Queen Mary's letter to Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador informing him of the sentence of death, her submission to it, and her references to Paulet's treatment of her—Her letter to Mendoza, 21st May 1586—Her remarkable letter to the Archbishop of Glasgow asserting her innocence of every charge against her, and her rebuke to the commissioners “that she would die a Queen in spite of them”—Her letter to Elizabeth with her requests regarding her death and interment—The Commendator of Pittenweem and King James—Letter of Bellievre, Chancellor of France, to Mary, 14th December 1586—The graphic interview of Bellievre and Chateauneuf with Elizabeth, when they demanded of her with a threat to spare Mary's life, or take the consequences—Elizabeth loses her temper.
On the same day on which Queen Mary wrote to the Pope and to her uncle, the Duke of Guise, she also wrote to her devoted friends Don Bernard de Mendoza, the Spanish Ambassador, and the Archbishop of Glasgow. These letters, which we reproduce, were evidently written under deep emotion, and must have caused inexpressible grief to the friends who received them. There seems no doubt that Mary was quite estranged from her son for some time before her death. He was entirely under the control and in receipt of a pension from Elizabeth, which would account for it. Mary felt his conduct acutely; and not later than 21st May 1586 she wrote a private letter to the Spanish Ambassador (also given), in which her feelings on the subject are remarkably and excitedly expressed, even to the extent of handing her rights (if any) in the Scottish crown to the King of Spain, if her son continued in his present course of conduct. Mary has been taken to task for this letter by some of her enemies, who would make out, in defending her execution, that she sold the crown to the King of Spain. She wrote the letter in trying circumstances. The offer was simply to express how keenly she felt hurt by the behaviour of her son. There was nothing more in the letter than that. As a matter of fact, Mary had no rights in the crown to give away, but her enemies chose not to recognise this. We have not attempted to condense the two letters referred to—that to Mendoza and that to the Archbishop. They form a very important chapter in the last days of her life, and are letters that cannot be overlooked in surveying her history. A deliberate perusal of them will strengthen one's belief in the forgery of the letters in the appendix of this volume. The sentence we have put in italics in the letter to the Archbishop is a convincing proof of the Queen's innocence as regards the conspiracy against Elizabeth's life. We must remember that this was amongst the last letters she ever wrote, and after she had received sentence of death.
Queen Mary to Don Bernard de Mendoza, 23rd November 1586:—
“Having ever found you zealous in the cause of God, and desirous of my welfare and deliverance from captivity, I have always communicated to you my intentions upon that subject, begging you to make them known to the King my brother. For this reason I now write to bid you a last adieu, notwithstanding the little leisure I have, being about to receive the stroke of death which was announced to me on Saturday last, I do not know when or in what manner; but at least you may praise God for me that through His grace I have had the heart to receive this unjust sentence of heretics with resignation, on account of the happiness which I esteem it to shed my blood at the requisition of the enemies of His Church, who do me the honour to say that it cannot be subverted while I am alive, and also that their Queen cannot reign in safety in the same predicament. As for these two conditions I have accepted without contradiction the high honour they confer upon me as one most zealous for the Catholic religion, for which I have publicly offered my life; and as for the other, although I have never committed either act or deed tending to take off her who was on the throne, unless it be that they make a crime of my right to the crown, which is acknowledged by all Catholics, yet I would not contradict them, leaving them to think as they please. This annoyed them much, and they told me that whatever I may say or do, it will not be for the cause of religion that I shall die, but for having endeavoured to murder their Queen. This I denied as being utterly false, having never attempted any such thing, and leaving it to God and the Church to dispose of this island in what relates to religion. The bearer of this has promised to relate to you how rigorously I have been treated by those here and how ill served by others whom I did not expect to have shown so great a fear of death in so just a quarrel. They have not been able to draw anything from me but that I am a Queen, free, Catholic, and obedient to the Church, and that not being able to effect my deliverance by fair means, I was compelled to seek it by those which presented themselves. Nau then confessed all; Curle has in a great measure followed his example; so that everything turns against me. I am threatened if I do not beg pardon, but I say that 'As they had already destined me to die, they may proceed with their injustice, hoping that God will recompense me in another world;' and out of spite because I will speak, they came yesterday and took down my canopy, saying that I was no more than a dead woman and without any rank. They are at present working in my hall, erecting the scaffold, I suppose, whereon I am to perform the last act of this tragedy. I die in a just cause, and am happy in having made over my rights to the King your master. I have said that I consider him, should my son not return into the bosom of the Church, as being a prince most worthy to govern and protect this island. I have written to the same purpose to His Holiness, and I beg you to assure him that I die in the determination which I have communicated to you, and also another whom you know, to be his dearest and most intimate friend, and a fourth, and those above all others I bequeath to the protection of the King, beseeching him in God's name not to abandon them, and entreating them to serve him in place of me. As I cannot write to them, greet them in my name, and pray to God all of you for my soul. I have asked for a priest, but do not know if my request will be granted. They have offered me one of their bishops, but I positively refused him. You may believe all that the bearer of this shall tell you, and also those two poor girls who have been immediately about my person. They will tell you the truth, which I beg you to make public, as I fear that a very different interpretation will be given. Order a mass to be said for deliverance and repose of my soul—you know the place I mean—and let the churches in Spain remember me in their prayers. You will receive from me as a token of my remembrance a diamond which I have held very dear, having been given to me by the late Duke of Norfolk as a pledge of his troth, and I have always worn it as such; keep it for my sake. I do not know that I shall have leave to make a will. I have applied for it, but they have all my money. Excuse what I write in sorrow and trouble, not having anyone to help me to make my rough drafts and to write for me. If you cannot read my hand, the bearer will read it for you, or my Ambassador. Among other accusations, that of Crichton is one which I know nothing of. I fear greatly that Nau and Pasquier have hastened my death, having kept some papers; and they are men who will turn on any side for their own advantage. Once more, adieu. I recommend to you my poor and henceforth destitute servants, and pray for my soul. I recommend to you the Bishop of Ross, who will be wholly destitute?
“Marie R.”
Queen Mary to Mendoza, 21st May 1586:—
“I am in trouble as to what will be the course of events this side. Charles Paget is instructed by me to communicate some overtures on my behalf, concerning which I beg you to inform him without reserve what you think can be obtained from the King your master. There is another point connected with that which I have kept to write to you alone, that you may send word from me to your said lord the King without if possible anyone having knowledge of it. It is that, considering the very great obstinacy of my son in his heresy, I have determined, that in case he does not conform to the Catholic religion before my death—as I must tell you I have little hope of his doing so so long as he stays in Scotland—I yield and give up my right, by will at my decease, to this crown, to the King your master, begging him by means of this to quietly take beforehand under his complete protection both the State and affairs of this country, which for the clearing of my conscience I do not think I can put into the hands of a prince more zealous for our religion and more capable in every respect of re-establishing it this side, so as to be of great importance to the rest of Christianity. Let this be kept secret, more especially as if it came to be known it would mean in France the loss of my dowry, and in Scotland entire rupture with my son; in this country my utter ruin and destruction?