Chapter I: Preface

The _Journal_ of Bourgoyne, which I had meant originally to be the text of this volume, is a work of some importance in helping us to elucidate the life and later days of the Queen of Scots. I have considered it necessary, for the benefit of the reader, to reproduce also a Summary of the voluminous correspondence which took place during the same period between Queen Mary and her confrères, and Elizabeth, and the leading ministers and secretaries of the Crown of England. The correspondence discloses the political manœuvres and secret negotiations of that eventful time—the last six months of Queen Mary's life: and the Summary occupies the first half of the volume. It has been impossible to restrict it further and convey to the reader what is meant to be conveyed—an intelligible estimate of her prison life, with all its painful vicissitudes. The letters have an important bearing on the character of the Scottish Queen, and illustrate the situation better than can be done by any criticism.

The fascination of Mary Stuart as the central figure of the greatest drama in Scottish history is an additional reason for putting another volume before the public, even though the literature on the subject is abundant; while Bourgoyne's _Journal_, now specially translated, we must remember, has not been much in evidence in its original form. It is really a domestic, not a political or daily, record, and is the only such record we possess, for no historian has attempted to give more than an outline of her public career. In this _Journal_ there are entries of which we have hitherto been unaware; entries which manifest the cunning and deception of that age; chiefly and more particularly the administration of the Crown of England—thrilling reading—Elizabeth occupying the foreground and swaying the sceptre in a manner that must be read to be appreciated.

A large portion of the matter in this volume is published now for the first time, and to the rising generation the entire narrative will be quite new. The greatest point of historical importance resulting from a study of this _Journal_ is its determination, and settlement of all doubt, of the innocence of Queen Mary of having had any connection with any plot against the life of Elizabeth; or with that huge fraud the Babington Conspiracy. How this is established the reader will realise from the accompanying recital.

S. C.

PERTH, _1st January 1907_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
PAGE
The last act of the drama—Lord Burghley and Secretary
Walsingham actively engaged against Queen Mary—Walsingham and
his spies—Character of Walsingham—Plots of Elizabeth to take
Mary's life—Savage, Ballard, Morgan, and Babington—Mary's
pathetic appeal to Chateauneuf—Text of her first letter—Text
of her second letter—Elizabeth and Sir Amias Paulet—The famous
memoranda between Paulet and Wade as to how Mary was to be
kidnapped and her papers seized—Paulet's official instructions
to kidnap the Queen—Elizabeth's confirmation of these
instructions—Elizabeth's final orders to kidnap Queen Mary 1

CHAPTER II

Outline of the kidnapping scheme, and how it was carried
out—Paulet requires instructions as to Nau and Curle—Queen
Mary's return to Chartley—Forcible seizure of her money and
cabinets by Paulet and Walsingham—Letter from Yetsweirt about
Nau and Curle—Private letter of Nau to Elizabeth exonerating
himself and Mary—Elizabeth's fulsome gratitude to Paulet—Letter
Walsingham to Paulet—Burghley and Walsingham instruct Paulet
about Fotheringay—Paulet writes Walsingham (kidnapping plot)—He
writes Burghley and Walsingham—Desires to resign office—Mary
complains of her cruel treatment to the Duke of Guise, the Lord
Chancellor, and Pasquier—Elizabeth's second order to seize Queen
Mary's money—Relations between James and his mother—Letter
Walsingham to Master of Gray—Mary's intercepted letters 28

CHAPTER III

Interview between Queen Mary and Paulet at
Fotheringay—Elizabeth nominates commissioners for the
trial—Elizabeth's commission to Burghley and Walsingham to
conduct the trial—Important letter, Elizabeth to Burghley,
Mary's sentence prearranged—The commissioners in Mary's
bedchamber—The three private interviews—The Lord Chancellor
Bromley opens the trial—Mary exposes Walsingham's duplicity
(Petit's version)—Close of the first day and conversation with
her physician—Sentence of death—Burghley writes Davison—The
gross illegality of the trial exposed—The commissioners in
the Star Chamber—Tytler's opinion of the Babington Plot—Mary
Seton's letter to Courcelles—Paulet to Walsingham, 24th October
1586 56

CHAPTER IV

Elizabeth's instructions to Lord Buckhurst to communicate the
sentence of death to Mary, and her remarkable reasons for this
act—Elizabeth compromised in the Babington Conspiracy—Her
letter to Paulet to allow the commissioners an interview
with Mary—Elizabeth's chicanery (Petit's version)—Paulet
to Walsingham, 21st November 1586—Letter Henry III. to his
Ambassador in London to request James to save his mother's
life—Sentence of death communicated to Mary by Buckhurst—Queen
Mary's pathetic letter to the Pope informing him that she has
been sentenced to die, and giving her last instructions—Her
letter to the Duke of Guise informing him of her sentence, and
giving instructions about her affairs 82

CHAPTER V

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 106

CHAPTER VI

Proclamation by the Queen of England announcing Queen Mary's
death—Elizabeth instructs Paulet to deliver Queen Mary to
the Sheriff of Northampton—Memorial from Walsingham with
instructions for the execution and interment—Unfinished paper
by Lord Burghley on Mary's execution—Letter from King James to
Elizabeth requesting her to spare his mother's life—Sir Robert
Melville and the Master of Gray wait on her and petition for
Mary's life—Extraordinary commission by Elizabeth to the Earls
of Shrewsbury and Kent to execute the Scottish Queen—Letter by
Queen Mary to Henry III.; being the last letter she ever wrote 132

CHAPTER VII

BOURGOYNE'S JOURNAL

The sham Stag Hunt—The Queen starts in gleeful spirits, fully
equipped and attended by her household—The shadow of Elizabeth
suddenly appears, and the Stag Hunt is no more—Seizure of Queen
Mary's personal attendants—Mary demands to know where they
are taking her—She dismounts, and refuses to proceed—Paulet's
insolence—Bourgoyne induces her to obey Paulet and proceed—She
retires and offers up prayer—Bourgoyne helps her to remount—She
is taken to Tixall—Refused pen, ink, and paper by Paulet—Her
papers and cabinets seized at Chartley—She is brought back
to Chartley—Paulet and Bagot in her bedchamber without
leave—Paulet seizes her money and reopens the Babington Plot—He
removes her from Chartley to Fotheringay—The remarkable
procession and arrival at Burton 159

CHAPTER VIII

Gorges again attacks Mary about Elizabeth's life—Mary's
sharp response, and Gorges silenced—Procession sets out
from Burton and reaches Hill Hall Castle; next day it
reaches Leicester—People there hostile to Paulet—Arrival
at Fotheringay—Mary's dissatisfaction with it—Interview
with Paulet—Paulet and Elizabeth's insolence—Arrival of
the commissioners—They attend prayers—Elizabeth's insolent
letter to Mary—Mary's interview with Mildmay, Paulet, and
others, official report—Elizabeth's reply—Lord Chancellor
and commissioners visit Mary in her chamber—Burghley's
overbearing attitude and speech—She refuses to recognise their
authority—The second interview, when she is too many for
them—Third interview, when Mary delivers an eloquent speech in
her defence and exposes the duplicity and false character of
Elizabeth 185

CHAPTER IX

The Queen and the Commissioners at Fotheringay—Letter Babington
to Queen Mary, July 1586—Letter Queen Mary to Babington, 17th
July 1586 212

CHAPTER X

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 241

CHAPTER XI

Mary prohibited from writing Elizabeth—She surrenders her
life to God, and is willing to die—Paulet still insolent—The
Queen remonstrates with him—She thinks they will murder her
secretly—Denied the use of a priest—Paulet resents secret
murder—Mary's dignities—The daïs and rod discontinued—Paulet
and Melville quarrel—Arrival of the Sheriff and the
Earls of Kent and Shrewsbury—She receives them in her
bedchamber—Shrewsbury announces sentence of death; to take
place next morning—Mary's calm and pathetic reply—Takes leave
of her servants: gives them her blessing and distributes
presents to them—She writes her will—Names of those to be
present at her death—Her last words and the scene of execution
as recorded by Bourgoyne—Author's summing up and conclusion 265

CHAPTER XII