In the following condensed narrative, [15] which is an extract from the official despatch of Bellievre to Henry III., we get the words of Elizabeth in brief, at both interviews:—“She burst into invectives against the Queen of Scots, recounting the evil that she had received from her and the good offices she had rendered her; that she had been compelled to come to the resolution that had been taken because it was impossible to save her own life and preserve that of the Scottish Queen; and that if we knew any means whereby she could find security for herself in preserving the Queen of Scots, she would be under great obligations to us, never having shed so many tears at the death of her father, of her brother King Edward, and of her sister Mary, as she had done over this unfortunate affair. The day before this audience Lord Buckhurst was sent to Fotheringay to announce the sentence of death to the Scottish Queen, and it has been said many times in London (though falsely) that they had already put the Queen to death.... Elizabeth gave another audience on the appointed day, Monday. We repeated the same prayer with all the urgency possible, and spoke in such a manner that we could not be heard except by her principal counsellors. But she rejoined in so loud a tone that we were put in pain because we were using prayer (as necessity required), and by her answer we could not but understand that our plaint was refused. Then lowering her voice she told us that she would wish us to be well advised, desiring the good of your Majesty, and that you could not do better than give shortly a good peace to your subjects, otherwise she could foresee great injury to your realm, which a great number of foreigners would enter in such sort that it would not be very easy to find a remedy for the evil. She returned to the subject of the Queen of Scots, saying that 'she had given us several days to consider of some means whereby she could preserve that princess's life without being in danger of losing her own; and not being yet satisfied on that point, nor having found any other expedient, she could not be cruel against herself; and that your Majesty ought not to consider it just that she, who is innocent, should die, and that the Queen of Scots, who is guilty, should be saved.' Two day afterwards Elizabeth informed us, after a long discussion, the reason which had moved them to proceed to this judgment, that 'out of the respect she had for your Majesty she would grant a delay of twelve days before proceeding to the execution of the sentence, conditionally that nothing in the interim should be attempted against her which might move her to alter her mind.' We informed her that if she put to death the Queen of Scots the King her son was determined to renounce all friendship and alliance that he had with England and to advise with his friends how he shall proceed in her cause; at which she put herself into a great fury. Your Majesty will be pleased to consider if there be not some way through your favour and authority whereby there may be a hope of saving her life, of which may it please you to let us understand within the said term your goodwill and pleasure.”
This despatch is worthy of the admiration of posterity, and may be regarded as the production of one who was not only a highly capable Ambassador, but probably of all the men who aided Mary in her last hours he was the most influential, the most determined and earnest, and the most courageous. Who was there of all Mary's friends and supporters who could attack single-handed the lioness in her den as he did? His brilliant interview, the irresistible force of his eloquence, his contemptuous disregard of her royalty, his plain speaking, and his remonstrating with her as to her unlawful and cruel treatment of Mary, roused the ire of Elizabeth into a pitch of hysterical excitement, and her screaming interrogatives to the Ambassador were heard over the entire body of the hall. The flashes of wit and ready resources of Bellievre shown in his sarcastic replies were characteristic of the vivid intellect of a French statesman.
Bellievre's last communication to Queen Mary, London, 14th December 1586:—
“As it has pleased the King to send me here to inform the Queen of England how greatly obliged he would be if, in this unfortunate matter which has happened to your Majesty, it might be her good pleasure to treat you with that kindness and humanity that he, his kingdom, and the other princes and States of Christendom would expect from so wise and virtuous a princess, I have set aside everything in order to obey his commands and to do the service that I wish to do to your Majesty, whom I have so long venerated, as the wife of my King, and as my Queen. I should desire above everything in the world that it had pleased God that this princess to whom I had spoken on your behalf would have honoured me with a satisfactory answer. I assure you, madam, of the very good and cordial will of the King towards you, of the Queen, her mother and yours, and of the reigning Queen, who all suffer extreme pain on your account; while they have written to the Queen of England with as much affection as if it were a question of their own lives. I should hope that this princess, being so wise, so magnanimous, and so well advised, would not allow the prayers of persons so great and so interested in your preservation to be made in vain. Nothing is done in this world without the permission of God, whose anger we cannot better appease than by the exercise of a holy and Christian patience. God permits us to be abandoned by all men when for our greater good He desires that we may have all our succour from Him. 'When we know not what to do,' says St. Bernard, 'to whom should we turn if it is not to thee, O our God!' He is not willing that we should be lost, and is able to give us in the future more consolation in one hour than the afflictions we have experienced during our whole life. If you think the Queen of England has not loved you, who knows that from this time it may please God to soften her heart towards you? ... It will be by God's grace that her good nature will soften her. It will be her generosity that will conquer and force her to love you, to take you under her protection, and join herself to you by the indissoluble ties of a good, happy, and perpetual friendship.”
This letter seems to have been written when the Ambassador could in reality do no more for the unfortunate Queen.