Paulet and the Queen discuss the situation—Arrival of Lord Buckhurst—Buckhurst, Paulet, Drury, and Beale have an audience of the Queen—Elizabeth's insolent message—Mary's vigorous reply—Debate between the Queen and Beale—Text of Mary's famous letter to Elizabeth, 19th December 1586—The Drury and Melville interview—Mary demands delivery of her papers—Paulet's duplicity—Mary's opinion of Nau—Melville, Bourgoyne, and Prean separated finally from her in spite of remonstrance.
“After the departure of the commissioners, Paulet treated the Queen courteously, provided her with what was necessary to make her comfortable, and gave her in addition the use of the great hall which had served for the examination. Her Majesty all this time, so far from being troubled with what had passed, I had not seen her so joyful nor so much at her ease for seven years; only speaking of things for the purpose of recreation, especially giving her opinion on the chronicles of England, which she read daily; and afterwards in chatting with her people without any appearance of sadness, looking well and appearing better than before her trouble. Her resolution was that she did not fear to die for such a good cause, and if anyone said they would not put her to death, she knew quite well they would. She saw well that they were proceeding in order to come to that point, for she knew their ways of doing.
“In reply to Paulet, she said she had no occasion to be indisposed or troubled; that she knew in her conscience what she had done, and she had already responded to everything; that God knew she had never attempted nor consented to conspire against the Queen of England; that her conscience was free from all connivance in that respect, and being innocent, she had occasion rather to rejoice than be sad, having confidence in God, the protector of the good and the innocent. She was quite ready to suffer death if it pleased Him. She had been born in trouble, and the Queen her mother had brought her up in trouble and had had much pain in doing so; and at last was obliged to send her to France, where she did not long enjoy the good that came to her, the King her husband having prematurely died. When she returned to Scotland she was almost always troubled, and had not been without trouble ever since. It would be no profit to her to be afflicted any longer. It was a great satisfaction to have a clear conscience. Paulet said her cause was not a question of religion, it was a question of murder, rebellion, and invasion, and being guilty, she ought not to deny it. If she had committed so horrible a crime neither she nor a great part of the kingdom could be excused, not even all the Catholics of the kingdom. If they consented to this, they deserved to be punished. She said they must find some other cloak or pretext to enable them to come to the point. She could see well what they had in view, but she would have no worse cheer for all that; they were not going to spare her. Paulet said it was not for her religion; no one had been punished for that. He knew nothing of what the Lords had done, but they had found the charge clear and evident. It was said they had given sentence, that he knew not; some supposed he had done it, but he knew nothing: had only heard by hearsay. Her Majesty said she knew they had condemned her before they came here. What they had done here was only to go through the formalities to make their resolution feasible. She was not obliged to acquiesce or submit, and she did not care in the least what they had done. Having her a prisoner, they could very easily afflict her and kill her and dispose of her at their own will and pleasure, for she was all along feeble and careworn, and she desired that everyone should know how her affairs were handled. Paulet said spitefully that he was very sorry everybody knew it, that such an enterprise was not secret, but he had passed no judgment on it before the arrival of the Lords. He said that Elizabeth should not take the title of supreme head of the Church, and that there was no head but Jesus Christ. She replied that this was the only point on which the exclusion of the Catholics had been founded; that she thought this thing was so common and so true that to Henry VIII. the title had been given; that he might think the Calvinists, who are the most reformed, did not approve of this; but those who followed the religion of the Queen, who are Lutherans and inventors of this idea, hold everyone guilty of treason or lèse majesté all who hold the contrary. Not only have they judged guilty those who would not recognise it or disavow it by words, but they have obliged them to say what they thought in their conscience, and upon their answers condemned them to death. If Elizabeth did not wish to accept this title she knew well it was given to her and that they were guilty who did not recognise it. Paulet answered that Elizabeth could not do so, and they did not give it to her but others, and those who were called Puritans considered her governor under God of things ecclesiastical and temporal in England, but not supreme head of the Church. There was no one that but Jesus Christ.
“At the conclusion we were of opinion that he would write Her Majesty's answer to the court. Her countenance was not in the least changed, neither her conversation nor her actions, and we said she could bear a thousand torments sooner than ask pardon. She said they would be instructed by Elizabeth, who wished to reserve this authority in order to keep her under subjection as incapable of the right to reign. She repeated what she had been told several times, that there were many others in England whom they had put to death, princes, kings, and great lords; as she said to Paulet some days before, that England was the bloodiest of all nations, and that they were in the habit from time immemorial of putting their kings to death or deposing them according to their will. Paulet said it was of all nations the least addicted to that; and she replied their chronicles were full of it.”
The next entry in the Journal is Sunday, 13th November. Drury, the Ambassador of Elizabeth, came in the place of Stallenge, who left next day.
“Friday, 18th November.—Lord Buckhurst arrived in order to consult with Her Majesty. He came with the governor of the castle to speak to Paulet, then went back to sleep in the town.
“Sunday, 20th November.—After having asked permission to speak to Her Majesty they came after dinner with Paulet and Drury into her chamber. Lord Buckhurst had a message from Elizabeth, if it would please her to listen: that she, considering what had passed, had sent Beale and him to tell her that after she had been informed of rebellions in her kingdom against her person and Estates, of which Her Majesty was accused, knowing her rank and having great regret in her heart that such a thing should have happened, she had been careful to order that the facts should be looked into, and for that purpose had sent the greatest and most honourable lords of her kingdom to inquire into the same. They had reported to Parliament that Her Majesty not only was consenting to a thing so horrible, but was also author and inventor of the same, and that she, being in this country under the protection of the Queen of England and the laws, was subject to the same. After having deliberated with Parliament, Elizabeth had given sentence of death against her, and he had left his mistress irresolute, but in order that she might not be taken by surprise, there being such a ferment in Parliament, and she was so importuned by her Estates, that it was almost impossible for her not to consent. For since the Queen of Scots had been in this country there had been continual trouble in the kingdom, so that neither the Queen's person, nor the State, nor religion were secure. They all said for the safety of these it was necessary that one or the other should die, for it was impossible for both to live at the same time.
“Beale and he had been sent to warn her of her death, that she might not be taken unawares, and they would send her the Bishop of Peterboro' or a Dean to console her—these were men of knowledge and reading; however, if she would reflect, and recognise her fault, and make repentance and satisfaction before God and man, and if she knew something more of this plot besides what had already been proved, she would unload her conscience, as she was bound to do in Christian charity, being a near relation of the Queen of England, to whom she was indebted for the benefits she had received. If she knew any who were guilty in this matter, she should declare it before her death, for such was her duty. Her Majesty said she expected nothing else; they were in the habit of proceeding thus to those of her rank or those who were related or near the Throne. They never allowed those to live who could aspire to it, and that for a long time she knew the end would be that they would lead her there. She respected the Queen and the country, and had done all she could for the preservation of both. She did not fear death and was quite resolute, and with a good heart would endure it. She had in no way conspired to the hurt of the Queen's person; her friends had several times offered her deliverance, to which for not having consented she had been blamed, and they threatened to leave her and mix themselves up no more in her affairs. In these circumstances she had striven for deliverance out of amiability, but to her great disadvantage; in short, on being refused on the one side and pressed on the other she had thrown herself into the arms of her friends and had taken part with the Christian princes and Catholics, not for ambition or aspiring to great estate, but for the honour of God and his Church, and to be delivered from the misery and captivity in which she was placed. She was not ignorant that for a long time there were individuals who had got up all these accusations against her; and to speak plainly, it was Walsingham who had confessed to being her enemy, which he would never cease to be till he had accomplished his purpose; of all which she had spoken before the commissioners. Beale said that Walsingham did not meddle more than the others, that he was esteemed a good and faithful servant, and that he believed that neither he nor any of the lords had any special power to do anything for or against her unless in the Council and Assembly. Beale said that he had to tell Her Majesty something about the treaties and affairs which had been in the past in this kingdom, and with these she had been connected and caused trouble. He criticised her coming into the kingdom, and said that the Queen had cared for her and received and appeased her subjects who were against her; that seeing her in danger, she had helped her to retire to Carlisle in order to be more secure. Her Majesty answered that she had been led there compulsorily and against her will. Beale said it was for her good, and put her in mind that there had been affairs over which the subjects of Her Majesty and her friends had taken arms. She said that formerly when she desired to write she could; and when it could profit the Queen and her it was no longer permitted, but since her enemies had procured her sentence she had not thought it would profit or serve her in any way; besides, being deprived of all dignity and title, she did not see in what rank she could write for the present. What she did was not to save her life, nor to get pardon and escape, but only for peace of mind and for a last adieu.
“Next day after dinner, Paulet and Drury having been sent for, they came into her chamber, when she made the same speech, adding that she would make a rough draft of a letter before them. And while they were talking Paulet said he wished to read this letter before it was sealed, as she might put something within of which he wished to be assured because of his duty to his mistress. On this they had some conversation, Her Majesty being surprised that he should require such a thing. At the same time she said ironically that she thanked him for the good opinion he had of her, to suspect her of putting something into the letter that would hurt the English Queen. Paulet apologising for his behaviour, assured her that Elizabeth wished to write her the same day (16th December). Her Majesty's chaplain arrived.