an overflow of spirits, which during her captivity did her great service and was a great factor in preventing her falling into melancholy. It may be said that her brilliant spirit never left her, but carried her through all her troubles up to their final termination. On the very day when she received this crushing intimation she sat down and wrote a long and beautiful letter to the Pope, a letter which His Holiness could not read without emotion. She also wrote to the Duke of Guise. These letters have been preserved and are as follows (slightly condensed):—
23rd November 1586, Fotheringay:
“Holy Father; And so it is that it has pleased God by his divine providence to make an order in his Church by which he has willed that under His Son Jesus Christ crucified all those who should believe in Him and be baptized in name of the Holy Trinity should acknowledge one universal and Catholic Church....