CHAPTER XIV
THE QUEEN OF SCOTS
The councilor's words that Elizabeth was more queen than woman wereshown to be true whenever matters came to the proof. She gave herfavorite Leicester everything that he asked save her own royal hand,but on occasion she could be as severe with Leicester as if he had beenher enemy.
It was the custom for the general of an English army to serve withoutsalary and to contribute generously to his own expenses and those ofhis troops. The general, then, must be a rich man, and in order tohave the most perfect control over his soldiers he must be a man whowas known to be in the confidence of the queen. No one was betterqualified in these important respects to lead an army than Leicester,and he was put at the head of the forces that were sent to the aidof the Dutch states then revolting against Philip. Their leader hadbeen assassinated, and they asked to be annexed to England. Elizabethsaw clearly that to grant their request would bring on war with Spainat once, and she refused. When Leicester was appointed commander, shegave him the most positive orders to accept no such position for her asruler of the Low Countries. News soon came that Leicester had been madegovernor general.
"Your Majesty," said her informer, "it is said that Lord Leicester isshown great honor in the Low Countries."
"That is well," said the queen. "The commander of an army should everbe treated with deference."
"The Dutch states prove by the respect given to Lord Leicester whathonor they would show to your Majesty if you were with them."
Mary Stuart receiving her death sentence.--_Frompainting by Carl Piloty_.]
"In what fashion do they show their respect?" asked the queen so gentlythat Leicester's enemy took courage and ventured to go a step further.
"He is called governor-general, and they say that men kneel before himto kiss his hand, and that he has already a court as brilliant as thatof England."
"Is that true?" asked Elizabeth with a feigned indifference. "Do youknow more of this court of his?"
"Little now, but there will be more and greater news, for it is saidthat Lady Leicester is about to go to Holland and that with her will gosuch a train of ladies and gentlemen and such rich coaches, litters,and sidesaddles, that your Majesty has none such in England."
Then Elizabeth's wrath broke forth. "I will let the upstart know," saidshe, "how easily the hand that has exalted him can beat him down." Shewrote an angry letter to her absent favorite which said:--
"I have raised you from the dust and shown you favor above all others,and I should never have imagined you would dare to break my expresscommandment to accept any such title."
It was a hard position for Burleigh, since he himself and the restof the council had wished Leicester to accept the title and so forcethe queen to become sovereign of the Dutch states, whether she wouldor not. The queen's rage was visited upon even her old friend andadviser, and to Burleigh himself she declared, "You are nothing but apresumptuous fellow."
The great test of Elizabeth's character was soon to come, for the year1587 was at hand. Would she be woman or queen? A stern question mustbe decided. Jesting with Raleigh, exasperating King Philip, stormingat Leicester and then forgiving him, amusing herself with Leicester'shandsome stepson, the Earl of Essex, bedecking herself in gorgeousattire that flashed with jewels and gold, dreaming over new routes toIndia and new English nations in Virginia--all these had to be put awayfor the time. What should be the fate of the Queen of Scots could nolonger be left undecided.
Mary had been a captive in England for nearly eighteen years, and thoseyears had been almost as full of peril to Elizabeth as to her prisoner.If Mary was dead, the Catholics who were plotting against Elizabethwould have no object in trying to take her life, for Mary's son Jameswas the next heir to the throne, and he was as strong a Protestant asElizabeth. On the other hand, if Elizabeth were no longer alive, Marywould become queen of England, and Protestants would be obliged to beloyal to her as their lawful sovereign. They would be the more contentknowing that her Protestant son would succeed her. Thus, if eitherMary or Elizabeth were dead, England would be free from the plots andconspiracies that had been revealed, one after another, during thecaptivity of Mary.
At the discovery of each of these plots, Mary's imprisonment becamemore rigorous. It was claimed that she was at the bottom of everyconspiracy.
"The Queen of Scots and her friends will yet have my life," saidElizabeth, and she added jestingly to her councilors, "I'll come backafter I am dead and see her make your heads fly."
Walsingham, one of Elizabeth's ministers, had been most watchful ofthese plots. His spies were ever on the lookout, and in the summer of1586 he found sure proof of a conspiracy to take the life of the queen.Was Mary connected with this plot? Sworn testimony declared that shewas. Her papers were seized, and among them were found letters frommany leading nobles of England expressing sympathy in her troubles.Mary was at once removed to Fotheringay Castle, where she was muchmore closely guarded than ever before. Thirty-six commissioners wereappointed to try her on the charge of plotting against the life of theEnglish queen. She was cited to appear before them.
"That will I never do," she declared. "I have a right to be tried bymy peers. I am a queen, and only sovereigns are my peers, but I willdefend myself before the queen of England and her council or evenbefore the English Parliament."
Then a letter was given her from Elizabeth which read;--
"You have attempted to take my life and to bring my kingdom todestruction by bloodshed. I have never proceeded so harshly againstyou, but have protected and maintained you like myself. It is my willthat you answer the nobles and peers of the kingdom as if I were myselfpresent. Act plainly, without reserve, and you will sooner be able toobtain favor from me."
"Is it wise to make these refusals?" asked one of her friends. "You arein the power of the English queen, is it not better to rouse her nofurther by hopeless demands?"
"True, it is hopeless," answered Mary, "it is all hopeless. I am asovereign kept here unlawfully as a prisoner by the royal cousin towhom I fled for help in my trouble. Her laws have not protected me, whythen must I be sentenced under them?"
"The court is convened," said the commissioners, "and if you refuseto appear, you will be at once declared guilty without a trial. QueenElizabeth has said many times that nothing would please her so much asto have proof of your innocence. Is it wise to refuse to give proof?"
Finally Mary yielded. Her trial would not be legal to-day, for she wasallowed no counsel, she was not even permitted to see her own papersor to hear and question those persons who testified against her, butit was according to the laws of the time, and she was tried with nogreater severity than was shown to all prisoners accused of treason.
"Your letters prove that you have allowed your correspondents toaddress you as queen of England," declared the crown lawyers, "that youhave tried to induce King Philip to invade our country, and that youhave been knowing to the late plot to assassinate the lawful queen ofthe realm."
"With the plot against the life of my cousin Elizabeth I had nothingto do," declared Mary. "That I have sought to gain my freedom by theaid of my friends I do not deny. My lords, I am unjustly and cruellydeprived of my liberty. Do you blame me for trying by every means in mypower to recover it? Could anyone do otherwise?"
So the charges and the denials went on, and when the trial was over,the judges left Fotheringay Castle. Again they met, and everyone votedthat Mary was guilty of high treason in plotting against the life ofthe English queen. She was sentenced to death. This was the report madeto Parliament, and that body solemnly agreed to the verdict. It wasproclaimed in London, and the whole city gave itself up to rejoicing.Bells were rung, bonfires blazed in every square, shouts of joy andpsalms of thanksgiving resounded throughout the town.
"Think you that the queen will ever carry out the sentence?" asked oneLondoner of another.
"It is many years," was the reply, "that the hand of Elizabeth alonehas saved the life of the Scotch queen.
Parliament decreed her deathfifteen years ago and they say that Elizabeth was the angriest woman inEngland. 'Would you have me put to death the bird that, to escape thehawk, has fled to me for protection? I'll never sign such a bill,' andshe never did."
"The constant dropping of water will wear away stone," said the first,"and yet I hear that she has sent a message to Parliament commandingthem to find some other way."
"Until the axe falls, nothing will persuade me that the child of HenryVIII. will consent to see the blood of one of her own proud race flowat the hand of the executioner," declared the second, "and what ismore, she will not do a deed that will arouse the scorn and hatred ofEurope. Mary's head is safe."
"Not so fast, my friend. Who are the supporters of Mary? Who is the'Europe' whose scorn will check the pen of Elizabeth when she is aboutto sign the death warrant?"
"Philip, the Pope, the king of France, and Mary's own son James. Theyare a powerful company."
"Are they? Philip is really almost at war with us now, but it is not inMary's interest. The Pope cares nothing about putting a Catholic womanof forty-four on the throne when in a few years she will be succeededby a Protestant son. The king of France can do nothing for her butplead, for if he strikes one blow at England, it is a blow in favor ofSpain."
"Her own son----"
"Has made a treaty with Elizabeth. He will do anything to make sure ofthe English throne, and indeed, can he be blamed for lack of affectionwhen he knows that his mother planned to leave her claim not to him butto Philip?"
Elizabeth was most unwilling that Mary should be put to death. Herministers were eager for the execution, for it was their businessto secure the peace of England and the welfare of their queen. Theybelieved that only Mary's death would bring this about. Then, too, asElizabeth had said jestingly, if Mary were once on the throne, shewould "make their heads fly." Surely they had a right to care for theirown safety, they reasoned. Elizabeth could not bear the thought that aprincess of the Tudor blood should die on the scaffold. She was alwayscareless of her personal danger, and she knew that the death of Marywould be ascribed to her own fear or jealousy. It is no wonder that shehesitated.
"What shall we do," queried the ministers. "Elizabeth must be inducedto sign the death warrant, of course, but who will order it carriedout?"
"The queen will never do such a thing," said one.
"We must do it ourselves," said another. "There are ten of us, and tencannot well be made to suffer for carrying out a written order of thequeen's."
For many weeks Elizabeth hesitated. She often sat buried in deepthought. "Shall I bear with her or smite her?" the ladies of thebedchamber heard her say to herself. At last she bade the secretaryDavison bring her the warrant.
"What have you in your hand?" she asked as he entered the room.
"Sundry papers that await your Majesty's signature," answered Davison.Elizabeth took up her pen and signed the warrant. Then she pushed itaway from her and it fell upon the floor.
"Are you not heartily sorry to see this done?" she asked.
"I should be far from rejoicing in any one's calamity," repliedDavison, "but the life of the Queen of Scots is so great a threat tothe life of your Majesty that not to sign the paper would be a wrong toyour whole realm as much as to yourself."
"I have done all that either law or reason could require of me," saidthe queen, "and now let me hear nothing further."
Davison reported the scene to the council.
"She means the deed to be done," said one, "but she has given no ordersto carry out the warrant."
"That is her way of dealing with her sea-captains," said another. "Doesshe not provide them with ships and guns and soldiers, and does she notmost willingly take a share of Spanish gold? But if a commander getsinto trouble with Spain, she will say, 'Did I not give orders to do noharm to my good friend Philip?'"
"Then must all ten of us give the final order," said another. This wasdone. The warrant and the letter commanding the execution were sent.
About a week after the signing of the warrant, bonfires blazed andbells rang.
"The bells ring as merrily as if there were some good news," said thequeen. "Why is it?"
"It is because of the death of the Queen of Scots," was the answer.Elizabeth said not a word. A day or two later she was told that Maryhad been executed at Fotheringay Castle. She turned pale, she burstinto tears, she stormed at her councilors. "Never shall your crime bepardoned," she raged. "You well knew that I did not mean my kinswomanto be put to death. You have dared to usurp my authority, and you areworse traitors than my poor cousin. As for you, Burleigh, do you neverdare show yourself in my presence again. I have made you and I canunmake you. That fellow Davison knew that I did not mean the warrant tobe carried out. Take him to the Tower."
"He is very ill, your Majesty," said one.
"Then take his illness with him, for into the Tower he goes."
"Your Majesty," pleaded the councilors, "if your secretary Davison isimprisoned, the lords of your council will be regarded as plotters andmurderers."
"What is that to me?" cried Elizabeth. "They who murder must expect tobe called murderers."
Davison was imprisoned for some time and was fined so heavily that hewas reduced to poverty. Elizabeth sent a copy of his sentence to KingJames and also a letter telling him that the execution of his motherwas a "miserable accident." James was easily comforted. He had beentaught to look upon her as a shame and disgrace to himself. If she hadnot been the murderer of his father, she had, at least, married themurderer, and within three months after the commission of the crime. Hewas lawful heir to the throne of England, but he knew that she had doneall that lay in her power to deprive him of his birthright. He wrote anearnest letter to Elizabeth in the attempt to save his mother's life,but it was soon followed by a sort of apology and an intimation thatall would be well if she would formally recognize him as her successor.
It is probable that there will always be two opinions in regard to thejustice of Mary's execution.
"She fled to England for refuge," says one, "and should have been setfree."
"To set her free would have been to deliver her up to the foes whowould have taken her life," says the other, "or else to the friends whowould have made war against England."
"A prisoner cannot be blamed for seeking liberty."
"But one may be justly punished for plotting treason."
"Mary was not a subject of the queen of England."
"He who commits treason is punished whether he is a subject or not."
"The testimony against her was false."
"It was sworn to by solemn oath. There was no other means ofdiscovering the truth."
As to Elizabeth's real share in the execution of Mary there is quite asmuch difference of opinion.
"Because of her fear and jealousy she put to death the cousin to whomshe had given every reason to expect protection," say the partisans ofMary.
"It shows little of either fear or jealousy to let her live for fifteenyears," retort the supporters of Elizabeth.
"At least she signed the warrant with her own hand."
"Even a Tudor queen was not free to follow her own will. The Englishcouncil had urged the deed for many years."
"Secretary Davison declared that she wished the warrant carried out."
"Davison told four different stories, and no one of them agreed withElizabeth's version of the scene. Who shall tell where truth lies?"
"The warrant would have been worthless without her name."
"Walsingham's private secretary confessed many years afterwards that heforged the name at his master's command."
Last moment of Mary, Queen of Scots.--_From painting byan unknown artist._]
"Then why did she not deny the signature?"
"To whom? To James she did deny it as far as she dared. She wrote himthat the execution was a 'miserable accident.' To her council she madeno denial because the forger was the tool of the council, and hadbut carried out their will
. Elizabeth could storm at her councilors,but, Tudor as she was, she had not the power to oppose their uniteddetermination." So the discussion has gone on for three hundred years.
The surest way for a wrongdoer to have his crimes forgotten andforgiven is to meet with dignity and resignation the death that hisdeeds have made his lawful punishment. Whether Mary deserved thispenalty or not, her calmness on the scaffold and her gentle submissionto the death from which there was no escape have won friends andadmirers for her even among the sternest critics of her life and heracts.
When the time was come for her execution, she went quietly to the hallof Fotheringay Castle, supported by two attendants, while a thirdbore her train. With a calm and cheerful face she stepped upon thelow platform where lay the block. Platform, railing, block, and a lowstool were heavily draped with black. She seated herself on the stool.On her right sat the two nobles to whom the charge of her executionhad been committed, on her left stood the sheriff, and in front of herthe two executioners, while around the railing stood many knights andother gentlemen who had come to see her die. Her robes belonged to theexecutioners, and when they began to remove her gown, as the customwas, she smiled and said she had never before been disrobed by suchgrooms. She had begged that some of her women might be with her tothe last, and when they could no longer control themselves but beganto weep and lament, she kissed them and said gently, "Do not weep,my friends, I have promised that you will not. Rejoice, for you willsoon see an end of all your mistress's troubles." She repeated a Latinprayer, and then an English prayer for the church, for her son James,and for Queen Elizabeth, "that she might prosper and serve God aright."Her women pinned a linen cloth over her face. She knelt down upon thecushion and laid her head upon the block. "Into thy hands, O Lord,I commend my spirit," she cried, and so died Mary Stuart, Queen ofScotland and heir to the throne of England.