“As to the rest, I think you know that in your name they have taken down my daïs (canopy and raised seat) but afterwards they owned to me that it was not by your command but by the intimation of some of your Privy Council. I thank God that this wickedness came not from you, and that it serves rather to vent their malice than to afflict me, having made up my mind to die. It is on account of this and some other things that they debarred me from writing to you, and after they had done all in their power to degrade me from my rank they told me 'that I was but a mere dead woman, incapable of dignity'—God be praised for all.
“I would wish that all my papers were brought to you without reserve, that at last it may be manifest to you that the sole care of your safety was not confined to those who are so prompt to persecute me. If you will accord this my last request, I would wish that you would write for them, otherwise they do with them as they choose. And, moreover, I wish that to this my last request you will let me know your last reply. To conclude, I pray God the just judge of his mercy that He will enlighten you with His Holy Spirit, and that He will give me His grace to die in the perfect charity I am disposed to do and to pardon all those who have caused or who have co-operated in my death. Such will be my last prayer to my end, which I esteem myself happy will precede the persecution which I foresee menaces this isle, where God is no longer seriously feared and revered, but vanity and worldly policy rule and govern all—yet will I accuse no one nor give way to presumption—yet while abandoning this world and preparing myself for a better, I must remind you that one day you will have to answer for your charge, and for all those whom you condemn, and that I desire that my blood and my country may be remembered in that time. For why? From the first days of our capacity to comprehend our duties we ought to bend our minds to make the things of this world yield to those of eternity.
“From Fotheringay this 19th December 1586.—Your sister and cousin, prisoner wrongfully,
“Marie (Royne).
“Paulet afterwards troubled Her Majesty with a rather violent speech, warning her to thank the Queen and recognise the favour she had done her not only since her arrival in England but since, and in this last she was much indebted. Her Majesty said if she had received any benefit or favour from Elizabeth she thanked her for it, but she did not see it, having kept her a prisoner for eighteen years and then condemned her to death. It was the worst that she could do. Paulet said she had kept her from her enemies and saved her life; that she had come into this country fleeing from another place, and it was the inconvenience of the sea that sent her into England. Her Majesty said there was nobody in England who held this view but himself, and that she had come into this country in a simple fishing boat, which was not intended to carry her farther, against the opinion of the lords who were with her, of whom there were some still living, who had tried to dissuade her from coming because she would put herself into the hands of the enemy and would only leave it at her death. They would not cross with her unless she gave them an attestation and certificate by her own hand that it was against their will that she came to England. Paulet, she said, showed himself very ignorant of her affairs. If Elizabeth did not wish to keep her promise she ought to have sent her away and not detained her against her undertaking. Paulet repeated it was for her good and to save her from her enemies, therefore she ought to have a good opinion of Elizabeth. Since she came into the country and was under her protection, Elizabeth had guarded her and done her no harm, although she might have had suspicion of her as a rival in the kingdom. She was quite sure the enemies of the Queen of Scots would have taken her life had she been sent back to Scotland. Her Majesty replied that her subjects had taken arms on the frontiers. Paulet reminded her that when her party was the feeblest in her country Elizabeth had kept her in her rank and dignity, and her gratitude was to attempt Elizabeth's life. The which was so undoubted that Elizabeth had a right to proceed against her according to the laws of the country.
“Drury began to speak to Melville, and said that many great lords had told him that the King of Scotland had good reason to know and respect the Queen of England, who had been to him a good mother: that it was not the English who had separated him from his mother, but it was because he would not make a league in which she (Mary) was included; thus they had treated with him as King of Scotland, as one who was recognised in England and in all foreign countries. There was no other with whom to treat but he who was recognised by the Parliaments of England and Scotland. Her Majesty answered on the first point that it must be allowed to pass as above, she not having been allowed by the Queen of England to arm her people. The English not having laid down their arms they burned and wasted the country, and she, being kept by force, had not been able to make good conditions for getting away. Her party would not have been the weakest if the English had not mixed themselves up in it. She was obliged to tell them that one well-known man in England (John Wood) had written to Moray that 'they had not been able to keep the devil when they had him in their possession.' Better to have kept him tied and chained than to let her go. She desired to be judged by her peers or by twelve subjects not kings or primates, by whom England had no right to make laws. It was no great honour to praise such a wicked man as Morton, who was known for a tyrant and usurper, who pillaged and ravaged all the wealth of the poor subjects of Scotland, took her son prisoner, and extorted money tyrannically from everyone. He was a false man and a traitor, his life debauched and vicious, coming to a climax in luxury and adultery. Melville said he could corroborate this statement. She wondered at Elizabeth thinking herself a good mother to her son in having kept him separate from her and hindered friendship with his mother, having intercourse with those who kept her prisoner, receiving her rebels and favouring them. They ought not to have taken the counsel of young Gray to treat with the son rather than with the mother to whom the kingdom belonged, and that as soon as he became King she declared she had submitted by force, that she permitted him to take the title of King provided he took her counsel in affairs of importance and that he would do nothing without her. Otherwise she would disavow all that he did. The foreign kings recognised him only on this condition. (Paulet was evidently unable to reply.)
“Thursday, 22nd December.—Paulet sent to fetch Melville and Bourgoyne both together, contrary to his custom, inasmuch as Melville since his return had always alone carried messages to and from the Queen. Paulet declared he had something to send to the Queen. This was two bags of papers according to what Her Majesty had asked in order to arrange her accounts, saying that he did not know what they were, but he gave them as he got them, delivering to us aside a letter from Curle to his sister saying that he had been allowed to write to ask Her Majesty that as she had promised for his bargain £4000 by testament and £1000 in prison, it would be better to leave him the 2000 crowns that he had had by deposit, that the said sum might be put to interest in France, as otherwise it might fall into the hands of his enemies. As the bags were unsealed we showed them to him. He said that because of his duty and charge he had unsealed them in order to know their contents. Her Majesty read Nau's letter, which was in one of the bags in a very short memorandum.
“Friday, 23rd December.—Her Majesty sent to Melville and Bourgoyne to beg of Paulet to tell the court that she could do nothing without her papers which were awanting, and being those that were principally required, namely, the conclusion and clearing up of the past, and that he would know what had become of them, as they had been carried away by Wade. Desiring to speak to him particularly of other points that she wished him to write down, Paulet, who was ill, promised to come to her when he was better, but he would write to her upon this and other subjects.
“Saturday, 7th January 1587.—Paulet sent by his secretary the papers which he said he had received the day before from his servants, who had returned from London with money for the expenses of the house, as he thought. These papers were memorandums made by Nau of the accounts of the Queen for the years 1583-4-5, what the treasurer had received and what he had paid out, showing that they owed her more than he had received because of the past troubles.